Galaxy note 3 dimensions. Samsung Galaxy Note III - bigger, faster, more powerful. Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates
The speed that Speedtest showed is not very high, although it differs from 3G in a big way. This is due to the poor LTE coverage of Megafon in Moscow. In addition, high-rise buildings around the place where testing was carried out may be to blame.
Battery
The new Galaxy Note 3 smartphone has a 3200 mAh lithium-ion battery. With a powerful processor and a large screen, the battery will last a little more than a day of active use. With a gentle mode, the "plafond" can last up to two days. Of course, a lot depends on the brightness of the screen, so by making the backlight a little less, you can significantly extend the battery life.
In general, the use case will not change. You still have to charge your smartphone in the evening. Even if you use the device a little and do not plant it much during the day, then the next day you run the risk of being left without a phone by lunchtime.
Issue price
The new gadget costs 34,990 rubles. It may seem that the price of the device is too high. If so, then not by much. Judge for yourself: there is a powerful processor, a good camera, a new design has been developed, and there are a lot of software chips. In fact, this is an enlarged Galaxy S 4, and it cost only 29,990 rubles at the start. So, the price is quite adequate for the set of hardware and software that Samsung provides us with.
In addition, the situation is significantly improved by the opportunity to buy Galaxy Note 3 in the Megafon salon at a price of 21,990 rubles. But even here everything is not so simple. Of course, there will be no mandatory contract for 2 years (like AT&T and iPhone) here. But you will need to deposit 3,000 rubles into your account, and this is where your obligations to Samsung and Megafon end. In principle, the idea itself is good, and I see such a model in Russia for the first time. But the lack of support from other operators is depressing. That is, if you have Beeline or MTS, then you will not buy a smartphone for less than 34,990 rubles, at least not yet.
Smartphones purchased in the Megfon salon will be blocked for use with other operators. This imposes restrictions on the use of a smartphone in other countries. In fact, it will not be possible to insert a local SIM card and you will have to use roaming, which is inconvenient. Information was leaked to the media that smartphones blocked by the operator can work with local SIM cards abroad for up to 90 days. The Russian representation of Samsung has not yet commented on this information to us.
The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is already available for sale in official Samsung stores, as well as in Megafon branded stores. The price is for a smartphone with an Exynos processor. How much the version with LTE and Snapdragon 800 will cost is still unknown. Judging by the sales experience of the Galaxy S 4, the price of this model can be significantly higher.
Competitors
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
This flagship smartphone from Sony features a record-breaking 6.4-inch Full HD display with proprietary TRILUMINOS Display technology. The smartphone is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor with a clock frequency of 2.2 GHz, supports 4G LTE standard and HD voice technology.
Not yet edited gg in the person of Technoslav Bergamot and our newsmen, to sleep well and heal battle blisters on the fingers after IFA 2013, how we got one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year (more precisely, its pre-sale sample), presented at this same IFA 2013 a couple of weeks ago - Samsung Galaxy Note 3 . Now we have the opportunity to study in more detail the update of the Galaxy Note line of smartphones, which, over two generations of existence, has ceased to be a bold experiment and turned into a successful solution (especially considering the exotic size of the device) and exciting the minds of not only capricious geeks.
Specifications
With the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung followed the same path as with the Galaxy S4. For example, the Galaxy Note 3 is even smaller and lighter than the Galaxy Note II (which is incredibly valuable at this size), while the display is two tenths of an inch larger. Of course, with FullHD with all the beauties that follow from here. Of course, Super AMOLED. The smartphone received the latest version of the Android 4.3 operating system available to Google partners, and it even surpassed the flagship in the OS serial number, which rather indicates that Google is releasing Android updates too quickly. The processor has also been updated to a new generation. Exynos 5 Octa 5420 for models with 3G (this should be expected in Ukraine) and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 for versions with LTE. To all this, add 3 GB of RAM - and you get the most productive smartphone at the time of release. If we also think about Wacom's S Pen stylus, which recognizes 1024 gradations of pressure, and additions to the interface (S Note, Air Command) to work with it, as well as temperature and humidity sensors in the case, then in the end we will get the most sophisticated smartphone from introduced to the market by the middle of 2013.
| Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note 3 | |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Google Android 4.3 |
| Display | Super AMOLED, 5.7"", FullHD, 1920x1080 pixels, 16 million colors, pixel density 386 ppi |
| CPU | Exynos 5 Octa 5420, four ARM Cortex-A15 cores (1.9 GHz) + four ARM Cortex-A7 cores (1.3 GHz); graphics Mali-T628 |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Flash memory | 32/64 GB + microSDXC card slot (up to 64 GB) |
| Camera | 13 MP, autofocus, 1080p video recording, LED-backlit; front camera for video calls (2 MP) |
| Wireless technologies | Wi-Fi a/ac/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100, NFC, IR (transmitter only) ) |
| Interfaces | micro-USB with MHL 2.0 and USB-host support, 3.5 mm headphone output |
| GPS | Yes |
| Additionally | temperature, humidity and barometric pressure sensors, S Pen stylus |
| Frame | 151x79x8 mm, 168 grams |
| Battery | 3200 mAh |
Frame
It seems to me that the biggest surprise at the time of the announcement of the Galaxy Note 3 was the material of the case back. No seriously. A full HD display, 3 GB of RAM, a flagship camera and the best processors available - it was all quite predictable. But the fact that the new Samsung model will depart from the established tradition of using glossy plastic, moreover, will return to a "square" design, was completely unexpected (although not that important). And the most amazing thing is that the tactile sensations from a smartphone, apparently paired with visual ones (a line along the edges plus a “leather” texture) really make the brain identify the material, if not like leather, then exactly like leatherette. The effect was tested on several people who are far from technology. Even turning the smartphone in their hands, they were sure that they were not holding a product made of plastic. The truth is revealed if you run your fingernail over the surface of the smartphone.
In general, the body of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 looks really noble. In addition, it does not slip in the hand and does not collect scratches - which are also advantages of the material. But I suspect that with such a coating it will be more difficult to scrub dirty stains.
Surely, many potential buyers who have not yet encountered “plafonds” in everyday life are still concerned about the question of whether they can be controlled with one hand. Galaxy Note 3 in a large male brush may not be perceived as a giant. For women's hands, the device is large, but if there is really a need for it, then you can handle a smartphone (launch an application, call somewhere, write a message) without the help of a second hand. The menu has a separate section in which you can adapt the menu display for "one-handed" control. But I, for example, have long been accustomed to working with large smartphones with both hands. It is much more convenient, especially if you have a pen at hand. Yes, and the likelihood of dropping an expensive thing is reduced.
All the usual connectors and buttons on the smartphone case are located in their typical places. The reduced thickness and width of the body made the work with the "plafond" more comfortable. Almost nothing is left of the frame around the screen, it even seemed to me that it was even thinner than that of the Galaxy S4.
The Galaxy Note 3 uses microUSB 3.0 as a connector for connecting to a computer (and charger). It looks a little different (larger) than the previously known microUSB. The connector is compatible with old-style chargers, but the package will include a cable of a new format, which should provide the gadget with faster charging and data transfer. We had a smartphone in the review without a box with a complete set, so we will trust the specifications.
At one end with microUSB 3.0 is a speaker - loud and high quality. There are a couple of microphones on the case. When recording video this way, the sound is better. The microphones are highly sensitive. And if you talk on the headset at a time when the phone is close to your face or somewhere shallow in your clothes, you can hear the sound of your own breathing or steps, and quite clearly.
The S Pen has not changed its location on the case for the third generation. Finding the place where it is stored, blindly, is not so easy, which I would rather attribute to pluses. Because in this case, the likelihood is reduced that, after thinking, the user will remove the S Pen and forget something else or lose it somewhere. And so to extract the pen, you need to make at least a conscious effort.
The build of the Galaxy Note 3 is excellent. The lid adheres to the body perfectly and does not bend anywhere. This is despite the fact that it itself is very thin and flexible. And in general, the body of the Galaxy Note 3 is another refined and improved detail that makes working with a flagship smartphone very pleasant.
Screen
If the Galaxy S4 had an almost standard screen (excellent color reproduction, viewing angles, bright colors, no PenTile “sins” are visible, readability under the sun), then the Galaxy Note 3 has it even better by 10 percent. Actually, because it’s about as much he is more. Very high resolution paired with high device performance, rich colors and a minimal bezel around the display make watching videos a great pleasure. I don't talk about games at all. Even me, a person who is indifferent to them, they were able to captivate, and for a long time. Looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie.
