Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Review

Introduction

Samsung seemingly defined the phablet category when it launched the original Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone a couple years ago, a time span that seems oh so long ago thinking back on it. And then last, year, the Korean based company continued the momentum with its successor, Samsung Galaxy Note II. Apparently people love gigantic smartphones, which seemed preposterous many years ago when smaller phones were the trend at one point, but people continue to be amazed in awe by these behemoths in the space.

Unlike the other rival phabelt/tabphones, Samsung’s Galaxy Note series smartphones brought on an additional element that made them unique amongst the masses – the pressure sensitive S Pen stylus. Again, the stylus is nothing new, but with Samsung’s take on the timeless piece, they managed to implement it in a way that actually improves the overall interaction with a smartphone. So, that leads us to its most recent offering in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Call it Sammy’s other flagship smartphone, the Note 3 is of course the successor to last year’s Note II, and it’s planning to take the upcoming holiday season by surprise. No doubt, it’s sporting all the customary upgrades in the specs department, but Sammy doesn’t neglect to enhance the experience too. Also, there are other several subtle changes with the design that makes it different from previous Notes – albeit, at heart, it’s still a big fella that’s not ashamed of letting people know. However, the question that remains is if the Galaxy Note 3 has enough allure to tantalize consumers over other recent prized smartphones that are revving up for this busy holiday season.

The package contains:

• USB cable
• Wall charger
• Documentation

Design

Following in typical fashion, the Note 3 goes the same route as its predecessors by following the design of Sammy’s original flagship smartphone series. Distinctively a more spaced out and larger sized version of the Galaxy S4, the Note 3 doesn’t necessarily have a unique design of its own, aside from its massive size of course. Yes, it manages to one-up its predecessor by being thinner in profile – while still packing on a larger display at the same time. As a whole, though, the look doesn’t deviate from what we expect.

Interestingly enough, there’s a subtle change with the choice of material it’s rocking this time around. Underneath it all, the Note 3 is still a plastic constructed smartphone, which enables it to trot around a relatively easy weight of 5.93 oz – it’s lighter than the Note II before it. Needless to say, it adds an element of sophistication to the smartphone, which is complemented by the stitching around its border too, but overall, the design doesn’t make it drastically different.

Nowadays, we’ve grown so accustomed to large phones that we deem their size as “normal.” Indeed, the Note 3 is one of those obvious devices, but it’s still capable of being tucked away in our pockets – thought, it occupies a huge chunk of space while it’s in there. Furthermore, it continues to be an unwieldy thing to hold with a single hand, due to its wide figure. In fact, it’s a device that’s best operated with two hands.

The buttons present on the Note 3 are all easy to feel and press, with very good tactile feedback, and that goes for the trademark physical Home key underneath the display as well. The Menu and Back keys, placed alongside the Home key are of the capacitive kind.

Taking its cues from the Galaxy S4, the Note 3 happily tucks along a useful LED notification light in close proximity its earpiece and front-facing 2-megapixel camera. In addition, there’s a built-in IR blaster too, that should please hardcore couch potatoes by giving them the power to control their home entertainment goodies.

Around the rear, the Note 3 is armed with a beefier sized 13-megapixel auto-focus camera, up from the previous 8-megapixel snapper in the Note II. Naturally, it features all of the goodies we’d expect from a high-end smartphone – like a backside illuminated sensor, LED flash, 1080p video recording, and slow motion video capture. Peeling off the faux leather back casing, we gain access to its equally ginormous 3200 mAh battery. Something we tend to rarely see amongst high-end devices, Samsung continues to make us happy by providing us with that microSD card slot.

At first glance, it’s not something that stands out at us, but upon closer inspection, we’re finding ourselves doing a double take at its microUSB port. Wider than usual, the Note 3 actually features a microUSB port 3.0, which comes packaged with the appropriate new cable. Now, there’s no cause for alarm, seeing that the phone is still compatible with any normal microUSB port. With microUSB 3.0, it enables the Note 3 to simply be faster with charging and data transfers – and that’s about it.

S Pen

We wouldn’t say that it’s our prime choice for interacting with the Galaxy Note 3, but the updated and advanced S Pen will continue to be an unique feature of the Note series. Appearing more pencil like with its shape, we’re able to sufficiently grasp onto it thanks to its lengthiness, and when it’s not in use, it happily gets tucked away discretely inside the slot on the Galaxy Note 3.

