Samsung Galaxy Note 3

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The Note 3 is basically an S4 on steroids (I have the S4). Every single aspect is better. You don't need the S-Pen to use the device, it's just an added benefit. It's a huge upgrade - especially coming from an S3.

The problem I am starting to see is that the "need to upgrade"feeling is not as apparent as it once used to be. With my previous three upgrades I couldn't wait to get a new phone. I'm now sitting desperately looking for something that I feel is a must have.

4 phones ago I had an average slide phone with keypad. Phones came out with insane cameras and a xenon flash. I upgraded. Then touch screens became the in thing. I upgraded. Then Android hit the big time and the other OSs died and their options were limited. I upgraded.

Now I can't help but feel I am going from one great device to a slightly better, larger version. It is not offering me much that I feel is a "must have". If I could get a flagship Samsung with a xenon flash or OIS I'd consider that as that would give me a tangible upgrade feature based on my usage. The others are a bit like the S5 and the HRM. Cool. Fun. Interesting but is it a must have or just a novelty.

I get that the screen is of a much higher resolution, that there is more RAM, that the camera has been slightly improved, that it has a faster processor BUT... I have never thought my S3 is too slow nor that the screen was too pixelated. The camera is not awesome, again based on my personal hierarchy of importance, but the Note 3 just doesn't seem like a huge upgrade in this regard.

What else am I missing?

And this is not a uniquely Samsung issue. We are seeing it with all manufacturers. The advances are small increments rather than the big jumps of previous years. Hence the focus on wearables.
 
The problem I am starting to see is that the "need to upgrade"feeling is not as apparent as it once used to be.

Cellphone innovation has plateaued. The same goes for TV's and computers. This is nothing new. It seems to be around a 10 year cycle. (think cellular technology in the early very 90's then early 2000's, then early 2010...)

We'll need to wait for the next revolutionary technology to see anything significant.
 
Cellphone innovation has plateaued. The same goes for TV's and computers. This is nothing new. It seems to be around a 10 year cycle. (think cellular technology in the early very 90's then early 2000's, then early 2010...)

We'll need to wait for the next revolutionary technology to see anything significant.

Yip, hence me starting to question whether it is really worth the upgrade or rather just take the contract saving.
 
What else am I missing?

Well, compared to your S3, the following :

USB 3
2GB RAM (makes a huge difference)
Much newer chipset & faster CPUs
1080p
Much faster GPU
4k recording
Much better Samsung software
5.7" display, without black clipping, which the S3 is notorious for....and lots more.

Hell, just buy the Note 3 and thank me later!

Thank you.
 
Well, compared to your S3, the following :

USB 3
2GB RAM (makes a huge difference)
Much newer chipset & faster CPUs
1080p
4k recording
Much better Samsung software
5.7" display, without black clipping, which the S3 is notorious for....and lots more.

Hell, just buy the Note 3 and thank me later!

Thank you.

+1
 
So I'm not missing much at all it seems?
EDITED:

Well, compared to your S3, the following :

USB 3 - yeah cool but do both devices not need to be USB3 to experience he faster speeds? The quicker charging is nice.

2GB RAM (makes a huge difference) - see 1 below

Much newer chipset & faster CPUs - see 2 below

1080p - see 3 below

4k recording - see 4 below. I realise the focus is now on video and not still but I personally rarely use my phone to shoot video. Stills are what I make most use of.

Much better Samsung software - I'd appreciate some elaboration on this one. Are you referring to S-Pen software? I realise there have been a number of other changes but most seem to be cosmetic or not really enough to make me NEED a new device

5.7" display, without black clipping, which the S3 is notorious for....and lots more. - screen size see 5 below Black clipping?

Hell, just buy the Note 3 and thank me later!

Thank you.

...

I get that the screen is of a much 3 higher resolution, that there is 1 more RAM, that the 4 camera has been slightly improved, that it has a 2 faster processor BUT... I have never thought my S3 is too slow nor that the screen was too pixelated. The camera is not awesome, again based on my personal hierarchy of importance, but the Note 3 just doesn't seem like a huge upgrade in this regard.

The 5 bigger screen is one thing that is attractive based on my usage.

Was it not you that accused me of not researching elsewhere? The fact that I already mentioned most of the upgrades would seem to indicate that I might.

I kindly asked for real world views on the upgrade. A spec sheet is great but it doesn't answer that at all. I am not sure whether an app opening in 0.3 seconds versus 0.5 seconds is justification to upgrade. But that is the sort of real world improvements that have some meaning. The quick glance screen, for example, is another.
 
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So I'm not missing much at all it seems?
EDITED:



...





Was it not you that accused me of not researching elsewhere? The fact that I already mentioned most of the upgrades would seem to indicate that I might.

I kindly asked for real world views on the upgrade. A spec sheet is great but it doesn't answer that at all. I am not sure whether an app opening in 0.3 seconds versus 0.5 seconds is justification to upgrade. But that is the sort of real world improvements that have some meaning. The quick glance screen, for example, is another.

Real world. Here you go. I had a S3. Now I have a Note3. You can't compare. I don't have time to post everything here.
 
Real world. Here you go. I had a S3. Now I have a Note3. You can't compare. I don't have time to post everything here.

Thanks for nothing :D

If any of the newer Galaxy devices at least had OIS it would be my choice. They are all inferior at low light shots, in my opinion.
 
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Thank me after you get the Note3.