For technical reasons, I was unable to measure the smartphone screen with a colorimeter (alas, I hope that one of these days it will be possible to correct this matter and supplement the review). To the eye, the screen is exactly the same in terms of color reproduction and brightness as the Galaxy S4 (you can read more about the screen of this device in a separate article). There was no bright sun in those days when the Galaxy Note 3 was in my hands in Kyiv. On a cloudy day, the picture looks predictably great. There is no reason to think that in sunny weather there will be problems with brightness. But I hope (forecasters promise, more precisely) what else I can check one of these days.
Like the Galaxy S4, the Note 3 supports gloved operation. This option must be enabled in the display settings menu for winter closer. In the gallery below - various other display settings.
Performance, heating, autonomy
So, we have a smartphone with top performance for today. I have never been able to load the Galaxy Note 3 so that its resources become insufficient for work, or that the slightest brakes appear (the exception is KNOX when you first turn it on and install applications, but I suspect that this is how it should be with him). Below are screenshots with predictably high benchmark results. By the way, even at times of very high load, the smartphone did not overheat. During testing and during gaming, the top of the device got slightly warm. By the standards of the flagship device, which are heated strongly and all without exception, this is another reason for pride.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 demonstrates a very good autonomy by the standards of an Android smartphone, especially by the standards of a smartphone with a huge 5.7-inch display. In the AnTuTu test, he scored 547 points, discharged at maximum load in 3 hours by 80%. A similar result was demonstrated by Sony Xperia Z/ZL. According to subjective impressions, the battery life of the Galaxy Note 3 is less than that of the Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini. It can last a day or more with my typical usage pattern. But about the same could boast of his predecessor. Thus, autonomy is the indicator by which the Galaxy Note 3 has not surpassed it by a head. On the other hand, there is no one to compare it with yet, to say that it is better or worse than competitors existing on the market.
Interface
Although the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is running Android 4.3 from the point of view of the user, especially the user of a Samsung smartphone, the changes compared to Android 4.2 are almost imperceptible here, since they are either “cosmetic” and concern the native shell of the OS (camera, fonts, buttons, etc.). details) and are not visible under the “mask” of TouchWiz, or relate to those functions that are not too striking for ordinary users (improved power saving capabilities when working with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, for example). However, even small improvements are good for the user. And for Samsung, this is also another plus in the treasury of the image of an advanced company, because it is again ahead of the rest of the planet presented its flagship device on fresh Android.
Pre-installed applications (most, with the exception of those presented exclusively in the Note line), smart functions, and interface are familiar to us from the Galaxy S4 smartphone. Absolute novelties in the Galaxy Note 3 are KNOX and My Magazine. In the screenshots below you can see the full list of features out of the box.
Please note that this is the first Samsung device in which we see an out-of-the-box menu with application folders. It's good that the company approached the issue of "packaging" without fanaticism and grouped only branded applications and a number of Google applications. I am not a fan of daddies in smartphones, so I usually pull everything I need out of them regularly “to light” for a long time and painfully (the interfaces of Oppo Find 5, Huawei Ascend D2 and Alcatel OneTouch Idol X managed to cause trouble). The Galaxy Note 3 has only three folders - with proprietary Samsung services, with Google services, and with several third-party applications adapted for Samsung devices.
The settings menu has changed a bit. Title and classification, as well as the placement of individual sections.
But the essence remains the same.
Light changes also affected the player settings. The equalizer menu has become clearer. Such a function as adapting the sound to the characteristics of the hearing of a particular person appeared in the Galaxy S4, but only in the Galaxy Note 3 I finally decided to use it, because it works pretty well.
Galaxy Note 3 camera records video in FullHD and allows you to take photos at the same time.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 video review
In the dry matter
So, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is not only a good upgrade of the previous representative of the “feathered” line, but also the most productive and most technically advanced device at the time of its appearance. Not only due to the presence of a stylus, but also due to the too rapid development of technology, the smartphone turned out even if not by half a head, then by a third - that's for sure, stronger than the older device of 2013 in the S line - Galaxy S4. Performance, well-developed TouchWiz interface with tested S Pen apps, excellent camera and player, fresh version of Android, compact body (for a 5.7-inch smartphone) - all this allows us to award the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with the most honorary editorial award . The disadvantages of a smartphone include its not the most massive size (but it is also its advantage) and the budget of a purchase that not everyone can afford. If you are one of those users for whom it is important to have the very best device, then prepare the money (8000 UAH at the start of sales) and take the queue. The same applies to those who are looking for a worthy update to the first representative of the Galaxy Note line, because two years is a great life cycle for a smartphone.