Just like before, the S Pen here with the Galaxy Note 3 is pressure sensitive – enabling it to precisely know how much pressure is being applied. Therefore, strokes will have either more/less emphasis depending on how much pressure is applied. Additionally, the S Pen works in conjunction with the smartphone’s various Air View functions – something that comes in handy with the web browser. Although it doesn’t entirely replicate the pen/pencil & paper experience to the teeth, it’s as close as we can get with a smartphone at the moment.

As we’ve mentioned, there are some “advanced” functions with this update S Pen. First, the Note 3 recognizes when it’s removed/inserted from its slot. Secondly, there’s a new feature with the S Pen called “Air Command,” which then allows us to gain access to some additional new functions we’ll expand upon later in the review. And lastly, for those who somehow have a knack for losing stuff inexplicably, there’s also an alert that notifies us when we’re too far away from the S Pen – reminding us that the S Pen isn’t in its slot.

Display

Wowzers! Obviously, 1080 x 1920 pixel displays are nothing new on smartphones, but heck, we’re constantly impressed by them nevertheless. Adding another 0.2-inches to its size over its predecessor, this latest Note 3 smartphone wields an even larger 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display. And it simply looks marvelous over last year’s model! With so much real estate to work with, details don’t get compromised thanks to its 1080p resolution, which makes even miniscule text in the web browser pop with plenty of clarity. Additionally, it exudes all the qualities that make our eyes glisten with joy – like its rich & saturated color reproduction and wide viewing angles. Despite all of its niceties, it continues to wash out when it’s used outdoors where the sun is present.

Utilizing the same technology seen with the Galaxy S4, the Note 3’s Air View functionality extends to our fingers as well – something that isn’t exclusive to the S Pen. Specifically, the display is able to recognize when our finger is hovering over it. However, the handset seems to do a better job of tracking the S Pen more than our finger, but nevertheless, we’re glad to know that we have the option to use our finger too.

Interface and Functionality

Samsung's latest TouchWiz Nature UX is painted over Android 4.3 on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and at a glance, it looks exactly like what you'd see on other Samsung high-ends. We find nothing wrong with that, of course, as the company's interface comes loaded with plenty of cool tricks up its sleeve. Looking around, we feel at home with this interface, which again continues to have a slightly cartoonish element with its design. If you’re coming from the Galaxy S4, there isn’t nothing particularly new here folks, as the Note 3 very much works in standard fashion to its sibling – albeit, there’s more emphasis placed upon the various functions of the S Pen.

Some minor, yet noteworthy extras like Air View, Air Gestures, Smart Pause, and Smart Scroll are also present and you can learn more about them in our Samsung Galaxy S4 Review. Generally speaking, they all work and function in the manner we know them, but still, we would like to see their functions extended to other apps. For example, we can use the Air View function with the default email client, which enables us to preview messages by hovering our finger/S Pen over the particular item, but it doesn’t work with the Gmail app. And the same thing can be said about the Smart Scroll feature with the default web browser – we can scroll with our eyes, but it’s not something we can do with Chrome.

So what’s actually new with the experience on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 that makes it different from other things, mainly the Galaxy S4? Well, let’s explain them really quick below.

Multi Window

One of them, called Multi Window, takes great advantage of the phone's extra screen real estate. It allows one to have two apps open at the same time, each of them displayed in a window of its own. What's more is that on the Note 3, the same app can be opened twice, which means you are free to have two IM conversations open simultaneously. It’s what we like to call real multi-tasking, whereas it’s “task switching” with the normal Android way.

My Magazine

Another feature we quite like is My Magazine, powered by Flipboard. Think of it as a smart RSS reader for your news feed, but integrated into the UI. And by integrated we mean you can launch it with an upward swipe from the bottom of the home screen, just like you would trigger Google Now on a stock Android device. Visually and functionally, the app is diverse enough to be a one-stop hub for all our news/social networking needs.

