Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo Hands on and First Look: A Sub Specced Phablet For A Little Less Price

In a short span, Samsung has managed to create a niche in the high-end handset market with its flagship Galaxy S and Note series. While the S series (Galaxy S3 and S4) stands tall in the crowd for its mass appeal,on the other end the Note series has been an excellent choice for a large corporate crowd in the past few years.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 features high-end hardware and premium services, but may have limited reach due to high retail price tag attached to it. What if Samsung brings a flagship Galaxy Note 3 in a compact form?

Your wish has been granted: Meet Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo, a new variant of original Note 3. We believe the device isn't typically a low-end version of famed Note 3. In fact, it appears that Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is an extension of Note series.

Even the hardware speaks loud: a massive 5.5-inch 720p HD display, a six-core CPU based on ARM's big.LITTLE architecture (hexa-core), 2GB of RAM, an 8MP rear-facing camera , S Pen , Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, 16GB of internal memory, and a removable 3,100mAh battery.

For those of you who always wanted to have the Galaxy Note 3 in a compact form without sacrificing internal hardware, here's a phone that may suit your lifestyle and personality.

Priced at approximately Rs. 38,990, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo is expected to made available in India by next month. In the meantime, check out our initial impressions of Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 Neo.

Highs

• Interesting design
• Simply amazing screen
• Large Battery
• S Pen
• Decent rear-facing camera

Lows

• No dedicated camera key

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo: Design, Display and Physical appearance

The Galaxy Note 3 Neo looks and feel like the original Galaxy Note 3. It has the same faux leather back removable back cover, a new design language Samsung has recently introduced.

The phone is made of plastic, just like the Galaxy Note 3. Still, the device has a premium feel to it. Despite its large size, the handset can be used single-handedly, which is a plus point. At the bottom, you will find the S-Pen arranged in the same place as the Galaxy Note 3. Cosmetically, the Note 3 Neo is hardly different from the premium Note 3.

Talking about the display, the Note 3 Neo features a large 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display having a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The screen size is best suited for viewing videos in full length, which many would agree as well. The viewing angles are excellent too.

On the surface, the Galaxy Neo 3 looks identical to flagship Note 3, when it comes to physical appearance. There's the power button on the right-hand side and the volume rocker on the left side. On the back you'll notice an 8-megapixel rear-facing and a single LED Flash. When opening the back cover, you will get to see a large 3,100mAh removable battery under the hood, accompanying built-in microSD card slot and a SIM slot.

On the bottom, there's the micro USB 2.0, the loudspeaker, the microphone and the S Pen placement. Under the display, you will find three buttons including the physical home button. Above the display, get ready to see a 1.9MP front-facing camera.