While the 5-inch LG Optimus G Pro looks like it’s an exclusive to NTT DoCoMo in Japan for the time being, the phablet sized 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro is apparently heading to LG’s home country of South Korea. That 5.5-inch display retains the 1080p resolution of its slightly smaller cousin, along with a 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm and 2GB of RAM.

To help power the bigger screen, they’re also giving it a bigger battery, a 3140mAh unit to be precise. That’s right around the same size as the Note 2, which makes sense since they have the same sized display (though the Note 2 is only 720p). Rounding out the spec sheet are 32GB of internal storage and a microSD slot for even more space.

This is just a leak at the moment, so we haven’t found anything in terms of pricing and availability just yet, but I’d say it’s pretty safe to assume that some variant of the Optimus G Pro will eventually make it to our shores. We just don’t know if it’s a 5-incher, a 5.5-incher, or something different altogether.

[Source]

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As expected, the Huawei Ascend Mate touched down at CES last week, bringing us a massive 6.1-inch phablet that is ready to face off against established players in the phablet space, namely Samsung and their Galaxy Note 2.

While a true “versus” article isn’t quite possible until we truly get our hands on the Ascend Mate for a proper review, we can certainly look at what we know so far to draw a few comparisons.

Display

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Huawei Ascend Mate are 720p devices. The big difference is that the Note 2 has a 5.55-inch 265ppi Super AMOLED display, and the Huawei Ascend Mate has a 6.1-inch 241ppi Super IPS+ LCD.

Who wins here? Honestly, depends on what you want. If bigger means better, Huawei wins.

If you are looking for the crisper and clearer display, the smaller 5.55-inch Note 2 display is going to look a little better and is therefore the winner.

I suppose you could certainly call it a “tie”.

Hardware

With the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 you get the power of Jelly Bean, an Exynos 4412 Quad chipset running at 1.6GHz, and a Mali-400MP GPU. This stellar combo also throws in 2GB of RAM, microSD, and 16, 32 or 64GB of storage.

In the camera department? You get an 8MP main shooter with LED flash, autofocus, HD video and still capture. There is also a 1.9MP secondary camera and 3100mAh battery.

As for the Huawei Ascend Mate?

The Ascend Mate delivers a 1.5GHz quad-core experience with its own Huawei chipset and runs on an unannounced GPU, all powered by a huge 4050mAh battery. You get 2 GB of RAM, 16GB on-board storage and micro-SD expansion as well. The cameras are an 8MP and 1.3MP secondary camera.

Both devices have pretty similar hardware. It is worth noting though that an AnTuTu benchmark score puts the Note 2 overall at a 13815, versus the much lower 9480. Keep in mind that benchmarks can very depending on the software used and that benchmarks don’t necessarily equate to a massively better “real world” experience.

Bottom line, the hardware in the Note 2 packs a bit more punch, but the Huawei Ascend Mate is no slouch and should probably work comparatively when it comes to using most apps and other purposes.

If we are declaring a winner here, it would likely be the Note 2.

Design

The Ascend Mate manages quite a slim design for such a monster device. It has a narrow bezel and is actually a rather attractive smartphone, at least in my opinion.

The Note 2 is also designed to be rather thin considering its screen size. The design is certainly “Samsung”. It has a look that isn’t too terribly different from other flagship Sammy devices, and is also quite a looker.

Honestly, preference is going to play a lot here. Some will like the Mate better, some prefer the way the Note 2 looks.

The Stylus

The stylus in the Note 2 is very capable and while everyone doesn’t use it, if you like the idea of the S-Pen, you are better served sticking to the Galaxy Note 2. For whatever reason, Huawei decided that the Ascend Mate didn’t need to offer a stylus.

Again, this might not matter to everyone– but if you like taking quick drawn notes, it could be a very big difference and the ultimate deciding factor in which to purchase down the road.

Android Experience

I’m not going to say much here since I haven’t had the opportunity to go hands-on with Hauwei’s customized skins. Both handsets come standard with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and even though their skins have differences, the overall experience should be relatively similar.

Pricing

There is a big question mark here. Huawei is a Chinese company and could certainly come out with aggressive price points when it finally arrives to your local market. That said, the Note 2 is also no longer “brand new” and will continue to drop in price.

The Huawei Ascend Mate might end up winning in the price/value category, but we don’t have enough information to say for sure.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Huawei Ascend Mate – Conclusion

In these kinds of “versus” articles, I tend to shy away from picking a winner, understanding that preference ultimately plays a big role in your selection. This is even more true with devices that aren’t officially released.

