In 2011, Samsung broke the mold with its Galaxy Note “phablet,” the first smartphone to come equipped with a stylus and nearly tablet-sized 5.3-inch screen. The Note II, released last October, increased the already oversized screen to 5.5 inches.
But a jump to 5.5 inches was only the beginning. The recently released Galaxy Mega has taken the too-big-for-your-pocket crown away from the Note II – it packs a behemoth 6.3 inch display, with a 5.8-inch model available for those less bold. Technically speaking, however, the Mega falls into the mid-range category despite the giant screen.
For smartphone aficionados who want a premium experience attached to a pocket-busting display, the rumored Galaxy Note III is expected to pack a screen between 5.7 and 6 inches.
As far as smartphones go, a handset released in 2012 is sure to have some dated specs. But the Galaxy Note II still packs a punch against the current mid-range offerings. The 0.37-inch thick Note II has a 720p HD display with a 267 ppi resolution. It is powered by an Exynos 4 quad-core processor, clocked at 1.6GHz.
It packs 2GB of RAM, internal memory of 16, 32, or 64GB, and a microSD slot that accommodates cards up to 64GB. Battery capacity is a robust 3100 mAh. The Note II’s rear-facing camera is rated at 8MP, with an LED flash and a 1.9MP front shooter. It launched with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Although newly released, the Galaxy Mega is not quite dazzling as far as the spec sheet is concerned. Both versions have been thinned out, with the 6.3-inch Mega only 0.31 inches thick. The Mega 6.3’s 720p HD display matches the aging Note II, but with only 233 ppi. The Snapdragon 400 processor is also weaker, with only two cores and 1.7GHz of processing power.
Memory is also trimmed down, with RAM at 1.5GB and internal storage options of only 8GB and 16GB. External storage is the same, accepting microSD cards up to 64GB. To accommodate a larger screen that is sure to suck up more juice, the battery of the Mega 6.3 has been increased to 3200 mAh. Both front and rear cameras will have identical pixel count as the Note II, but the Mega 6.3 will launch running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Surprisingly, the massive Galaxy Mega 6.3 doesn’t come with the popular S Pen stylus that previous Notes have been equipped with.
Moving on to Samsung’s next mammoth in the works, the Galaxy Note III has yet to be officially revealed, so the ultra phablet’s specifications are based only on the latest rumors. The screen will almost certainly be bumped up to full 1080p HD, and some outlets are reporting that it may be the first smartphone in history to utilize flexible display technology. Design cues will probably be taken from the Galaxy S4.
Under the hood, the Note III is likely to come with Samsung’s next generation Exynos 5 processor, which packs eight cores, or the quad-core Snapdragon 800 by Qualcomm. It could also boast a whopping 3GB of RAM. The camera will probably be upgraded to match the current S4, which comes with a 13MP rear shooter.
Through an industry source, Slashgear has claimed that the Note III will drop on September 4.
As for the respective price tags, Newegg.com lists an unlocked Galaxy Note II for $549.00, with an unlocked Galaxy Mega 6.3 selling for $529.00. GottaBeMobile estimates that the Galaxy Note III will debut for around $300 with a contract and $600 without.