Note 3 or Htc One?

[Bratone]

Hello everyone.
I want to buy a new phone and I'm stuck between Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the HTC One.Next, I will tell you what I like and what I don't like about these 2 smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

I like the specs.I mean with 3 GB Ram and a quad-core/octo-core of 2,3 GHZ who wouldn't ? I also like the S-Pen a lot but I'm not sure I will use him on a daily basis.
What I don't quite like is the screen size.I understand that it is a phablet, but I think it will be awkward to hold a phone of that size at my ear.

HTC One

Here, I like the design a lot, I think it has the best design on the market, it is very elegant and classy.The aluminium is also a big plus, compared to Samsung's plastic.The screen size it's perfect and I don't see how you will make a bad impression with such a nice phone in your hand.
What I don't like is that you can't remove the battery so if you damage it you can get rid of the phone, and I also don't like that it doesn't have a slot for the memory card.

Here in Romania, the Note 3 is aprox. 965 $ while the HTC One is 785 $, which is a big difference if you ask me.

So, does the Samsung deserve all the praise and the extra 200 $ ? To be honest with you, I'm not that rich and I can't afford a phone this expensive every year or every two years, so my fear is that if I buy the HTC, in a two years time the phone won't be able to support the new applications anymore.The Note 3 comes like I said with 3 GB Ram and a strong processor, so I think that the era of 2 GB Ram phones will come to an end, like it happened to the 1 GB Ram phones also, and I also think that the Note 3 is a road opener for the next generation of smartphones.Am I right here or it is just a stupid affirmation ?

Please take your time because I really need some good pieces of advice, thanks to everyone who will read and answer to this.

 

[Scootmien]

Make a list of all the pros and cons for each device and then forget it for a couple of days; don't even look at it. Come back to the list and see what jumps out at you. You'll find your thoughts wandering towards the device you want over that time too.

If cost is a major issue, like you seem to say it is, then I would go for the cheaper device.

To be honest, I have an HTC One and I can guarantee you that in two years it will still be running the latest apps. The reason I say this is because I have a Galaxy S2 that is still doing fine on that front, well over two years later. App makers don't want to do themselves out of revenue by only catering to the latest and greatest devices. Don't worry about that.

The other thing you could do, and bear with me here as this sounds silly, is to flip a coin. Make sure you name one device heads and one tails and I bet that when the coin is in the air, you'll know exactly which side you want it to come down on.

The HTC is a fantastic device and the build quality is great. However, I put mine in a case so the lovely Aluminium back isn't being shown to its fullest extent. My Note 3 (replacing my SGS2) will also be in a case too, so I think that is a moot point for me.

I hope this helps.

 

[Bratone]

Hey, the cost isn't an issue right now because I can afford any of these phones, I only said that I can't afford to buy a phone this expensive every two years or so.

Can you please make a list of pros and cons for your HTC One ? Is the non-removable battery an issue for you, or the fact that it doesn't have a slot for the memory card?
I want to know how good this device really is from an actual owner, please take your time.

The fact is, talking about the Note 3 Ram and Processing power, I'm not a business man or something like that, I will soon start my first year at the Engineering University, so I don't know if I will use the Note 3 at his real power.But being a future engineer makes me think that I could use the S-Pen at the University, I'm not sure at what though, but it looks pretty handy.

Basically, I will use the phone for applications, games, browsing, facebook, twitter, youtube etc. and that's why I'm not sure I will use all the power the Note 3 has, maybe just the S-Pen who really excites me.

And if you have time, can you please tell me why you will buy a Note 3 ? Thanks a lot.

 

[redpill2016]

I think you should focus on size and the S-Pen. The other specs will be less significant I think from a user experience standpoint, although the higher spec on the Note will make it a bit more future-proof. But you have to be comfortable with the size of the Note 3 first and foremost. If you are ok with the size and if you find the S-Pen interesting and/or potentially useful, then the Note is worth it. And the end of the day you don't have to use the S-Pen of course, but it is a unique feature in the mobile world these days.

Conversely, if you are concerned that the Note may be too big, the HTC would be a more manageable size, and you'd save a few bucks.

 

[Scootmien]

For me the pros and cons of the HTC One are:

Pros:
Incredible battery life
Fantastic build quality
Very fast to open apps
Great sound quality from very loud speakers
Fantastic screen quality and DPI

Cons:
No removable battery
No SD Card slot
Sense 5.0 is crummy (thank you Nova Prime)

The thing is, if removable battery and SD card were high on my list, like they are to many others, then I wouldn't have purchased the HTC One in the first place. It has 32Gb onboard, which is plenty enough for me as I don't really watch a lot of movies or listen to music at any other time than at the gym. There's easily enough space to load a couple of movies and a thousand music tracks and STILL leave a huge amount of space on the device.

