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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Sony Xperia Z3

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Sony Xperia Z3

Posted: 09 Oct 2014, 08:39, by Daniel P.

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Tags: T-Mobile -T-Mobile + AT&T -AT&T + Sprint -Sprint + Samsung -Samsung + Android -Android + Sony -Sony +

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Introduction

Samsung has never faced as much competition in the Android universe as this year. It now releases the next generation in its pious phablet line – the Galaxy Note 4, but it will be clashing with a lot of new flagships this fall, and the might S Pen sword might not help ward off the enemies. One of those cage matches will be with Sony's fresh Xperia Z3, and it will be one for the books, so let's measure up those two, and see who's boss...

Design

The crusty Note 4 design is no match for the slim and waterproof Xperia.

Needless to say, the Z3, with its premium glass and metal design looks much more stylish than the large and clunky Note 4. Moreover, despite its thin and light chassis, Sony's phone is also waterproof, unlike the Note 4, and dons a pair of stereo speakers at the front. Samsung's phone has a removable plastic back cover, which lets you swap the battery if needed, but the Z3 can last, precluding you from having to carry a spare juicer at the camping trip. Samsung has included its fingerprint scanner in the Note 4, which here is even more uncomfortable to use than on the S5, as you'd have to balance the phablet on your pinkie while trying to swipe your thumb over the home key down low. The Z3, on the other side, relies on only old-school pin or gesture lock options.

Samsung's stand-out design and functionality feature that comes with the Note line – the S Pen stylus – is now much more comfortable to take out and snap back in the silo, and has doubled its pressure sensitivity for a marginally better experience while trying to jot down a shopping list or cut and share a piece of a website. It provides an additional input method which the Z3 lacks, and yet is not something that all Note owners use on a daily basis.

The heart rate sensor from the S5 also finds its way in the Note 4, and Samsung added a blood oxygen level measure there, too, if you are inclined to trust such a measurement made through your finger skin. For the first time, there is a UV sensor, too, should you forget not to go out in the scorching sun at noon on the beach, adding to the list of dubiously useful sensor laundry list.

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Front view | Side view

6.04 x 3.09 x 0.33 inches
153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm
6.21 oz (176 g)

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

5.75 x 2.83 x 0.29 inches
146 x 72 x 7.3 mm
5.36 oz (152 g)

Sony Xperia Z3

To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page.

Display

Role swap! The Z3 LCD panel brags extremely cold colors, while the ultra high-res AMOLED display is hue-accurate, go figure.

Samsung pulled out all stops with the Note 4, and included a 1440 x 2560 pixels QHD AMOLED display in its new phablet, making it futureproof for more than one flagship cycle. Thus, despite its hearty 5.7” screen diagonal, the Note 4 returns the whopping 515ppi pixel density. This might seem much higher than the 424ppi of the 5.2” 1080 x 1920 pixels display of the Z3, and yet the difference can't really be told with the naked eye from a normal viewing distance, so the Quad HD specification would serve you for bragging rights only.

When it comes to color presentation, though, the Note 4 has a lot more going for it, as it is the most accurate AMOLED that Samsung has produced to date. Usually we lambast Samsung's AMOLED panels for having too cold hues, but in this comparison the roles are reversed. Sony has calibrated the Z3's LCD display way on the cold side of the spectrum, making whites appear blue, arguing that this helps the brain processes cold colors as brighter. Note 4, unlike previous generation AMOLED screens, comes with excellent color temperature of 6600 K, almost matching the reference 6500 K. Color error is also minimal, as you can see in the charts below, unlike the Z3's screen which resembles the older AMOLED screens. The only subpar characteristic of the Note 4 screen in terms of image quality is the gamma value of 2 (2.2 is the reference) but we can't say that the 2.5 value of the Z3 is better, either.

Both phones seem to enjoy similar low screen reflectivity and are legible to read in bright sunlight. However, the Z3's whopping 713 nits of brightness make it slightly better in this aspect, although they really smash the Note 4's 468 nits. The minimum brightness of the Note 4 is excellent, though, at just one nit, but the Z3 isn't far behind at 4 nits, so both won't poke your eyes out if you receive a late night text message.

Display measurements and quality

	Maximum brightness (nits)Higher is better	Minimum brightness (nits)Lower is better	Contrast Higher is better	Color temperature (Kelvins)	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Samsung Galaxy Note 4	468 (Good)	1 (Excellent)	unmeasurable (Excellent)	6667 (Excellent)	1.97	1.56 (Excellent)	3.1 (Good)
Sony Xperia Z3	713 (Excellent)	4 (Excellent)	1:1148 (Good)	10324 (Poor)	2.55	6.43 (Average)	9.28 (Poor)

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The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property, observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.

