Should You Upgrade To Note 3?

If you’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, the flagship stylus-based large smartphone, you won’t be able to help wondering whether you could make a good thing better by saying goodbye to the Note II and moving on to the newest version, the Note 3, recently launched in September. This time, wonder of wonders, it really does seem as if Samsung has been listening and has taken every little thing about the Note II and made it better. Well, almost. Here are the pros and cons to help you decide whether to take the plunge and get the new Note, or be happy with the one you have.

Reasons To Upgrade
Every Hardware Spec Has Been Boosted: From the screen to the battery, the processor to the camera, everything is more, more, more on the Note 3. Even if you’re not a specs junkie and realise that ultimately the proof of the pudding is in the using, the boosted hardware makes an immediate and significant impact. The screen is miles better. If you look at the two Notes side by side, you’ll see the more refined, sharper screen of the Note 3 in all its 5.7 inch 1080 x 1920 pixels glory. It isn’t a perfect display and doesn’t look as sharp and crisp as some, but it’s a massive difference from the Note II, and the screen is often the one thing that makes everything feel different. But of course, everything else is also different and the smartphone performs at top level with its Exynos 5 Octa 5420 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, 32GB storage space, and Android 4.3 running smoothly, carrying along an updated TouchWiz (Samsung’s interface and features). The camera, which is now a 13MP primary and 2MP front-facer, is much more capable and has a few tricks up its sleeve to boost low-light images – as long as you stay still and your subject does as well. There are a few annoyances though, but we’ll come to that in a bit.

The hardware improvements include a Bluetooth 3.0 for faster charging and transfer of data, depending on what’s at the other end. The S-Pen, Samsung’s stylus, has also improved and even goes into its slot any way you care to insert it, a thoughtful refinement that many will appreciate. And finally, the glossy plastic back has been replaced with a faux leather panel which looks nowhere near as bad.

The Ergonomics Are Up: The Note 3 has more powerful chops than its predecessor and yet is thinner and lighter and somehow much easier to hold. It also has a better grip to it because the slippery back has gone. If you use the flip cover, the advantage is retained because that too is textured. And believe me, that little bit of difference in grip is important and can mean someone can or cannot knock the device out of your hand as they pass by. All in all, the Note 3 being a little larger actually doesn’t feel it or even look larger than the Note II. The optional flip cover has a window through which you can see and receive or reject calls, view messages or even take pictures and notes. When you’re in a big hurry, that cover adds to the ease with which you can be on calls.

It’s obviously difficult to use a device as large as the Note 3 one-handed, but Samsung has tackled this problem with software. You can use the now enhanced one-handed operation features to create a phone within a phone,. Apps such as the dialer, browser, calculator etc can be squeezed into a phone window that can be used with one hand – until you’re ready to go back to the original size.

Air gestures and voice command features also add to the improved ergonomics on this device. While there are some of these features on the Note II as well, they’ve been enhanced. Just waving your hand in the proximity of the screen will let you move to the next photo in your gallery, for example. Such features were on the S4 well before they appeared on the Note 3, and well, some people like them while some find them far too gimmicky. So whether you welcome them or not depends on which category you fall into.

Also adding to the ergonomics is the adjustable sensitivity of the screen. You can use the phone with gloves on and you can interact with the screen through the plastic window of the flip cover.

More Features To Explore: If you love discovering new things to do with gadgets, the Note 3 is really up your alley as Samsung is most fond of packing a device with features. There’s no pressure to use them and you can choose to keep it simple until and instead just explore new features at leisure. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the Note 3. For example, I chanced upon a feature on the S Note app that lets you record your drawing. I have no immediate use for it, but it was fun finding it and setting it aside for a time when I might want to explain something with a drawing that unfolds.

There are new features tucked into every corner of this smartphone, in settings, with apps, and so on. This is one of the more future proof aspects of the device.

You Can Accessorize It: The Galaxy Gear, Samsung’s smartwatch and companion to the Note 3 (optional buy) is, according to many, still a concept that needs much refining. But should you count yourself as an early adopter, then you have the option of adding more uses and features via accessories like the Galaxy Gear which will hold apps that will give you quick access to information and functions on your phone without your having to reach for it. You can also add accessories to start to explore the health and fitness tracking features that are becoming popular on smartphones. These come at a cost, of course. The Galaxy Gear costs approximately Rs 23,000, but for those who really enjoy technology to the hilt, nothing is too much.