Still, if I had to be totally honest? The Samsung Note 2 would be my personal choice. Why? I think 5.5-inches is plenty big enough for me, I’ve used the S-Pen and think its a worthwhile difference. Additionally, I have an established opinion of the Samsung brand and haven’t really had enough time with Huawei products to form a real opinion about their quality.

That said, the Huawei Ascend Mate seems to perform pretty close to the Note 2, and if you want a bigger screen and don’t mind being without a stylus, it could be the perfect fit for you.

I would certainly pay attention to the Mate as it gets closer and may update this article when we have more “real world examples” to show off which is truly the better phone. In the meantime, they are both great choices from what we know so far about the Mate.

What do YOU think about the Huawei Ascend Mate versus the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Do you think the bigger screen size is worth some of the other concessions you might have to make with the Mate?

Let us know what you think in the comments below! Additionally, check out Phone Arena’s spec list to see detailed side by side specs comparing these two beasts.

The post Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Huawei Ascend Mate: Does Bigger Mean Better? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

From the photos we can see that both the Ascend Mate and D2 follow the same basic design, that being a basic rectangular shape with very little in the way of any sort of styling. Interestingly Huawei has opted to use onscreen navigation buttons on the Mate and D2 rather than capacitive buttons on the “chin” of the phone.

Along with these leaked photos comes some purported specification highlights for the 6.1-inch Mate such as the self-developed Hass K3V3 1.8Ghz quad-core CPU. It is also expected the Mate will come equipped with a 13 mega-pixel rear camera, 2GB RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

What do you think, excited for the Ascend Mate? Conversely, do you think 6.1-inches is just too big?

[ Source ]

The post Additional Huawei Ascend Mate Photos Leaked appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Have an international version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, or more specially model GT-N7100? Exciting news, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is now available for your downloading pleasure.

As mentioned already, this is the international version of the Note 2. For those on contract in the U.S., you will likely have to wait quite a bit longer to get your hands on Android 4.1.2.

With the latest version comes the ability to disable multi-view alongside a new ink effect on the lock screen, Swype-style typing, new items in notifications toggles and a customizable notification panel.

Even if you are pretty sure you don’t have GT-N7100, it might be worth manually checking for an update and seeing if you happen to have an update waiting for you. Has anyone managed to grab the update to 4.1.2 for their Note 2 yet? If so, what do you think so far?

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The post Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100 Gets Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Update appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Yes, I know that you can head on over to your wireless provider of choice and get a new smartphone for a reduced price when you sign on with a contract, but that’s just not suitable for some people. Some people prefer to have their phones unsubsidized and out of contractual obligations, so if you want a unlocked Galaxy Note 2, this is the deal for you.

As a quick refresher, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 features a great 5.55″ high resolution Super AMOLED display, quad core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, microSD expansion up to 64GB, 8MP camera with 1080p video recording, and that S Pen stylus that makes the “Note” series.

The unlocked version on sale here is the N7100. What this means is that it has quad-band GSM and quad-band HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100. Given this, it should be fully compatible with AT&T in the United States, as well as Rogers, Bell and Telus in Canada, among several other carriers around the world. The 3G will not work, though, with T-Mobile, Wind or Mobilicity.

The factory unlocked Galaxy Note 2 is on sale for $645 on Amazon, which is $355 (35%) off the list price of $999.99. You gotta pay for this kind of power, right!

The post Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Phablet for $350 Off appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Think that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is already pretty massive with its 5.5-inch display? The Note 2 is quite tiny, at least when compared to the rumored Huawei Ascend Mate, which is said to be a massive 6.1-inches.

Rumors are all well and good, but how do we know that such a device is in the works? While we can’t definitively say that Huawei is preparing a 6.1-inch device, we now have confirmation that they are in fact working on a “phablet” type device that will directly compete against devices like the Galaxy Note 2.

The confirmation comes from Hauwei’s SVP, Yu Chengdong, who took to his Weibo account to announce that the company will release a large-screen smartphone in early 2013. The Weibo update was actually sent from a Galaxy Note 2. Chengdong says he wanted to try out the competition in order to compare his experience to that of the upcoming rival device.

We don’t really know much officially, but Yu does tell us that the device will offer a “cooler” industrial design, a thinner bezel, and a stunning display. Basically Hauwei is supposedly going to beat out the Note 2′s specs in every way, or so it sounds. If Hauwei is in fact going for a very thin bezel, they might be able to pack a 6.1-inch screen into a body that isn’t much bigger than the Note 2.

If the Huawei giant smartphone can actually match or exceed the specs of the Note 2 while offering a bigger screen and possibly their own stylus, Samsung might actually have some real competition at hand. This device certainly seems to be more of a threat than the LG Intuition has been thus far.

Being such a large and premium device, it could also very likely find its way to many of the world’s major markets, including Europe and the United States.

