With the tablet market exploding, specifically in the 7 inch range, it is a surprise that Samsung has not done more to gain market share.

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has been out for long enough with not enough return. Now, according to a benchmark posted on GLBenchmark, Samsung might be making another tablet in this category.

Furthermore, the Galaxy Note and Note 2 carry the model numbers GT-N7000 and  GT-N7100 respectively. The model of the device benchmarked above is GT-N5100. This leads us to believe that the unreleased device is in the Note series.

Since the Note 2 was just released and the Note 10.1 is already out, that only leaves a 7-inch slot in the Note series.

The benchmarks reveal that the device will be packing Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) and supposedly a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 (Exynos 4 Quad). Later in the benchmark, a screen size of 1280 x 800 is noted and a Mali-400 MP.

Although everything mentioned above is based on a benchmark and pure speculation, keep your eyes peeled for a 7-inch Galaxy Note at CES 2013.

Do you think that Samsung has any chance in the 7 inch market against the Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, and iPad mini? Let us know in the comments below.

[ Source ]

The post 7-inch Galaxy Note Possibly Spotted on GLBenchmark appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Remember when Samsung first introduced the “Premium Suite” software upgrade for the Samsung Galaxy Note? Back in spring of 2012, the upgrade included a move to Android 4.0 ICS and introduced several new TouchWiz apps. Now Samsung has officially confirmed a second “Premium Suite” upgrade is on its way in the not-too distant future.

With the next update, OG Note users will get an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, bringing Google Now and many of the other great improvements found in Jelly Bean over to the Note.

There will also be Samsung-specific features like multi-window, pop-up video/browser/note apps, paper artist, new email and S Planner apps, and easy clip.

There have been rumors floating around about the existence of this massive upgrade for a while now, but it is good to finally have firm confirmation.

When is the update coming? Samsung hasn’t let that cat out of the bag yet, though hopefully we’ll know more at CES 2013.

As typical, international markets in Europe and elsewhere will likely be the first to get the upgrade, and North America will be one of the last.

Are you looking forward to getting your hands on Jelly Bean for your Note, or are you perfectly happy with ICS right now?

[ source ]

The post Samsung Galaxy Note Getting Jelly Bean and Multi-Window Support appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Here’s a nice combo deal for anyone in the market for both a new tablet and a new HDTV, or even if you’re just shopping for a new television and would like an added bonus. When you buy a select Samsung HDTV from Amazon, they’ll throw in a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet for $200 off. It’s not a free bonus, but that’s a pretty big discount.

As you might remember, the Galaxy Note 10.1 takes the concept started by the Galaxy Note “phablet” devices and blows it up into the 10.1-inch Android size. You can choose between the 16GB or 32GB version of the tablet, bringing the effective price down to just $299 or $349, respectively. Remember that the Samsung optimizations on the tablet work particularly well when “speaking” with a Samsung HDTV too. Getting the discount is pretty much automatic:

To take advantage of this offer, simply add a Samsung HDTV and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 from the list of qualifying products below to your Shopping Cart. The discount for the Galaxy Note will automatically be deducted at checkout. Qualifying products must be purchased from Amazon.com; does not include purchases from other sellers on the Amazon.com website.

The available HDTVs are mostly in the 50 to 65-inch range. These include offerings from both the Samsung plasma ranges, as well as the slim LED HDTVs. Many of these TVs are already on sale on Amazon too for up to $1200 off the regular price, so you’re saving even more!

Head over to Amazon.com to get the deal. The offer is good through to 11:59 PST on November 17, 2012 or while supplies last.

The post Daily Deal: $200 off Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 when you buy a Samsung HDTV appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It starts with the screen. The original Note had a 5.3-inch 800×1280 (285ppi) Sumer AMOLED touchscreen, whereas the new Note II has a larger 5.5-inch 720×1280 display. It’s physically bigger but actually has fewer pixels (267ppi). This is because they’ve changed the aspect ratio, which changes the outward dimensions of the phone too. The new Note II is a little longer than the original (151.1mm vs 146.9mm), but it’s actually narrower (80.5mm vs 83mm) and thinner (9.4mm vs 9.7mm).

