Introduction
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is sure to cause a stir among both consumer and enterprise customers when it hits stores.
Like its predecessor, the Note 5 will feature a stunning Quad HD display, but this time the phone feature an improved 16MP and 5MP camera, and its processor, Samsung's Exynos 7422, will be one of the fastest smartphone processors ever to hit the market. Not to mention the rave reviews it will get for its curved back, fast charging capabilities and the addition of Samsung Pay.
However, business users are going to be scratching their heads about a few key features that were excluded from the device, particularly a user-replaceable battery and a microSD card slot.
1. No Android M
There was a bit of speculation that Samsung would jump directly to the new Android M operating system, which is scheduled to be unveiled this September. However, given Samsung's desire to get out in front of Apple's typical iPhone release in September, Samsung has chosen to launch with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
This means early adopters will be without key features, such as advanced voice control (think Siri and Cortana). One example Google has given is with the TuneIn app, which enables users to vocally launch the app by saying "OK Google, listen to music on TuneIn," at which point the TuneIn app will load, and then ask out loud "What genre of music would you like to listen to?"
Another soon-to-be-launched Android M feature is Doze mode, which enables your device to use motion detection to realize when it hasn't moved for an extended period of time and switch to a deeper sleep mode in order to consume less power. A test run by Google suggests this feature can keep batteries lasting two times longer than a Lollipop device in standby mode.
Obviously you'll be able to upgrade to Android M when the time comes, but we all know how much better pre-installed software runs compared to mid-use upgrades.
2. Smaller battery
The Galaxy Note 4's 3220mAh battery wasn't lasting enough for business users. Although the Note 4 was capable of lasting for a full day on one charge, you still needed to charge the device every evening in order to make it through longer and overnight work days.
Welp, the Galaxy Note 5 will feature a smaller 3000mAh battery. This shouldn't prove to be a significant downgrade. However, it's definitely not an improvement. Samsung is hoping its quick and wireless charging functionality will make it so that people no longer worry about battery life in terms of a single charge.
3. No replaceable battery
When Samsung released the Galaxy S6, it made it very clear that form would always trump function when it came to making a device uglier or heavier. Adding a replaceable battery unfortunately does both, which is why Samsung opted not to give you easy access to the cell.
So make sure you never leave your charger when you take a quick overnight flight to visit a client. Your one battery is all you've got.
4. No microSD
Who needs expandable storage on a phone that can store up to 128GB? No one apparently. Samsung has ditched the microSD slot, which means you'll have to store all of your data on an external device or in the cloud. Not to mention the configurations only go up to 64GB, so you're really out of luck.
This shouldn't be a dealbreaker for anyone who is seriously interested in this phone. However, for business users that are constantly updating, adding and sharing data, having all of that information on one device inside of a microSD card was a great benefit.
5. Not enough curves
Unlike rival LG whose Flex series features devices with rounded backs, Samsung has once again gone with a mostly traditional design for the Note 5. Sure, it features rounded edges that make the device easier to hold, but what about when the device ultimately slips out of your hand?
The LG G Flex 2 is literally curved at the middle so that it won't suffer the same awful flat-faced falls that destroy everyone's iPhones. Obviously this would be a dramatic departure from Samsung's design philosophy, but so was a curved edge a few years ago.