The big pros for the device for me are the incredible screen quality and the great battery life in comparison to my SGS2, SGS3 and iPhone 5.

The HTC is without doubt the best phone I own, easily beating my other devices on pretty much all aspects (except maybe the HTC comes just below the iPhone in terms of build quality (and I mean 'just' too)). The sound quality is great with the Beats Audio too.

I still think you need to make a list of your own. You must know whether a larger or smaller screen size is important to you, or whether you MUST have 3Gb of RAM against 2GB of RAM (trust me, in these devices, it's pretty much of a muchness) or whether you must have removable battery and SD card. If you do, then your choice is clear.

Don't forget that in two years, even 3Gb of RAM will be outdated and in all likelihood cutting edge phones will have 4Gb or more. Sure the Note 3 is slightly more 'future proof' than the HTC One but at the end of the day whatever flagship phone you get will lose it's flagship status within the year anyway. If you are always chasing the bleeding edge of tech then you will never settle on a phone.

At the end of the day, there are options that you need to consider for yourself, like cost, screen size, removable battery, SD card and so on. If you can answer those, you will have the phone you want.

My comments in my first post still remain valid though. Make a list and flip a coin; you'll be surprised how easily the answer comes to you. Either phone will still be adequate in two years time with maybe the Note 3 being slightly ahead due to more RAM and a faster processor. However, if that scenario is true, the HTC One won't be so far behind as to lag like crazy and be little more than a pretty brick.

I could be wrong or I could be right but please note that what I have expressed is purely my opinion and should not be taken as gospel fact about any of these devices.

 

[The_Chief]

Hi Bratone and welcome to Android Forums!

It will be difficult to get a truly objective opinion in a Galaxy Note 3 Forum thread: or an HTC One thread for that matter. Look in both forums and read about the issues the phones are having - there shouldn't be many - and make that one factor.

The list thing Scootmien suggested WORKS. Dr. Benjamin Franklin always advised that for major decisions: on one side of the paper, list the advantages of each. On the other side, list the ideas opposed to each. Add to it as you learn new things.

When you're done, the list will give you an idea of which phone will work best for YOU. Consider what you want to use the phone for: for video playback and movies, the HTC One is unbeatable with its front stereo speakers. For business, the Note 3's S-pen is an invaluable tool.

In the end, we can help you, but the decision to get the best phone for YOU is yours

It's great to have you here!

 

[Bratone]

Thank you Scootmien, you are right, I should choose the phone that I think it's the best for me and for my daily activities.I will make a list with pros and cons for each of these two phones and I will go on from there.

The_Chief - Thanks for your warm welcome, you are a great moderator !

If anybody else have something to add, please feel free to post here.

Thanks again !

 

[Mdraej99]

My husband always says its not so much what is the best phone ..it's more about which phone is best for you! I have looked at both and I will be getting the note3..it just offers more of what I'm looking for right now.

 

[chong67]

I also have the HTC one and I am taking a good look at the Note 3.

I like my HTC One. I like the 2 front (some say its a gimmick) speakers. It makes Skype a joy! I like the aluminum at the back. It screen is just right. I wish it has removeable battery & sd. But I am always fully charged so I dont have to worry. For storage I use ftp from home or cloud.

I like the Note 3 but it is just that it is big. I dont want to be carrying this phone when I am jogging. I use my phone for GPS exercise tracking.

So I dont know. I can only have one.

I did think about compromise. Use my HTC One and get maybe a Note 8 doing tethering.

 

[Hadron]

I think everyone has, between them, said what I'd say.

For me the size settles it. Either the size of the Note 3 is a big plus or a big minus, but either way it's a big enough difference that for me it would settle it one way or another without considering anything else.

TBH I am of the opinion that if Android reaches the point where you *need* 3GB in 2 years' time then the platform has been lost to bloat and I'll be looking at the alternatives. There are actually very few 2GB phones now, so if that's not enough you'd be arguing that the Note 3 will be the *only* current(ish) android that will be usable 2 years from now, including Nexus devices and Samsung's own S4. I don't buy it myself.

 

[Bratone]

TBH I am of the opinion that if Android reaches the point where you *need* 3GB in 2 years' time then the platform has been lost to bloat and I'll be looking at the alternatives.

You are definitely right Hadron, thanks a lot for your honest opinion.

 

[drexappeal]

Hey, the cost isn't an issue right now because I can afford any of these phones, I only said that I can't afford to buy a phone this expensive every two years or so.

Can you please make a list of pros and cons for your HTC One ? Is the non-removable battery an issue for you, or the fact that it doesn't have a slot for the memory card?
I want to know how good this device really is from an actual owner, please take your time.

