Galaxy Note 3 Sept 4 Launch: 4 Confirmed Samsung Phablet Details to Expect
It is all but confirmed - Samsung will hold a media event on Sept 4 and devices will be unwrapped before tech journalists. One of them is the third-generation phablet known for now as the Galaxy Note 3.
As one of 2013's heavily talked-about gadgets, rumoured details about the Note 3 seem too many to process and to be taken in as facts. The supersized smartphone took many forms - from having a flexible display screen to a casing that is metallic which departs from the plastic housing that is a Galaxy signature.
In the end, talks were reduced to the obvious - that the second Samsung flagship for the year will simply sport the same look first seen in the Galaxy S4 though the phablet, as expected, is the bigger cut with a screen size that flirts between 5.7-inch and 6-inch or even beyond.
For now, there are four things about the Note 3 that will stand as facts on the day of unveiling and through the gadget's release date, which should be a few weeks after Samsung's glitzy peek show for the third phablet king. They are listed below:
Actual release date
The smooth operator that it is, Samsung will surely bring the Note 3 to store shelves around the world in record time. Android watchers predict a short interval between the debut day and the phone's commercial availability. The latest should be the last few days of September, which means that even before the IFA news briefing in Berlin, Samsung has already set up the Note 3 shipments for global distribution.
The big player that it is, it likely too that Samsung got everything covered - from the smallest to the most complex supply details - if only to ensure that the phone will reach their destinations on time and minus the glitches. So consumers can expect the hulking but beautiful handset to go on display without waiting too long.
The Note 3 is expensive
Likes its immediate predecessor, the Galaxy Note 2, the Note 3 will not come cheap. However, the whole package - top-notch components, Jelly Bean 4.3, a super-enhanced display screen, longer operating hours and the vastly-improved S-Pen, is just irresistible that many would take the plunge unmindful of the $300 price tag, which is for a unit with contract.
Unlocked, the Note 3 could go as high as $600 or $700, which is the case in many Asian markets. However, it is likely that promo deals will sprout, dangling more attractive price points, but not too soon. For this, deal hunters should monitor the usual suspects - Best Buy, Target, Walmart and Amazon.
Accessories and other customisation options to wait a bit
Unlike the iPhone variants, the Galaxy support products system is yet to mature, which means that screen shields, protective cases and other Note 3 accessories will not be readily available days, weeks or even months after the phablet's release date. While Samsung offers in-house-produced compatible products for its Galaxy devices, the demand is so overwhelming that many users end up frustrated.
The same is true with the case colour options. Normally, Galaxy devices come in different hues but on initial availability, Samsung only releases the white and dark (blue, brown or black) variants with the more vibrant choices (red or pink) to follow in the months ahead.
Android hiccups
Reports have emerged that Jelly Bean 4.3 is causing headaches to numerous Nexus 7 (the 2013 edition) users as well as many Android gadget owners who quickly jumped to the latest Android flavour. To some experts, these episodes are hardly surprising as most software, mobile OS even, contains bugs and issues - stability and security, for example - on initial builds.
Fortunately for the Note 3, it will come out more than a month or two after Jelly Bean 4.3 was first deployed, which should provided ample time for Google and Samsung to fix the errors that are bugging the early adopters.