Would you consider such a device if it can in fact deliver similar or better performance to the Note 2 without adding much extra bulk or size?

[ source ]

The post Move over Galaxy Note 2, Hauwei is Coming with a Massive Phablet of its Own appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Looking to dramatically expand the battery life in your new Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Thanks to the new Mugen Power battery you can now bring the battery up to an impressive 6400 mAh.

While the Note 2 already had a spacious 3100 mAh, the 6400 mAh is going to be especially useful for those that find themselves in situations where they either can’t charge very often or even for those that watch a lot of movies and other tasks that suck battery down quickly.

The Mugen battery features a new back cover and comes in white or gray to make sure your find one that matches your device. As for the price, it’s just $98.95, though it won’t start shipping until December 21st.

Any downsides to having a battery this big? Besides having to pay $100 to get it, there is likely going to be a noticeable amount of weight and bulk added to the phone. Enough weight to make any real difference for the average user? Probably not. What do you think?

[ source ]

The post Mugen Battery Pack Adds 6400mAh of Power to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

With most smartphone owners looking for large screen devices, there have become quite a few great choices. In the 5-inch and higher category, the two most tempting devices on the market are likely going to be the HTC Droid DNA and Samsung Galaxy Note 2. So which should you get?

Honestly, it’s hard to say for sure. If you are in to power and want the device that looks the best on paper, you’ll find these two phones perform quite similarly when it comes down to it.

The biggest reasons to get a Droid DNA are the following:

• You want a 5-inch screen in as small a package as possible
• The 1080p screen resolution is important to you.
• You are a fan of the Droid series
• A lighter device is appealing to you.
• It doesn’t bother you that the device can’t expand through SD.

As for the Galaxy Note 2? It’s all about the “phablet features”:

• You want MASSIVE screen, and don’t mind the bulk.
• The Note 2 has the S-Pen and all the special features that come with it.
• You want full expandability and multiple storage configuration sizes.
• You want carrier options besides just Verizon, since Note 2 is available on multiple carriers.

There are other reasons, but the bottom-line is that you get they have a lot of similarities on paper when it comes to processing power and RAM. The biggest differences are expandability, screen size, the stylus and overall dimensions.

We aren’t going to compare each and every category, but instead we’ll simply say, they both have a lot to offer and neither is really the “better choice”, it’s about what fits into what you are looking for. Sometimes a video just tells the story better than words ever can. Pocket Now has an excellent “VS” video that is worth checking out.

So what do you think, are you interested in the Note 2 or the Droid DNA?

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The post HTC Droid DNA versus Samsung Galaxy Note 2 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Remember that the 5.5-inch successor to the original Galaxy Note only launched a mere two months ago. In its first month, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 broke the three million mark in sales and, less than a month later, it has added another two million to that count. Maybe people really do like that S Pen, it seems. It also helps that the Note 2 is available in everywhere from Korea to Europe, Middle East to Latin America. The device also has solid specs overall and reasonably attractive styling.

To be fair, while selling five million units is no small feat, it still pales in comparison to the flagship Galaxy S3. Yes, the Galaxy S3 has been out for longer, but earlier this month, that Android superphone broke the 30 million mark. Whatever the case, the trend is clearly moving toward larger Android smartphones. We’ve got the HTC Deluxe (Droid DNA with Verizon) on the way, after all, and it certainly won’t be alone moving forward.

Do you prefer a larger phone like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or do you prefer something with a slightly smaller display and overall size?

[Source]

The post Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Worldwide Sales Break Five Million Mark appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

While this isn’t going to come as a surprise to many of us, HTC and Verizon held their press event to today and unveiled none other than the HTC Droid DNA. For those that don’t know, this is essentially the US version of the HTC J Butterfly.

So the announcement wasn’t a surprise, is anything else related to the new HTC phablet a shocker? Not really, it seems pretty on par with the J Butterfly. Here are the official specs and features on the HTC Droid DNA:

• 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB of storage
• 5-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1090 resolution and Gorilla Glass 2
• microSD
• 8MP camera, 2.1MP front cam
• 4G LTE support
• 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band, Wifi, GPS
• Bluetooth, NFC
• Mobile hotspot support
• microUSB
• 2020mAh battery
• Beats audio support
• wireless charging support
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean running with HTC Sense 4+
• Size: 143 x 71 x 9.1mm
• Weight: 140g

As you can see, this phone is a beast with its quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 1080p 5-inch screen. Large phones like this aren’t for everyone, and HTC Sense might be a turn off for some– that said, if you are looking for a massively powerful phablet, this is certainly the most powerful you’ll find at least for now.

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The post HTC Droid DNA officially announced, Verizon’s version of the J Butterfly appeared first on Mobile Magazine.