6 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 3:
- the presence of sensors for temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure (as in the Galaxy S4);
- impressive Super AMOLED screen with FullHD resolution;
- high-quality 13-megapixel camera with a large number of preset shooting modes;
- record performance (at the time of writing);
- stylus that recognizes 1024 gradations of pressure;
- and thoughtful applications for working with it;
2 reasons not to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 3:
- the price is not for everyone;
- the size is not for everyone.
What did you like
Why argue .. good, high-quality phone ..
What did not like
A VERY poisonous display, which at once crosses out all the advantages of the device.
What did you like
Software, speed, design, sound, size.
What did not like
update
What did you like
screen size, color brightness
What did not like
There are more of them than advantages. No radio - this is now generally not acceptable, a bunch of completely stupid programs. Completely useless stylus. The big screen is rather a minus. My wife can’t hold it at all, and even with my not-so-small hands, it’s completely inconvenient for me to hold it. Small battery.
What did you like
Good processor, quite fast, good phone sensitivity
What did not like
assembly, wifi,
What did you like
Great phone, powerful processor, graphics processor. connection quality
What did not like
No fm radio. Samsung has gone crazy. Therefore, I put the build quality - 1, ease of use - 1. The product is returned!
What did you like
Dignity build quality, software, camera, battery, performance
What did not like
full on such a screen looks more like a normal HD, after a couple of months the button began to click, as in cheap Chinese, it began to slow down
What did you like
stylus, sensitivity, built-in applications, very interesting phone
What did not like
The stylus quickly peeled off the paint, unpleasant but not very important.
What did you like
Display, stylus, operating time, good Wi-Fi.
What did not like
Crooked system. I don’t know if this is a problem only on 3 note or just android 4.3, but the market is crooked. It gives an error very often.
What did you like
Design, interesting programs, s pen capabilities, hardware, camera
What did not like
Actually, the minus itself lies in the chipset from Samsung, more precisely, in the fact that CM and AOSP were not ported to it, of course there are a lot of custom ones, but they all revolve around off-firmware and, to one degree or another, have a miserable, absolutely not user-friendly interface,
The phone is worth buying only for ardent fans of Tachwiz and fans of the interface from Samsung, it’s generally difficult to talk about it without enhancing the artistic coloring of the statement (mat, that is).
-there is still a small minus in terms of dust around the display, between the display and the edging, very insignificant for me.
What did you like
I have enough battery for a day, and this is very good, all the other smarts were not enough, only the Asus P750 with a 3 Ah battery lasted more than a day. Of course, this is all subject to at least a slightly customized firmware - the case is assembled soundly, in general, there are almost no complaints in terms of iron, - a large number of accessories on ebay and ali for reasonable money, in Russia it is more expensive, too. - the touch works if you are wearing gloves, and it's sooo cool in the cold if you need to make or answer a call) - thin, I wear jeans in my pocket calmly, there are no jeans that are worn by representatives of sexual minorities), in ordinary non-tight jeans - the quality of communication is good , where HOT 3 catches, for example, Nexus 4 refused to do it. and in general the impressions about the device are good for one huge minus!:
What did not like
The product did not live up to expectations, Limited equipment, no original car holder, microusb 3, 16:9 screen, octa processor, poisonous color reproduction, camera protruding from the case, microsim, fast battery discharge, slot for one sim card. Raw firmware. CPU.
What did you like
Optimal price/quality ratio, High-quality sound, loudness, Light weight, dimensions, span, microsd, removable battery, 3.5mm headphone jack.Information LED on the front panel.
What did not like
DO NOT UPGRADE TO android 5.0!!! After the update: 1) The battery dies in less than a full day (it used to last 2 days), 2) it constantly freezes when answering incoming messages, 3) the camera turns on for a long time, and sometimes it doesn’t turn on at all and gives an error, forget about the desire to quickly shoot some any moment, just spend your nerves. 4) the connection is lost, after the phone is rebooted, the battery is full again.
What did you like
Beautiful display, fantastic stylus (now I can’t imagine how to work without it), before the update there was a decent battery, speed and camera, now all this is gone, convenient multitasking,
What did not like
The battery lasts for 5-6 hours with active use (Internet, applications). In general, it's terribly annoying that by the end of the working day the phone is cut down. I carry a USB charger with me.
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.
| Width Width information refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 79.2 mm (millimeters) 7.92 cm (centimeters) 0.26 ft 3.12in |
| Height Height information refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 151.2 mm (millimeters) 15.12 cm (centimeters) 0.5 ft 5.95in |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 8.3 mm (millimeters) 0.83 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft 0.33in |
| The weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 168 g (grams) 0.37 lbs 5.93oz |
| Volume Approximate volume of the device, calculated from dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 99.39 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 6.04 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | The black White Pink Red Pink gold |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS is short for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency with W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz |
Mobile technologies and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.
SoC (System on a Chip)
System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.
| SoC (System on a Chip) System on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is made. The value in nanometers measures half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications. | Krait 400 |
| Processor bit depth The bit depth (bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance than 32-bit processors, which, in turn, are more productive than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands by which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 0 Cache (L0) Some processors have an L0 (level 0) cache that is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such a memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption. | 4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes) |
| First level cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently accessed data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for them in the L2 cache. With some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes) |
| Second level cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but in return it has a larger capacity, allowing more data to be cached. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or RAM. | 2048 KB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing many instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| Processor clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2300 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc. | Qualcomm Adreno 330 |
| Number of GPU cores Like the CPU, the GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical calculations of different applications. | 4 |
| GPU clock speed Speed is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 450 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost when the device is turned off or restarted. | 3 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR3 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates. | dual channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its speed, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data. | 800 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | Super AMOLED |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, the screen size is expressed in terms of its diagonal length, measured in inches. | 5.7in 144.78 mm (millimeters) 14.48 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate Screen Width | 2.79in 70.98 mm (millimeters) 7.1 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate Screen Height | 4.97in 126.19 mm (millimeters) 12.62 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 386 ppi (pixels per inch) 151ppm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for the color components in a single pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen space on the front of the device. | 75.04% (percentage) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | capacitive Multitouch |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the case and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Sensor model | Sony IMX135 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take pictures. The sensor, as well as the optics, is one of the main factors in the quality of a camera in a mobile device. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Sensor size | 4.69 x 3.52 mm (millimeters) 0.23in |
| Pixel size | 1.136 µm (micrometers) 0.001136 mm (millimeters) |
| crop factor | 7.38 |
| ISO (light sensitivity) ISO values determine the light sensitivity level of the photosensor. A lower value means weaker light sensitivity and vice versa - higher values mean higher light sensitivity, i.e. better ability of the sensor to work in low light conditions. | 50 - 1000 |
| Diaphragm | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 4.2 mm (millimeters) 30.99 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame) |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile devices cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes give a softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which indicates the number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical direction of an image. | 4128 x 3096 pixels 12.78 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution for video recording by the device. | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard shooting and video playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | autofocus Tracking autofocus Burst shooting digital zoom Digital Image Stabilization geo tags panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Self-timer Scene Selection Mode |
| 1920x1080@60fps High CRI LED flash |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are mainly used for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.
| Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera. | Samsung S5K6B2YX03 |
| Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photo sensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer better image quality despite lower resolution. | 3 x 2.4 mm (millimeters) 0.15in |
| Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels to be used per unit area, thus increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high light sensitivity (ISO) levels. | 1.563 µm (micrometers) 0.001563 mm (millimeters) |
| crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the size of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35mm film) and the size of the device's photosensor. The number shown is the ratio of the diagonals of the full frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photo sensor of the specific device. | 11.26 |
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture is larger. | f/2.4 |
| Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. There is also an equivalent focal length that provides the same field of view with a full frame camera. | 1.85 mm (millimeters) 20.83 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame) |
| Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the secondary camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum resolution supported when shooting video with the optional camera. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the optional camera when shooting video at the maximum resolution. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about navigation and location technologies supported by the device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the key features and standards supported by the device's browser. | HTML HTML5 |
Audio file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support various audio file formats and codecs that store and encode/decode digital audio data, respectively.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.
