Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo review

Phonebloks - circulated virally around the Web. The idea of a phone that can be whatever you want it to be definitely met with approval, and we might soon see it turn into reality, thanks to Motorola.

Samsung seems to have the same goal, but its approach has been to create a new model for every possible need. Did we hear someone enquiring about a smartphone with a 5.1-inch screen and top-of-the-line specs? We have the Galaxy S4/S5 for you. No? Do you want a slightly bigger screen with a full-HD display and a stylus? Take a look at the Galaxy Note 3. You think that's too expensive but don't mind a slight compromise on the screen resolution and camera specifications? Enter its younger sibling - the Galaxy Note 3 Neo.

For the uninitiated, this cacophony of device names might be unnerving. Did we mention there is also a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo Duos? Now, while we are at the topic of bewildering monikers, check this out.

The Neo is slimmer and sleeker than its namesake, and Samsung is also blowing its trumpet about the hexacore processor housed inside the device. Is the younger sibling rough around the edges? How is the performance compared to the Note 3 which is slightly more expensive? Is there a single redeeming feature for us to recommend the Note 3 Neo? Read on to find out.

Look and Feel
This 'lite' edition also has the faux leather plastic back with a distinctive stitch design running across the border akin to its elder sibling. The Neo feels comfortable to hold if you have big hands, but it isn't too comfortable for single-handed operation. Reaching the top of the screen with your thumb is bound to be a hassle.

Looking at it from the back, the camera and flash modules sit on top of the Samsung logo running across the breadth of the device. Removing the rear cover reveals the removable 3100mAh battery, a slot for the SIM card, and another one for the microSD memory card. It is interesting to note that the NFC module is a part of the battery.

We reviewed the alluring white edition and it is definitely a dust magnet. However, the Neo is also available in classic black and cool mint (which looks rather bland). This phablet has a single physical button for the home function which is flanked on either side by the back (right) and menu (left) buttons. Right above the screen is the earpiece grille. To its right are the proximity and light sensors, and the front camera module. To its left, you can see a discreet (almost invisible) notification LED. A bit too cramped in our opinion.

A chrome trim runs around the border, which houses most of the buttons and ports. The left edge has a volume rocker and the power button sits on the right edge, which is great for accessibility considering the size of the device (we're looking at you, HTC). The bottom is the busiest, with the Micro-USB charging/data port, speaker grille, microphone, and enclosure for the S Pen stylus. The top is also crowded, with the 3.5mm jack, extra microphone for the speakerphone, and an infrared LED.

The oft-used statement 'don't judge a book by its cover' holds true in the case of the Neo, since the faux leather might give it a premium look. Once we pry open the rear cover, it is unmistakably and unapologetically plastic. Despite this, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo is a sturdy device with no signs of flex.

Features and Specifications
The USP of this Samsung phablet is the hexacore processor, which includes a quad-core Cortex A7 clocked at 1.3 GHz and a dual-core 1.7GHz Cortex A15, supported by a Mali T-624 graphics subsystem. The Neo has 16GB of internal memory and supports up to 64GB more using a MicroSD card. Two gigabytes of RAM are available for the user, which is a gigabyte less than on the Note 3. The rear camera is an 8MP variant (again stripped down from the Note 3's 13MP) with flash and there's also a 2MP front-facing camera capable of capturing 1080p video for those long Skype sessions.

Coming to the connectivity, Samsung has all bases covered, with 2G, 3G, LTE (no support for 2.3GHz band, though), GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.0. Moreover, Samsung has added a multitude of sensors including an accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor and compass.

Since the Neo is supposed to be a stripped down version of the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung has made a compromise on the screen, which is a 5.5 inch 720p Super AMOLED capacitive touch panel. It translates to a pixel density of approximately 267 per inch. Despite being a PenTile screen, it isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the accurate colour reproduction and impressive viewing angles are an advantage. The screen also has Gorilla Glass 3 for protection just like the Note 3, which should allow it to handle a few scratches.

Software
Colourful wallpapers and icons are standard for TouchWiz - Samsung's custom UI on top of all its Android (4.3 Jellybean, in this case) devices. It is garish, loud, cartoonish, and we are no strangers to it anymore. Nothing's changed in the case of the Galaxy Note 3 Neo.

