The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has finally been released by the one of the largest carriers in the U.S., Verizon Wireless. Like 2012, Samsung's twin flagships of this year are the newest in the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series - the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. How do they compare?
Display
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 are two different sized phones, first of all. The Galaxy Note 3 is called a phablet - a cross between a smartphone and a tablet - while the Galaxy S4 is just a full, 5-inch premium smartphone. Both feature impressive Full HD displays, with 1080 x 1920p resolution.
On the Galaxy S4's 5-inch screen, that gives you a ridiculous 441 pixels per inch pixel density - one of the most vivid small screens on the market. The Galaxy Note 3's 5.7-inch display yields a lower density, but its still an industry-leading 386ppi.
Power (Processor and Battery)
The Galaxy Note 3 takes the cutting edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 800's quad core processor to 2.3GHz with an amazing 3GB of RAM - the first time a device of that kind has featured so much memory.
Most models of the Galaxy S4 have the handicap of age, so it "only" features an Exynos 5 Octa 5410 processor with 2GB of RAM. However, a recently-released international version of the GS4 sports the same Qualcomm system on a chip.
In either case, neither of these devices are going to slow you down while you're running apps or games any time soon.
The Galaxy S4 has a 2600 mAh battery, which gives you a sufficient 17 hours of talk time, and up to 62 hours of music play. That's upstaged again by the newer Galaxy Note 3, which, despite its large screen, has a huge 3200 mAh battery that gives it up to 21 hours of mixed use. You will tire out before the Galaxy Note 3 does.
Camera and Storage
Both devices are closely matched on these specs. The Galaxy S4 has a 13-megapixel camera that can shoot 1080p video, along with a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter with the same video capability.
The Galaxy Note 3 may edge out the GS4 with its 13-megapixel camera, which can record 1080p video at 60 frames per second, but in common use, both cameras - which also both feature Samsung's own intuitive multi-function camera software - will feel the same.
Both phones come in 16GB, 32B, and 64GB internal storage options, and both feature a microSD card slot, which can net you up to 64GB more. That's going to be enough storage, no matter which smartphone you use.
Other Features
Other features like WiFi, GPS, NFC, screen mirroring, gestures, Samsung Link, S Voice, etc., are in both of these top-of-the-line smartphones.
The one thing that the Galaxy Note 3 has that the Galaxy S4 doesn't is the S Pen stylus (of course). This year, Samsung upped the capability of the S Pen, baking in several multitasking features into the operating system which make the Galaxy Note 3 a multitasking monster. But if using a stylus isn't your style, that shouldn't matter.
The Galaxy Note 3 also has the most recent version of Android Jelly Bean 4.3, which the Galaxy S4 still hasn't gotten access to (but will very soon). That means the Galaxy Note 3, among other things, can pair with the Galaxy Gear right out of the box. Not that you'd want to.
Release Date and Price
The Galaxy Note 3 was just released on Verizon, completing the quad-fecta of major U.S. wireless carriers that feature the new phablet. The Galaxy S4, released in the spring, has been available for a while now on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile, along with many, many other smaller carriers.
The Galaxy Note 3 will cost you $300 for the standard 32GB version. Since the S4 has been on the market for longer, there are some deals out there that can get you a 16GB Galaxy S4 for as little as $150, or even free with a trade-in.
The comparable 32GB version of the Galaxy S4 will usually cost you closer to $250, and at that price, you might just consider getting the Galaxy Note 3 instead - if you can handle a phablet sized device.