| Capacity The capacity of a battery indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliamp-hours. | 3200 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type of The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more specifically, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Li-Ion) |
| Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged during a continuous conversation in a 2G network. | 21 h (hours) 1260 min (minutes) 0.9 days |
| 2G standby time The 2G standby time is the amount of time it takes for the battery to fully discharge when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 420 h (hours) 25200 min (minutes) 17.5 days |
| 3G talk time Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged during a continuous conversation in a 3G network. | 21 h (hours) 1260 min (minutes) 0.9 days |
| 3G standby time The 3G standby time is the amount of time it takes for the battery to fully discharge when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 420 h (hours) 25200 min (minutes) 17.5 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional features of the device's battery. | Removable |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
SAR levels refer to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
| Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum allowable SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC in accordance with IEC standards following the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines. | 0.29 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum allowed SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC following the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines and IEC standards. | 0.363 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
| Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the US is 1.6 W/kg per gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are controlled by the CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.94 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest acceptable SAR value in the US is 1.6 W/kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA controls whether mobile devices comply with this standard. | 1.07 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
It seems that for Samsung itself, the success of the very first smartphone of the Note line was unexpected. In fact, having created a new class of devices - tablet phones - the Korean corporation quickly learned that instead of one "cash cow" in the form of Galaxy S, it is quite possible to produce two flagship models.
Now, every year the manufacturer is equally expected not only for Escu, but also for the new Note. It just so happens that it is from the latter that innovations are expected, whether it is the case material, the display, or the capabilities of the complete pen. The Note 3 was expected to have a fresh design, a metallic finish, a larger Full HD screen, unusual S Pen features. Some expectations were justified, others remained expectations.
It's time to take a closer look at one of the most interesting Android smartphones of the year. Of course, let's not forget to compare it with last year's predecessor.
Design
Let's be honest - everyone is tired of the ubiquitous glossy Galaxy plastic. A few months before the announcement of the Note 3, there were rumors born of hope that the Koreans would finally decide enough was enough and make the device in a radically new design with a mandatory metal case.
In fact, we did not see anything radically new at the IFA in Berlin. Model Note 3 is fully designed in the style of Galaxy S4. Compared to Note 2, the device has become noticeably stricter, all four corners are no longer so playfully rounded. But the leitmotif during the announcement of the device was a completely different feature.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Note 3
"Wow, leather cover!"- Approximately in this vein, the first messages of visitors to the exhibition in Berlin were sustained. A Samsung spokesperson was not shy about using eco-friendly materials and leather trim from the stage. To hell with it, with metal, since we have almost Vertu in front of us, only technologically a hundred times more perfect.
Doubts about the natural origin of the back panel material appeared immediately: it is impossible to produce such a mass-produced product with an expensive finish. In addition, we do not forget about the practicality and attacks of the ubiquitous defenders of flora and fauna. Yes, and the seam in the photos looked too smooth.
Why play up - the "leather" cover is the most plastic. But, we admit, the imitation is good. The surface is moderately soft and “warm”, the pattern is pleasant, tactile sensations are beyond praise. It looks like not the cheapest panel trim in some car. In general, we liked this performance, but psychologically you feel discomfort from the realization of imitation and bravura statements made during the announcement.
If this moment does not bother you, then you will surely like the pseudo-leather plastic cover. It is generally extremely difficult to leave dirty marks on it, unlike glossy or even matte plastic, and the material does not wipe off like real leather. In general, practical, convenient, but with a slight veil of deceit.
By the way, imitation is generally inherent in Note 3. In addition to leather, the smartphone is also trying to copy metal. Under it, the ends are made of silvery plastic, flavored with longitudinal stripes.
What is surprising is the dimensions of the device. Despite the larger screen size compared to its predecessor, Note 3 has managed to become smaller and lighter. The length (151 mm) remained the same, but the width of the device decreased by a millimeter, to 79 mm. It also lost more than 1 mm in thickness - 8.3 mm versus 9.4 for Note 2. The weight decreased slightly, by a dozen grams, but still for such a densely packed giant, this is a noticeable achievement. The reduction in size with an enlarged display was achieved due to the narrowing of the frame separating the screen from the edges of the smartphone. Just a couple more millimeters, and it will be possible to talk about the matrix "from edge to edge".
There are only two hardware buttons. The power button is located on the right side and falls exactly under the thumb of the right hand. On the left side is a volume rocker. It is not very convenient to use it due to the rather large width of the device. There is also a complaint about the power button: in our copy, it stuck from time to time and did not respond to pressing with a finger. I had to bring her to her senses by pressing with a fingernail from different sides.
