Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

Introduction

Bigger than the Note but not as bright. Not saying anything. We wouldn't want to get this guy upset. So, careful with the F-word. And no, not phablet, obviously. Though at 8mm, the Samsung Galaxy Mega technically isn't fat.
There has been no such thing as size limit for Samsung but is the Galaxy Mega 6.3 already pushing it too far? The massive 6.3" screen puts the bigger one of the Mega brothers well into the upper range of phablets and almost into tablet territory.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 official images
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 - as in a 6.3" screen - is the bigger and better half of the Mega pair, making an interesting alternative to the Galaxy Note line of phablets. It's bigger than the first two (most likely bigger than even the Note III as well) but actually more affordable.
There were of course some inevitable cuts, mainly in the display and chipset area, but the Mega 6.3 still boasts LTE connectivity, Android 4.2.2 with exclusive TouchWiz features like Multi-window and Air View among other goodies the Galaxy S4 has, including the IR remote control functionality.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 at a glance:

• General: Quad-band 2G/quad-band 3G/Optional LTE connectivity
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 167.6 x 88 x 8mm, 199 g
• Display: 6.3" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels (233ppi)
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 1.7GHz Krait CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, 1.5GB RAM
• OS: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Memory: 8/16GB storage, microSD card slot
• Still camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera, face detection, touch focus and image stabilization; 1.9MP front facing camera, video-calls
• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL features (TV Out, USB host), GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, Infrared port
• Battery: 3,200 mAh
• Misc: TouchWiz UI, Air View, Impressively rich video/audio codec support, built-in accelerometer, Smart stay and Smart rotation eye-tracking, S Health

While the screen is less than stellar, 233ppi is better than what the Galaxy Grand got and on par with the Galaxy S III mini. It's the chipset we're more worried about - it's a better version of the one Nokia uses in the Lumia 520. Sure, the CPU runs at a much higher clockspeed (70% higher) and there's three times the amount of RAM, but the Galaxy Mega 6.3 will have to really bring its A game to get anyone impressed.
On the other hand, the proprietary Multi-window feature really comes into its own here - the split screen gives each app nearly the same surface area (though not aspect ratio) as the display of a Galaxy S II.
And you get premium goodies like the latest Android version available, Air View (detects your finger hovering above the screen and offers functionality similar to that of the S Pen), an IR remote control, LTE, Group Play and more.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 in our office • next to the "tiny" Galaxy S4
Recent smartphone history has seen plenty of too-big-to-use devices that were quick to prove doubters wrong. The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 will raise a few eyebrows, but it has the potential to bring the phablet form factor to the masses, seeing how the Note II might be out of reach for some (which didn't stop it from selling by the millions).
So how big is "big" anyway? The Mega 6.3 is ample for sure, but its dimensions aren't that scary - jump to the next page to find out how it feels in the hand and whether the screen is worth the extra bulk.

360-degree spin

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 stands 167.6mm tall and 88mm wide. That's about 20% more surface area than the Note II (151.1 x 80.5mm), and you do get just over 30% more screen real estate. This means Samsung has managed to cover a bigger portion of the front of the device with the screen.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 next to the Galaxy S4 (left) and Galaxy Note II (right)
Also, the Mega 6.3 is thinner (8mm vs. 9.4mm) and not much heavier (199g vs. 183g) than the Note II.



Also, the Mega 6.3 is thinner (8mm vs. 9.4mm) and not much heavier (199g vs. 183g) than the Note II.

Design and handling

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 follows the Galaxy S4 design language to a tee, just like the Note 8.0. It is a sort of a facelift of the Galaxy S III design, less rounded with slimmer bezel and a characteristic LED flash positioning under the back camera.

The revamped Galaxy design language
Another thing Samsung changed between the S III and S4 was the pattern of the plastic. We like the new one better, but the glossy hyperglazed plastic is still quite impractical - easily smudged and with poor grip.
Other than that, the general styling spans devices with screens from 3.27" (Galaxy Young) to 8" (Galaxy Note 8.0) and frankly it's worn out and lacking in premium feel.
The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is bigger than most phones (including the Galaxy S4). It's so big it barely fits on the device - the bezels are very thin, especially on the side.
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 screen offers just over 30% more real estate than the Note II and nearly 60% more than the 5" Galaxy S4. It makes very efficient use of the front surface, rivaled only by the S4 itself and the Sony Xperia ZL.
You can hold the phablet in one hand, though some will find it uncomfortable. The thin bezels offer no room to put your thumb and the slippery back doesn't help. Using the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 with one hand is only possible for a limited number of tasks.

The Galaxy 6.3 is large even for big hands
Samsung has enabled a smaller keyboard in some places (the QWERTY keyboard, the dialer keyboard), which does improve usability a bit. However, the notification area is completely out of reach and the lower corners are tough too, both areas are very important to working with Android.
You can pocket the Mega 6.3 and since it's slim and fairly light it won't bulge in your pocket or feel like a brick.

As on GsmArena.