The overall design borrows a lot from the Galaxy S III too, so you lose the textured back of the Galaxy Note in favor of a slippery “river rock” like back on the Note II.

The new Note II is more powerful with a quad-core 1.6GHz processor compared to the 1.4GHz dual core in the original, though it retains the same 2GB of RAM. The Note II ships with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, whereas the original shipped with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, though a Jelly Bean upgrade is available. Naturally, they both use Samsung’s TouchWiz UI too.

The S Pen smart stylus is still here–as will be the case with the entire Note lineup–but it’s gained a few tricks, like Wacom-style “hovering” functionality. The Note II does have some additional features though, like a custom menu for one-handed operation of the dial pad, as well as some features borrowed from the S3, like Smart Stay. The battery is bigger (3100mAh vs 2500mAh) too, helping to improve battery life.

If you already have the original Samsung Galaxy Note, there isn’t as much of a motivation to upgrade to the Note II. However, if you’re looking to enter the phablet arena for the first time, I’d skip the OG Note and head straight to the Galaxy Note II. It’s a beast of a device.

The post What’s Different? Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs. Galaxy Note appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Galaxy Note 2 is on its way soon, but that isn’t stopping Samsung from still supporting the OG Note. If you’ve looked on at the release of the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 in jealousy, it’s okay. We understand that these devices are cool. That being said, an new OTA update will at least bring some of the features from those devices to the Note.

What kind of features are we talking about? The update introduces Pop-up Play, a Note 2-style 3D gallery app, lock screen and home screen enhancements with “S Cloud” contact back-up, and more. There are also general changes to the UI of the phone.

The update is hitting German users first, and will then float its way to other markets in the coming weeks. For markets like the US, with their LTE versions, the wait may be even longer though- perhaps as long as a month or more.

While the update is currently just bringing the new features to the OG Note, it is believed the Galaxy S2 owners may get in on the love soon enough. It’s hard to say when, just only that it seems likely.

Are you excited about these new features, or really not that interested?

[ source ]

The post International Galaxy Note Users Get OTA Update, Brings A Few Note 2/S3 Features appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The official word from T-Mobile is that the Galaxy Note is “currently out of stock online… however the device is still available for purchase at select T-Mobile retail stores” or online from Amazon for $159 through AT&T. They have to maintain this official stance until they are able to clear out the remaining stock, but a “very reliable industry source” is saying that T-Mobile is pegging November 1 as the “EOL” (end of life) date for the 5.3-inch superphone. That’s assuming that they’re not able to sell out the rest of the devices before then.

If you happen to be with T-Mobile and you still want to get a gigantic smartphone, but you’re not ready to buy right this instant, you probably don’t have to worry too much. We’re expecting Samsung to unveil the Galaxy Note 2 at the end of August at the IFA show in Berlin. That should give T-Mobile enough crossover time to prepare for the launch of the Galaxy Note 2 in time for the holiday shopping season.

This is probably for the best. Can you imagine how many people would be incredibly upset if they bought the Galaxy Note in the next couple of weeks, being sold on it being a “new” superphone, only to see its cooler, better, and more powerful successor released just a short time after? Maybe the G-Note 2 will finally be able to miraculously float in mid-air like the picture above?

[Source]

The post Samsung Galaxy Note Leaving T-Mobile USA By November 1? $160 on AT&T appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The massive 5.3-inch “smablet” has been available through AT&T for some time, but now Old Magenta is getting into the mega-smartphone game too with the Samsung Galaxy Note. The confirmation comes by way of a press release issued early this morning after the official T-Mobile USA Twitter account.

