What's good
- Very smooth performance during basic tasks
- Great viewing angles
- Crisp and sharp display details
- Long battery life
What's bad
- Some stuttering during intensive processes
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 the Critics Are Saying...
- Ray S., PhoneArenaIt's a wonderful all-round performer for customers looking for a big-screen smartphone from a well-known brand that's not going to absolutely thrash the bank.
- Kunal, Sammy HubSamsung 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 fe...
- Ershad Kaleebullah, NDTVAll points considered; if you are looking for a sturdy phablet with a powerful stylus for note taking, a big, beautiful screen and great battery life, then look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo as it might just serve the purpose. But be warned, the performance of the Neo is middling for...
- Daniel Schmidt , NotebookcheckThe 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....
- GSMArena team, GSMArenaThe 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...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo user manual here.
Samsung backs up the Galaxy Note 3 Neo with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Galaxy Note 3 Neo has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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