Samsung is the world’s most popular smartphone maker as it launches capable top-tier offerings into the market at regular intervals. With the official announcement of the Galaxy Note 4, the South Korean tech giant is being talked about by the entire tech media world. But, if you own a Galaxy Note 3 and you want to upgrade your handset, here we come with a detailed comparison between the third and fourth generation phablets to guide you.
Display and Processor
Both the smartphone flaunt a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display that is layered with the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating onboard for scratch resistance and added protection. The actual difference lies in the screen resolution as Note 4 packs in increased resolution of 2560×1440 pixels that renders an enhanced pixel density of 515 ppi, whereas the Galaxy Note 3 carries a FHD 1080p resolution translating to a relatively low pixel density of 385 pixels per inch.
Otherwise, both the displays are Super AMOLED screens that will consume less power and reflect less light rendering better usability when outdoors.
In terms of raw hardware, the Note 3 was launched in India with the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 chipset that houses a quad-core Cortex A15 processor and a quad-core Cortex A7 processor paired with Mali T628 MP6 graphics engine. But, in the case of the Note 4, we expect Samsung to follow the same move it took with the Galaxy S5. As the Galaxy S5 was launched with a Snapdragon 801 processor, we can expect the Snapdragon 805 model of the Note 4 to hit the retail shelves in India. This variant is uses a 2.7 GHz quad-core Krait 450 processor and Adreno 420 graphics engine. When it comes to multi-tasking, both the handsets use 3 GB of RAM that should be responsible for a lag-free performance.
Camera and Internal Storage
The imaging hardware is one of the major segments in which the Galaxy Note 4 outshines the Note 3 with its advanced camera system that can render clearer and brighter images. Well, the Note 4 uses a 16 MP Sony IMX240 primary snapper with Smart OIS and dual LED flash. On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 13 MP main camera at its back with LED flash and a 2 MP front-facer for making video calls and clicking selfies.
Even the front-facer is boasted from the 2 MP one to a better 3.7 MP unit in the latest iteration. Furthermore, this front-facer comes with seflie focused aspects such as F1.9 aperture to capture 60 percent more light, 120 degree wide angle and 90 degree shooting angle to enable clicking wider selfies. The front-facer is capable of clicking snaps using the fingerprint sensor at the rear of the handset, which is very impressive for quality selfies.
Both the devices are identical in the storage department as both house 32 GB of internal storage capacity that appears to ample enough to store the necessary content. However, the handsets come with a micro SD card slot that supports additional storage up to 64 GB. But, the Galaxy Note 4 becomes our favorite with 50 GB of free Dropbox cloud storage space for two years.
Battery and Features
The battery capacity on the devices appears to be more or less identical with a 3,200 mAh one in the Galaxy Note 3 and a 3,220 mAh unit in its successor. There is Ultra Power Saving mode feature in both the phones that should render a great backup to the devices. Anyways, the Note 4 being an upgraded variant arrives with a Adaptive Fast Charging that is claimed to charge the phone from zero to 50 percent in just 30 minutes and consume the battery life by 7.5 percent.
Both the phablets run on Android 4.4 KitKat that is rich in resources topped with Samsung TouchWIZ UI. Also, they arrive with connectivity aspects such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE, 3G, NFC and InfraredPort. Being large sized phones, they come with the S-Pen to comfortable operate the screen and this is one of the selling points of the Galaxy Note lineup.
Other common features include Air View, Air Gestures, Smart Scroll etc. S Health is an application that will keep a track of the daily calorie intake, heart rate and other health related aspects of the users. However, the Galaxy Note 4 comes with a fingerprint sensor that that can serve different tasks such as unlocking and locking the device and more.
Key Specs
| Model | Samsung Galaxy Note 4 | Samsung Galaxy Note 3 |
| Display | 5.7 inch, QHD | 5.7 inch, FHD |
| Processor | Exynos Octa 5433/Quad Core Snapdragon 805 | Exynos 5 Octa 5420/Quad Core Snapdragon 800 |
| RAM | 3 GB | 3 GB |
| Internal Storage | 32 GB, Expandable up to 64 GB | 32 GB, Expandable up to 64 GB |
| OS | Android 4.4 KitKat | Android 4.4 KitKat |
| Camera | 16 MP/ 3.7 MP | 13 MP/ 2 MP |
| Battery | 3,220 mAh | 3,200 mAh |
| Price | Yet to be announced | Rs 35,499 |
Comparison
Both the Galaxy Note phablets are the better devices, but being the latest iteration in the lineup the Galaxy Note 4 comes shod with advanced aspects such as a better camera set with much focus on the selfies, a powerful processor, increased screen resolution and few fingerprint sensor. Considering its specifications and features, the Galaxy Note 4 is sure to be successful outshining the competition. However, Samsung will have to price it appropriately to add on to its success.
