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Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3 – specs, price, software comparison

• Egon Kilin
• October 23rd, 2014

The Galaxy Note 4 has just begun its slow release on international markets and many must be wondering what kind of updates the Galaxy Note 4 brings compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 3. While the Galaxy Note 4 has quickly become the most popular Android device on the market, the Galaxy Note 3 wasn’t something average either. Samsung is known for its stale design, but with the Galaxy Note 4, it seems that Samsung is realizing that a metal frame and a sturdy build will go a long way when it comes to popularity.

A new Galaxy Note 4 update is on the way, and supposedly Android 5.0 Lollipop should arrive on the device by November 3. A Galaxy Note 4 update is also scheduled for later this month, and it should bring improvements to performance as well as battery life. Even though the battery life on the Galaxy Note 4 has been reported as absolutely great, the device managing almost two days of mixed use. Two days of mixed use with a qHD screen is quite an admirable feat. While the Galaxy Note 3 had a pretty good battery life, too, it still needed charging almost every night.

The updated Galaxy Note 4 brings quite a few improvements to its predecessor, so there shouldn’t be a competition here. But still, one should know what kind of features and functions are built into the phablets so that one can accurately assess which would suit them better. While the Galaxy Note 3 price is now around $500, which is still quite a stretch for some people. The Galaxy Note 4 price, on the other hand, is around $700, which is even more expensive. We can’t say about either Galaxy Note that it’s cheap, but they certainly offer a great bang for buck ratio.

The Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 3 has basically the same design, but the Note 4 has a metal frame which should be well appreciated. The Galaxy Note 4 also has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button, which the  Note 3 didn’t have. While the Galaxy Note 3 had a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display with a 1080*1920 resolution, the Galaxy Note 4 display is a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display with a higher 1440*2560 resolution. The Galaxy Note 4 size is also a bit different, being a bit taller, but at the same time a bit skinnier and a bit thinner than its predecessor.

Both the Galaxy Note 4 and Note 3 are phablets, equipped with styluses. While the new S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 4 is a Wacom pen that comes with a revamped TouchWiz interface specifically designed for it, may Galaxy Note 3 users had complained about the lack of support and buggy stylus use on the device. The Galaxy Note 4 stylus interface has been improved and it offers a much more customizable and interactive interface than on the Galaxy Note 3.

Galaxy Note 4 specs include a Snapdragon 805, CPU 3 GB RAM, 32 GB expandable internal storage and Adreno 420 GPU, which are quite a step up from Galaxy Note 3 specs, which include a Snapdragon 800 CPU, 3 GB RAM and up to 64 GB expandable storage and an Adreno 330 GPU. While the Galaxy Note 3 performance isn’t as spotless as the Galaxy Note 4 performance, it should be enough for most phablet users. The Galaxy NOte 4 is the premium device out of the two, though. The Galaxy Note 4 brings the latest in specs and features.

The Galaxy Note 4 camera setup has also been improved, the new phablet featuring a 16 MP sensor with dual LED flash and optical image stabilization on the rear, as well as a 3.7 MP sensor on the front. The Galaxy Note 3 camera wasn’t disappointing, but it is inferior to the Galaxy Note 4 camera with a 13 MP sensor on the rear with LED flash and a 2 MP sensor on the front. Camera samples from the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 3 show how the optical image stabilization improves shots as well as videos on the Note 4. The Galaxy Note 4 samples also show a higher amount of detail, as well as better low-light shots. The camera app on the Galaxy Note 4 is faster and more responsive than on the Galaxy Note 3.

The Galaxy Note 3 shipped with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box, but you can get an Android update which will boost your OS number up to 4.4 KitKat. The Galaxy Note 4 comes with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but an Android 5.0 update is on the way and should hit the device by November 3. If we were to compare Android 4.4 Kitkat with Android 5.0 Lollipop, the winner would clearly be the Galaxy Note 4. An Android update is coming to the Galaxy Note 3, too, which should update to Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Android 5.0 Lollipop features Material Design, a new notifications system, lock screen, battery saver and tons more. While the Galaxy Note 3 TouchWiz UI was criticized for being too cluttered, the Galaxy Note 4 UI is as clean as possible and many have said that they really like what Samsung did on the Galaxy Note 4 software.

The Galaxy Note 4 brings a heart rate monitor, Bluetooth 4.1 and an overall premium feel to the device. The Galaxy Note 3 does have a microUSB 3.0 port, which allows for faster data transfers, which is missing from the Galaxy Note 4. The Galaxy Note 4 is definitely worth it if you are planning to upgrade from the Note 3, because it has roughly the same size, a better screen resolution, better software, better camera, better stylus, better CPU and better GPU. On the other hand, if you want a top-notch phablet that will perform just as well and do all the things you need it to, and you aren’t bothered by the heavy TouchWiz skin, the Galaxy Note 3 should suffice.