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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3 - Comparison

Blackout720

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2012
161
74
Earth
Covered Design, Features, What was removed as well as added and a Speed Test. Is it worth the jump from the Note 3 to the Note 4?

After using the Note 3 as my main device for a year then getting the Note 4, I like to say that there is a difference and it feels refreshed. With the 1440p Display, New Touch Wiz Ui, and a few new features. Now I did notice that there are somethings missing from the Note 4 that the Note 3 had. There are also something that have been moved and changed, like the Pen Window feature is now used with the Multi-Window feature on the Note 4. Spec wise there is not a massive push but its still a beast of a phone. Watch the Full comparison below and let me know what you think. Is it worth the jump from the Note 3 to the Note 4?


 
Reviews that praise the Note 4 claim the screen looks unbelievably great, and is an improvement over the Note 3. I don't think your review commented on whether you noticed a much improved screen on Note 4 (e.g., when viewing photos, videos, etc).

its an improvement when watching video that higher than 1080p. Yes the screen does look more crisp and vivid but its not something that i would go "WOW THAT AMAZING". Truly its a step up but you would have to see it for your self or have both next to each other to get a feel for the difference.
 
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One big advantage the VZW N3 has over the N4 is root to enable card writes. Apps and content can only be read without root. That said, if not a game emulator fan or use other media apps on the sd, no harm no foul.

The N4 improvements are trumped by this for me. I appreciate this is a minority view.

N4 root for the VZW model is looking long based on the kernel difference.
 
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I have to pay full price for my phones in order to keep unlimited data with VZW ($650), and I have to upgrade from the N3 because the camera is awful. To me, the N4 feels like what the N3 should have been. I have two weeks to decide if I'm going to keep my Note4.

The screen is great, though can you really tell much difference between the N3 and N4? If so, can someone explain a way to test this? I like updated TW, though I'm assuming N3 gets that also? The only stand out feature for me seems to be the improved camera, and it still is not as good as it should be. I also like fast charging, and being able to take selfies with the heart rate monitor, though the front facing camera leaves lots to be desired. I also am not too excited that switching between apps with the left button lags WAY more than it did on my Note3 by pressing the home button, this does not help make it feel like an upgrade...

What key features, if any, distinguish the N3 from the N4? Perhaps I'm just bored with the phone, though just wondering what other Note3 upgraders think.

Thanks.
 
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I agree with you. I got my Note 4 a few days ago, replacing a Note 3 and I think it is a MINOR upgrade, absolutely NOT a "must-have." I had one of those Verizon Edge plans whereby it didn't cost much to upgrade, so I did so, because I honestly just sort of felt like doing it (plus, I had frequently problems with losing GPS on my Note 3 and I was not able to troubleshoot that).

Like you, I don't really notice that much difference in the new screen. The camera definitely has much better specs, tho I'm a lousy photographer so it's hard for me to notice differences unless and until I take the time to actually learn how to get the most of my camera.

Anyway, I sincerely believe that if someone has a Note 3 and it's working fine for them, they ought not feel any NEED to rush out and get a Note 4. If they want to and can afford it -- hey, even grown-ups like to get new toys, right? -- no problem, but it is NOT gonna change your life (or even how you use your Android device).

That's my take on it.
 
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I had a Note 3, now have the 4, I agree with pretty much everything said. I certainly do NOT see any difference in speed with the Snapdragon 801 versus the 805. The screens are both very nice and side by side nobody is going to say "WOW look at that Note 4 display!!" What they will say is that they both look nice. The only truly noticeable differences above the obvious hardware design is that the Note 4 has:

1. Much better battery life

2. Faster charging

3. Better reception of wifi and cellular

4. Better camera...but like Steve said ^ I too am a lousy photographer so I see no difference to my untrained eye.
 
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I really liked my note 3 "but" I wouldn't get reception, it was bad at times :(
I do like the added security of the finger scan it works great for me most of the time.... I too like that I can take selfies with the back camera. I do take a lot of pictures LOL There is a few thing I miss with the note 3 but right now the finger scanner is a deal breaker for me and worth the money for that easy of security....
 
