Samsung Galaxy Note 3: A review

New Delhi: The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet comes as a refreshing addition to the company's Note series of phablets. At first look, the first thing that strikes you is its enlarged 5.7in display. The rest of the device hasn't changed much, keeping in line with Samsung's other models. Samsung says the Note 3 is its thinnest and lightest “phablet” yet, coming with a faux-leather back cover and a redesigned S Pen.Size and buildThe new Note 3 measures 151.2x79.2x8.3mm, meaning it is slimmer and thinner than the Galaxy Note 2 despite having a larger 5.7-inch display. The Note 3 weighs 168 grams, which means that it is 12 grams lighter than its predecessor and having the same weight as the 5-inch Sony Xperia Z1.The Note 3 has also surprised users by ditching its much-derided glossy plastic, found on the GS4 and most other recent Galaxy devices. Samsung has now replaced it with a faux leather backing, with stitching around the borders. It's still plastic, but it's nice to hold, soft and feels solid.One good thing about the textured plastic casing is that it makes the device really light and thin. The sides almost look metallic from a distance, but they're plastic. The panel on the Note 3 is a bit taller, not wider. The company has managed to trim down the bezels on top and bottom to allow more room for this. Still, it is comfortable to hold the Note 3, as compared to the most supersized handsets on the market, including the first two Notes.The easy-to-remove back cover provides access to the removable battery and SIM/microSD card slots, while a band of silver-painted plastic goes right around the entire phone.The S Pen stylus fits snuggly into the bottom right hand side of the phone when not in use. And when you pull it out, an S Note document is presented on screen instantly, ready for writing. Samsung said users can expect a more "enhanced" S Pen experience than found on last year's model, and claimed that this will enable better multitasking.The Samsung Galaxy Note 3's home button retains the general size and shape of the Note 2. Also, the left- and right-side buttons layouts remain the same. The left-hand side houses the volume rocker, and the power/lock button is located on the right-hand side. On the bottom edge there is a single speaker and USB 3.0 micro-B connector. The headphone jack and the built-in IR blaster for controlling your TV, set-top box, and other home-entertainment gear sit up top. ScreenThe best thing about the Galaxy Note 3 is without question its super Full HD AMOLED screen, just like the Samsung Galaxy S4, with a resolution of 1920x1080, with a pixel density of 386 ppi. The result is stunning; colour representation is great, blacks are far deeper and there better contrast, and text and graphics are rendered with great clarity and detail. You'll certainly enjoy watching a video in HD 1080p resolution on the 16:9 aspect ratio display. Because of Samsung's Super AMOLEDs, the display is vibrant with deep contrast. The device also offers great viewing angles. Colours are much more vivid, blacks are far deeper and there better contrast, particularly noticeable in the shadow detail of dark videos.Processor and performanceJust like the S4, the Galaxy Note 3 comes in two versions – quad-core and octa-core. It is likely that Europe and the US will get the quad-core version while the Exynos 5 Octa chipset will have a limited release in regions without LTE support.The Galaxy Note 3's quad-core 2.3GHz processor and 3GB of RAM make the device blistering fast. Such raw processing power coming out of Snapdragon 800 chipset makes the device a great tool in multitasking. It zips from window to window, from app to app, interestingly eight simultaneously opened S Pen-optimized apps without bogging down. Its AnTuTu benchmark score should speak for itself: 35,031 points, the highest mark you'll ever see on any device.It's the same processor the Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 pack but with 3GB instead of the 2GB. Moreover, the Snapdragon 800 of the Note 3 is clocked slightly faster at 2.3GHz, as opposed to the 2.2GHz on Sony's smartphones. The Note 3 will come in 32GB and 64GB versions with both of them having the option of microSD expansion of up to another 64GB.S Pen Pulling the pen out of its hiding place triggers a feature called Air Command, which is a semi-circular menu that pops up and gives you a few quick options: Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder and Pen Window. Action Memo lets you write stuff and then use it to initiate an action. Scrap Booker allows users to add pieces of your screen to… a Scrapbook. The Scrapbook allows you to gather information, categorize it and even save the metadata. Say for example, you list a product on Flipkart, and everything found within your highlighted area gets added to the Scrapbook. The Note's search capability is S Finder, which lets you search through handwritten notes on your phone, as well as websites, pictures, media and anything else you've saved. Screen Write lets you start writing on the screen wherever you are. And the Pen Window pops up once you hover with your S-Pen over a text field so you can enter handwritten text.Another exciting addition to Note 3 is the Pen Window. It doesn't matter which app you're in, simply select the Pen Window app and draw a rectangle. You can then open other apps in that window rather than having to move from app to app. It is a great asset in the productivity arsenal. S Note has also been upgraded to include Evernote syncing, better cropping and and better organised notes. Samsung KNOX, Samsung's security software comes as part of the Note protecting business users from hacking and malware. This one's been approved by the Pentagon so it must be great.BatteryNote 3′s battery is a Li-Ion 3,200 mAh unit (100 mAh bigger than Note 2′s), but its processors are designed to conserve more energy, meaning you can expect about two days of battery stamina. Other featuresThe Samsung Galaxy Note 3 sports 4G LTE, HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC chip, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, IR blaster, and microUSB 3.0.While the infra red port and microUSB 3.0 support are pretty useless, the WiFi ac and NFC support are almost a must-have for any smartphone. The smartphone supports media formats like MP3, eAAC+, WMA, WAV (audio) and DivX, XviD, MP4, H.263, H.264, WMV (video). Price and availabilitySamsung on September 17 launched the device at Rs 49,900 for Indian markets. Customers would have the option to buy the Note 3 in monthly instalments spread over a year."The Galaxy Note 3 represents the whole new evolution of the Galaxy Note experience. We have not increased width of the screen, but have increased the size of display," Samsung Country Head (Mobile & IT) Vineet Taneja said.Note 3 would be available in 3G version in India.VerdictOverall, Samsung again has a winner in its hands. By improving its build quality and design, and packing a lot under the hood, the South Korean giant has made its newly launched handset an un-resistable one, even with a premium price tag. By delivering such a feature packed phone, Samsung has clearly outlined who's King in the phablet market. The allure of the phablet is screen size and Samsung has easily delivered a great device with by connecting the extra screen real estate with a compact form. The enhancements made in Note 3 clearly position the device as a great productivity tool and its improved usability means you have the best phablet available in the market. With both HTC and Nokia rumoured to be releasing a phablet each by the end of the year, the phablet market is looking to witness some great competition.