Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. Galaxy Note 3: Specifications Comparison

The long wait for the new flagship Samsung phablet got over on Wednesday as the South Korean company pulled the wraps off Galaxy Note 4 in Berlin, just a couple of days ahead of IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) 2014 (5-10 September).

Galaxy Note 4 comes with a few upgrades over its predecessor Note 3. The new features include a fingerprint sensor, and a small bump in the camera specifications.

With very little improvements in the fourth generation Galaxy Note device, a debate has risen on whether the Galaxy Note series handset owners, who are due to end their contract with respective network carriers, need to go for the new Galaxy Note 4 or look for an alternative brand.

To get a clear perspective of the two Galaxy Note siblings, we have done a quick specifications rundown of Note 4 and its predecessor Note 3.

Display:

Samsung's new flagship phablet flaunts a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display, having a staggering pixel density of 515 ppi (pixels per inch).

On the other hand, Samsung's 2013 phablet model flaunts a 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, having a pixel density 386 ppi.

Build quality:

Both siblings ship with a faux leather body, and the only difference between the two is that the new Galaxy Note 4 comes with metal frame, giving it a premium touch.

Processor, RAM and Storage:

The fourth generation Galaxy Note device comes with a modest upgrade of 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 series processor.

There is very little difference between the two siblings in terms of neither CPU speed nor the performance. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 boasts a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 series SoC (System on Chip).

The second Galaxy Note 4 variant ships (mostly bound for emerging countries like India and other South Asian and African countries) with an Exynos 5433 series Octa-core CPU (1.9GHz quad-core + 1.3GHz quad-core +ARM Mali T760 GPU).

In its earlier versions, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (in India) shipped with in-house built Exynos Octa-core processor(packs two quad-cores-1.6GHz and 1.9GHz)with Mali T628 MP GPU and houses sumptuous 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt memory.

[Note: In developed markets of Europe, North America and select South East Asian regions, Galaxy Note 3 was made available with 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series chipset with Adreno 330 graphics engine.]

Both Note 4 and Note 3 house 3GB RAM and come in 32GB memory, with options for expansions.

Camera:

Galaxy Note 4 houses a 16.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus and smart OIS (Optimized Image Stabilization) and a 3.7-megapixel snapper with F1.0 aperture, Wide selfie feature and many more value-added photography enriching apps.

Whereas, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 features a13.0-megapixel camera with BSI sensor) which can record UHD -4K resolutions (3840x2160p) at 30 fps and full HD at 60fps speed. It also features a High CRI-LED flash support to get good crisp snapshots under low-light condition. Like its smaller cousin Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 3 too came with plethora of smart camera features.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note 4 front cameras have the ability to record full HD videos, however the successor has advantage of boasting value added features like Selfie, Wide Selfie and many more.

Mobile Operating System:

With the latest Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS update already released to Galaxy Note 3 across the world, there is no added advantage in owning the new Galaxy Note 4, apart from new TouchWiz interface.

Value-added features of Galaxy Note 4:

• Fingerprint sensor for secured unlocking of the screen, as well as safe mobile payment.
• Depending on the markets, Galaxy Note 4 ships with either 4G (LTE Cat 4 150/50Mbps) or 4G (LTE Cat 6 300/50Mbps) and Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) MIMO PCIe ) with download booster application will help faster connection and wireless data transfer.
• Health v3.0 with heart-rate sensor, UV sensor, Kids mode and Private mode.
• Enhanced S-Pen functionality - Air Command (Action Memo, Smart Select, Image Clip, Screen Write) S Note, Snap Note, Direct Pen Input

Specifications of Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 3