The stylus is securely fixed in a special compartment on the bottom. Next door is a not very loud external speaker, which, moreover, can often be closed by hand. There is also a microphone and an unusual dual microUSB 3.0 connector. It can be used both with a regular microUSB cable and with a special, wider one with an accelerated charging function.
The Note 3 has an additional noise-canceling microphone, an infrared sensor, and a 3.5mm audio jack located on top. And the device is literally stuffed with different sensors. In addition to the usual proximity sensors, light and gyroscope, there is a barometer, temperature, humidity and magnetic field sensors.
S Pen, spare nibs and tweezers to remove them
In terms of convenience, the model is in no way inferior to its predecessor and even surpasses it due to its thinner thickness and non-slip lid. Ergonomics is at a high level for a tablet phone. Let's add here another excellent (except for the mentioned embarrassment with the on / off button) assembly.
Display
The novelty received a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display. Compared to its predecessor, the difference in size is small, less than 0.2 inches. But the resolution of Note 3 has finally stepped into Full HD - the number of pixels per inch is almost one and a half times higher than that of Note 2 (386 vs. 267 ppi)! Now the image is very clear, without a hint of "teeth", which are visible only when the screen is unnaturally close to the eyes.
Instead of an RGB matrix, as in Note 2, PenTile is again used. Some users say they can tell the difference, but we didn't. But the "proprietary" feature in the form of a greenish tint of white when the device is tilted remains. Here you have to put up with it and not pay attention to it, or look for a competitive tablet phone with IPS. From our point of view, there is nothing to worry about - the shade does not affect the perception of information in any way, and it is unlikely that anyone will often look at the display at a large inclination.
You can still select the screen mode by muting the "poisonous" Super AMOLED colors. For example, the "Cinema" and "Professional photography" modes bring the picture quality closer to what the best examples of IPS matrices can show. At the same time, the contrast remains at the highest level, and the black color does not disappoint with its purple essence.
The screen quality of the Note 3 is very similar to that of the Galaxy S4. It also has Gorilla Glass 3, the ability to work with gloves, high brightness, Full HD ... It's still a great display. Not the best anymore, since there is a Galaxy S4 with its 441 ppi, but one of the highest quality.
camera, sound
The PV module is another legacy of the Galaxy S4. The 13-megapixel camera is still good and has the same set of features. This time we did not experiment and took all the photos in automatic mode. The smartphone always chose the most suitable settings, there was no desire to reshoot something.
Below you can watch two videos shot in Full HD resolution. One of them clearly demonstrates the attempt of electronics to stabilize the video sequence while driving along a road with pits and potholes. In general, it is better to shoot videos in calm conditions with non-shaking hands.
We really liked the Note 3's camera. It's still the best Android smartphone makers have to offer.
The sound, unlike the camera, did not impress us. Through the external speakers, it is quite loud, but somehow flat and inexpressive. HTC One is very far away. In headphones, the device also has nothing to surprise a sophisticated music lover with - frankly, there is not enough low frequencies.
Functionality, stylus
Any Galaxy Note is a Galaxy S plus the functionality of a stylus. We will not dwell on the features repeated in the Galaxy S4 again. You can read the relevant link here. Let's dwell on the new "chips" of the tablet phone, which received the latest Android 4.3 as an OS.
As soon as the user takes out the S Pen, a radial menu with five commands appears on the screen. It can also be called up at any time by pressing the button on the stylus. In this case, the pen does not have to touch the screen - the touchscreen recognizes the S Pen already at a distance of about a centimeter from the screen. By the way, the smartphone is compatible with the previous generation Note stylus.
The "Active note" function not only allows you to quickly make the necessary mark on a virtual sheet of paper, but also binds it to some action. For example, the system can check the handwritten text against the database of contacts in the phone book, search the Internet. You can also write an email address or designate a new contact.
Using the Save Fragment option, you can save any elements from the current page. It is enough to circle part of the screen, and the phone will identify active areas, highlight them and offer to save them to the Scrapbook. Not only the image is saved, but also the video and links.
"Screenshot" is the most useless feature. A screenshot with the ability to leave a handwritten note on it can be taken much faster using the combination of the power and home buttons.
