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Is it safe to still use a Galaxy Note 4
- Thread starter mac_girl
- Start date
sure why not? i just found my note 3. been playing around with it a bit. i'm trying to decide if i want to root it or not.
TexasGonzo
Newbie
Wish i could revive my 3... been on a Note4 over 2 yrs after finding one in perfect condition for the bargain price of $225 at a local carrier. I wouldn't trade it for 2 Note 9's! (Unless to sell them and buy a half dozen 4's, then go out for a nice dinner, haha). The 4 is absolutely bullet proof. Mine took a header off the roof of my pickup doing 45mph, landing face down on hot asphalt. The only damage... a tiny chip out of the bezel corner which hit first, and some scuffs on the front of my (real leather) folio wallet case. No damage to the screen whatsoever, and without an add-on protector. Gorilla Glass being stock, I can't see the need for one considering they're never close to perfect anyway.
With the octa-core cpu's, an incredible 16mp cam and 128gb sd memory capacity, I certainly won't need an upgrade ANYtime soon. Removeable memory and battery are 2 other things I won't give up, which they moronically pulled from the 5 on up. What were they thinking?! We already have apple if we want those lack of features!
May your Note4's live long and serve you well...
✌TexasGonzo
With the octa-core cpu's, an incredible 16mp cam and 128gb sd memory capacity, I certainly won't need an upgrade ANYtime soon. Removeable memory and battery are 2 other things I won't give up, which they moronically pulled from the 5 on up. What were they thinking?! We already have apple if we want those lack of features!
May your Note4's live long and serve you well...
✌TexasGonzo
svim
Extreme Android User
It's not so much a matter of your phone model and its age, but rather the version of Android its currently running and the apps you use. Your Note 4 is running KitKat,or Lollipop, or Marshmallow?. Since none of those versions are still supported there's no OTA security patches so as far as the operating system there are fundamental security issues involved, but at the same time a lot of that aspect is or isn't a significant issue depending on your own online habits -- i.e. if you click on links in emails you're going about things in a risky way and in this matter it's more or less irrelevant which version of Android you're running. Also there's a reality even a lot of people don't take into consideration. Even if your Note 4 was magically running the latest version, Pie, it's still a matter where your Note would be much safer but in no way completely safe. It's mostly fallacy that even if your device is running the most recent version of Android with all the latest security patches applied that your device is safe from being exploited and compromised. A lot of those fixes in the monthly security patches that get released are reactive measures to already existing problems that have been revealed so it's often just reactive, not proactive (fixing issues that are potential problems).
But all that is just regarding the underlying operating system. More importantly are the apps you use. Most of them are still receiving updates on a regular basis, even if Google has stopped supporting a version of the OS that doesn't necessarily mean developers stop supporting their apps. And it's the apps that are what you're using to that directly interface the their respective online services so stress that point. The apps are the direct link to your online accounts, the OS is only indirectly a factor.
So keep using your Note 4, but just be wary and judicious when you do anything online with it. Even KitKat (just as an example) with its current Android market share of just under 7% involves millions of still active users worldwide so while the percentage of single digits isn't notable as is, once you factor in it's a percentage of smartphone users it's not so insignificant.
https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards
--- and to be completely snarky and sarcastic, always be very,very cautious about having the Facebook app on your device, no matter what version of Android you're running. It's not so much a security issue but more about blatant data mining and privacy. Install a secondary web browser app, be sure to restrict that browser app's Permissions to a bare minimum, and only use that browser app to access your FB account via its web site.
But all that is just regarding the underlying operating system. More importantly are the apps you use. Most of them are still receiving updates on a regular basis, even if Google has stopped supporting a version of the OS that doesn't necessarily mean developers stop supporting their apps. And it's the apps that are what you're using to that directly interface the their respective online services so stress that point. The apps are the direct link to your online accounts, the OS is only indirectly a factor.
So keep using your Note 4, but just be wary and judicious when you do anything online with it. Even KitKat (just as an example) with its current Android market share of just under 7% involves millions of still active users worldwide so while the percentage of single digits isn't notable as is, once you factor in it's a percentage of smartphone users it's not so insignificant.
https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards
--- and to be completely snarky and sarcastic, always be very,very cautious about having the Facebook app on your device, no matter what version of Android you're running. It's not so much a security issue but more about blatant data mining and privacy. Install a secondary web browser app, be sure to restrict that browser app's Permissions to a bare minimum, and only use that browser app to access your FB account via its web site.
