Latest News:  Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Just a short while ago, quite a lot of people were mighty interested in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo, not only because it would have a Hexa-core processor but also because it was meant to be a more affordable version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet. Thankfully, this is true for Malaysia as the Galaxy Note 3 Neo is priced at RM1699. Utilizing the features and tech specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 but using the Galaxy Note 3 design, the device has 3G HSPA+ connectivity, and updated 8MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. It also has an S Pen stylus as well. Do bear in mind that third party sellers are already dropping the price to RM1560 so do check out our sister site of MobileMegaMall.com for more details.

In line with their new 4G LTE enabled DG SmartPlan, DiGi have also revealed new device bundles for the Motorola Moto G, Alcatel One Touch Scribe Easy, Huawei Ascend G510, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro, Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia C, Sony Xperia Z Ultra and Sony Xperia Z1. These include the DG SmartPlan 50, DG SmartPlan 78, DG SmartPlan 108 and DG SmartPlan 148. Bear in mind that since these are postpaid plans you'll still have to sign up for the devices under either a 12-month or 24-month contract. However, DiGi have simplified this somewhat by having all contract device bundles under the DG SmartPlan set at 12-months while the other three plans are set at 24-month contracts. Check out the table below for more details:

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is rumoured to be on pre-order soon for Belgium. This has resulted in a number of better looking pictures along with pricing. Unfortunately, the Note 3 Neo isn't as affordable as we thought it would be at €599 (RM2731). The pics show that the overall design is more or less the same, right down to the artificial leather backside. Tech specs still haven't been confirmed but most estimates have them include an 8MP camera, 5.55-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, LTE and microSD support, Android 4.3 and a 3100 mAh battery. It should get it's officialy launch in March 2014 with the official announcement expected in February at the MWC expo. If it is already on pre-order in Belgium, we should see it get to Malaysia soon.

Jumping on the gold coloured smartphone bandwagon? Then Celcom's recent offer for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Rose Gold Edition should interest you as you can now get the phablet in Rose Gold White or Rose Gold Black at Celcom from RM1538. In addition to this, Celcom are even throwing in a free Moschino casing (worth RM189) along with a Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch at just RM288 (the standard retail price for the Gear is RM999). The initial Celcom Samsung Galaxy Note 3 deal is still the same with 12-month, 18-month and 24-month contracts for the Celcom First postpaid plans. Just for your information, the free Moschino case is only available from 28 January 2014 with the whole deal valid up until 28 February 2014. Check out the table and links in this article for more details.

The previously rumoured more affordable version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which was formerly known as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite may instead be called the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo. This follows the naming convention for the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo smartphone. Some other leaked internal documents have also revealed the tech specs for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo which include:

• 1.7GHz dual-core + 1.3GHz quad-core (Hexa-core) processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage
• 5.55-inch Super AMOLED display (720p resolution)
• 8MP rear camera
• 2100 mAh battery

Samsung is expected to release 4 new tablets in early 2014 but already, rumours about the release dates, names and tech specs have appeared as well. These new tablets will supposedly include the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 or SM-T320/T325, the  Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1  or SM-T520/T525, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 or SM-P900/P905 and the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite or SM-T110/T111. While the first three tablets will be headed for the "Pro" user, the Tab 3 Lite seems to be for the more budget conscious user with a price tag of around EUR100 (RM450). Regarding tech specs, the Pro tablets will have 4G LTE while the Tab 3 Lite is limited to just 3G, a 7-inch screen and is only available in white. The Pro tablets will be available in black and white and have 16GB storage except for the Note Pro 12.2 which will have 32GB. Other tech specs for the Note Pro 12.2 include a 12.2-inch display with 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution, 3GB RAM, quad-core Snapdragon processor and chipset and massive 9500 mAh battery. The other Pro tablets are expected to arrive with Super AMOLED displays. Release dates on the other hand are expected at week 2 of 2014 for the Tab 3 Lite, week 6-7 for the Tab Pro 8.4 and Note Pro 12.2 (probably during the MWC Expo) and week 8 for the Note Pro 12.2 with Malaysia release dates to be expected afterwards. 

While rumours about a more affordable Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite have already circulated, supposedly due to a cheaper LCD screen, other tech specs have leaked out regarding the Note 3 Lite. This includes screen size which may be 5.7-inches along with a lower-end 8MP rear camera as opposed to the 13MP rear camera on the current Samsung Galaxy Note 3. According to some other rumours, Samsung has already started production of the Galaxy Note 3 Lite, with the production goal to be 1.5 million Note 3 Lite units by the end of February 2014. Other features that we could see being used in the Note 3 Lite is the PLS-LCD screen along with a metal mesh layer, both of which are Samsung technologies that are designed to reduce production costs while enabling a more sensitive stylus without having to use a digitizer. Rumours indicate that we could see the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite at the MWC Expo 2014 which is due at the end of February 2014. However, do remember that this is also a rumour so take everything mentioned here with a generous pinch of salt.

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 already offers a good 3200 mAh battery for about 1 and a half worth of battery life, there will be some who want more than that, which is what the ZeroLemon 10000 mAh Tri-Cell Extended Battery case does. As the name suggests, it basically replaces the Note 3 3200 mAh battery with a much larger 10000 mAh battery. However, because it is so much larger, the back casing has to be replaced with the ZeroLemon custom back casing. Acccording to ZeroLemon this back casing not only comes with NFC support, it also has a double polycarbonate ans thermoplastic polyurethane layer for extra protection. This also means that the phablet becomes a whole lot thicker and loses the artificial leather backside that first came with the Note 3.  Despite the extra thickness, there is still space to put the S Pen stylus and even a clip-on belt holster. Priced at $59.99 (RM193) the battery case should extend battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 up to a week from a single charge and is compatible with all versions of the phablet. No news on Malaysia release dates but keep an eye out for it at our sister site of MobileMegaMall.com and the sellers there should have it or something similar soon.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet now has 6 official colour options to choose from. While we initially reported on the Rose Gold colour option, Samsung have come out with a White Rose Gold option and a Black Rose Gold colour option in addition to the new Red colour option. Add on the existing Black, Pink and White colour options and you have a total of 6 colours to choose from for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet. Tech specs and features for the phablet remain the same though. Unfortunately, Malaysian users may have to wait a while as these colour options may only be released in China starting from December 2013. Malaysian release dates are expected to be in early 2014.