Service S Finder allows you to find anything in any application. Of course, there is support for handwriting, and the data you are looking for can be sorted by creation date, file type, etc. Not a very popular feature, but in case of clutter everything and everything can come in handy.
"Open in window". The most interesting feature. By clicking on the rightmost button in the radial menu, we draw a square of arbitrary size on the screen. After that, a list of those applications that you can run in the second window appears. Among such programs are calculator, YouTube client, browser, clock, contacts, etc.
Among other innovations, it is worth mentioning the mode of operation with two active windows. Now you can open two identical applications. In this case, all content can be transferred from one screen to another.
The S Note has undergone a massive upgrade. Thanks to synchronization with "cloud" services, you can work with files through multiple devices. You can select a single fragment of the image and save only it.
The Note 3 model supports Samsung's proprietary KNOX service. This is a user data protection solution that runs applications in a special isolated container that is inaccessible to malware. Judging by the description, the system is very serious, it uses an encryption algorithm with a 256-bit key, etc. Even a screenshot is not allowed.
So far, the analogue of Siri has not received development. The system recognizes words well, but is unable to answer questions. She knows a few obvious commands (“What's your name?”, “What time is it?”, etc.), to which she can issue pre-prepared messages. If you move away from the banality a little to the side, problems begin: at best, you will be offered in broken Russian to “look for the answer on the Internet.” Probably, the developers perfectly understood the primitiveness of the system, since they taught them to adequately answer questions related to its stupidity.
During testing of the smartphone, we encountered several unpleasant bugs. Once Note 3 hung for 10-15 seconds, safely, however, returning to work. In two cases, the device turned off for no apparent reason and went into an endless reboot. The problems are probably software-related, so Samsung will most likely fix them in the next update.
Performance and battery life
The Korean company continued the practice of releasing different modifications of the same smartphone model for different regions. Belarus sells Note 3, which, like the Galaxy S4, is based on the Korean Exynos 5 Octa chip. This is a modified processor, which also consists of two blocks, each of which carries four cores "on board".
When performing non-resource-intensive tasks, a bunch of four Cortex-A7 cores is used. During the launch of something “heavy” and demanding, instead of them, two pairs of Cortex-A15 cores come into play, the clock frequency of which has grown by 100 MHz compared to the Galaxy S4, up to 1.9 GHz.
Instead of the PowerVR SGX544MP3, the Mali-T628MP6 chip is responsible for the speed of the graphics, the performance of which is twice as high as that of a colleague. In addition, Note 3 received a record amount of RAM - just 3 GB. It would seem that with such power, a smartphone should easily grind any tasks, but not everything is so simple.
The novelty really easily copes with games of any complexity, but sometimes it slows down in built-in applications and a “heavy” proprietary interface, overgrown with a huge number of necessary and useless “ruffles”, decorations and functions. Most often, this is noticeable while working with the stylus and when viewing voluminous Internet pages that begin to slowly render.
On the one hand, all these delays are not critical, you quickly get used to them. In addition, it cannot be said that they are ubiquitous. And yet, in a phone costing more than $1000, to see even the slightest brakes in the interface is a bit strange. As for the comparison with Note 2, we did not see a big difference in performance. Of course, if we talk about real applications, and not about "parrots" in benchmarks.
With merciless daily use, when we took hundreds of photos, shot videos, launched benchmarks and other applications, surfed the Internet, etc., Note 3 lasted more than two days. If desired, it is quite possible to make it work for four days, if you do not abuse the frequent launch of games. We add that the battery capacity with a reduced case thickness increased from 3100 to 3200 mAh.
While reviewing the Note 2, we noted an issue with the device taking a long time to charge. Samsung solved this problem: the Note 3 takes standard 2 hours to charge from the AC mains. Thanks to the new cable, charging via USB has also accelerated. Compatibility with standard microUSB cords, by the way, has remained, so you should not worry about a possible replacement of the cable.
Note that the device received 32 GB of internal memory and a microSD slot with support for cards up to 64 GB. The result is almost 100 GB of space - more than enough for any mobile "garbage dumps".
Advantages:
- high-quality screen;
- excellent camera;
- sometimes useful S Pen.
Flaws:
- a lot of unnecessary software "ruffles";
- offensive for such power braking;
- price.
We thank the representative office of Samsung in Belarus
for the smartphone provided for testing
Reprinting text and photos of Onliner.by is prohibited without the permission of the editors. [email protected]