The Neo carries forward all the software embellishments Samsung introduced with the Note 3. The most interesting of the lot is Air Command, which uses the S Pen (capacitive stylus) exclusive to the Note series. Basically, the moment you detach the S Pen, you'll see a semi-circular wheel of commands on screen. Using the S Pen, the user can select any of the following tools: Action Memo, Scrapbooker, Screen Write, S-Finder and Pen Window. Except for Pen Window which is used to launch apps compatible with Samsung's multitasking scheme, the rest of the features seem to have limited value. Still, we noted that the S Pen works better than any stylus in the market.

A few other features like Smart Stay, Smart Scroll and Smart Pause are present too. They work occasionally, but using Smart Scroll, for example, appeared to bystanders as though we were performing advanced neck exercises.

Samsung provides a panel of applications that the can run on screen simultaneously, and we found ourselves using this quite often, especially when we wanted to watch a video and do other little things such as sending a text message alongside.

TouchWiz offers a plethora of options in the notification panel and frankly, despite looking messy, it is indeed functional. Also, Samsung's default keyboard includes a number row on top of the QWERTY layout which is handy. Another nifty addition is the handwriting-to-text feature on the keyboard that works like a charm.

Users can find the regular set of Google apps, including Chrome, bunched up in a folder. We can always expect Samsung to fill their devices with bloatware, and they don't disappoint in the case of the Neo. Here is the laundry list: Samsung Apps, Samsung ChatON, Samsung WatchON, Samsung Link, Screen Mirroring, S Voice, S Health, Group Play, Story Album, and S Translator.

Samsung also bundles Evernote, Dropbox, Flipboard and Tripadvisor with the device. The apps are placed in a folder called Galaxy Plus. Samsung teams up with Flipboard for content syndication for the Magazine app and tries to emulate the functionality of HTCs Blinkfeed, which in itself shares design ideologies with Flipboard. The user can swipe from the bottom of the screen to pull up Magazine.

Samsung's idea is to give the user plenty of choice, but these apps are a part of the core system, and there's no easy way to delete them.

Camera
Samsung's Note series of phablets tend to deliver great camera results. In the case of the Note 3 Neo, Samsung has bumped down the rear camera's specification compared to the Note 3, which incidentally has one of the best smartphone cameras on the market today. This model features an 8MP rear shooter compared to the 13MP one on its elder sibling, and a 2MP one in front. Both are also capable of recording 1080p full HD videos.

Users accustomed to Samsung's camera interface will feel at home. The various available shooting modes largely eliminate any need for third-party apps. We found ourselves reaching for the Best Photo, Best Face and Sound and Shot modes more often than not.

We tested the image quality of captured photographs under different conditions. At first glance, images captured in broad daylight look great but on closer inspection we found that the leaves on a tree had a bit of chromatic aberration. Indoor shots under incandescent lighting reproduced natural colours with minimal noise. Samsung enhances performance in low light using a feature called Smart Stabilization. Noise levels are high despite using the enhancement. Video captured at 1080p skipped frames and had interlacing issues when panned. All we can say is that the camera could have been better.

(click to see full size)

Performance
We ran a bunch of synthetic tests to determine the Neo's processor performance and fortunately it performed to our expectations. AnTuTu returned a score of 29,075 and in the Quadrant test, the phablet clocked in an overall score of 11,858. The hexacore processor of the device is definitely a workhorse, and it shows in the buttery smooth performance while sifting through homescreens and the app drawer in general.

For graphically intensive processes we used GFXbench and 3DMark's Ice Storm tests. The scores were 24.3 fps and 9446, respectively. This is definitely not top-tier performance, and a few other devices in the same price range such as the LG G2 and Sony Xperia Z1 perform much better.

SunSpider took 870.8ms to complete and Mozilla Kraken returned a score of 8,106ms. Once again, the other phones performed better. Our disappointment was compounded by the fact that opening multiple heavy web pages at once caused the Neo to stutter.

Video playback is a cause of concern, especially since the default apps refused to play 1080p videos. If the encoded audio is 5.1 channel, the default app throws up the 'audio codec not supported' message. VLC, on the other hand, managed to play all the files we threw at it, but the heavier 1080p files had artifacts cropping up from time to time and dropped frames occasionally. We felt shortchanged with the experience on the 'supposedly' high-end hardware.

The bundled earphones are the same ones that Samsung includes with most of its high-end Galaxy devices, and are mediocre at best. The shrill treble overpowers the muddled bass. The only saving grace was tight mids in songs which emphasise only vocals. Audio purists will have a better experience with third-party earphones, and we noted that the quality of sound improved drastically when we tried our own.

