The Samsung galaxy note 3 is finally out and into the open. From the looks of the device, many of the rumors turned out to be true. And the best news is that you will be able to get your hands on one by the end of September if you’re outside of the US and Japan. US and Japan will get the Note 3 during October. Lets have a look at how this device is changed compared to its predecessor the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
Just because it’s the Note line of Samsung we can automatically tell its going to be an extremely powerful device. It packs a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU clocked at 2.3 Ghz for the LTE version and Samsung’s own CPU the Exynos 5 octa-core CPU clocked at 1.9 Ghz and 1.3 Ghz for the standard international model. Just to clear things out, Samsung’s octa-core CPU is actually 2 quad-core CPUs connected together using ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture. The CPU is not the only power of the device. The Note 3 actually comes with 3GB of RAM. Now this is one of the first if not the first devices that has 3GB of RAM. This means that your device can run smoothly and also it helps the multitasking features of the Note such as the multi-window. The gorgeous 5.7” full HD display runs on Samsung’s own screen technology, super AMOLED. This means that the screen has a 380+ pixel per inch. This allows for a rich viewing experience given the high pixel per inch and Samsung’s over-saturation of colors in its AMOLED technology. The battery of this device is one of the many reasons people buy this phablet.
With 3200mAh removable battery which allows for a very long talk and video watching experience, we can say that this beast can last for about a day on full usage. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 2600mAh removable battery. The removable battery has both its pros and cons. For example, the upside is that you can change the battery in the middle of the day if you run out or you can even purchase a larger battery to last a full day under extremely heavy usage. However, the downside is that Samsung could have created a much bigger and better battery because the back cover would have been sealed. Samsung estimates a running time of around 14-15 hours under moderate to heavy usage. This pretty much means a full day because you’ll have to sleep at some point. Don’t you?
The camera is another massive upgrade. With the ability to capture 4K video makes it one of the first ever phones to record in ultra HD. Even though many of us don't have a 4K TV to enjoy the recording experience of the Galaxy Note 3, its still an experience which can probably be enjoyed in the years to come when everybody can afford 4K TVs. The camera however does not come with an optical image stabilizer as rumored. Although it comes with Samsung's own smart digital stabilization. It actually doesn't really make sense, why would they make the camera so that it can capture in 4K but doesn't have optical image stabilization?
The storage on this new device is upgraded and smaller memory sizes have become redundant probably because of the 4K video recording feature. The Note 3 actually comes with the base model of 32GB and 64GB with option to add more memory through a microSD card slot. This means that with 64GB model and a 64GB microSD card, you can have a total of 128GB of storage on the phone. But with the 4K video recording features and all the full HD features probably means that there wouldn't be much space left after a few video recordings. However, with this new memory arrangement could mean that Samsung is no longer going to release high end devices with less than 32GB of memory.
The device’s body form is actually changed from the Note 2 and S4 design. It actually looks more like the S2 in design. Its more square around the edges while also keeping the sides of the phone square as well. The change of design could be so that people know the difference between the Note 2 and Note 3. Surprisingly, Samsung ditched the glossy plastic found on its high end devices such as the S4 and Note 2 for a leather feeling material which is stitched on the sides to make the material look like its stitched to the back cover. The rumored metallic body did not make it to the Note 3 which can be considered as a good thing. When you think about it, all the metallic body would have made the device too heavy.
The Note 3 is the same size as the Note 2 while being slimmer and lighter. To be exact, the Note 3 is 0.05” thinner and is around 14 grams lighter. For a phone that is 5.7” big, it is very light compared to its predecessor. The width of the phone is actually reduced by 0.1” as well which results in the phone being even easier to hold in one hand.
The software team have also made some very smooth upgrades to the Android operating system. First of all, its running Android 4.3, the latest version of Jelly Bean. It is also expected to be quickly upgraded to Android 4.4 KitKat when it is released. Many of the phones being released are running Android 4.2 such as the Sony Xperia Z1 also being announced on the same day as the Note 3. This means that Samsung is one of the first OEMs to release a device running Android 4.3. All the air features seem to have been upgraded from the S4 plus an addition of new air features such as the Air Command. The TouchWiz UI has been more optimised on the device and with the extra RAM on its side, it can run all the software very smoothly.
For the people that currently have a Galaxy Note 2, you should hang on to the phone for another year as you are probably still on contract. However, this phone has significantly upgraded from the Note 2. The extra power and better display makes this phone a perfect match for a power user.
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