Hasta La Gadget!

Ever since Samsung issued invitations for its October 24th event, it’s become increasingly clearer that the New York City gathering would center on the Galaxy Note II. After all, we’ve tried almost every US version so far, and nothing else has loomed on the horizon. Just in case there was any lingering uncertainty, though, Samsung sent us that promised formal invitation with exact details of what’s going on: it’s the US stop for the Galaxy Note II World Tour, with a press event that night followed by a “consumer celebration” later on that might bring a public side to the affair. Most American editions of the phablet have been announced or re-announced, which suggests to us that we’ll primarily get firmer release dates and prices while we’re busy hobnobbing.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung confirms October 24th event is for the US Galaxy Note II, removes what doubt was left originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that the Galaxy Note II has already been given a formal debut for AT&T and Sprint, it’s T-Mobile’s turn at bat. The magenta network isn’t deviating significantly from the hardware seen at other American carriers, aside from the absence of (currently active) LTE, but it does brag about bonus software. Gamers taken with the MOGA mobile gaming system (read: Bluetooth controller) will get a preloaded, special version of an “exciting new racing game” that’s tailored for the physical controller. Unfortunately, T-Mobile is shy about committing to prices and ship dates for the gray and white Note II editions it will be offering in the weeks ahead — although there’s more than one hint that we should keep an eye out around October 24th, or at least no later than mid-November.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile made (more) official, comes with gamepad-tuned racing this fall

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, T-Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile made (more) official, comes with gamepad-tuned racing this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung and T-Mobile today announced that the Samsung Galaxy Note II will be arriving on T-Mobile’s network this fall, though specific dates and pricing weren’t yet revealed. An earlier leaked report says that it’ll hit on October 24, however. T-Mobile is calling Samsung’s latest phablet its “most powerful device,” which seems to indicate this will be a key flagship offering for the U.S. provider.

The 5.5-inch, quad-core 1.6-GHz Exynos-powered smartphone ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and offers improved S Pen capabilities, and HSPA+ “4G” connectivity, though not LTE. Color options available through T-Mobile include Titanium Gray and Marble White, and T-Mobile says it’ll come to retail stores, online and through authorized T-Mobile dealers sometime “in the coming weeks.”

T-Mobile clearly needs a big splashy phone launch in the wake of not offering the iPhone 5. The company could significantly improve its LTE standings and capabilities if the merger with MetroPCS goes through. But for now, shopping the Galaxy Note II without LTE could be a hard sell against other U.S. carriers like AT&T who are offering true next-gen connectivity.

If you’ve managed to stretch your hands around a Galaxy Note II smartphone already, but were hoping to get a custom ROM on it, there’s good news: Samsung has just released the source code. It’s now been posted for the international GT-N7100 model, giving developers a peek at the 5.5-incher’s inner workings and allowing them to get to work on new mods. The company has been faithfully posting its Android code for handsets like the Galaxy S III shortly after they’ve gone on sale, letting developers like CyanogenMod release custom ROMs scant weeks afterward. So, if you get tired of TouchWiz or want root control of the pen-enabled behemoth, you can be sure someone’s on the job right now.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung releases Galaxy Note II source code, gives modders a big fish to fry originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T’s still keeping us in the dark about a hard date for the Galaxy Note II’s release, but at least we know it’s real and on the way. Confirmed to ship sometime this holiday season, this variant of Samsung’s phablet refresh sports a 5.5-inch 1,280 x 720 HD Super AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 8-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video capture, beefy 3,100mAh battery and, of course, a refined S-Pen. It’s nigh unchanged from both the global and Sprint models we’d gotten hands-on with previously; a trend the OEM sparked off with the release of the GS III earlier this year. And in a move that augurs well for those of you averse to branding, there’s no superfluous carrier logo blemishing its smooth white back.

If you thought the original Note was big and unwieldy, prepare to stretch your thumb even further up the display. Samsung added 0.2-inches to this update, while incorporating elements of its “famed” inspired by nature design that conspire to lend this handset a reassuring in-hand fit. On the lower right-hand side, you’ll find a convenient slot for the S-Pen which, when removed, triggers an action menu that can be customized to launch selected apps. A large physical home button rests just below the expansive 16:9 screen and is flanked by capacitive buttons for menu and back, while the front-facing camera resides up above and hardware keys for volume and power are placed on the left and right edges, respectively.

On the software front, you’re still looking at a TouchWizzed version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, as well as some carrier-specific apps that come pre-loaded, like My AT&T, CodeScanner, FamilyMap, Navigator and Ready2Go. As you might expect from its quad-core Exynos, performance was smooth… almost buttery smooth, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention a slight hesitancy between pulling out the S-Pen and the launch of that Smart Actions menu. Bear in mind, this is a pre-production model, so most of those kinks should be worked out by the time it launches this holiday season. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Note II for AT&T hands-on: an S-Pen phablet with 4G LTE (update: video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, AT&T

Samsung Galaxy Note II for AT&T hands-on: an S-Pen phablet with 4G LTE (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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