The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is finally available on Verizon Wireless, having been released on Oct. 10. How does it stack up against its competitor's other Samsung phablet, which Verizon still doesn't carry, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3?
Display
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 has a huge 6.3-inch display: the only larger comparable phablet on the market right now is the gargantuan Sony Xperia Z Ultra, at 6.4 inches. The Galaxy Note 3 is definitely also a phablet, with a 5.7-inch screen, which is 0.2-inches larger than its predecessor's, but the Galaxy Note 3 will feel like a small phone in comparison.
So you get more screen size with the Galaxy Mega. When it comes to resolution, though, there's no contest. The Samsung Galaxy Mega features a 720p HD screen, meaning its resolution is 720 x 1280p, giving you 233 pixels per inch. The Galaxy Note 3, meanwhile, sports a 1080 x 1920 Full HD screen that gets a way more vivid 386ppi.
Power (Processor and Battery)
The Samsung Galaxy Mega has a respectable dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, clocked to 1.7GHz with 1.5GB of RAM. It can't compete with the quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset in the Galaxy Note 3 though, which is clockedto 2.3GHz and has 3GB of RAM. Of course, for that bleeding-edge processor, you're going to pay a higher price. But we'll get to that at the end.
The Galaxy Mega 6.3's huge 3200 mAh battery will power you through a full day, even with such a large screen. The Galaxy Note 3, however, also has a 3200 mAh battery, and with the smaller screen, that means it gets a ridiculous 21 hours of mixed use.
Camera and Storage
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 outclasses the Galaxy Mega with its camera, as well, though it is not an entirely revolutionary shooter. It comes with a 13-megapixel main camera that can shoot 1080p video in 60 frames per second and will certainly suffice for most every-day photography needs.
However, the Galaxy Mega's 8-megapixel camera isn't the worst out there, and can shoot 1080p video at a lower, re: normal, 30 frames per second. And for most informal picture taking, the 8-megapixel Samsung camera is still just fine.
The storage space on the Galaxy Mega is a little disappointing though, especially for a phablet that would seemingly be used to watch videos more than others. It comes in an 8GB or 16GB internal storage model, and you can store up to 64GB more through a microSD card. The Galaxy Note 3 has a microSD card, but has up to 64GB internal storage, depending on what you want to pay.
Other Features
Both have WiFI, NFC, and LTE, along with other Samsung-specific apps and features. The Note 3, however, features an upgraded S Pen stylus, which the Mega lacks.
The Galaxy Note 3 also includes an IR Blaster, which its predecessor lacked, and which the Galaxy Mega also has. The Galaxy Mega is stuck on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, while the Galaxy Note 3 has the newest version of Android, 4.3.
Release Date and Price
The Galaxy Mega is available for AT&T and Sprint, but not on Verizon yet. Unlocked, the Galaxy Mega costs about $300, give or take, but with a two-year contract it can be had for as little as $150.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes out on Verizon on Oct. 10 for $300 with a two-year contract (and virtually the same price, give or take, through most other retailers and carriers). If you want the latest smartphone that can do almost everything, and have that much money to shell, get the Galaxy Note 3.
However, if you're looking for a pretty capable device with a large screen, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 is a very viable, and cheaper, alternative.
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