‘Galaxy Note 4 will outperform its predecessor’

Four years on from the original Galaxy Note phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is finally here. The device brings together big power, a big screen and big productivity. Emmanouil Revmatas, director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, in this interview with BEN UZOR, talks us through some key features which makes this device a must-have.

What stands the Galaxy Note 4 out from competing devices in its category

What stands the Note series apart it the S Pen functionality. Thanks to the enhanced sensitivity – of the S-Pen, it feels just like a normal pen on paper while you take notes. No need to copy and paste the texts or images one at a time; handle them all at once. Use your S-Pen to copy multiple texts and images from different apps, using Smart Select. They will be clipped temporarily for you to share the content easily whenever and wherever you want.

Another unique feature is the camera, The Front-facing camera has a wide angle – an improvement of 77 degrees (predecessor) to 90 degrees – to fit more into the photo composition.

“Wide Selfie” or Wefie as we like to call it will let your picture cover more angle at 120 degrees, by seamlessly stitching additional parts around you. Take nobody out of your epic selfie!

Talking about your range of wearable technology, is the Galaxy Note 4 compatible with your Gear devices

Absolutely yes … including the latest Gear S.

What is your favourite feature on the Galaxy Note 4

I have several but top of my list is Snap Note or PhotoNote, a function that allows you to take a photograph of a diagram or table or presentation and then convert this from a “picture” to a digital image that you can edit, for example, you can delete or change text and even add new graphics, etc.

What are your projections in terms of sale of the Galaxy Note 4 in Nigeria? Who do you see buying the device

We are confident that the Note 4 will outperform its predecessor. The Note Series has a strong “fanbase” which ranges from early tech adopters, business people, the creative community to anyone who prefers using a stylus (S Pen) and wants a “digitised diary or notebook”.

Samsung has been promoting its ‘Connected Lifestyle’ philosophy, showing how mobile devices and other products from the company’s portfolio connect with one another within an ecosystem alongside the benefits of integrating this connectivity with consumer lifestyles. Can you give us more details on this philosophy

We live in an “age of ubiquitous technology” so the connected lifestyle is now a reality; from mirroring content on your Note 4 wirelessly onto your Smart TV, using the IR sensor on your smartphone as a “controller” for your TV or music system or even an air conditioner to remotely accessing your computer and content – or if IP cameras were set up in your home your Smartphone has just become a security monitoring device.

You recently launched two entry level devices, Galaxy Ace 4 Lite and Galaxy Trend Lite, into the Nigerian market? Can we expect more of such entry-level smartphones with high-end functionalities and capabilities from Samsung

In our quest to meet the needs of our loyal followers we will continue to find ways to provide new entry-level devices that are not only cost-effective and reliable, but ultra-durable and feature packed.

What trends do you foresee in the smartphone market locally over the next one year? Do you see feature phones being phased out at some point

As smartphones and data become more affordable we will see a decline in feature phones as more consumers embrace a “connected lifestyle”.

Some mobile device manufacturers are coming out with phones that look similar to Samsung’s in terms of design. Going by the prices and specifications of these devices, they are available at lower price points. Is there a possibility of losing market share to these phone makers due to pricing? How do you plan to tackle this

There is a quote that says “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” with the Oxford dictionary defining imitation as “a thing intended to simulate”. While we understand we are in a very competitive market and respect that consumers have choice we are confident that many people want a world leading brand that they can trust and rely on for innovation, quality and support.

Any chance of the physical keyboard making a comeback to Samsung phones in the near future

Touch has become the de facto standard … for those that still prefer a keyboard there is the option of a “virtual version” or a physical accessory.

BEN UZOR