Samsung Note 5 with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4

I remember my first cell phone from years ago; since then I’ve had probably close to 20 phones of all makes and models. It is with no lack of search and trial that I have finally settled on the phone I am completely in love with- the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with Corning Incorporated’s Gorilla Glass 4.

In terms of aesthetics alone, we’re looking at a 5.7″ HD Super AMOLED screen with 518 pixels per inch. It’s sleek, slim and simply gorgeous. As someone who has to spend a lot of time on my phone, I am personally not a fan of tiny screens. I’ve always appreciated the size of the Note series and this one in particular, despite being built with the 7000 series aluminum and the Gorilla Glass 4 (the toughest cover glass to date), is also incredibly lightweight.

Before I dive in to some of the superior functions of the Galaxy Note 5, let’s focus on one of the main issues most of us are worried about- scratch resistance and crack resistance. Bottom line- even the most careful among us can and do experience accidents. In researching what my next smartphone was going to be, I learned that in lab tests Gorilla Glass 4 survives up to 80% of the time and performs up to 2 times better than competitive glass designs when dropped from a height of 3 feet. If you watched the video portion of my review here, you’ll see that I can definitely attest to the fact that Gorilla Glass dramatically improves protection against drops which lets me have just a little more peace of mind in a very hectic day to day life.

For those of you familiar with me, you know that I’m constantly on the go while running multiple businesses and working on my next two books. My phone is almost always with me- if not in my hands then thrown in my purse where a dozen things are brushing against each other. I still can’t get over how there are no scratches on the phone yet.

To detail the functions of the Galaxy Note 5 that are most important to me when I’m traveling, working on restaurant reviews, hotel reviews, and everything in between, here’s what I need:

  • out of this world camera and video,
  • solid battery life,
  • ability to take notes easily and quickly and
  • ability to have multiple tabs open and running functions like watching a video, chatting, checking email and/or listening to music all at the same time.

What does the Note 5 with Gorilla Glass 4 give me?

Its two facing camera and video capabilities are so outstanding that I no longer need to lug around my huge and heavy professional camera and I no longer need to hire expensive videographers with even more expensive video camera equipment to do simple video reviews with great quality. The video stabilizer makes even the most unsteady hands a non-issue. This phone lets you record in 4k/UHD for ultra sharp footage.

The rear-facing camera works at 16MP/F1.9, Smart OIS/VDIS with auto real-time HDR ability. The front-facing camera works at 5MP/F1.9, VDIS120 degree Wide Selfie Angle with the same auto real-time HDR ability. One of my favorite functions as a total novice to the selfie world is the ability to set a timer delay for the selfie mode at 2 seconds, 5 seconds or 10 seconds delay. For group selfies this function proves invaluable.

Samsung’s built-in picture editor is as robust as you would expect for a device borne of a nation obsessed with beauty and perfection. It is basically like photoshop-light, with the ability to very easily enlarge eyes, brighten face, slim face, correct red eye along with dozens of other lighting and mood filters.

For both the camera and video functions, there are professional and automatic settings as well as a simple to use light adjuster whose purpose is similar to increasing or decreasing the aperture in a professional camera. This makes it possible to take great pictures and video in pretty much any lighting conditions.

One of the other functionalities I fell in love with is the S Pen. For someone who is self admittedly very old school about cherishing handwritten notes on articles I’m reading or jotting down reminders to myself, I have never been able to reconcile the fact that all my previous gadgets would not allow me to keep my quirky habits. With the Note 5, I no longer need to carry a separate physical paper notebook or sticky notes. The S Pen allows me to handwrite notes on any article I’m reading right on the screen itself and there are a host of choices for jotting down notes of all kinds.

I get to use strictly 21st century technology without compromising who I am or how I like to work.

And last but definitely not least, on standby, the Samsung Note 5 with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 lasts a whopping 3 weeks and counting with minor camera usage and brief online browsing. To be clear, the last time I charged one of these phones was 3 weeks ago to a full charge. I have not since charged the device and have used it to take pictures a few times as well as check email a few times. It is currently at a 75% charge.

Note that all footage in the video portion of my feature was taken on the Samsung Note 5 with Gorilla Glass 4 as well as all the still images here. Having tried nearly every major brand of smartphone out on the market, I am amazed that at long last, I’ve found the love of my technological life.

Samsung Note 5 with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 - best smartphone on the market.

Samsung Note 5 with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 - best smartphone on the market.

Samsung Note 5 with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 - best smartphone on the market.

Samsung Note 5 with Gorilla Glass 4- taking pictures of the Aston Martin DB9

Samsung Note 5 with Gorilla Glass 4- taking one of my first selfies.

Learn more about Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

This post contains sponsored links from Corning Incorporated.