T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II firmware update appears, points to Jelly Bean and HSPA+

Samsung's new full-fat smartphone has hinted at appearances on both Verizon and AT&T, and now an update spotted at SAM Mobile suggests that -- just under two months since the original appeared -- there will be a Magenta-branded version of the Galaxy Note II... too. Going under the SGH-T889 model number, firmware from September 15th is now available to try -- if you have a phone that's not yet out on any official channels. The site's sources have said that the device runs closer to a global iteration, lacking any true LTE capabilities, but it's more than happy to substitute that for HSPA+ support. If you're part of Samsung's secretive cabal of handset testers you can seek out the new build at the source below.

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II firmware update appears, points to Jelly Bean and HSPA+ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 03:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II firmware update appears, points to Jelly Bean and HSPA+

Samsung's new full-fat smartphone has hinted at appearances on both Verizon and AT&T, and now an update spotted at SAM Mobile suggests that -- just under two months since the original appeared -- there will be a Magenta-branded version of the Galaxy Note II... too. Going under the SGH-T889 model number, firmware from September 15th is now available to try -- if you have a phone that's not yet out on any official channels. The site's sources have said that the device runs closer to a global iteration, lacking any true LTE capabilities, but it's more than happy to substitute that for HSPA+ support. If you're part of Samsung's secretive cabal of handset testers you can seek out the new build at the source below.

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II firmware update appears, points to Jelly Bean and HSPA+ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 03:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s Galaxy Note II purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included

Verizon's Galaxy Note 2 purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included

Phablet lovers on Verizon may have reason to rejoice, because the carrier's variant of the Galaxy Note II may have been captured in the flesh. The white device is aesthetically identical to the version straight from Samsung's house, save for its questionable carrier-branding. While the back of the phone sports a seemingly legit "Verizon 4G LTE" logo along with its moniker, you'll notice a rather obnoxiously-planted "Verizon" logo on its home button -- perhaps a bit too ridiculous to be the real deal. That said, it's almost certain that the Note II will officially make it to Verizon, no matter if it's dressed like the photos above or not; this purported variant lines up nicely with screenshots leaked earlier this week showing AT&T and Verizon compatibility. Now, if only we could have further confirmation -- perhaps in the way of a second visit to the FCC in the near feature or some leaky memos.

[Thanks, Sean P.]

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Verizon's Galaxy Note II purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy Note II makes first FCC appearance, variant lacks US-friendly LTE bands

Galaxy Note II makes first FCC appearance, lacks USfriendly LTE bands

Samsung pegged its new Note for an October launch in Europe and Asia, in typical FCC fashion, it's passed through those wireless testing labs ahead of its arrival in stores around the world. For US readers, there's a severe lack of compatible US LTE bands on this Galaxy Note II, which suggests this is a global model we're dealing with, likely to connect with other 4G networks -- there's a whole lot of them out there. Aside from that, there's a typical selection of 850/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 850 WCDMA/HSPA radios inside this GT-N7105 model. However, we're expecting another Note II iteration -- packing friendlier LTE frequencies -- will make an appearance at the FCC pretty soon.

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Galaxy Note II makes first FCC appearance, variant lacks US-friendly LTE bands originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 05:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II with dual-SIM capabilities gets spotted in the wild

Samsung Galaxy Note II with dualSIM capabilities gets spotted in the wild

Now that the second-gen Note is finally out of Samsung's precious (and teasing) bag, we're learning more and more about the exorbitant device -- not to say we weren't expecting this to be the case, however. Still, we were rather intrigued by the distinct Galaxy Note II pictured above, which, by the looks it, comes pre-loaded with dual-SIM capabilities, and thus makes this particular unit slightly different than that one unit we played with back at IFA. Although details are still very scarce at the moment, rumor has it the dual-SIM Note will only be available in China and, aside from the slot additions, all other features the famed phablet offers appear to be exactly the same. Feel free to check out the source below for more pics, but don't expect anything too exciting or out of the ordinary -- unless, of course, extra SIM slots are your thing.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II with dual-SIM capabilities gets spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II unveiled: 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean and more S Pen functionality

Samsung Galaxy Note II unveiled 55inch HD Super AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean and more S Pen functionality

While we can't say it was a shock, Samsung's latest superphone has arrived -- and it's got a new stylus. The Galaxy Note II pushes the screen frontier to 5.5 inches wide, with another HD Super AMOLED display, this time at 1,280 x 720. Despite that expansion the phone is a mere 9.4mm thick, while it now houses a larger capacity (faster charging) 3,100mAh battery and a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6GHz. As the Galaxy Note was to the Galaxy S II, so the Note II takes some design riffs from the Galaxy S III, with the same rounded edges, glossy finish and extra software piled atop its Android base. There's also Samsung's reliable 8-megapixel camera sensor on the back, capable of 1080p video-recording.