There’s no mention of color choices, pricing or release date beyond “the coming weeks.” The assumption is that T-Mobile will simply be getting the “original” Galaxy Note that is already available in North America, but they’ll naturally make sure that it plays friendly with T-Mobile’s network. It does mean that you’ll have to do without blazing fast LTE, but you’ll still get that big screen and “S Pen” stylus.

It’s possible that the T-Mobile version will sell with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box, but that’s just a guess. It’s also a guess that T-Mobile would have to launch the Galaxy Note soon, since the Galaxy Note 2 is likely just around the corner and they don’t want to look like they’re selling terribly outdated hardware. I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned.

T-Mobile Expands Its Galaxy Lineup With the Samsung Galaxy Note™

Smartphone Delivers Innovative All-in-One Experience With the Perfect Blend of Work and Play Features

BELLEVUE, Wash., — July 17, 2012 — T-Mobile USA, Inc., the No. 1 mobile operator brand in Samsung Galaxy S™ sales, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide1, today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy Note™. One of T-Mobile’s fastest devices leveraging its 4G (HSPA+ 42) network and running on Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsung’s Premium Suite, the Galaxy Note provides an innovative, all-in-one experience that is perfect for work, play and everything in between.

Consumers are demanding larger smartphone screen sizes. In fact, a recent T-Mobile survey2 showed 77 percent of consumers prefer a device with a 4.5-inch or larger display rather than a smaller screen. The Galaxy Note speaks directly to that demand with a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED™ touch screen — the largest screen on a T-Mobile® smartphone. The device is elegantly designed to handle both business and home tasks with ease.

The Galaxy Note with Premium Suite provides a range of productivity-enhancing features, such as the S Pen™, S Note, S Memo™ and Polaris Office. Now T-Mobile customers can write notes, to-do lists and annotate documents; share ideas and edited content; and create documents, presentations and spreadsheets to maximize efficiency while on the go. S Note helps to professionalize communications by providing templates for seven commonly used documents such as an idea note, travel notes, diary entry, meeting notes and recipes. S Note also allows you to import and annotate a PDF file and convert dictated or handwritten memos to text with the Continual Voice Input and Handwriting-to-Text features. With S Memo, Galaxy Note users have one-touch access to creating a typewritten, handwritten or voice dictated memo; researching information during creation; and adding an image.

The Galaxy Note also has the SAFE (Samsung Approved for Enterprise™) designation, which means it has a full suite of enterprise-ready features and capabilities, including comprehensive IT policy support for top-tier mobile device management (MDM) providers, on-device AES256-bit encryption, enhanced support for Microsoft Exchange, as well as integrated support for a range of virtual private network (VPN) solutions. The Galaxy Note also provides Wi-Fi Calling capabilities and, with a qualifying rate plan, can act as a Smartphone Mobile HotSpot for up to five devices.

“In addition to larger screens, today customers demand more from their devices — from having safeguarded access to corporate email and other productivity features to being able to rely on a speedy network for streaming content,” said Andrew Morrison, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “With the unique and highly innovative Galaxy Note in our lineup, we are even better equipped to help our customers strike the perfect balance as they juggle both professional and personal activities.”

The Samsung Galaxy Note also offers the T-Mobile 4G Pro App Pack, an aggregation of key applications, such as Dropbox, Evernote, Square, TripIt, CamScanner and LinkedIn, that can reduce the complexity and effort associated with finding and downloading business-related applications. By providing an easy path to cloud services such as Dropbox and Evernote, T-Mobile helps professionals easily store and access the documents, files, images and notes that will help them better manage their work from virtually anywhere.

Featuring a snappy Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S3 Processor with 1.5 Ghz Dual-Core CPUs, the Galaxy Note provides customers with incredible 4G experiences, making it the perfect all-in-one device to maximize efficiency and productivity, in addition to fun. The Galaxy Note offers a variety of entertainment experiences, such as T-Mobile TV in mobile HD3 for watching live TV programming, Samsung Media Hub for renting and buying the latest movies and TV shows, and Google Play Music for streaming and purchasing music. The Galaxy Note also features an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, to capture pictures and HD videos to share with friends, family and social networks.

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note is expected to be available at select T-Mobile retail stores and online via www.T-Mobile.com in the coming weeks.

[Source]

The post Samsung Galaxy Note Confirmed for T-Mobile USA appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

When the original Galaxy Note first arrived on scene there was a fair amount of buzz. Was the Note a smartphone or was it a tablet? Samsung’s Galaxy Note managed to blend both worlds together and in doing so created a unique yet useful smartphone device. Apparently they have no regrets and are preparing to do it all over again with a next-generation unit which will supposedly arrive in October to better compete against the next iPhone.

According to what we are hearing, the new Galaxy Note successor will feature a display that is larger than 5.3-inches, and will use unbreakable plane technology, which is essentially a precursor to the flexible display. The Note successor will also manage to be slimmer while making use of a Quad-Core processor and running on Android Jelly Bean.

Keep in mind that this is only rumor at the moment, but if it proves true, the Galaxy Note II certainly sounds like a big step forward.

[ source ]

The post Galaxy Note Successor Coming In October? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is certainly an awesome device, if you have any doubt about that, click here. The LTE handset was released in Canada earlier this year, and now it appears like a white version of the Gingerbread-running Smablet (or phablet) is finally headed to the Land of the Maple Leaf.

According to the internal documents that you see here, which come to us courtesy of MobileSyrup, Telus will launch the 5.3-inch white Galaxy Note on April 4^th, which, if you haven’t realized, is today. The device will have the same price tag of $199.99 with a 3-year contract or $779.99 without any strings attached.

Bell appears to have decided to launch the white ones a few days later on April 10^th. The device will be priced the same – $199.99 on a 3-year contract or $729.99 outright. There are no hints about whether Rogers will be releasing the white model.

We are expecting to hear an official confirmation from both the carriers sometime soon, so stay tuned for updates.

The post White Samsung Galaxy Note To Be Launched On Telus Today, Bell On April 10th? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Samsung Galaxy Note, oh what a debate this 5.3-inch Android smablet (smartphone-tablet) has created.  Some haters hate it, because, well, they love to hate things.  And others love it, mainly because of its beautiful bright display.  I’m going to address a few things with this review because in all honesty, we need to evolve the way we use “smart” devices.  And there are a lot of underlying issues that people just don’t talk about, or have a clue about. If we’re not using these devices with any sense, then we’re not really going to have the best experience in the long term.

The big hand problem. 

Some people, excluding myself, have gigantic hands.  They find the puny screen of an iPhone a burden to deal with.  Try sending a text without correcting every other word, it’s not going to happen, you get pissed off and you throw the phone at a wall.  One giant construction worker finger is the size of three manicured nerd fingers put together.  So there you have it; not everyone is made the same, and not everyone can use a 3.5-inch screen without trouble.

Gaming is golden.

If you love gaming on Android, the Galaxy note is the next best thing to a full-on tablet.  In fact, for many it may be better since the screen offers such a high-resolution, at 800 x 1280 on that 5.3-inches of real estate the graphics are going to be super crisp.  The design is small enough to fit in a pocket (not your shirt pocket) and easily pull out for a large and in charge session.  The dual-core 1.4GHz Cortex A9 CPU shouldn’t  be overlooked either.  That’s enough processing power to make the most out of your app experience.

Look stuper stupid. 

