SpecEagle review · Samsung

Galaxy Note 3 Neo review: A more affordable Note 3 with a 5.5" screen and the S Pen experience.

SpecEagle Editorial·Feb 2014·$590
Overall
50/100
Class rank
#61 of 92
Tier
Flagship
Buy?
Look elsewhere
The verdict, up front

A budget S Pen Note.

Note 3 Neo gave buyers the S Pen experience and Note styling at a more accessible price — a downgraded screen and chip but the same productivity workflow. It set a template for "Lite" Notes that returned years later.

01Display

74/100

74/100 puts it above the 72-point average for flagship phones of 2014.

TypeSuper AMOLED
Size5.5 inches
Resolution1,280 × 720 px (HD)

02Camera

58/100

58/100 trails the 63-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2014.

Main8 MP, autofocus, LED
Selfie2 MP
Video1080p

03Performance

56/100

56/100 trails the 59-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2014.

ChipsetExynos 5260 hexa-core
RAM2 GB
Storage16 GB · microSD

04Battery

70/100

70/100 puts it above the 64-point average for flagship phones of 2014.

Capacity3,100 mAh (removable)
Standby~ 600 hours

05Build

60/100

60/100 is one of the weaker build results among flagship phones of 2014 — 8 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

06Value

60/100

At 60/100 this is one of the strongest value showings among flagship phones of 2014 — 7 points above the cohort average.

What works
  • S Pen experience at a lower price.
  • Big 5.5" SAMOLED.
  • 3,100 mAh removable battery.
  • microSD + jack.
What doesn't
  • Only HD on a 5.5" panel.
  • Hexa-core Exynos was mid-tier.
  • 8 MP camera (vs Note 3's 13 MP).
  • Mono speaker.
Cross-shop it against
Nexus 5 (LG)
$349 · score 84/100

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 92-phone cohort of flagship devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .