Samsung reveals a couple of additions to the Galaxy Note phablet family at IFA 2014, the Note 4 and Note Edge, as well as a smartphone-powered collaboration with VR headset maker Oculus, the Gear VR.
Described by Samsung CEO JK Shin as "the most Note experience to date," the Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display handling 2560 x 1440 resolution inside faux-leather soft-touch plastic casing. The company sells the massive display as being ideal for multitasking, as its Multi Window feature allows users view apps in full, split or pop-up screen modes.
Making touchscreen a bit more easier to navigate is an updated version of the S Pen stylus, now with double the pressure sensitivity allowing for two pen styles-- calligraphy pen or fountain pen. It also features enhanced Air Command functionality and a Snap Note feature for users wanting to attach photos or voice memos to the S Note app.
More interesting Note 4 features include Fast Charging (Samsung claims the 3220mAh battery charges to 50% in all of 30 minutes), 3 microphones, 16MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization and a front-facing 3.7MP camera with f1.9 aperture one can activate with the heart rate monitor on the back of the device.
Supply chain sources say the component in question is the backlight. Apparently in its quest for the thinnest iPhone yet Apple decided to use one backlight film layer instead of the standard two for the 4.7-inch iPhone-- but the final product was deemed not bright enough, necessitating a return to the drawing board and temporary idling in some display assembly operations. 
LG announces a stylus-equipped variant on its G3 smartphone flagship-- the GR Stylus, a pen input-enabled number with a 5.5-inch display, "many" of the UX features of the G3 and a lower price point.
Samsung reveals what it describes as a "new design approach" with the Galaxy Alpha, a premium version of the Galaxy S5 featuring "elegantly curved" corners and an iPhone 5s-stye metal frame.
The front-facing camera features a 5MP sensor, wide-angle lens, a soft LED flash and what Sony describes as a Superior Auto mode.