The great news is that the Galaxy Note II will be launching on Jelly Bean -- no laborious waiting for those over-the-air updates for Google's very latest. Software additions are understandably heavily weighted towards the phablet's S Pen advances. The stylus itself now has a rubber nib, which Samsung reckons will offer an experience closer to pen and paper. User can add "Quick Commands" to their stylus gestures, while "Air View" allows you to peruse galleries and folders by floating the stylus just above the screen. Samsung's also added an Easy Clip ability to crop and share from anything beaming out from the Note II's 16:9 screen. Stylus functionality has been gifted to the calendar (S Planner) and the native email app, while the S Pen itself will now notify your phone if it's left behind. The device will launch in Titanium Grey and Marble White, arriving internationally before the end of the year. We've just managed to handle both the Galaxy Note II and that reformed stylus -- check out our hands-on here.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Note II unveiled: 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean and more S Pen functionality

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Samsung Galaxy Note II unveiled: 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean and more S Pen functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung teases Galaxy Note II, ‘a small and light thing’ (video)

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We're just over two weeks away from Samsung unpacking its latest phone, with the company already pointing to a Galaxy Note successor. Well, here's something to whet the appetites of anyone into big phones -- Samsung's new video teaser for its IFA show. Director Wim Wenders is involved in the trailer, talking up "all the things you can do in the blink on the eye, on such a small and light thing." We also get a glimpse of the new stylus -- but not much else. Take a look for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Timothy]

Continue reading Samsung teases Galaxy Note II, 'a small and light thing' (video)

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Samsung teases Galaxy Note II, 'a small and light thing' (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 02:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Potential Samsung Galaxy Note 2 bezel gets snapped, measured at 5.5 inches

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Here's an image purporting to be of the Galaxy Note 2's bezel, and if it's a fake, it's a very good one. Taken by a (sharper-than-usual) blurrycam snapper wearing factory-style dust booties, the hardware suggests a chunky, squared-off design for the second-generation phablet that rejects the Galaxy S III's more curvaceous body. The ruler draped from corner-to-corner jibes with earlier rumors that it would have a slightly expanded 5.5-inch canvas for your S-Pen fun. We just have one question: does that photo make it look curved along the horizontal axis, or is the loose component just bendy?

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Potential Samsung Galaxy Note 2 bezel gets snapped, measured at 5.5 inches originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Image posted on official site looks worryingly familiar

Is this the Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Hmmm, this is a strange one. Samsung Pakistan just posted the above pic on its official Facebook page. The caption reads, "Picture perfect view made even more perfect with Samsung Galaxy S3," but the picture clearly isn't of a GS III. So, what is it? It's big, that's for sure, and the bezel is quite the opposite. Dare we hope it's a next-gen Galaxy Note, or is it simply render fodder that has been re-posted by Samsung accidentally? There's one big reason to be skeptical, which is that this exact same pic already did the rounds as a potential GS III image before that flagship was launched. The only difference here is that it's on an official outlet, which implies the jpeg in question could be sitting on a member of staff's hard drive.

Oh, and since our brows are already furrowed with doubt, we may as well throw in another rumor that's going about today, which might actually connect with the notion of a thin bezel and no home button. Korea Times is reporting that the Galaxy Note 2 will have a slightly expanded 5.5-inch display that just happens to be flexible -- or at least curved by the time it leaves the factory. We can't vouch for the trustworthiness of their sources, especially since we're still waiting on that 7.85-inch iPad Mini, but then again, Samsung has been exploring flexible AMOLED for ages, not to mention bezel-free panels (see More Coverage).

Update: And just like that, the Samsung Pakistan Facebook page has disappeared. For the sake of posterity (not least our own), we've kept a record of it after the break. Roll on, August 29th.

Update: As keen-eyed commenters have spotted, the page has re-appeared with the photo now captioned as a "Galaxy Note." Mind-boggling.

Update: Now the Facebook pic is truly dead. It's almost a relief. We've linked the main Samsung Pakistan page instead.

[Thanks, Kashif and Leonard]

Continue reading Is this the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Image posted on official site looks worryingly familiar

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Is this the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Image posted on official site looks worryingly familiar originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 06:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKorea Times, Samsung Pakistan (Facebook)  | Email this | Comments