At its highest volume, the loudspeaker is a bit soft but definitely not enough to be a deal-breaker. Once a call was made, the Neo managed to hold on the cellular network signal even where performance is generally supposed to be weak. The 3100mAh under the hood is a revelation since it lasted a good 12 hours, 22 minutes in our continuous video loop test. Discounting the testing process, during normal usage, we reached for the charger only twice in five days.

A look at the aforementioned observations, hexacore processor or not, reveals that the Note 3 Neo is not meant to be a powerhouse device but a workhorse.

Verdict
All 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 an expensive device.

At the time of this review, online e-commerce websites were retailing it at approximately Rs. 36,500 whereas the Note 3 retails for Rs. 43,500. Give the elder sibling a serious thought before settling on the Neo. If you don't need the stylus and can live with a smaller screen, we would also suggest that you take a look at the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and the LG G2, which perform better.

OVERALL SCORE and GALLERIES

Read rest of entry

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 (Wi-Fi, white)

The good: The Samsung Chromebook Series 5 is a small, attractive Netbook with long battery life, true instant-on Web access, and enough computing to use the Internet.

The bad: The Series 5 is expensive for its features and abilities, and using it can be frustrating depending on your wireless signal strength.

The bottom line: Despite solid hardware, great battery life, and fast start-up, we can't recommend the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 until and unless Google improves the Chrome OS.

Review:

For anybody who loves tech and gadgets, it's not hard to see the appeal of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.

Even turning ... Expand full review

For anybody who loves tech and gadgets, it's not hard to see the appeal of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.

Even turning the Series 5 on for the first time is cool. Open the lid and the screen lights up. The start-up process is nearly as brief: connect to Wi-Fi, accept the OS terms, sign in to your Google account or create a new one, pick an image to associate with your account or shoot one with the Webcam, and you're done.

There's a brief touch-pad tutorial, but that's it and you're ready to start using the Web. Since everything is Web-based there is a refreshing lack of bloatware. Clicking the Home button in the browser brings you right to your collection of Chrome Web apps, which are just bookmarks to sites. The experience is actually enjoyable, especially if you already have a Google account set up. Because everything is synced, your stuff just shows up.

Price as reviewed / Starting price	$499 / $429
Processor	1.66GHz Intel Atom dual-core N570
Memory	2GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive	16GB solid-state drive
Chipset	Intel NM10 Express
Graphics	NM10 Graphics Chipset (integrated)
Operating System	Windows 7 Home Premium
Dimensions (WD)	11.6 x 8.6 inches
Height	0.8 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	12.1 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	6.2/6.9 pounds
Category	Mainstream

And that goes for anyone who uses the Series 5. Should someone else want to use it, you just log out and that person can either work as a guest or sign in with his or her own Google account. Users can be removed as easily as they're added, too, so there's never any fear of someone else looking at your personal files or sites. 

After a little use, though, the Chromebook's shine starts to wear off. For us it started when we needed to open a ZIP file and were greeted with an unsupported file format error. That left us searching for a Web site that would open compressed files. Something that on a Windows or Mac system takes a couple of seconds to do, on a Chromebook requires finding a site, uploading the file, waiting for the file to be processed, and then downloading the file. We then needed to edit a photo, which yet again required uploading to a site, waiting for the photo to be processed, editing the photo, and downloading it from the site.

And then there's the issue of needing an Internet connection for just about everything. Yes, there are offline apps in the Chrome Web Store, but many of them are games (bad ones at that). As of right now, Google Docs is online only and other options like Zoho Writer need the now defunct and unsupported Google Gears to work offline. Google says Docs, Calendar, and Mail will all be available this summer, so that's something; we'll re-evaluate this review when this offline support rolls out. But for other tasks that require or simply work better when installed on the computer, you're out of luck. For more information on the ins and outs of using the Chrome OS, check out our full review.

So what happens if you lose your Internet connection in the middle of working in Google Docs? Well, nothing, really. As long as you don't close the tab you're on, you probably won't lose your work, and as soon as you regain a connection it will automatically save. Still, you won't be able to keep working while offline, which, if you're traveling, can lead to a lot of downtime. Verizon 3G mobile broadband service is included with the $499 Series 5 (the Wi-Fi-only version is $429), so you do have that as a backup (not very helpful if you're in a spot without coverage, though). You get 100MB a month of data service included for two years. You can also get unlimited access for $9.99 a day or 1GB for $20, 3GB for $35, or 5GB for $50 a month. There's no contract, so if you need more or less data one month to the next, you can change it or just stop all together.