The fact is, talking about the Note 3 Ram and Processing power, I'm not a business man or something like that, I will soon start my first year at the Engineering University, so I don't know if I will use the Note 3 at his real power.But being a future engineer makes me think that I could use the S-Pen at the University, I'm not sure at what though, but it looks pretty handy.

Basically, I will use the phone for applications, games, browsing, facebook, twitter, youtube etc. and that's why I'm not sure I will use all the power the Note 3 has, maybe just the S-Pen who really excites me.

And if you have time, can you please tell me why you will buy a Note 3 ? Thanks a lot.

The Note series actually seems to hold very good value, even after a full year. I purchased the Note 2 last year and it's still going to get me $250 from Best Buy (could possibly be more if I sold through ebay with all the accessories I have). So, it's really a matter of perspective. Yes, it's not necessarily "cost effective" to purchase these types of phones every year or 2, but one can always offset the total cost when selling their device (assuming in good condition), prior to switching.

Part of this is why I have an older smartphone to use as my "backup" phone.

 

[Bratone]

I bought the HTC One.I decided it is best not to pay 200 $ extra for something I'm not sure I will use.

Thanks everyone.

 

[likebutta]

I wish the HTC One and the Note 3 had a baby. Would be the perfect phone.

- HTC One's build and aesthetics
- HTC One's dual speakers
- HTC One's Blink Feed
- Note 3's screen size and real estate
- Note 3's S-Pen
- Note 3's Air Commands
- Note 3's Rem. Batt & microsd slot

 

[chong67]

I wish the HTC One and the Note 3 had a baby. Would be the perfect phone.

- HTC One's build and aesthetics
- HTC One's dual speakers
- HTC One's Blink Feed
- Note 3's screen size and real estate
- Note 3's S-Pen
- Note 3's Air Commands
- Note 3's Rem. Batt & microsd slot

There is. HTC Max is coming soon. Suppose to be this month, but ...

 

[redpill2016]

HTC Max probably will not have a removable battery, SD slot, or S-Pen

 

[drexappeal]

HTC Max probably will not have a removable battery, SD slot, or S-Pen

And from rumors, specs don't match up with the HTC One, so we will see.

 

[androidexpat]

I have both and both are good. Speakers on the HTC ONE are by far better. Note has great features as well such as the pen features. The pen features are really good for me. I find them very useful. The fact that the battery can be replaced on the Note 3 is a great +. The HTC One battery does not last long on 3G and 4G networks but if you switch over to GSM Network where you are not using 3G then it is not that bad.

If you drive and want to use Google maps or use the speaker phone while driving having the smartphone mounted on a smartphone mount on the car window then you will find the HTC ONE quite good as you can hear clearly without needing to hold it in your hand while driving.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I only gave up my One because of

Lack of
Pen
Removable battery
Expandable storage

It was a great device but after having a note 1 and 2 I was addicted

 

[Sportster]

I was kinda in the same boat but had to make a very quick decision this past weekend as Verizon had a deal going to get a new phone at a discounted price and keep unlimited. So I had to jump and jump quick and I pre-ordered a Note 3. The things that made me go that route mainly were SD slot, power and screen size. Although man was it close. I really do like the One. Had the One Maxx been available and had the "purported" SD slot, that would be my new phone right now. Sadly, it's not and who knows whether it'll come with a sd slot or not.....

 

[john248]

My buddy was plagued by the death grip on the One even after going through a couple exchanges. That was enough for me to steer clear.

 

[Hadron]

I don't doubt his experience, but I've been using one for months, and have never experienced anything like that myself (with cellular antennae at both ends of the phone it's pretty hard to seriously block reception by holding it normally).

 

[ocnbrze]

well for me i was close to waiting for the htc one max, but i got tired of waiting as there is still no official anything for that phone so.....

plus i was also tired of no removable battery and storage.

also i have been with htc, since the htc hero days, so i think it was time for a change.

so to the op, if you are asking this forum then you will most likely get the note 3 as your answer.

 

[KOLIO]

To answer the OP's question of which phone I'd recommend:

My answer isn't a rubber-stamp/one-size fits all,but,for the OP's experience,I recommend the ONE.

Size is a concern & w/no mention of a desire for expandable storage,or,any mention of using BLUETOOTH to handle some of the phone calls to negate the size concerns of the GN3,is the basis for my recommendation.

I have both,& while the size of the GN3 is of no negative consequence in my use,(would go MEGA if spec'd right),if you're uncomfortable w/the aesthetics/ergonomics of any phone,big or small,steer clear until you find the ONE that suits your needs.