Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is more than adequately powered and has a solid screen, which took the cut in resolution amazingly well. The S-Pen and the software built around it place the Neo among the productivity leaders on the market. The sort of experience that Muti-Window enables and the extra dimension added by the stylus (proper Wacom-tech at that) make this a combo that rivals will have a hard time matching.The Galaxy Note 3 Neo does pretty well in the multimedia department too. The 720p screen may not be the sharpest around, but there's nothing quite like the punch of AMOLED. And a camera that only sounded good on paper, turned out excellent in real life.What's most impressive about the latest Samsung phablet though, and that's a feat it shares with most of its Note siblings to this day, is its lack of glaring gaps. As hard as we tried, we weren't able to put a finger on a single aspect of its performance that was compromised beyond repair in an attempt to meet budget. Okay, portability really isn't spectacular, but that's all you can expect with a screen this big. If anything, Samsung did a good job of keeping the bezels as slim as possible.And yet, for all the praise we didn't spare, we can't wholeheartedly recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo over its Galaxy Note 3 sibling. With early rumors putting its price at just about €50 less, we don't see much value-for-money.”
“The South Korean manufacturer presents a nicely conceived smartphone with stylus input with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo SM-N7505. Samsung's new processor provides high performance in the application field. The screen is on a good standard, and only exhibits minor weaknesses in color reproduction. The lowered resolution compared with the SM-N9005 is not really noticed adversely. The smartphone's mobile communication interfaces are particularly great. High-speed LTE and a wide frequency coverage barely leave anything to be desired. Everything is state-of-the-art here, and functions immaculately. The build is also on a high standard, and demonstrates that a plastic casing can also be compelling. Additionally, the battery runtimes are really good.”
“When it comes to the power that's lurking under the hood of the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, well, it may not be the most fearsome beast there is, but the hexacore Exynos chipset seems to be doing a wonderful job at enabling a fluid user experience throughout the system and third-party apps. And the camera? Well, this 8 MP shooter is nothing groundbreaking, but it does offer impressive photo-taking capabilities that will do a pretty good job in most cases. At the end of the day, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is a very cool smartphone. Sadly, it's not really that cheaper compared to its larger sibling, the Note 3, which means that if size isn't an issue for you, and you want to be on the cutting edge of portable technology, going for the Note 3 would probably be a good idea. Meanwhile, for those of you who would rather not cross the 5.5” mark, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo will offer a satisfying experience across the board.”
“Samsung had initially priced the Galaxy Note 3 Neo around the Rs. 41,000 mark, which to be honest was high considering one could have the Galaxy Note 3 for a few thousand rupees more. Now, Samsung has corrected the price of the device to around Rs. 35,000 and if you’re looking for the S Pen features complemented with a good battery life, Galaxy Note 3 Neo won’t disappoint you.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
Samsung has made a name for itself for offering a tablet or smartphone that appeals to almost everyone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is no exception. It intends to lure more consumers with the fact that it is almost exactly like the Note 3, except smaller and cheaper. In almost every other respect, the Note 3 Neo is an almost exact carbon copy of its counterpart. The design is practically the same with the faux-leather back and gray side rim. It is a little smaller at 5.84 x 3.05 x 0.34 inches but reviewers still consider it a bit too large for comfortable one-handed use. At 162 grams it also isn’t very light, but it is comparable to other phablets of its size.
The slightly smaller overall size is due to the smaller screen. Still, the 5.5-inch panel is larger than many flagship phones available. In order to cut costs, Samsung opted for a 720p resolution display, which translates to a pixel density of 267ppi. While this might sound underwhelming to many that are used to pixel densities over 300, reviewers remark that it is still quite sharp and small details are very crisp. The panel also features Super AMOLED technology like the rest of Samsung’s mobile lines. As with other Samsung devices, critics point out that while the colors are quite vivid, they tend to oversaturate to the blue spectrum. Blacks, they add, are very deep and viewing angles were quite good. The only major complaint most critics had was poor sunlight legibility.
The Note 3 Neo internal hardware sounds great on paper with its 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM. When put through synthetic benchmark tests, it performed as well as a 2.3GHz quad-core processor. While not the fastest device on the market, it is still fast enough to perform basic tasks without issue. NDTV calls its general performance “buttery smooth.” However, when doing more intensive tasks, they did notice some issues with stutters and lag, most notably during graphics intensive games and having multiple heavy web pages open at once. Battery life is the most impressive performer of the phone as multiple critics cite nearly 2 days of light usage.
While the 8MB camera might seem like a downgrade from the 13MP of the Note 3, reviewers still were relatively happy with its image quality. While they add that indoor shots tend to be grainy with poor lighting, in good lighting images had a good amount of detail and accurate color reproduction. Tech 2 adds that it excels in macro shots noting that they, “really come alive.”
The Note 3 Neo might not have the high end display, camera and RAM as the Note 3, but reviewers still have no problem recommending it. Sammyhub states, “…if you’re looking for the S Pen feature complemented with a good battery life, Galaxy Note 3 Neo won’t disappoint you.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo released?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo was released on March 1, 2014.
How long does the battery last on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo has a 3,100 mAh battery.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo have NFC?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo has NFC. You can use Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and tap-to-pair with Bluetooth accessories.
Where can I get support for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo?
Visit Samsung's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo manual?
You can view and download the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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How it compares
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It's a decision made by manufacturers. My best guess is the hardware can no longer support the system requirements of updates or there's not enough users to work on an update.