Ars Technica’s Galaxy Note 3 Review

Ron Amadeo, reviewing the Galaxy Note 3 hardware:

This time around, Samsung has opted to cover the back in a plastic faux-leather with pretend stitching around the perimeter. It sounds ridiculous, but it actually looks great. Along with the stylus, it really has a “Moleskin Notebook” vibe going. It doesn’t feel like leather at all; it’s just a textured soft-touch plastic. It’s a step up from Samsung’s usual glossy plastic, but the design here is still disappointing when compared to the HTC One, Nexus 4, or anything Apple has made in the last two years.

The S-Pen is still here too. While Samsung is clearly trying to ditch the “cheap-plastic” feeling on the exterior of the phone, they haven’t done anything to help the feel of the S-Pen. It’s made out of the chintziest plastic imaginable. It’s so light that it feels disposable, like something you’re supposed to throw out after every use. I would have preferred something closer to the nice heft of a metal pen, but this is basically a hollow plastic tube with a button on it. It just seems odd using your $700 device with a 25¢ pen.

Sounds about right. The fake stitches are my favorite.

★ Tuesday, 1 October 2013