Samsung’s back with a brand new Galaxy Note and it’s better, though not actually bigger, than ever. But just how much better is it than last year’s? And what are the differences? Read on to find out.
We expected that the Galaxy Note 4 would have a bigger screen than the Galaxy Note 3, but in fact it’s kept it at the same size, so both phones have 5.7 inch Super AMOLED displays.
However there’s a huge difference in their resolutions, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 coming in at 1440 x 2560. That’s QHD and gives it a pixel density of 515 pixels per inch.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on the other hand is just 1080 x 1920. That’s still full HD, which isn’t bad at all and gives it a respectable pixel density of 386 pixels per inch. Overall both phones have amazing screens with bright, vibrant colours, but the Note 3 is wildly outmatched by the Note 4 and its crystal clear display.
As well as having a higher resolution and greater pixel density the Note 4 also uses adaptive display technology, which allows it to automatically adjust not just the brightness but also the contrast and other factors based on the environment you’re in, so you get the optimum viewing experience at all times.
In many ways the design and build of the Galaxy Note 4 and the Note 3 are very similar. The Note 4 comes in at 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm and 176g, while the Note 3 is 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm and 168g. So there are slight differences in their dimensions and weight but nothing substantial.
They also look remarkably similar, right down to a faux-leather effect on the back, though in fairness the effect on the Note 4 is slightly more convincing.
However the main difference is that the Galaxy Note 4 has a metal frame while the Note 3 is plastic. That alone is enough to make it look and feel like a far more premium device. Of course if you don’t care about looks or plan to stick it in a case anyway then it doesn’t much matter.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a very powerful phone, with a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU.
But the Galaxy Note 4 is even more powerful. It sticks with 3GB of RAM but packs in a 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and an Adreno 420 GPU. That makes it one of the most powerful handsets around, but despite a substantial difference on paper the reality is that the Galaxy Note 3 rarely lags or stutters as it is, so for now you’re not likely to benefit much from the extra power.
Both handsets have good cameras too but the Galaxy Note 4 is the better of the two yet again. It has a 16 megapixel sensor while the Note 3 is just 13 megapixels and it can take wider angle shots than the Note 3.
Better yet it features optical image stabilisation, which is a life saver in low light or if you struggle to hold the camera still.
There’s not much difference between the two when it comes to video but the Note 4’s front-facing camera is again better, coming in at 3.7 megapixels compared to the Note 3’s 2 megapixel snapper.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 includes a heart rate monitor and fingerprint scanner, neither of which are found on the Galaxy Note 3 and it even comes with a UV sensor.
Both handsets also have an S Pen stylus, but on the Note 4 it’s been substantially improved. It’s now far more sensitive which makes it feel a lot more like you’re using an actual pen on actual paper as well as packing in new features which allow you to easily copy and paste text with it.
The microphone has been improved on the Note 4 as well. It can record audio more clearly and even isolate the source that you’re trying to record so there’s less background noise when you’re playing it back.
The Galaxy Note 4 has a 3220 mAh battery, which is only marginally larger than the 3200 mAh battery in the Galaxy Note 3. Yet despite that Samsung claims that it can last 7.5% longer. It also charges quickly, as it can go from zero to 50% battery in just 30 minutes which is a speed the Note 3 can’t match.
Both handsets are capped at 32GB of storage, at least in the UK, but while the Galaxy Note 4 supports microSD cards of up to 128GB, the Note 3 only supports cards of up to 64GB.
There’s no real difference in connectivity options though, with both phones supporting all the standard things, including Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and infrared.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can currently be picked up from around £400, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to sell for around £550 SIM free when it launches in October. So you’re looking at around a £150 price difference, but then the Note 4 is a better phone in almost every way.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 3 are both fantastic handsets. As the screen size is no different they’re similarly adept at fulfilling the needs of a phablet and the Note 3 is still a high end phone despite now being superseded.
The Note 4 is better in a lot of ways but not always significantly so. For example it’s more powerful but you’ll hardly notice, the screen is better but the Note 3 still has a great display and the build quality is superior but that only really matters if you don’t plan to put it in a case.
The camera on the Note 4 is substantially better and it’s more feature packed and has a far better S Pen, so if those things are important to you then it’s the phone to go for. Equally you should buy it if you just want the best phablet around.
But if those things don’t matter all that much to you then it might be worth saving yourself £150 and buying the Galaxy Note 3 instead.
