News & Reviews:   Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Reports have come out saying that certain Samsung executives have noted that they may introduce a curved display smartphone in October. This probably means that it is finally time for the consumer level use of Samsung's Youm flexible display technology. The Youm, which was shown off at the CES 2013 is an OLED display that isn't made of glass which brings a number of advantages including durability and better energy efficiency. Since the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 remains the most well-known Samsung device at the moment, the likelihood of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 version with a curved Youm OLED display is very high. Many rumours are indicating that we may see such a device called the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Active in October 2013 with tech specs and features probably similar to the Note 3 but with a waterproof chassis, although we still don't know anything about Malaysia release dates and pricing. With the only other major mobile device flexible display maker being LG and Samsung and LG recently coming to a mutual understanding it seems very likely that Samsung may reach another mobile device world's first very soon.

As the phablet series that started it all, the Samsung Galaxy Note series of smartphones is probably best known for it's ability to take notes and provide a bigger screen. However, there are now many smartphones or phablets with much bigger screens than the Samsung Galaxy Note, so why should you get the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 apart from all these other phablets? Well, asides from the fact that sometimes, size isn't everything, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offers a renewed focus on note taking, multi-tasking and performance in a sweeter 5.7-inch display package. Is it enough for you? Read our review on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and find out.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has finally been offered by 4 of the major telcos in Malaysia. Retailing at an RRP of RM2399, each of these telcos in Malaysia is offering the LTE-enabled 32GB version. It is also available at lower prices in our sister site of Mobile Mega Mall.com with discounts up to RM300. Of the 4 major telcos the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch is offered for free as a combo with DiGi, Celcom and Maxis while U Mobile has the smartwatch available for separate purchase at it's Berjaya Times Square branch. If you haven't tried it out yet, do check out our Samsung Galaxy Note 3 plan comparison tool for a more comprehensive listing of all the available plans for the phablet. In any case, you can see all the tables in this article, containing the details of each plan.

Finally, Maxis has come out with it's Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offerings and no surprise here but they also have a FREE Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch thrown in. Prices of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 start from RM1199 and as usual, you have to sign up for a 24 month contract but with Maxis you can choose between a SurfMore75 or TalkMore78+1GB or TalkMore78+3GB postpaid plan bundle. Check out the table and links in the article for the full details.

While Celcom has already come out with it's Samsung Galaxy Note 3 bundles, those were for 24-month contracts. Looking to add a few more options for their bundles, Celcom have recently added on 12 and 18 month contracts starting from RM1888 and RM1748 respectively. Users still sign up using the Celcom First Prime, Celcom First Premier and Celcom First Elite plans but add on 1GB or 3GB of mobile internet. Other advantages of the lower contract period include a lower advance payment. Check out the details and links in the article.

U Mobile has announced it's Samsung Galaxy Note 3 package deals from as low as RM999, which is a massive reduction from the retail price of RM2399. Users interested in the deal have to sign up for a U Mobile Ultimate Device plan under a 24 month contract with loyal customers being offered the highest tier of Ultimate Device 158 and the aforementioned lowest price of RM999. All of the Ultimate Device postpaid plans will require an upfront payment which will be credited back over the 24 period. For more details check out the table and other links in this article.

Celcom has also come out with their deals on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch combo. This time the Note 3 is being offered from RM1538 with the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch only available for free for the first 100 who confirm a booking of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with Celcom. To get the deal, you have to sign up for a 24-months contract with the Celcom First plans and an mPro 88 data plan. Check out the full details in the article.

Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 pre-orders are opening up and DiGi is currently offering the smartphone from RM1319 with a free Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch for DG SmartPlan 148 subscribers. The Note 3 is still available by itself for other Smart Plan postpaid subscribers but all of them are under a 24 month contract. According to earlier reports, DiGi may only have limited stock of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch so if you want the RM999 smartwatch free, now is the time. For more details check out the table and other details in this article.

Before the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch was revealed, the hype machine put out all sorts of rumours that it would be the wearable tech device to beat, especially since Apple's iWatch isn't due until mid 2014. However, when it was revealed it didn't really get the sort of dominating presence Samsung were hoping for especially since the smartwatch can't last more than a day on a single charge. While in terms of features it does lead the pack, the fact that it currently only works with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has made things worse for the smartwatch. Rumours have it that the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch is currently under development and should be revealed during CES 2014 in January. These rumours claim that the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch may come with a GPS, better battery life and be able to connect to all Android smartphones. No Malaysia pricing or release dates just yet but we're guessing that the price won't be far off from the original Gear which retailed at $299 (RM981).

With the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, it appears that the dual-SIM version or Samsung Galaxy Note 3 DUOS is in line for release as a device with similar naming conventions made it's appearance on the AnTuTu benchmark site. Using the model number SM-9002 the device got 31276 on AnTuTu which matches up with the Note 3 DUOS tech specs including a Snapdragon 800 processor, Android 4.3 and 16GB storage space. Other Tech specs that point it out include 2.5GB of RAM which could mean that it is still a prototype in development. No Malaysia pricing or release dates just yet but stay tuned.