Samsung's much awaited Galaxy Note finally arrived in Australia.

Korea-based company boasts a fusion of a smartphone and a tablet with its new Galaxy Note. The device is now available in two of Australia's largest networks, Optus and Vodafone. It will be launched to Telstra in April.

Samsung's Galaxy Note was officially launched in a media event in Sydney this week. The device was introduced in a new category carrying the functions of both a smartphone and a tablet. In the event, organizers brought in professional illustrators who sketched electronic photos of guests using the device's stylus or the S pen.

Using the pen, users can draw on Google maps, write captions on photos and send handwritten images and notes via texting. The Note comes with Google Android's 2.3.6 Gingerbread operating system, which will be upgraded to the new Ice Cream Sandwich OS later this year.

The Galaxy Note, with its 5.3 -inch Super AMOLED screen, has the largest display among smartphones. The device has long battery life of up to nine hours. However, its mammoth size feels awkward when user is answering phone calls. It may remind us of 90s mobile smart devices such as the PDAs (personal digital assistants) and Apple's Newton OS-driven tablets of the time.

However, the Galaxy Note is much tech-savvy with its 1.4GHz dual-core processor which is on a par with the fastest smartphones, 16GB internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 32GB through its microSD card.

Tyler McGee, vice president of telecommunications of Samsung Australia, said the Note would be available on a $79 per month plan through Optus and on a $59 per month plan through Vodafone from this week. Telstra would stock the phone in April with a suggested retail price of $899.

Retailers such as Kogan and Mobicity are already selling international versions of the Note and for less than $700. However, Mr. McGee said that the official version of the Note had been optimised for Australian networks and it was at the risk of the buyer when he or she purchases parallel imported international models.

Watch the official commercial of Samsung's Galaxy Note in the video below.