	Maximum brightness Lower is better	Minimum brightness Lower is better	Contrast Lower is better	Color temperature Lower is better	Gamma Lower is better	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Samsung Galaxy Note 4	68.8%	0%	unmeasurable	35.4%	1%	280.8%	231.9%
Sony Xperia Z3	81.8%	75%	81.9%	26.2%	0.8%	18%	44.4%

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The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

These measurements are made using SpectraCal's CalMAN calibration software.

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Interface and Functionality

Related phones

PhoneArena rating:

9.3 Excellent

User rating:

9.2 Excellent

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Specifications News^[375] Rivals Size it Videos

PhoneArena rating:

8.5 Very good

User rating:

9 Excellent

Sony Xperia Z3

Specifications News^[158] Rivals Size it Videos

63 Comments

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posted on 09 Oct 2014, 08:43 5

1. hboy857 (Posts: 349; Member since: 03 Jun 2013)

Design, Battery life, UI - Z3 wins
Camera, Screen - Note 4 wins.

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 08:45 12

2. neops (Posts: 297; Member since: 28 Jan 2014)

They serve different needs imo

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 09:30 3

12. Settings (Posts: 2338; Member since: 02 Jul 2014)

Waterproof and S Pen.
Can't have both.

posted on 19 Aug 2015, 09:19

63. zacsaturday (Posts: 242; Member since: 09 May 2014)

Sadly

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 11:03 5

19. PunyPoop (Posts: 752; Member since: 18 Jan 2013)

Camera? "Somewhat surprisingly, Sony's digital image stabilization, called SteadyShot, performs almost as well as the mechanical OIS system in the Note 4 when it comes to keeping the footage fluid and steady regardless of the hand tremor."

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 16:12 3

28. Genza (Posts: 576; Member since: 12 Mar 2014)

If you see these 3 videos, there is a possibility that Z3 video stabilization is even better than the Note 4.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Arah2K_xvCk
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXMmGtpSHc
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jbBfyDq78rA

As far as i know there are only 4 phones that have the most stable video stabilization Z2, 925, Z3 and Z3C.

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 01:27 2

41. tech2 (Posts: 3487; Member since: 26 Oct 2012)

lol...Not true at all

1st Link: The guy clearly says Note 4 has much better stabilization then iPhone's digital stabilization

2nd Link: Here we established that both the iPhone have negligible difference inspite of OIS and digital stabilization.

3rd Link: This proves Z3 has better OIS then iPhone.

In short, those links you posted says nothing about Z3 being better then Note 4. It just shows iPhone's implementation of OIS is worst amongst Z3 and Note 4.

Don't jump to conclusions so fast. Wait for the reviews from an authentic source.

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 09:24 2

45. Genza (Posts: 576; Member since: 12 Mar 2014)

Lol.. just watch the video and use your eyes there is more shake in Note 4 video and in the comment section many people dissagree with him because their eyes is saying the truth.

Until this day i never seen any phones that has more stable video satbilization than Z3 the only phones that come close is 925.

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 10:19 1

47. tech2 (Posts: 3487; Member since: 26 Oct 2012)

'Until this day i never seen any phones that has more stable video satbilization than Z3' - Are you jumping to conclusions without trying the Note 4 ?!?! LOL.....you are full of bias my friend.

BTW, I scrolled through comment section and found only 1 comment saying that. Rest agree Note 4 being much better. If what you're saying was true then the video would have much more dislikes.

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 13:28 1

51. Genza (Posts: 576; Member since: 12 Mar 2014)

No i'm not and if don't believe me just get the Z3 (you can, borrow or get to places where you can do a hands on) compare it with any phones that available that you think has better image stabilization and put extreme shake to see the different.

Only one are you sure? How about
Yudi Hilmawan, Ashwin R, Alex Papas, waqhbbb, Fastdounut BF, Daniel Orozco and MCButzi.

Most of them is talking about overall performance not stabilization.
Try to look carefully at the time he was walking around yoi can see the Note 4 video is more shaky than iPhone.

posted on 12 Oct 2014, 05:25 1

54. tech2 (Posts: 3487; Member since: 26 Oct 2012)

Dude clearly you have got yourself a Z3 and you'd do anything to justify your purchase. Since you might have to live with the 2nd best phone on the market...lol

First, you said look at the comment section and now you are saying look at the video. Nothing you say is either agreed in the comment section or by the reviewer.

posted on 13 Oct 2014, 02:40

56. serge327 (Posts: 73; Member since: 27 Aug 2012)

I agree with you. Z3 really does well with its steady shot.

