If the rumors are to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 should be unveiled within a month or so but that hasn’t stopped speculation about what exactly can be expected from Samsung’s new ‘phablet’ and the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note.
Make no mistake, none of the supposed ‘specifications’ for the Galaxy Note 2 are hard and fast facts, but they represent a probable idea of what can be expected.
Form Factor & Display
The original Galaxy Note was somewhat infamous for its form factor that was a little too large to rightfully be called a smartphone and a little too small to be called a tablet. It measured in at 146.85 mm x 82.95 mm x 9.65 mm and featured a 5.3 inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800. For all its sleekness, the size of the Galaxy Note meant that it felt clunky when held in the palm of the hand and looked strange when held up to the face and used as a phone.
As much as its size was a downside for some users however, it was an upside for others. The extra screen real estate meant that it was easier to browse conventional websites, view content, and even type or write on the Galaxy Note. As such, the device was able to carve a niche for itself among users who preferred a large screened device that still had all the functionality of a conventional smartphone.
While the exact dimensions of the Galaxy Note 2 aren’t known as yet, it is rumored to sport an even larger screen than its predecessor and should measure in at 5.5 inches. For all those who are worried that this additional screen size will result in an even larger device however, the good news is that it is supposed to use a smaller bezel and measure up to roughly the same dimensions as the original.
Furthermore, it is suspected that the resolution of the screen on the Galaxy Note 2 will be better as well, with a likely suspect being a 1600 x 900 resolution. Though it would be amazing if the rumors of a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen panned out, that isn’t very likely especially considering a 5.5 inch display with a resolution of 1600 x 900 would already enable the Galaxy Note 2 surpass most other smartphones and tablets.
Processor, GPU & RAM
Just like some of Samsung’s other devices, the specifications of the Galaxy Note differ depending on the version of the device. As far as the processor is concerned, there are two different processors that can generally be found in the Galaxy Note: A dual core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex A9 Exynos processor with a Mali-400 GPU or a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S3 processor that comes with a Adreno 220 GPU. All versions of the Galaxy Note have 1 GB of RAM.
There is no real consensus about the possible processor that will end up in the Galaxy Note 2, however the most likely suspect is the quad core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex A9 Exynos 4 that was used in the international variant of the Samsung Galaxy S3 coupled with the Mali-400 GPU. It would certainly be a step up in processing power and although it may be feasible to go a step further and put in the Exynos 5250 SoC, it seems unlikely that Samsung would want to do so as it would jack up the price of the Galaxy Note 2 considerably.
On the RAM front, it is possible that the Galaxy Note 2 will feature 2 GB of RAM but it is also likely that Samsung will opt to keep it at just 1 GB of RAM since that is sufficient for the tasks that would be performed by a ‘phablet’.
Until more details are released, this is one area where any guess is as good as the next, but the bottom line is that the Galaxy Note 2 will definitely be able to perform better than its predecessor with additional processing power under the hood.
Operating System
When the Galaxy Note was first launched, it featured Android 2.3 Gingerbread along with the standard Samsung TouchWiz UI overlay. Later on, most of the Galaxy Note variants received an update that brought Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich to the device.
While the expectation is that the Galaxy Note 2 will feature the very latest version of Android (i.e. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), it is possible that Samsung will choose to release it with Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and later provide an update to Jelly Bean. Whatever the case, the Samsung TouchWiz UI overlay will undoubtedly feature on whichever OS the Galaxy Note 2 is launched with.
Being able to launch with Jelly Bean would be a big plus point for the Galaxy Note 2, especially taking into account the vast performance and speed improvements that it would bring to the table.
Internal & External Storage
Unlike some other devices that had multiple different versions based on their internal storage capacity, the Samsung Galaxy Note came with 16 GB of internal storage but also had a micro SD slot that could support an additional 32 GB. It is likely that Samsung will follow a similar formula with the Galaxy Note 2 as there isn’t much of a demand for additional storage on smartphones or tablets and 16 GB of internal storage with a possible additional 32 GB is generally more than enough.
It must be said that there are some rumors that even pin a 64 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) on the Galaxy Note 2, but these are unlikely to be true.
Camera Quality
Frankly speaking, the cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Note are still decent by any standards seeing as it featured a 8 Megapixel rear camera that with auto-focus, a LED flash, face and smile detection technology, as well as image stabilization. Also, the front camera on the Galaxy Note was 2 Megapixels which is more than sufficient for video calls and far better than the VGA (0.3 Megapixel) cameras most other smartphones and tablets utilize.
One of the most prevalent rumors about the Galaxy Note 2 is that the rear camera will be receiving a substantial upgrade, bringing it to 12 or 13 Megapixels. However, it is more probable that Samsung will keep the rear camera at 8 Megapixels but improve the sensor quality and thus enable the device to capture higher quality images.
Chances are the front camera will remain unchanged especially considering 2 Megapixels is already very impressive for a smartphone or tablet.
Connectivity Options
The original Galaxy Note already supported most modern connectivity options, and there is unlikely to be much of a change in this department. As such, the Galaxy Note 2 should support GSM, HSDPA and LTE networks and also provide other connectivity options such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC while also possessing a 3.5 mm audio jack and a micro USB port.
The only difference in connectivity options that will probably arise is that the Galaxy Note 2 will likely support Bluetooth 4.0 while its predecessor was only capable of supporting Bluetooth 3.0.
Pricing & Release Info
Right now it is rumored that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will be announced at the upcoming IFA conference in Berlin, but details about is price and official release date aren’t forthcoming. Chances are the earliest the Galaxy Note 2 will find its way to the shelves of retailers is late September at the earliest, with October or November being far more likely.
When it is released, the Galaxy Note 2 will probably be priced similarly to what its predecessor was sold at a year prior at around the $800 to $900 mark. Of course, the price for the original Galaxy Note has dropped since its release, and it now goes for about $600 to $650 for an unlocked model. Even cheaper prices are available for the Galaxy Note by obtaining it along with a 2 year contract and when the Galaxy Note 2 is finally announced and released it is possible that prices will drop further.
Verdict: Possibly Even Bigger and Better
Long story short, if the speculation and rumors all turn out to be true the Galaxy Note 2 should very well be a bigger and better device than its predecessor. The looming question mark however is whether or not the Galaxy Note 2 will be able to feature a larger screen without increasing the size of the device itself and making it even more unwieldy than it already is.
If it can pull that off then it will definitely attract a lot of attention especially with its other improved specifications, but if it does not then it may very well alienate even the current users of the Galaxy Note.
There are bound to be more rumors and supposed ‘leaks’ that surface in the weeks leading up to the official announcement from Samsung, but for now this detailed comparison should give you an idea of how the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 should rack up against its predecessor., HTC Desire C Release Date, HTC Desire C Specs, HTC Desire C vs Desire HD, HTC Desire HD
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