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The only stand out feature for me seems to be the improved camera, and it still is not as good as it should be. I also like fast charging, and being able to take selfies with the heart rate monitor, though the front facing camera leaves lots to be desired.

What do you think the camera is lacking? At this point, it is probably the best phone based camera on the market. Camera quality has been a pretty strong suit for Samsung through most of the history of the Galaxy series.

I'm just curious what else you think it should be.

What is lacking on the front facing camera? It is not mean to be the primary "shooter" for the device.
 
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Me too! I think I'm going back to the Note 3. Just too many things I relied on have been removed.

Can you be more specific? Coming from an S4, the N4 appears to be everything the N3 was supposed to be.

I'm not bashing the N3 at all. I'm moving over from the S series after being a loyal fan of them from the original S1. The biggest reason for switching is a very non-gadget buddy of mine who swears by his N2, even though he has lost the S-Pen, cracked the screen, and basically has flogged that mule in the field for over 2 years now. He's planning to get the N4 eventually, but he's in no hurry because of how much he likes his N2.

So what has been removed from the N4 that you relied on so much on the N3?
 
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Hey all, been awhile since i've been around. So it looks like a new generation of Note is here once again and once again, I find myself wondering if its worth shelling out the money to pay off the remaining "half" of my Note 3 cost with T-mobile through the Jump! program as I don't have a full year of payments on my Note 3 as I got in in March this year.

I've been a Note user since Note 1 after I left VZW to get it on ATT and by far, the Note 1 was my favorite of them all. The Note 2 was pretty good over all but the lag on the Touchwiz was annoying and the camera was a bit less friendly and by far, the Note 3 has been the worse with T-Mobile. I had to go through THREE phones with T-Mobile due to the HORRENDOUS battery life loss after Kit Kat was installed on the Note 3 on T-Mobile.

Yes, I did EVERYTHING I could to help troubleshoot the following issues from clean cache wipes, to reformatting the SD card, to resetting the entire phone ect..ect.. but the following are STILL issues with my Note 3 that I'm wondering that are FIXED and or are IMPROVED with the Note 4 on T-Mobile before I decide to shell out $200 plus Tax to switch to a Note 4 or just wait until next year and see what Sony or HTC has out that may end my Note ownership days.

1. Continual droppage and reconnecting of Wifi at home. No matter what i've done and no matter what wifi network I connect to, my Note 3 continually just "drops" and "reconnects" to wifi, and YES I have taken off the smart switch. This problem has been continual even after 3 Note 3 replacements. Using a Asus N66U with 3 other wireless devices that have no issues on 5ghz and 2.4ghz. Note 3 issues with mine continue no matter what location including:

Various starbucks,
University campus
Bus stops
Restaurants.
Sisters house


2. Horrendous camera quality. My Note 1 would take awesome photos, even in low light situations. My Note 3's camera quality all around is outright terrible. 90% of my decent indoor lighting shots are blurry or smudged, and you can pretty much guess that low light shots are utter crap all around with very high amounts of ISO grain noise and not to mention poor contrast and outline of subjects. Only in very nice, outside sunlight days does my Note 3 give me decent quality shots. Beyond that, it sucks, VERY hard.

3. Crap battery life. Most likely due to KitKat software issue that STILL HAS NOT been fixed with T-Mobile. This has been a known issue about Kitkat 4.4.3/4.4.2 since earlier this year and im wondering if 4.4.4 has fixed this issue, especially on T-Mobile.

4. SLOW SD response/reading/writing. I've used two Class 10 microSD cards from Samsung and Sandisk and photo browsing/copying/deleting on local phone or over USB 3.0 and i've been really dissapointed on the overaul performance of Note 3's ability to use a high quality SD card.


Any information, incite or feedback would help me decide if I should ditch my Note 3 and its crappy issues or suck it up until next year and see if HTC M9 Prime or Sony Xperia Ultra 2 prove to be worth giving up on the Note lineup and Samsung in general.
 
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