Holding this up to your head is going to look ridiculous, I will admit.  It’s a freaking giant smablet and I don’t care if you have a huge head, this thing is noticeably large and would likely induce spontaneous tourettial shouts of “freak” from any nearby watchers. But the big issue i’m going to talk about is not the size of the screen, it’s how you use it.  No but seriously, it’s SAR (Specific Absorption Rate): the rate at which radiation is absorbed by the human body. You see, the size of the Galaxy Note is actually a blessing in disguise.  When you hold up a cellphone to your head the brain gets confused and your frequencies get altered.  Since the brains software runs on electrochemical neuron signals, sometimes there’s interference.  You know how just before your cellphone rings you hear it in the car speaker, dat-dat-dat-dat-dat, well, the brain is much more sensitive than your car speakers.  And that dat-dat-dat-dat-dat is actually going to cause a duh-duh-duh-duh-duh instead.  It’s only now being shown that ADHD can be caused by cellphone use in utero. Shocking isn’t it?  And all this is on top of the already known tumor causing implications.  People have to understand that this is a mildly radioactive device, yes, r-a-d-i-o-a-c-t-i-v-e.  We know that radiation causes cancer, tumors, birth defects, and all that horrible stuff.  So what does the Galaxy Note offer?  Well, the ridiculous nature of holding this up to your head will hopefully stop you from holding it up to your head.  Yes, it’s as simple as that.  You’re going to use hands-free a heck-of-a-lot more, as well as a nice wired headset, and that’s about it.  We live primarily in an ego driven society and how things look is a big deal to many people, if you want to look cool you’re not going to hold a 5.3-inch monster phone up to your head. And by not holding it up to your head, you’re inadvertently saving your children and probably even yourself from having ADHD and tumors.  It’s a win win situation all around.

The Stylus. Oh the stylus.

Well, what can I say.  It’s a pen for your phone.  The app included is terrible, S Memo is laggy and often times unresponsive.  I found the sensitivity to be off and would skip entire letters of my script.  The games are neat, Crayon Physics is a good time waster “your aim is simply to move a red ball towards a star and collect it by drawing geometrical shapes that push the ball.”  It works well with the stylus, much better than S Memo, so i’m assuming that S Memo is just a poorly developed app and the hardware is totally functional and capable.

Speedy 4G/LTE.

Depending on the network and carrier, this phone can tap in to 4G/LTE. Speed tests were 9MB up and 16.4MB down averaged out on several tests. It’s definitely up there in terms of speed. There’s absolutely no lag web browsing and its snappy.

Form factor. 

The sheer giganticness of the Galaxy Note is wondrous.  You could call it the Android Playbook since it’s nearly there in screen size.  It’s super thin and that is what makes it a great device. If Apple were to make a 5-inch iPhone I would guarantee people would be lined up around the freaking mall.  Oh wait, people already line up no matter what crapple puts out.  Ok forget that notion.  But if Apple were really to make a 5-incher, you could imagine how amazing it would be, revolutionary, “your life will never be the same.”  Since it was Samsung and not Apple, you’re going to get the fanboys hating this device for everything its worth.  Some people have a notion that if Apple didn’t do it first, it isn’t right.  Whether they will admit that to you or not is another story, but the company is known for creating fanaticism amongst their users.  Why else would Ashton Kutcher play Steve Jobs?? That’s a big WTF if you ask me.  Ashton Kutcher is an amazing actor don’t get me wrong, but you can see what audience this movie is going to target already, and i’m pretty curious what kind of spin they will put on his biography.

Bottom Line

It’s a gigantic Android phone with a 5.3-inch screen.  One of the best Android devices Samsung has ever made. Once you use it, it will be hard as hell to go back to a small screen. And it’s fast as hell too, and the battery life is phenomenal with 2500 mAh of power. You would think it’d be terrible because the screen size just big, to the contrary. I streamed Money Masters for 3.5 hours over 4G full screen and still had 30% battery remaining. That’s impressive even from a regular sized smartphone standard.  I remember streaming the TechCrunch Disrupt keynote over 3G on a DROID 3 driving to San Francisco because I was late and that thing was nearly dead in 45 minutes.  If you’re in this for a big screen because you like to read websites without pinching and zooming all the time, you have gigantic bear paw hands and are sick and tired of punching in the wrong text, or all your friends have an iPhone 4 and you want to precipitate the size of their balls along with their presence, you’re going to love the Galaxy Note.

The post Samsung Galaxy Note Smablet Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.