What's good
- Huge display
- Vibrant colors
- Excellent multitasking capabilities
- Decent battery life
What's bad
- Complicated user interface
- Slow camera
- Potential S-Pen issues
Larger than many comparable smartphones and slightly smaller than your average tablet is the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung’s latest ‘phablet’. With a 5.7-inch AMOLED screen, it offers plenty of display to take notes, watch movies and more. A 2.3-gigahertz processor and 3GB of RAM keep the experience silky smooth. Combine this with the S-Pen, Samsung’s proprietary stylus, and you have a device that is geared toward productivity but has plenty of power for games, video and more.
Despite the large screen size, the phone’s boxy styling and soft leather-like backing make it comfortable to hold and provide plenty of grip. The display has received a boost in resolution from the Note 2 to 1080 x 1920 pixels. This provides a level of clarity and detail that rival the leading devices on the market. Rich Trenholm of CNET remarked that the phone was surprisingly light for its size and that its features justify the large size as well.
Unfortunately, there are a few shortcomings. Both Joseph Pisani of The Guardian and David Court of PC Advisor found the S-Pen’s new design difficult to use. If you have small hands, the thin profile of the pen will suit you well. Otherwise, it can be difficult to grip. This brings us to the next issue: the interface. Many of the Note 3’s new features are based around gestures and button presses using the S-Pen. If you find the S-Pen hard to use, this could cause some serious frustrations. However, once you adjust to the S-Pen, the Note 3 offers features that you will not currently find on other smartphones.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Kob Monney, What Hi-FiThe Galaxy Note family started the trend for phablets, and in many ways it is still leading the way.The Note 3 is an accomplished handset across the board, with a screen big enough to give your videos a boost without needing a whole lot of extra space in your pocket.If you’ve been sitting on t...
- Good Housekeeping team, Good HousekeepingOf our tested phones, the Note 3 boasts the largest screen at 5.7”. The Note 3 also scored the highest overall on our graphical benchmarking tests, meaning you can be sure this phone will play content, apps, and games with ease. The Note 3 also features superb battery life to boot, streaming v...
- Dheepak Krishnamurthy, UnleashThePhonesWhile the Galaxy Note 3 might seem like it shares a lot of similarities with the Galaxy S4, I think it perfectly compliments the ‘other’ flagship smartphone, offering better hardware, more functionality thanks to the S-Pen, and a slightly updated design.Granted, most of the software feat...
- Dan Gardiner, APCSamsung’s latest Note doesn’t mess with the winning formula, but it’s close to pushing the boundaries of one-handed usability.
- John McCann , TechRadarThe Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a great phone and if you were to own one you wouldn't be disappointed. It provides a great onscreen experience - as long as your hands are big enough to reach across it - and its stuffed full of tech to almost warrant its lofty price tag.This is the best Galaxy Note smar...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 user manual here.
Samsung backs up the Galaxy Note 3 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Galaxy Note 3 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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