Galaxy Note 3 Vs. Nexus 5
The Samsung Galaxy Note III was unveiled during the IFA event held in Berlin on September 4th and while everybody is comparing it with the soon to be released high end smartphone from Apple, the iPhone 5S, and with the upcoming HTC phablet, the HTC One Max, there is another rumored Android smartphone that might be a serious competitor. The smartphone in question is known as the Nexus 5 and it will be the successor of the Google Nexus 4.
Some of you may remember that last year, both the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the LG manufactured Nexus 4 were released in the same time frame. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet was unveiled during the summer, in August, and it was released in the US market at the end of October. In late October 2012, Google unveiled the Nexus 4 smartphone together with the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Nexus 4 were released with interesting features at the time and both proved to be good options for customers that were looking for a new smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 had a huge High Definition display, a powerful quad core CPU, a very good camera sensor, an improved S Pen stylus (with lots of optimized apps) and it was available at every major carrier in the US but it was also offered by smaller carriers.
The Nexus 4 on the other hand, was released with a very cheap off contract price tag, vanilla Android software and high end specs (a big High Definition display), a quad core CPU, a good camera sensor, the advantage of being a Nexus smartphone (fast updates from Google), but it was available at fewer carriers.
As you can see, the two smartphones have similar specs and for the majority of this year, they were at the top list of Android based smartphones (in fact, you could say that they were attractive options on the smartphone market in general, Android or not). However, as it happens to all devices, their life is at the end as they will soon be replaced by newer models.
As we mentioned, at the beginning of this month, Samsung unveiled the third generation Galaxy Note, which will be released on the US market earlier next month. This week, Google killed the Nexus 4 which suggests a new Nexus smartphone will soon be released.
We know a lot about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, thanks to it being officially unveiled by Samsung. The Nexus 5 however is a mystery and so far, just a rumor. But we do have leaks that offered quite a bit of information regarding the Nexus 5 (though we cannot know how accurate this information is). In this article we would compare these two Android smartphones, using what we know about each. So let’s see what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Nexus 5.
Display Size
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will feature a huge display, of 5.7 inches, capable of a full HD resolution and a pixels per inch density of 388. The large display will help the device take advantage of its Full HD resolution (1080p). All this is known about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, but when it comes to the Nexus 5′s display, we don’t know much. There was a rumor that suggested a Full HD resolution (1080p), but it did not mention display size.
Considering the size of Nexus 4′s display (it was released with a big display of 4.7 inches), we can’t imagine that Google will shrink the Nexus 5′s display. On the contrary, we are expecting Google to increase it over 4.7 inches. Some rumors hinted a display size of around 5 inches for the next Nexus smartphone. The rumor could be accurate enough, if we were to correlate display size (5 inches) with the device’s name (Nexus 5), but it may also be consistent with other rumors that hint the Nexus 5 will be based on LG G2; the LG G2 smartphone was released eight days ago with a 5.2 inch display. Of course, at the moment these are nothing but rumors and should be treated as such.
We guesstimate that the Nexus 5 will be launched with a display that matches Galaxy Note 3′s display in terms of resolution, but is smaller than the Galaxy Note 3′s 5.7 inch display. We can’t say how much smaller, but we are sure it will be at least 4.7 inches (matching the previous Nexus smartphone’s display), possibly larger. As a direct consequence of having the same resolution but being smaller, Nexus 5′s display will have a higher pixels per inch density than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
Design
While the third generation Galaxy Note will still offer a plastic back, it will be different than the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. Both the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 2 use polycarbonate plastic; the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on the other hand changes things and comes with a faux leather back, unlike any other device that Samsung made in the past.
Besides the faux leather back, Samsung also tweaked Galaxy Note 3′s dimensions. The third generation Galaxy Note is now slimmer than the second generation (8.3 mm) and it also weighs less (168 grams). The Galaxy Note 2 had a 9.3 mm frame and weighed 180 grams, so the Galaxy Note 3 is 1.0 mm slimmer and weighs 12 grams less.
The Nexus 5 is rumored to feature a similar design as the Nexus 4, in the front while the back of the Nexus 5 will be inspired by the Nexus 7. The few leaks we have suggest the Nexus 5 will feature a smooth plastic back with a huge logo plastered on it (the second generation nexus 7 also has a huge Nexus logo plastered on its back). We would like to note that if these leaks prove to be right, than the Nexus 5 will also feature a plastic body (and not a metallic one), just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. You can see the leaked image of the Nexus 5 back below.
While we don’t have any information regarding Nexus 5′s dimensions, considering that Google managed to make the second generation nexus 7 even smaller and lighter, we expect the company to do the same for the Nexus 5. At the very least, we don’t think it will be bigger and heavier than the current Nexus 4 smartphone.
Notable Hardware Features
Even though both the Nexus 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 might have similar specs, there will still be notable hardware differences between the two. Regarding specs, both are expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU and both will include good camera sensors. However, there are three major hardware differences between the Nexus 5 and the Galaxy Note 3.
S Pen – The S Pen is Galaxy Note series’ stylus and it will of course be included with the newly unveiled Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Besides writing and drawing on the phablet’s display, the S Pen also benefits from stylus optimized apps. The Nexus 5 will not be released with a stylus, so this feature will be exclusive to the Galaxy Note 3.