I spent 30 minutes playing with it at IC one day. First impressions I was sold. Loved the big screen. Loved playing with the stylus. Writing and having it recognise what I wrote and then phoning the numbers. Snapped a couple of pics. Tried shooting my moving hand, sadly still the usual blur. At the end of the 30 I started feeling like I was just playing with a bigger version of my S3. Wondered about my every day usage of the S-Pen. One thing that did appeal was possibly getting clients to sign docs on my device. But not sure how feasible, or legal, this would be. That is still the one thing keeping me interested.

I'm now thinking hold out for the Note 4.... or see what Lumia comes in April.... or... who knows, hence these discussions :)
 
In real world use how much more does the Note 3 offer over the S3? I have the latter, played with the former and loved it, but am not sure if I will really perceive it as being much of an upgrade after a few weeks use.

I am concerned the S-Pen will be a novelty that will wear off. The bigger screen is one thing that is attractive based on my usage.


Hehe. Make the move. DO it. Do it NOW. I was in your EXACT position. Flog your S3 asap, i got about R2.5k for mine. Got the note 3. LOVE IT. LOVE IT SO MUCH.

1. The screen size, its perfect. Its easily the best viewing option on any device.
2. The brightness, it puts the S3 to shame.
3. The HD clarity is amazing on a 5.6" device. Movie quality is the best.
4. Battery life, i was getting 6-8 hours on my s3, i get 15-20hours on my note 3.


The processor is a lot faster as well, plus remember you are getting 3 gigs of ram vs 1 gig. This makes a difference with multitasking. Often i sit on whatsapp on half the screen and have a movie on the top. OR if i want to stream music from Youtube, you couldn't minimize without the music stopping, now i put it to the smallest part of the screen, let it stream and operate the phone as per normal with no lag or delay.

As per everyone else's comments regarding the Pricing of the Note 3. Go back 2 pages or so where this debate happened and people were adamant that i'd be wrong re the pricing. Do i get to say "I told you so" yet? I would like fries with my noddy badge now please sir :P. No but in all seriousness, this phone pricing wont change for another 4 months. We should see around June July a small R20 - R30 pm price drop and then around August with the release of the Note 4 we will see another bigger decrease in price. Only once the Note 4 actually goes on sale and they need to get rid of the Note 3 on specials, will you see the Note 3 drop. this is what happened with the S3. The S4 eventually became popular and they had too much stock of the S3, so they had it going for around R199 pm on a smart Light contract. I remember this happening early last year around march or april i think.
 
I spent 30 minutes playing with it at IC one day. First impressions I was sold. Loved the big screen. Loved playing with the stylus. Writing and having it recognise what I wrote and then phoning the numbers. Snapped a couple of pics. Tried shooting my moving hand, sadly still the usual blur. At the end of the 30 I started feeling like I was just playing with a bigger version of my S3. Wondered about my every day usage of the S-Pen. One thing that did appeal was possibly getting clients to sign docs on my device. But not sure how feasible, or legal, this would be. That is still the one thing keeping me interested.

I'm now thinking hold out for the Note 4.... or see what Lumia comes in April.... or... who knows, hence these discussions :)

hahaha, ok so as i stated i made the move from the s3 to the note 3. I used someone else's s3 the other day. Somehow it felt so small, like how on earth did i cope with such a tiny device. Honestly, i havent regretted taking out a contract for it. The pen is great, i barely use it, but when i do it works like a charm. The screen is the biggest for me, being able to put the phone like 10 - 15cm from my face in bed and watch a movie with perfect clarity is great. I have the sview cover so the quick glance doesn't work for me.

If you can, possibly wait for the note 4, but yeah. The note 3 was a massive upgrade for me.
 
Hehe. Make the move. DO it. Do it NOW. I was in your EXACT position. Flog your S3 asap, i got about R2.5k for mine. Got the note 3. LOVE IT. LOVE IT SO MUCH.

1. The screen size, its perfect. Its easily the best viewing option on any device.
2. The brightness, it puts the S3 to shame.
3. The HD clarity is amazing on a 5.6" device. Movie quality is the best.
4. Battery life, i was getting 6-8 hours on my s3, i get 15-20hours on my note 3.


The processor is a lot faster as well, plus remember you are getting 3 gigs of ram vs 1 gig. This makes a difference with multitasking. Often i sit on whatsapp on half the screen and have a movie on the top. OR if i want to stream music from Youtube, you couldn't minimize without the music stopping, now i put it to the smallest part of the screen, let it stream and operate the phone as per normal with no lag or delay.

As per everyone else's comments regarding the Pricing of the Note 3. Go back 2 pages or so where this debate happened and people were adamant that i'd be wrong re the pricing. Do i get to say "I told you so" yet? I would like fries with my noddy badge now please sir :P. No but in all seriousness, this phone pricing wont change for another 4 months. We should see around June July a small R20 - R30 pm price drop and then around August with the release of the Note 4 we will see another bigger decrease in price. Only once the Note 4 actually goes on sale and they need to get rid of the Note 3 on specials, will you see the Note 3 drop. this is what happened with the S3. The S4 eventually became popular and they had too much stock of the S3, so they had it going for around R199 pm on a smart Light contract. I remember this happening early last year around march or april i think.

I went into cellucity the other day and asked about migrating a contract. They told me it can't be done on the new smart packages. :confused:
 
Hehe. Make the move. DO it. Do it NOW. I was in your EXACT position. Flog your S3 asap, i got about R2.5k for mine. Got the note 3. LOVE IT. LOVE IT SO MUCH.

That is certainly something I was considering.

Thanks for the detailed response. Exactly the sort of thing I was after.
 
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