Capable Camera on Board: The Note 3’s camera does have a few annoyances such as continuously auto focusing that doesn’t lock manually, no optical image stabilisation, and none of the 4k video recording that is on the Snapdragon version not available in India. But it’s a 13MP all rounder which, for a change, shows a clear difference from previous 8MP shooters. The front facing 2MP also leads to some pretty nice self shots and clearer video calls. There are various modes like beauty shot, sports etc but also some special ones such as shooting to capture an animated photo, an image with a bit of sound, and a drama mode which takes frozen inter-action images. There’s also a golf mode with which you can examine a golf swing repeatedly.

On the Note 3, the camera boosts ISO to take lit up shots in low light and reduces noise. There’s digital image stabilisation but you do often get blurry pictures if you or the subject moves. It’s still an enjoyable camera for casual photography of the phone variety and it does a better job than most other non-specialist phones. In daylight, the photos are crisp and in nice colour. And there’s an HDR or rich tone mode for greater depth.

The Note 3 is a top-of-the-line gadget today but for users of the Note II, it’s a want-to-have rather than a must-have device….

Reasons To Stick With The Note II
A Steep Price: If you’ve paid for the Note II, it will almost certainly feel like paying twice for the same thing. Despite the improvements. At Rs 47,990, (though you may find it for less)  the Note 3 is a hefty sum unless money is no object – or unless you can’t resist the lure of new features. We easily refer to a new version as an upgrade, but when we’re paying for another device, it’s a whole new clump of cash and a new purchase not an upgrade at all. So, if you decide not to pay all over again – or just yet – rest assured that you still have a perfectly good device. As long as you keep it free of lag by resetting it and not overloading it with data and apps, it will easily give you at least a year of productive work until you perhaps feel you need to catch up with specifications and features that have moved on ahead. This is specially the case with the Note II as it’s a productivity focused device rather than a gamer’s gadget or an ordinary phone with high performance. If you work a lot with your Note II, it will continue to be useful to you for quite a while.

Simplicity Wins: If you’re focused on productivity, and so the right target customer for the Note series, you’ll value familiarity and simplicity. Having become accustomed to the Note II’s apps and interface, you may find one of two things on the new device more complex, though one can get used to anything. The S-Note application is simpler and feels more natural than its equivalent on the Note 3. The handwriting mode, for example, is easier on the eye on the Note II, and it’s easier to use. Pulling out the S-Pen brings up a pop-up Note on the Note II but on the Note 3 you have further options to become habituated to. Google Now is up front when you long-press on the capacitive button on the Note II, but on the Note 3 you have a comprehensive search feature. If you’re not currently ready to give new features your time and attention, you’re by no means badly off with the Note II.

Hardware Specs Are Not Everything: The battery on the Note 3 has just a little more juice than the Note II’s, but having used the Note II since it launched, I found it was consistent and gave me a steady one and a half days of use between charges – if I left it alone while I slept. The Note 3 is still being seasoned, but in practical use isn’t making a significant difference. The processor is more powerful now and there’s a whole 3GB of RAM, but you can make any Android device currently available laggy if you stuff it with apps and force it to retrieve large amounts of data on app start up. The Note II still has enough wherewithal to work quite smoothly if it’s treated well.

Also A Capable Camera: The camera is indeed much better on the Note 3 but its style of auto focusing continually is not easy to get used to. Also gone is the night mode or low-light mode, now replaced with a digital image stabilization measure which fills an image in low light with brightness but is a little more prone to softness. On the other hand, the Note II’s camera has more noise and grain in low light images, but also a little more sharpness. A dedicated macro mode has also gone. In sum, the Note II’s camera isn’t bad and one of the best in the 8MP category, specially in daylight.

On a spec to spec comparison, the Note 3 would obviously win out, but the trade off is a big expense. The Note II is still desirable enough to offer a good alternative to those buying a member of this series for the first time as it can be brought for between Rs.27,000 and 30,000 or so. Both are win-wins for Samsung as well as consumers.

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