Samsung Galaxy Note 3 | Short Review
Build Quality
- It still plastic, but solid build and feel, the back faux leather given up a lot of points here.
- Thanks finally Samsung decide use back similar look of Galaxy S II, now it look as beauty as it is.
- I find the best design and build quality ever release by Samsung in Android.
- If I said before Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the greatest screen panel I ever use, I gonna said this Note 3 is far even better than it.
- Extreme great viewing angle, only slighly color shift in extreme narrow angle.
- They is no single light bleed issue with solid pure Black level, because simply it is AMOLED.
- The white balance is as accurate as I ever seen, beside iPhone.
- Well control vividness, don't have single over saturation issue. I am using Adapt display Screen mode.
- They is no single black crush issue at all, I notice all video playback here is much better than Xperia Z Ultra. Now I agree on Erica Griffin talk, nowsday actually a lot manufacture over punching up the vividness in LCD, which make the black crushing more than AMOLED. Samsung give big credit here. 1st time I can proudly said AMOLED is far better than LCD, even the highest end IPS panel LCD.
- The camera quality is just simply stunning, well control white balance, outstanding contrast level.
- Output is sharp and details with nice vividness which not over, and no dull color issue.
- Night mode - Smart Stabilisation is well done for snapping in dark scenario.
- The only issue found is they will be some line crossing over the screen flickering when you try hardly focusing in object at dark area.
- It is louder than Note II but I find it is more high pitch, thus I give Note II speaker is better. But this does not means the speaker is lousy, it still perform perfectly well.
- This is 2nd Snapdragon 800 unit I use, overall all benchmark is performing better than my 1st S800 device - Sony Xperia Z Ultra.
- I notice Samsung had well done the anti aliasing part for 3D gaming, it look so smooth compare with Sony Xperia Z Ultra.
- Overall the phone is speedy, but still got improvement for smooth animation. Certain part still not really smooth enough, example opening up folder that contains more than 8 apps inside.
- Note 3 perform much warmer than Z Ultra but still under control. Hopefully next firmware will getting better similar temperature level by Z Ultra.
Bundle Features
- Too many to list down all. I am going just highlight certain features I like the most.
- TripAdvisor - Samsung Edition is just simply awesome given you different Lock Screen wallpaper in 3 hours cycle time or more.
- New S Pen features is useful, especially the New Air command - Action Memo.
- One-handed operation - Use for all screens - the best one-handed operation feature, this is not something new and Samsung didn't advertise it at all, if not wrong, I seen it being implement by LG before at LG Optimus G Pro.
- As usual, all Air gesture bought over from S4 is as gimmick as it be, I turn it all off here.
- My Magazine - idea from HTC Blink Feed, but I find it more well design that it, too bad not support Facebook.
Benchmark result
I am happily with it, the 2nd stable device I use in year 2013 beside the solid stable Sony Xperia Z. No regret selling off the not so stable Sony Xperia Z Ultra and getting this. Proudly said Samsung still did the best Phablet in market so far.
Samsung S View Flip Cover | Short Review
- S View Features is awesome, I can direct capture square photo for instagram and etc.
- Direct playback song, too bad cannot select album.
- Direct answer call and call back miss call, too bad cannot direct dial others contacts.
but it seems less choices for me already, I feel I hardly can step back into Sony already unless Sony make some changes, use comparable with market great display panel, remove that stupid shattered proof sheet, I hate screen protector and I don't want to be force using back screen protector. Camera wise as long as it is same or better than Sony Xperia Z1 quality, I got nothing much to complain on it. By only design and build, it can't serve me long and make me want to buy it again. HTC wise, nothing is really impress me yet, even the HTC One as I dislike curve back design phone. LG wise, till date, none of their phone design is awesome even though LG is well making the phone performance solid and stable. As for those China brand, it still too earlier to adopt one.
