After Monday's round of press conferences, two flagships - the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Sony Xperia Z3 - have sailed out of the Internationale Funkausstellung and needless to say we're incredibly excited about both, having been impressed by the Note 3 and Z2. However for the sake of the greater good we're going to compare the Note 4 and Xperia Z3.
Display
This isn't really a fair fight comparing a phablet to a phone, but the Note 4's screen is extremely good. The Note 4 features an resolution normally reserved for gaming monitors but the mouth watering 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and an eye-bleedingly precise 515ppi.
To be fair, the Z3 has a full 1080p screen that uses Sony's patented TRILUMINOS display and gives video and pictures a depth of colour not often seen on mobile devices.
Size and weight
Again the comparison isn't really valid due to the Note 4 being so much larger than the Xperia Z3 (5.7in to 5.2in) but at that point the choice is based more on what you're looking for in a device. However what is surprising is that the vastly bigger Galaxy Note 4 weighs just 24g more than the Z3, and almost as shocking is that the Note 4 is barely more than a millimetre thicker than the Z3 .
Battery
Samsung have yet to release any information about the Note 4's battery life, but sporting a 3,300 mAh Li-On battery we can expect at least a days charge from the device. With Samsung's "Adaptive Fast Charging" and "Ultra-power saving" technology (which promise 0 to 50 per cent charge in 30 mins and 24 hours life on 10 per cent battery, respectively) the Note 4's battery life should be acceptable.
However Sony made an incredibly bold claim at its IFA 2014 press conference and estimated the Xperia Z3's battery life to be "about two days." If that claim is accurate then we could be looking at a paradigm-shifting flagship. The Xperia Z3's predecessor (the Z2) had an already impressive battery life, but the battery in the Z3 is a 3,100 mAh rather than the Z2's 3,200 mAh. Only time will tell if Sony's battery life claims are accurate.
Cameras
When it comes to cameras Samsung never had a chance against Sony. Both camera's film in 4k...and that's where the similarities end. The Sony Xperia Z3 has a beastly 20.7-megapixel camera that contains a lot of pure Sony camera pedigree with a plethora of options that should satisfy the serious photography hobbyist. The Galaxy Note 4 has a not-too-shabby 16-megapixel effort of its own and Samsung have proven that their mobiles take photography pretty seriously...just not as seriously as Sony.
Conclusion
Both handsets are impressive bits of kit. One thing that's important to remember is that the Z3 has a range of usability functions such as water-proofing and dust-resistance.
It seems that the devices have separate focuses; the Xperia Z3 is looking to be a great phone, the Galaxy Note 4 is trying to be a full computing solution in your pocket. If you want a phone that you can take anywhere, that'll take the environmental hazards in its stride the Xperia Z3 is for you, however if you're looking for a power horse that'll accomplish many of the tasks you currently use your tablet/PC/laptop for, the Note 4 is your best bet.
Specifications
| Sony Xperia Z3 | Samsung Galaxy Note 4 | |
|---|---|---|
Display | ||
| Screen size | 5.2in | 5.7in |
| Resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels | 2,560 x 1,440 pixels |
| Pixel density | 423.64ppi | 515ppi |
| Type | TRILUMINOS | Super AMOLED |
Processor and battery | ||
| Family | Snapdragon 801 | Snapdragon 805 or Exynos 5433 |
| CPU | Krait 400 | Krait 450 / Coretex-A53 and Coretex-A57 |
| Cores | Quad-core | Quad-core/ Quad-core and Quad-core |
| Clock speed | 2.5 GHz | 2.7 GHz / 1.3 GHz and 1.9 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 420 / Mali-T760 |
| Battery | 3,100 mAh | 3,300 mAh |
| Claimed 3G talk time | 14h | TBC |
Storage and memory | ||
| RAM | 3GB RAM | 3GB RAM |
| Internal storage | 16GB | 32/64GB |
| microSD | Yes | Yes |
Camera | ||
| Rear | 20.7-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Video | 4K | 4K |
| Front | 2.2-megapixel | 3.7-megapixel |
Wireless | ||
| Standard | 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac | WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.1 |
| Integrated wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
Dimensions | ||
| Size | 146 x 72 x 7.3 mm | 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 152g | 176g |
| Operating System | Android 4.4.4 KitKat | Android 4.4.4 KitKat |
| Price (SIM-free) | £549 | TBC |
| Availability | September 2014 | TBC |
Read more:
Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Hands-on review
Sony Xperia Z3 hands-on review: An iPhone-killer that chooses substance over style
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