Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung Galaxy Note 3Samsung Mobile India/Faceboook

Samsung Inc recently launched its much-awaited Galaxy Note 3 phablet in India, and is due to hit stores on 25 September, almost a month before the Diwali season kicks-off.

If prospective buyers are considering to purchase high-end gadgets this pre-festival season, Samsung's new phablet-Galaxy Note 3 and Sony's giant Xperia Z Ultra make a smart buy.

Both phablets feature superior specifications worthy of their price, but differ in certain internal hardware components.

Here is a brief comparison of key-specifications between Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra:

Display:

Sony phablet boasts of a mammoth 6.4-inch full HD (1920x1080p) TFT LCD Triluminos display featuring exclusive patented X-Reality for Mobile and BRAVIA Engine 2 technology. It has pixel density of 342 ppi (pixels per inch). On the other hand, Samsung's new generation phablet flaunts a smaller (hand friendly) 5.7-inch full HD (1920x1080p) super AMOLED screen with rich display quality having pixel count of 388 ppi.

Processor, RAM & Storage:

In India, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 ships with the company's in-house built Exynos Octa-core 5420 chipset (it has two quad-core processors-1.9GHz A9 and 1.3GHz A7) with 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt memory which can expand up to 64GB.

The Sony phablet boasts of an equally superior Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core processor which can top a staggering CPU speed close to 2.2GHz. It houses 2GB RAM and 16GB memory (expandable up to 64GB).

Even though they pack different chipsets, Galaxy Note 3 and Xperia Z Ultra users can perform processor-intensive multi-tasking operations or play heavy duty games with fewer issues.

Camera:

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 comes loaded with a stunning 13.0-megapixel camera with a plethora of photography enriching applications. It boasts of high CRI LED flash support to take good quality pictures under low-light conditions. It can also record 4K resolutions (3840x2160p) videos at 30 fps, making it one of the few handsets to have ultra HD video recording ability.

Even though Sony has produced high-end Xperia smartphones with excellent camera specifications, the company has failed to add some of those features in its first ever 6.0-inch plus phablet. Xperia Z Ultra comes with a less impressive 8.0-megapixel camera with no LED flash support on the rear side. On the bright side, it has full HD video recording capability and 16X zoom features.

Both phablets house 2.0-megapixel camera on the front side with full HD video recording ability.

Operating system:

In this aspect, they stand even as they run on the same Android OS platform. It is to be noted the Galaxy Note 3 ships with v4.3 out-of-the-box, whereas Xperia Z Ultra runs on v4.2 (expected to get firmware update soon in India). Since both are phablets, they come with stylus applications and functionalities.

Price:

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is due to hit stores on 25 September for ₹49,900 and is currently available for pre-orders. On the other hand, Sony phablet's price is hovering around ₹41,000 in the market.

Considering all aspects, Galaxy Note 3 pips the Xperia Z Ultra marginally. The only downside of the Samsung phablet is that its built quality is sub-par compared to Sony handset's water-proof and dust-resistant body case.

Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra:

Model

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N009)

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Display

5.7-inch (5.68-inch) Super AMOLED Full HD Display; Resolutions: 1920x1080p

Pixel density: 388 ppi (pixels per inch)

6.44-inch Full HD Triluminos TFT LCD screen boasting X-Reality for Mobile display technology and BRAVIA Engine 2; also comes with shatter proof sheet along with scratch-resistant glass shield;

Resolution: 1920x1080p

Pixel density: 342 ppi

OS

Android v4.3 Jelly Bean OS

Android v4.2 Jelly Bean OS

Processor

Exynos 5420 Octa-core processor with two quad-core processors-one A9 with 1.9GHz and another A7 with 1.3GHz CPU speed.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core processor with 2.2GHz (chipset type: MSM8974)

RAM

3GB

2GB

Storage capacity

32GB, memory can be further expandable up to 64GB

16GB, expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card

Camera

Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with BSI sensor, auto-focus, LED flash (High CRI), UHD -4K resolutions (3840x2160p) at 30 fps

Front: 2.0-megapixel camera with BSI sensor, full HD 1080p video recording

Main: 8.0-megapixel camera with Exmor RS lens technology and 16X digital zoom, full HD video recording (N0 LED-flash support)

Front: 2.0-megapixel camera  (can record full HD video)

Network

2G & 3G

2G & 3G

Battery

3200 mAh

3050 mAh

Add-ons

 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (HT80),Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR LED (Remote control),MHL v2.0,GPS/GLONASS,NFC, S-Pen functionality

Dust-proof and Water-resistant IP55/IP58 certifications, NFC, Bluetooth, v4.0,A-GPS,Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi hotspot, micro-USB v2.0, MHL support, supports Stylus funtinality

Dimensions

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm

179.0 x 92.0 x 6.5 mm

Weight

168 g

212 g

Price

₹49,900/-

₹41,600/-