Sony Xperia C5 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Which is the Best Android Phablet?

In the last couple of years, Japanese electronics giant Sony has launched several phablet category devices to compete against the highly popular Galaxy Note series phones from Samsung. The company launches its phablets under the Xperia Ultra series, and its latest offering in this segment is the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, which offers a whopping 6-inch display. In terms of size, the phone goes hand in hand with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 that was released a few years back.

Apart from offering a large display, Sony is touting the Xperia C5 Ultra as its best selfie-centric smartphone till date. If you are planning to buy your next big screen smartphone or want to switch to a larger device, the Xperia C5 Ultra and Galaxy Note 3 are among the best in this segment. To find out that which one’s better, let’s compare the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Sony Xperia C5 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3: comparison of Japanese and Korean phablets

#1. Design

Design-wise, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offers a plastic body, so it doesn’t look so premium. The phone measures 8.3mm around the waist and weighs 168 grams. The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra on the other hand looks much more appealing as it offers a premium alumina design with a slightly curved back. Also, the C5 Ultra is among the few smartphones to offer wafer-thin side bezels.

#2. Display and Software

Coming to the display, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 features a 5.7-inch full HD screen bearing a pixel density of 386 pixels per inch. The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra features a bigger 6-inch display with a pixel density of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a pixel density of 367ppi. Overall, the Xperia C5 Ultra certainly offers a better media viewing experience than the Galaxy Note 3. Software-wise, the Galaxy Note 3 runs Android Lollipop with the brand’s TouchWiz UI that offers multi-window support. The Xperia C5 Ultra also runs Android Lollipop, and comes with a mini mode for easy one-hand use. This feature shrinks the size of the UI to 4-inch.

#3. Configuration

For performance, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 utilizes an Exynos 5 processor with four cores running at 1.9GHz and quad-cores clocked at 1.3GHz. The processor is further supported by 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 graphics processor. The Xperia Z5 Ultra on the other hand offers 64-bit computing, and is backed by a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 CPU, further supported by 2GB of RAM and a Mali-760 MP2 GPU. Both devices offer almost similar performance. Coming to the storage, the Xperia C5 Ultra offers 16GB of inbuilt memory, while the Galaxy Note 3 offers higher 32GB of flash storage. However, the former is capable of taking in microSD cards up to a whopping 200GB in size.

#4. Camera

For imaging, the Galaxy Note 3 and Xperia C5 Ultra, both smartphones offer 13-megapixel rear cameras with autofocus and LED flash. However, the Xperia C5 Ultra delivers much better selfies thanks to a 13-megapixel front-facing snapper aided by an LED flash. The Galaxy Note 3 on the other hand offers a mediocre 2-megapixel front shooter. In addition, the C5 Ultra comes pre-loaded with several image enhancing applications like Style portrait, AR mast and Face in.

#5. Connectivity and Battery

In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy Note 3 offers a single-SIM slot and 3G networks support. The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra on the other hand is a future ready device with support for India’s both TD-LTE and FDD-LTE 4G LTE bands, and comes with dual-SIM slots. Other connectivity options of these phones are almost similar including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-USB 2.0, NFC, DLNA, and A-GPS. The Xperia C5 Ultra is fueled by a 2,930mAh battery that offers 14 hours of talk time. The Galaxy Note 3 is loaded with a bigger 3,200mAh battery that delivers much higher 20 hours of talk time.

Conclusion

Coming to the verdict, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a decent phablet with huge display, an octa-core processor, a meaty 3GB of RAM, high internal memory, and a massive battery. However, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra on the other hand offers a much bigger display, an appealing premium metallic design, extremely thin screen bezels, amazing selfie camera, supports 4G LTE networks, supports a whopping 200GB of microSD cards, and features a mini-display mode, which makes it extremely easy to use with one hand. In addition, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is expected to be priced around Rs 21,999, while the Galaxy Note 3 is being offered for around Rs 25,000.