Air Command

Air Command is the new feature attached with the S Pen, which is automatically activated when the stylus is removed from its slot – or manually by hovering anywhere on the screen with the S Pen, and then clicking on the button on its body. Once activated, this fan looking thing pops up on the screen of the Note 3, thus, giving us access to yet five more functions – Action Memo, Scrap Booker, Screen Write, S Finder, and Pen Window.

With Action Memo, it’s more of a “smart” memo program because in addition to jotting down useful notes, which might include details such as email addresses and phone numbers to a certain individual, Action Memo enables us to select certain parts of the memo that can be saved to the phone. For example, Action Memo automatically creates a new contact in our address book with the appropriate fields (email address, phone numbers, etc) already populated with the pertinent information.

Scrap Booker gives us more control in what we clip from the web browser, so that secondary details, such as web page URLs, can be attached to the content that we clip and put into the Scrap Booker. Additionally, we can also add tags and text memos into our scrapbook, which then allows us to search for them more precisely when we use S Finder.

Screen Write takes a screen shot of whatever we’re doing, and then allows us to draw on it afterwards. It’s nothing too extensive, but its functions are mostly basic with its cropping and sharing features.

If you’re the kind of person that writes a ton of notes, you’ll surely appreciate the S Finder feature of the Note 3. Seeing that it can recognize words that you personally write down, S Finder makes it super easy to look up notes that we might otherwise would have a hard time tracking down. At the end of the day, it’s nothing more than a search function for your notes.

And lastly, there’s Pen Window, which gives us “mini” version of certain apps that we use the most. It’s kind of has the same premise to Multi Window, but instead, these secondary apps are layered on top of everything. Drawing a square shape, these mini apps pop us and are accessible at any time. It’s useful , but the apps compatibility with this feature is pretty slim.

Processor and Memory

A smartphone of this class deserves to be powered by a top-of-the-line processor, isn't that so? In the Note 3's case, the silicon providing it with processing power will vary from one region to another. The LTE-capable version will get the Snapdragon 800 SoC and its 2.3GHz quad-core CPU, while the HSPA+-only model will sport a 1.9GHz octa-core Exynos 5 chip. We have the former on our hands and boy is this thing fast!

In true fashion, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a beast when it comes to putting up impressive benchmark scores. Likewise, we can firmly attest that its real world performance is also equally as delicious, as it exudes enough responsiveness with its operations. However, we do notice every now and then just a smidgen of delay/choppiness when navigating around its homescreen – especially when there’s a ton of widgets. Multitasking is also silky smooth, which comes as no surprise given the whopping 3GB of RAM tucked under the phone's hood.

There's plenty of storage on board the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – enough to store tons of music, photos, applications, and hours of high-definition video. 32- and 64-gigabyte models will be made available, with the option to add extra space using a microSD card of up to 64GB. And if that's not enough, Samsung is treating Note 3 buyers to 50GB of free Dropbox storage for 2 years – ideal for backing up important and not-so-important files on the cloud.

Messaging

We find the Note 3's on-screen keyboard more comfortable to type on using two thumbs as it is pretty wide. Alternatively, there's the swiping method at your disposal as well, in addition to the hand-writing recognition mode, which is actually the slowest input method of all, in our opinion. Typos can be corrected automatically as you go, but if you don't want auto-correct messing with your texts, feel free to turn it off.

Organizer

Considering that Note 3 is primarily focused with the note-taking experience and gives users organization, it’s without question the device that offers the most extensive and deep level of functionality with its core organizer apps. On the surface, all of its organizer apps function in the same manner we all know and love with Android. Nonetheless, the implementation of its various features, like Air View and Air Command, allows the Note 3 to be on a totally different level from its peers.

Frankly, we have no complaints about the email experience on the Note 3, seeing that the combination of its large screen and diverse features make it ideal for the occasion. Still, we would’ve liked to see more enhancements with the Gmail app, so that it better makes use of the S Pen and various Air View functions.

Internet and Connectivity

Needless to say, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 excels when it comes to browsing the internet. It is not only fast, but its stock browser app reacts to our navigation and input very well, without any lag. That the web page goes into full-screen mode on its own, thus spanning across the entire screen, is a neat addition. We also like the so-called Reader mode, which clears all unnecessary content, leaving only the text and some images, for easier reading of lengthy articles. Whole web pages can be read without having to zoom in as the screen is detailed enough to display even the smallest of text. And just like the Galaxy S4, the Note 3 borrows its Smart Scroll feature, which enables us to scroll vertically with our eyes – though, it’s only enabled with the stock browser; not Chrome. All in all, if you do a lot of browsing on your smartphone, then the Note 3 won't disappoint.