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 12:14 1

21. mawhob2222 (Posts: 219; Member since: 22 Mar 2014)

Also z3 for camera

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 13:42 1

26. PunyPoop (Posts: 752; Member since: 18 Jan 2013)

Note 4 vs z3 camera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMrybYOm8Sg

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 15:20

27. mawhob2222 (Posts: 219; Member since: 22 Mar 2014)

Of course the camera for Z3 is better

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 01:31 2

42. tech2 (Posts: 3487; Member since: 26 Oct 2012)

lol.....wait for some reliable review. A channel with 200 subs can't be the most reliable source of info. Also, who knows if he actually even used both those phones.

The number of dislikes in the video is another of sign of the credibility of the video.

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 11:21

49. Genza (Posts: 576; Member since: 12 Mar 2014)

Hmm... okay
But what about this one?
Note 4 vs Z3 at full resolution.
https://app.box.com/s/oc02tdm8p32gelsycoci
https://app.box.com/s/oioec0r8gt96oeiqf47b
https://app.box.com/s/t24y95ficdn4f7bwhvm6
https://app.box.com/s/jiqxn9xgmtdr0wig8zhb

Note 4 (16MP) vs Z3 (20.4MP) vs Z3 superior auto (8MP), scaled to 8MP so we can have fair comparison.
https://app.box.com/s/5i98twxi7mlidiywe422
https://app.box.com/s/qe4w2isapooe9wji6x2q
https://app.box.com/s/yl83brjkcihiz6m4a1b8
https://app.box.com/s/630ttdd1931cci69lunc

Still not good enough for you?

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 11:22

50. Genza (Posts: 576; Member since: 12 Mar 2014)

Hmm... okay
But what about this one?
Note 4 vs Z3 at full resolution.
https://app.box.com/s/oc02tdm8p32gelsycoci
https://app.box.com/s/oioec0r8gt96oeiqf47b
https://app.box.com/s/t24y95ficdn4f7bwhvm6
https://app.box.com/s/jiqxn9xgmtdr0wig8zhb

Note 4 (16MP) vs Z3 (20.4MP) vs Z3 superior auto (8MP), scaled to 8MP so we can have fair comparison.
https://app.box.com/s/5i98twxi7mlidiywe422
https://app.box.com/s/qe4w2isapooe9wji6x2q
https://app.box.com/s/yl83brjkcihiz6m4a1b8
https://app.box.com/s/630ttdd1931cci69lunc

Still not good enough for you?

posted on 13 Oct 2014, 17:43

59. bur60 (Posts: 878; Member since: 07 Jul 2014)

or fanboism

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 19:28

29. AnTuTu (Posts: 1580; Member since: 14 Oct 2012)

Great devices for different audiences.

posted on 10 Oct 2014, 17:46 2

37. FaisalWibowo11 (Posts: 163; Member since: 12 Aug 2013)

Go check gsmarena compare tools and compare both note 4 and Z3.

Note 4's camera is simply not as good as Z3's camera

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 08:17

43. alvinpaul41 (unregistered)

What a tough choice.

posted on 11 Oct 2014, 19:23

52. Astoni (Posts: 649; Member since: 28 Sep 2013)

strangely the note beats z3 in battery on other sites..

posted on 14 Oct 2014, 07:54

60. laxpro97 (Posts: 3; Member since: 14 Oct 2014)

you say the z3 wins in battery life, but it lasts 46 more minutes and takes 140 more minutes to charge. if the person with the note 4 has an extra battery than they dont even have to wait for the phone to charge.

posted on 15 Oct 2014, 05:55

61. saffant (Posts: 274; Member since: 04 Jul 2011)

Design - subjective.
UI - subj.

Battery Life, ip68 certification - Z3

Camera, Screen, multitasking, resale value - Note 4 wins.

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 08:49 10

3. maherk (Posts: 4855; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)

Equally great phones. The best in the market without a doubt.

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 09:42 8

13. PapaSmurf (Posts: 10457; Member since: 14 May 2012)

Note 4 all the way. The true multitasking king.

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 11:06 1

20. PunyPoop (Posts: 752; Member since: 18 Jan 2013)

Good job "Actually, the two chipsets are pretty similar in terms of performance, save for the improved graphics and video streaming part in the 805, so we wouldn't complain too much. The Xperia UI is lighter than TouchWiz, yet we noticed some gaps in transitions and redrawing while flicking the interface around – nothing to write home about, though."

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 12:43

22. PapaSmurf (Posts: 10457; Member since: 14 May 2012)

Let me know when the Z3 is capable of multitasking like the Note 4. Wait, that's too much. Note 3.

posted on 09 Oct 2014, 13:11 1

24. PunyPoop (Posts: 752; Member since: 18 Jan 2013)

Wait for Android L http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-vs-Sony-Xperia-Z3_id3814 then let's see what you're bashing about. But I can't deny, I love the design of Note 4.