Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review

This is the best Galaxy Note to date — and a great overall phone — even with the loss of a couple of major features.

The quick take

Samsung has brought the once-oversized Galaxy Note closer in line with the more traditional Galaxy S line in 2015, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Cleaner software, a new-and-improved hardware design and the industry-leading S Pen add up to a wonderful phone, even though some will bemoan the loss of a removable battery and SD card slot. The Note 5 has one of the best screens available in a phone, is easier to hold thanks to the new hardware design and the internals offer a significant performance boost over the Note 4 — and even so, battery life is a non-issue. This is a Note made for even more people to enjoy, and it's a really great choice if you want a large screen.

THE GOOD

• Great new design
• Easier to hold than previous Notes
• Fantastic camera
• Refined S Pen experience

THE BAD

• Underwhelming speaker
• Glass back still somewhat slippery
• Seriously expensive
• May cause Galaxy S buyer's remorse