Removable Back – This is another Galaxy Note feature so obviously, it will be included in the Galaxy Note 3. The removable back will allow users to insert an extended battery or replace the current one, in case it needs to be replaced. A Nexus 5 FCC filing suggest the next generation nexus smartphone will not come with a removable back.
Extended Storage – The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a microSD card slot that will allow users to extend internal storage up to 98 GB, using a 64 GB microSD card. The Nexus 5 on the other hand, like all other Nexus devices, does not have a microSD card slot so Nexus 5 users will have to manage with the smartphone’s internal storage and the cloud.
As you can see, all the above hardware features are exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. And while they may not be killer features, to some people they may represent additional reasons to purchase the Galaxy Note 3.
Internal Storage
As was expected, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was announced to be released in a single storage option, for the US market. The good news is that while the first and the second Galaxy Note generations included 16 GB of internal storage, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will come with 32 GB of internal storage, offering even more internal space than previous Galaxy Note phablets. And of course, as we mentioned above, you can extend it with a microSD card.
The Google Nexus 4 was released in two internal storage variants: a model with 8 GB of internal storage and a model with 16 GB of internal storage. This worked pretty well for the Nexus 4 so expected to see it used for the Nexus 5 too. However, we also expect Google to increase the storage options (as the company did with the second generation Nexus 7, ditching the 8 GB model) as users need increasingly more space for apps and files. A starting model of 16 Gb of internal storage would increase the starting price of the Nexus 5; then again, with a Full HD (1080p) display and LTE support, the Nexus 5 was expected to have a higher price tag anyway. And that brings us to…
Pricing
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be released with a price tag of three hundred dollars, on contract, regardless of carrier. You may have noticed that it is the same price that carriers asked for the second generation Galaxy Note and it is not surprising that they decided to stick with the price for the third generation too. While the price may seem high, it is justified by the phablet’s huge display and the inclusion of the S Pen stylus; even so, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is one of the most expensive smartphones / phablets available on the market.
We don’t know the Nexus 5′s price tag, but we can guesstimate it based on a few factors. One such factor would be the rumored bigger, Full HD display (as you may have guessed, displays are expensive to manufacture). As mentioned above, LTE support could also be a factor for an increased price tag of the upcoming Nexus 5. The Nexus 4 was released with a price tag of three hundred dollars but we wouldn’t be surprised if the 16 GB model of the Nexus 5 will carry a price tag of four hundred dollars and the 32 GB Nexus 5 a price tag of $450 – we are talking off contract prices, of course.
These price tags are still a lot cheaper than the iPhone 5C’s off contract price ($549), not to mention the iPhone 5S’ off contract price tag of $650. T-Mobile (a carrier that offered both the second generation Galaxy Note and the Nexus 4) will offer the third generation Galaxy Note for two hundred dollars, with 24 payments of $21 / month (for a total of $700). We can see T-Mobile offering the Nexus 5 at a lower price than the Galaxy Note 3 (if the carrier will have the Nexus 5 in its offer).
Carriers
When it will be released in October, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be offered by all major carrier in the United States AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless. The Nexus 5 will probably not be available at as many carriers as the Galaxy Note 3. A FCC filing for a smartphone that is rumored to be the Nexus 5, suggests the device will be carried by AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. While T-Mobile and AT&T were safe bets, Sprint represents a surprise. The FCC filing did not list Verizon support and considering the problems Verizon had with the Galaxy Nexus, it wouldn’t surprise us if Verizon didn’t carry the Nexus 5 when it will be released. As for U.S. Cellular, that is an extremely unlikely option.
Software
Both the Nexus 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be running Android. However, there are going to be differences between the two smartphone in terms of operating system.
The Nexus 5 will probably be released with Andoird 4.4 KitKat out of the box; it will also surely use a vanilla update of Android 4.4 KitKat. What this means is that it will not have manufacturer or wireless carrier modifications to Android (such as custom graphical user interfaces) so the Nexus 5 will offer a pure Android experience. This is one of the major advantages of a Nexus device and for many users it is a decisive reason to buy the Nexus 5.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is very different from the Nexus 5 in terms of operating system. Not only will it have Samsung’s own user interface (TouchWiz) over Android, but it will also feature modified software, that will allow multitasking and added S Pen functionality. Samsung’s ‘touch’ will be over Android (with good and bad) and it will offer a different experience than the Nexus 5′s vanilla Android.
Software Updates
If we are to judge based on current software updates, Samsung users should expect an uneven software update experience for the third generation Galaxy Note. The second generation Galaxy Note is still running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the same operating system that it was released with. One of the reasons for the lack of a software update for the Galaxy Note 2 is Samsung’s layer of software, applied over the Android mobile Operating System.
It is worth noting the the first generation Galaxy Note is also running Android 4.1 Jelly bean, though we do not expect it to receive further software updates, considering even on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean there have been many reported problems regarding lag and battery life.
So software update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a bit of a gamble as there is no way to tell hoe long the phablet will receive support and how many big updates it will receive. Software updates are very important for many users so that may be a problem for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
The Nexus 5 on the other hand is guaranteed to receive all major software updates; not only that but it will be among the very first devices that will receive these software updates. Google usually supports its devices for several years and the Nexus devices are the first devices to receive a new Android update after it has been announced. One of the first smartphones to receive the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update was the Nexus 4. It is also a safe bet that the Nexus 5 will be among the first devices to run Android 4.4 KitKat.