Samsung has several Galaxy Note 3 versions ready, each of them tailored to the needs of a specific market. The LTE model comes with a radio capable of reaching 150Mbps down, at least in theory, which is pretty neat, assuming your carrier can provide all that bandwidth. That very same model packs a 42Mbps HSPA+ radio as well. Some countries will get the non-LTE Galaxy Note 3 model, offering just 42Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. Of course, both these versions come with the regular set of connectivity features, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC. In addition, the GPS radio is backed by GLONASS support, improving location detection in tricky areas. Assuming you have a USB 3.0 port on your computer, you'll be able to transfer files from and onto your Note 3 at high speeds as the smartphone supports the new standard.

Camera

The Note II had a very capable main camera and we're expecting its successor to follow suit. On the back of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 we see a 13MP shooter with a BSI sensor and digital image stabilization, backed by a high CRI (Color Rendering Index) LED flash. The latter is touted as capable of producing highly-accurate colors when used. But before we get to the actual photo samples, let's say a few words about the camera's features and UI.

We find the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 relatively easy to take photos with as its shape makes it suitable for being held horizontally. The camera app loads quickly and exhibits little to no shutter lag, which is great for capturing events as they happen. All in all, the camera UI looks as it does on other recent Samsungs. It is well laid out, with easy-to-reach settings menus, and instantly accessible shutter keys. Naturally, the experience is enhanced with a number of shooting modes that have been thrown in, including HDR, Panorama, Burst Shot, and more.

Can you say quality? The Samsung Galaxy Note 3’s 13-megapixel camera doesn’t mess around in the quality department, seeing that it takes some of the best shots around. Right on point, it doesn’t disappoint with its outdoors shots, as it composes images that rich with detail and colors. In the details side, there’s no shortage of clarity and sharpness, as images pop with attention to even the most miniscule things in the scenery – complemented further by the accurate colors it’s able to replicate. Honestly folks, we wouldn’t hesitate to use this one!

Under lower lighting situations, it continues to excel to make its shots rival some of the best in the space right now. Details might appear just a tad softer this time around, but nevertheless acceptable for 6” x 4” printouts. We mentioned that it’s a fast snapping camera and all, but every now and then, even with its “smart” image stabilization on, we see some blurring with our shots – albeit, it’s nothing terrible.

Thankfully, noise is kept at a minimum, which helps to place emphasis on the details. Colors are a smidgen more subdued when compared to the punchy tones that are exhibited when lighting is in abundance. As far as dynamic range goes under low lighting, it tends to over-exposed areas that are brighter. And with the flash, it surprisingly does a fantastic job to balance out the color of flesh tones – while also being potent enough to light up subjects that are farther than 7ft away.


Hardly a surprise, the Note 3 is also fantastic with its video recording quality, since it exhibits the same lovable elements we see already with its still capture quality. Just as long as there’s sufficient lighting around, the Note 3’s videos come to life with its smooth recording, sharp details, accurate color reproduction, and clear audio recording. What’s not to like, right? Well, its quality naturally hits a speed bump with lower lighting (which phone doesn’t, right?), but it’s still pretty good looking in our opinion. Out of everything, noise becomes more apparent under this particular circumstance – so details tend to be affected the most.

Certainly, the slow motion video capture mode is one of the many perks included with the Note 3’s camera arsenal, but quite frankly, details go out the door and it takes a huge dip with it. Enabled for 720p HD in this particular mode, we can choose one of three options – ½, ¼, and 1/8 speeds. Oh yeah, there’s also a fast motion video capture as well.

Finally, the Note 3 actually has the ability to shoot video in 4K resolution; 3840 x 2160 pixels. No doubt, it’s a rarity amongst smartphones in general, but it’s not something we find too practical right now – especially when 4K TVs are still rather pricey. Worst yet, the file size of these videos are exorbitant, which can eat up your precious storage and data allowance if you’re not careful!

