(Photo :Samsung Galaxy & Samsung Note)

All year, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has been getting the attention in the Samsung line of smartphones. It's the latest in a line of successful Samsung smartphones, and many critics say that the Galaxy S4 is the best one yet. But, even in spite of its overwhelming success, the Galaxy S4 faces stiff smartphone competition. While the newest hardware and software features have been praised, critics mar its design and build quality, a problem that Samsung has faced before. But now, there's a new kid on the Samsung smartphone block that looks to improve on the Galaxy S4: the Galaxy Note 3.

Simliar to the S series, the Note series has been a a surprise success for smartphone manufacturer Samsung. Experts note that the large, oversized display of the older Note series was the obstacle that most consumers could not get over. They said that the display was just "too large." But, the crossover now known as the "phablet" (a phone & tablet) has turned into a huge segment of that market. As such, Samsung wants to continue to capitalize on their success in this new market.

So, which one should you buy? The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the most powerful smartphones out there. But, Samsung is predicting the Note 3 to improve in almost every area.

The SGS4 boasts a Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor running at 1.9 GHz and an Adreno 320 graphics chip. It also has two quad-core chips for a total of eight cores. One of these quad-core units is based on the Cortex-A15 arhitecture and is clocked at 1.6 GHz, while the other quad-core is of Cortex-A7 type, with a frequency of 1.2 GHz. That's a pretty powerful computer, let alone a powerful phone.

But as for the Note 3, sources have revealed that the new "phablet" might pack an Exynos 5 Octa Core regardless of what market it's going to be retailed in. One model, one processor. Additionally, the CPU will supposedly be accompanied by a Mali 450 graphics chip boasting 8 cores as well.

For those not interested in cores and drive and graphics chips, here's what you need to know: The Note 3 looks to be bigger, stronger, and faster than all previous Samsung smartphone models. So, be sure to remember that when you hit the mall to buy your new Samsung phone and shop informed.