Galaxy Note 2 vs Galaxy S3: Wait or Buy Now?

By Anu Passary | Aug 13, 2012 12:43 PM EDT

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Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a challenger and it's not Apple's iPhone 5. The Galaxy Note 2, which is slated for an Aug.29 and not an Aug. 15 debut, is prepping to tilt the scales in Samsung's favor and give its Galaxy S3 counterpart some stiff competition. With two robust Samsung devices on offer, the stage is set for the Galaxy Note 2 vs. Galaxy S3 saga.

With the smartphone wars heating up, the burning question is - should one wait a tad longer or buy now? With both gadgets packing a mean punch, consumers are in a quandary as to which device is a better bet. Here's how the two smartphones stack up against each other.

Display

The S3 boasts of 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display (1280x720 pixels resolution) and pixel density of 310ppi. The Note 2 is rumored to sport a 5.5-inch screen, which is a bump up from the Galaxy Note's 5.3-inch screen. According to the Examiner, "it might go to a Super HD AMOLED display with rgb format, instead of the PenTile screens in the Note and Galaxy S3." Reportedly, Samsung will use the UBP or Unbreakable Plane Display technology, making Note 2's screen the toughest when compared to other smartphones.

Processor

Those who are already familiar with the S3 will vouch that it's no tortoise and possibly has one of the best processors in the business. The Galaxy Note 2 may run the Exynos 4412 quad-core processor, which is the same as the S3. However, what sets the devices apart is the processor speed. The Note 2 clocked at 1.6GHz compared to S3's 1.4GHz. The faster speed means that the Note 2 easily routs the S3.

Internal Storage and OS

The S3 packs 1GB of RAM as opposed to Galaxy Note 2's 1.5GB of RAM. The S3 is available in 16/32/64GB versions and also has a microSD card slot, which takes the expandable memory up by an additional 64GB. The Note 2 is expected to have similar internal storage options.

Galaxy S3 comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich(ICS) out of the box with TouchWiz overlay. The Note 2 clearly edges out the S3 in this department as it is expected to be shipped with the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

Camera and Connectivity

The Galaxy Note 2 may have a 12- or 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. By contrast, the S3 has a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, giving the Note 2 an edge.

The S3 supports 4G LTE and rumors indicate that the Note 2 will also possibly have the same ability.

Price

The Galaxy S3 is priced at $199.99 for the 16GB version (with a 2-year contract). The pricing for the Note 2 is not known; however, Samsung is expected to value it competitively.
Currently, the S3 is ruling the smartphone market. The smartphone breezed past the 10million sales mark with ease, but Samsung predicts that the S3 will better the figures and make it 19million by fall this year.

With smartphones taking the bigger screen route, reservations that the Note 2 may not be popular with consumers and is too bulky have been quashed by its predecessor's success story. The 5.3-inch Galaxy Note that packs a stylus, sold a whopping 7million units, impressive statistics for a phablet that was seen as a novelty at the time.

With two spiffy devices in its kitty, Samsung has thrown the gauntlet to iPhone 5. Consumers are in a dilemma over the two smartphones, which augurs well for the Korean tech giant.