Multimedia

The gallery application lists image-containing folders on the left side of the screen, while thumbnails of the photos contained in the highlighted folder are displayed vertically on the right. New folders can be made, allowing one to make their own album. By hovering the S Pen over a given folder, one may get a preview of the images it contains, which is neat, but nothing terribly new.

To be honest, we weren't expecting to see anything new upon launching the audio player loaded onto the Note 3. And our assumption turned out to be correct. Basically, the handset comes with the same Music app we know from the Galaxy S4 and its variations. But that isn't a bad thing, of course. The application is packed with a dozen of useful features, including lock screen controls, a home screen widget, an equalizer with tons of presets, and even voice commands for switching back and forth through the playlist. Furthermore, Samsung has not forgotten to include AdaptSound for fine-tuning the sound reproduction so that it would best match the user's earphones and hearing. Alternatively, Google's Play Music application is also present, for those who prefer that instead.

While we're at it, we must mention that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has been given support for 24bit/192kHz digital recordings, making it one of the very few smartphones capable of reproducing audio of such high resolution. Folks who are really into high-end audio will surely appreciate having this advantage, but we seriously doubt that the average Joe would be affected by it in any way.

The built-in mono loudspeaker on the Note 3 produces clear tones at a sufficient volume level, and we like that it is positioned on the bottom side of the device, not the back. Still, despite its gargantuan size, its volume output isn’t as overpowering – making other smartphone speakers sound loud when compared to it. Fortunately, there’s no evidence of crackling or distortion at the loudest setting.

As the case is with the Music player, the Video Player application we have on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the same one we've seen numerous times on previous Samsung devices. And we're okay with that. The app works just fine, after all, and can play back any popular video file format we can think of. Watching videos on the handset's 5.7-inch 1080p screen is a pleasure, as you might expect. High-resolution videos are played back flawlessly, with no skipped frames or lags when fast-forwarding.

Call Quality

Honestly, it’s not the best sounding phone we’ve used for phone calls, but nonetheless, the Galaxy Note 3 is effective enough for the occasion. Through the earpiece, voices pop with authority thanks to its strong volume – though, there’s a hint of crackling when it’s placed at the loudest setting. It’s noticeable, but quickly remedied by lowering the volume a couple of notches. Still, voices through the earpiece sound very natural in tone. However, we can’t say the same on the other end of the line, as voices tend to sound robotic. Switching to the speakerphone, we’re neither impressed or disappointed, as it works enough to get us through our conversations.

Battery

Boy oh boy! Power users will especially fall in love with the Note 3, seeing that its equally monster sized 3200 mAh battery pulls in some impressive results. Under normal usage, we’re able to pull close to two whole days of battery life from a full charge – whereas heavier usage permits us a full 24 hours! The latter is pretty impressive because we normally get through only an 8-hour work shift before charging is necessary. Therefore, we’re pretty stoked that we’re able to get a full 24 hours out of it!

Conclusion

Prepping for that crucial holiday season, Samsung seemingly has a one-two punch offering now, seeing that the Galaxy Note 3 perfectly complements Sammy’s other flagship smartphone. On the surface, the two share many of the same commonalities, like their designs and software experiences, but as we’ve come to know and love, the Note 3 gets the love with its juicier hardware specs, updated design, and deeper software experience.

True, most of the new software features aren’t new, as it borrows many things from the Galaxy S4 before it, but the new stuff primarily centers around the S Pen and multi-tasking aspect of the phone, which is something that continues to make the Note 3 very different from other smartphones. Business oriented folks will surely appreciate all of these features, but even for the everyday Joe, it’s something that offers more diversity than other things. Some argue that the exorbitant amount of features might end up confusing, and possibly alienating users, but it simply goes to show how rapid Samsung really is when it comes to expanding its experience.

On top of all that, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is simply one balanced performing smartphone! At $300 with a 2-year contract, there’s no denying the fact that it’s an expensive cost, but as we’ve come to learn, the hefty pricing does come with some perks. The phablet category saw some new entrants into the space this year, but the Note 3 continues to be the best in its class.

Software version of the review unit:
Android Version: 4.3
Build Number: JSS15J.N900TUVUBMI7
Kernel Version: 3.4.0-1670611