Big smartphones, aka phablets, are all the rage. Samsung has rebooted its original concept with the Galaxy Note 3, but how does it compare to Sony's take on the idea with the Xperia Z Ultra?
Sony Xperia Z Ultra: Key specs and features
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra follows in the footsteps of the Xperia Z with a similar build and design on a larger scale, however, there are a few notable hardware and tech changes which make a big difference too.
The most attention-grabbing component, as is often the case for phablets, is the enormous 6.4-inch display panel. It’s improved technology from the Xperia Z as it uses Sony’s TFT Triluminos tech seen on the company’s high-end TVs and paired with the X-Reality Engine (essentially a tweaked version of the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine seen on earlier handsets). The resolution is a full HD 1920x1080 pixels at 344 pixels-per-inch and visual quality is suitably sharp, while the screen tech layers provide a rich image with vivid colours and good brightness and contrast.
Like the Xperia Z, the Xperia Z Ultra features Dragontrail glass on the back panel as well as the front, while between the two fascias is an angular metallic surround with some neat panelled detailing and Sony’s iconic round silver power key. The handset is extremely thin at 6.5mm and overall the design is stylish and slick to look at, while feeling highly premium in the hand to boot.
As well as looking neat, the Xperia Z Ultra sticks to Sony’s recent convention of water and dust resistance with IP58 certification, meaning it can be submerged in up to a metre of water.
Another key boost over the smaller Xperia Z is the use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip inside the Xperia Z Utra. The quad-core processor is clocked at 2.2GHz with an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit (GPU) and 2GB of RAM, providing superb and smooth performance on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Sony’s custom UI layered on top.
Internal storage is 16GB but there is also support for microSD cards up to 64GB along with microUSB, Wi-Fi (plus Hotspot and Direct), DLNA, Bluetooth, NFC and MHL connectivity. For mobile data both 4G LTE and full 3G (with HSPA+) are supported.
The battery is rated at 3,000mAh so should provide plenty of juice, while an 8-megapixel Exmor RS camera with 1080p video on the rear and a 2-megapixel setup on the front takes care of imaging.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Key specs and features
Samsung has followed its own convention with the Galaxy Note 3, like the company’s other recent successor models it has made the display larger while keeping the device’s physical size in the same ballpark as its predecessor. Again, the display is a dominant factor here and it’s a 5.7-inch non-Pentile Super AMOLED panel with a full HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution at 386ppi for some seriously sharp imagery. Contrast and brightness are excellent while colour is also punchy.
Design-wise the Galaxy Note 3 is nicely proportioned with even expanses of bodywork above and below the display and a narrow bezel along the edges for an almost edge-to-edge look. The silver surround not only looks nice but also provides improved grip thanks to the ridged texture while the new soft-touch faux-leather backing (which is actually plastic) also helps in this regard and is much more pleasant to handle than the old glossy plastic from previous models. The handset is extremely thin, lightweight and well-balanced in the hand, as larger-screened phablets go it’s one of the more manageable I’ve tried.
The UK-facing model sports the same processor as its opponent – Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip. Here it’s clocked at 2.3GHz and has 3GB of RAM, as well as the usual Adreno 330 GPU. Performance is as smooth as I’ve seen on any Samsung device to date – it makes everything look effortless.
Another important component of the Galaxy Note formula has been enhanced further with the Galaxy Note 3 – namely, the S-Pen stylus and multitasking capabilities. As well as your standard Android multitasking setup via the built-in carousel, the Galaxy Note 3 brings back the Multiscreen functionality allowing you to split the screen between two apps. The pool of compatible apps has been expanded to make things more useful and the functionality is generally much smoother and more reliable than ever before.
The S-Pen has a number of tweaks but most appealing amongst them is the Air Command feature which brings up a radial menu simply by clicking the stylus button while hovering over the display.
There are some pretty cool tools here but an additional multitasking capability shines out as one of the best – Pen Window lets you draw a box in which you can run a windowed version of certain apps, you can also do this multiple times and in combination with Multiscreen it offers very desktop-like experience.
Samsung’s handwriting recognition is also well worth a mention and you can use it from anywhere that the standard keyboard input is available, it’s a simple toggle button on the keyboard. It’s remarkably accurate to use.
The handset’s battery pack is a sizeable 3,200mAh unit which just keeps on going, and being Samsung it’s also removable so you can carry spares if you like. Meanwhile, connectivity includes MHL, microUSB, NFC, Wi-Fi (Direct and Hotspot), DLNA, Bluetooth and both 3G HSPA+ and 4G LTE for mobile data. Internal storage is 32GB with microSD support for cards up to 64GB.
The onboard camera is a very impressive bit of kit, it’s a 13-megapixel back-illuminated sensor (BSI) and LED flash, and the images captured are rich in detail, clear and full of colour with great dynamic range. Video capture is 1080p.
Points to consider: Practical use
While both handsets are larger “phablet” devices and are not exactly going to be like handling an iPhone there is a distinct difference in terms of usability. The Xperia Z Ultra is, in my view, a little too large and not particularly well-balanced, making it a bit clumsy to operate. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 is markedly smaller, ligher and better balanced and as I mentioned above it is one of the most manageable phablets I have used to date.
The fit and finish on both devices is excellent, however, I do prefer the feel of Sony’s handset. There is one major caveat to that though, the glass back panel is a terror for showing up smudges, as much as any display, which means you’re doubling up on the mess and it does quickly detract from the premium appearance. Pro tip: the white one doesn't show fingerprints so much.
While Sony’s handset does support “dumb” styluses (or even a pencil) reasonably well it is far outclassed in functionality by the Galaxy Note 3’s S-Pen and digitiser combo. Samsung’s enhanced multitasking suite is also fantastic and a fairly unique offering on the current market. It’s a very compelling method of smartphone interaction.
Both displays are truly premium grade with rich visual quality. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has better contrast, better performance in bright light conditions and better viewing angles, but aside from that they’re fairly equal. Each provides a great portable cinema experience and are great fun for multimedia consumption, gaming or browsing. With sizeable battery packs and power saving modes they’re also capable of running for a good long while, although the Samsung’s ability to swap out for spares in a welcome perk.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 wins in the storage stakes by having twice the onboard space and the same microSD support, although the Xperia Z Ultra certainly isn’t lacking in this regard either. Connectivity is also on a par.
Sony’s 8-megapixel camera is good and should certainly satisfy most who just want decent holiday snaps and quick sharing via social media. It lacks a flash, however, and as with the Xperia Z the picture quality can be a bit noisy. I’m of the opinion that the Galaxy Note 3’s snaps are better overall.
Both handsets run up-to-date Android Jelly Bean software, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has version 4.3 for a few extra features. Performance wise both devices are amongst the best around on the current market with lightning fast operation from the Qualcomm 800 chip, well optimised software and slick UI implementation.
Conclusion
I consider myself a fan of Sony’s recent products but while the Xperia Z Ultra is a nice device I still can’t help but feel it’s missed the mark. Samsung, however, has refined the Galaxy Note idea into something much more appealing with the Galaxy Note 3. The size, weight and balance feels extremely well optimised and the added software features and multitasking are well thought out and genuinely useful. The extra storage is also a nice bonus and the camera is spot on in my view.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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