	Samsung Chromebook Series 5	Average for category [Netbook]
Video	VGA	VGA
Audio	headphone/microphone jack	headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 2.0, SD card reader	2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion	None	None
Networking	802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G mobile broadband	Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive	None	None

FULL SPECIFICATIONS>>>

Read rest of entry

Samsung Series 9 (900X3A) Full Reviews

If you've lusted after a MacBook Air, but just can't bring yourself to make the switch to OS X, Samsung hopes to have you salivating over its Series 9 laptop.

The company has taken advantage of Intel's latest low voltage Sandy Bridge chip to come up with a 13.3-inch laptop that's slimmer than a giraffe on her wedding day. Such premium design comes with a premium price tag, however, as the 900X3A (as it's officially known) will set you back somewhere in the high-altitude region of £1,300.

Because you're gorgeous

Desire doesn't begin to describe the feeling you get when you first clap eyes on the series 9 -- it's more like all-out yearning. This laptop really is a thing of beauty. Forget the angular Dell Adamo and the not quite slim enough MSI X340; the Series 9 is the only laptop we've seen that can hold a candle to the MacBook Air.

The chassis is supremely slim, measuring an incredible 16.3mm at its thickest point, but it's also the attention to detail that impresses. Beautiful touches, such as the way the chrome-tipped edges swoop in a wave shape around the screen hinge, really do add that extra element of class.

Unlike the Air, which is hewn entirely from aluminium, the Series 9 is made from a combination of metal and glossy plastic and unfortunately the glossy plastic on the keyboard surround and display bezel are a magnet for finger prints.

Perhaps surprisingly, the 13.3-inch display has a matte rather than glossy coating. This is a fair indicator that Samsung sees the laptop being used for serious work rather than just playtime. The finish does help to cut down on reflections and unlike many of these types of screen, colour still looks amazingly punchy and the viewing angles are superb too.

As with most of Samsung's recent ultraportables, the company has opted for an isolated keyboard design. That's fine in our book, because the keys are well spaced and feel very snappy under your fingers. Cleverly there's also a light sensor that automatically turns on the keyboard's backlight when it detects that the light levels have dropped low.

The touchpad is very different to those that you find on most ultraportables and has obviously been heavily influenced by Apple's approach. There are no buttons for the pad. Instead the whole pad acts as one big button. To right click you press with a single finger, to left click you press with two fingers. It takes a little getting used to, but once you've got the hang of it it's a very effective system. Naturally the touchpad also responds to multi-touch gestures so you can pinch to zoom and slide two fingers across it to move through documents.

Thinputs

Given the slim dimensions there's not all that much room for inputs, and as a result Samsung has mounted them on small pull-down tabs on the left and right edges. This has allowed it to squeeze in two USB ports (one of which is USB 3.0) along with a mini-HDMI port and a microSD card reader. There's no room for a full Ethernet port, so instead you have to make this connection via a small adaptor cable.

The ports are mounted on slip-down tabs found on either side of the laptop.

Despite the lightweight chassis, when it comes to specification the Series 9 packs a heavyweight punch. Number-crunching prowess comes courtesy of a second-generation, low-voltage Intel core i5 processor that's clocked at 1.4GHz. Samsung has given this 4GB of RAM to play with and rather than opting for a traditional hard drive, it uses a 128GB SSD instead. That does limit the available storage, but it has battery life benefits, as we'll see later.

This type of laptop is obviously designed to be as portable as possible, rather than as powerful as possible, but taking into account its super-slim dimensions the performance was very good. In the PCMark05 benchmark it turned in a score of 7,418, making it one of the fastest ultraportables we've had in for test. It'll certainly run even more demanding apps without breaking a sweat.

The Series 9 relies on its Sandy Bridge chip's integrated graphics to chuck pixels around. This is faster than previous Intel integrated graphics solutions and posted a score of 2,835 in 3DMark06. That's not too shabby, but not quite powerful enough for serious gaming.

One thing you definitely want from this type of laptop is good battery life, and thankfully the Series 9 doesn't disappoint. Our Battery Eater test simulated worst-case battery life by running the processor at full tilt until the battery finally gave in. The Series 9 lasted for 2 hours and 40 minutes, which puts it up there with the very best ultraportables.

Conclusion

Ultimately it's difficult not to love for the Series 9. It uses the latest Intel processor technology, is supremely thin and light and has great battery life. If you were looking for a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air, then the Series 9 certainly fits the bill. 

READMORE>>>

Read rest of entry