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
| Model | Samsung Galaxy Note 4 | Samsung Galaxy Note 3 |
| Display | 5.7-inch quad HD (2560x1440p) super AMOLED screenPixel Density: 515 ppi (pixels per inch) | 5.7-inch (5.68-inch) Super AMOLED Full HD (1920x1080p) display with pixel density of 3886ppi (pixels per inch) |
| OS | Android v4.4.4 KitKat with new TouchWiz UI | Android v4.3 Jelly Bean OS (v4.4.2 KitKat already released) |
| Processor | 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor paired with or an Exynos 5433 octa-core processor (1.9GHz quad-core+1.3GHz quad-core), depending upon the region. | Exynos 5420 Octa-core processor with two quad-core processors-one A9 with 1.9GHz and another A7 with 1.3GHz CPU speed.(in other developed markets, it shipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series CPU with 2.3GHz speed) |
| GPU | Adreno 420 / ARM Mali T760 | Mali-T628 MP6/Adreno 330 |
| RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
| Memory | 32GB, + 64GB via microSD | 32GB, memory can be further expandable up to 64GB |
| Camera | Main: 16.0-megapixel camera with Auto-focus and smart OIS (Optimized Image Stabilization)
Front: 3.7-megapixel camera with F1.0 aperture with Wide selfie feature ( similar to panorama feature) |
Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with BSI sensor, auto-focus, LED flash (High CRI), UHD -4K resolutions (3840x2160p) at 30 fps, full HD recording at 60fps
Front: 2.0-megapixel camera with BSI sensor, full HD 1080p video recording |
| Network | 3G & 4G (LTE Cat 4 150/50Mbps) or 4G (LTE Cat 6 300/50Mbps) depending on the markets | 3G & 4G |
| Battery | 3,220 mAh with super-fast charging capability which can power the phone to 50-percent in just 30 minutes | 3200 mAh |
| Add-ons | Enhanced S-Pen features, Finger print sensor, Download booster, 4 micro-phones, Heart-rate monitor, UV sensor, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) MIMO PCIe ), USB 2.0, IR LED, MHL 3.0 | S-Pen functionality, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (HT80),Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR LED (Remote control),MHL v2.0,GPS/GLONASS,NFC |
| Dimensions | 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm | 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 176 g | 168 g |
