News & Reviews:   Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Barely a week after being announced, DiGi has already opened up the the pre-registration form for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The page asks for your Name,  Mobile Number and Email address and like all of the previous Registration of Interest pages, should notify you about a day or so in advance of the official launching and release in Malaysia. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date in Malaysia is expected to be 25 September 2013, it is still unclear if DiGi have got exclusive distribution rights or have some other promo waiting in the wings. No pricing was mentioned but we should see details from other telcos and perhaps some pricing details in the next couple of days.

This year's IFA 2013 has certainly been one of the largest IFA trade shows in recent years. Before this it was just the odd Samsung Galaxy Note announcement or something like that, but this year the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 came along with a whole lot of other gadgets and tech gear. Check out the 8 smartphones, tablets and cameras that we thought made the biggest splash here.

When it was first introduced, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch was said to only be able to work with Samsung Galaxy smartphones and even then, it would only work with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 at the time. While it still only works with the Note 3 a recent announcement reveals that the smartwatch may soon be compatible with any smartphone provided that it supports Bluetooth LE and has Android 4.3 (which still means no go for you iOS users hoping for some cross compatibility). According to the announcement, firmware upgrades are being sent out and the Gear may soon be compatible with the Samsung Galaxy SIII, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note II. Ryan Bidan, Samsung Director of Product Marketing said:

"[I]t is just the timetable of bringing that software to other devices. It is nothing other than engineering work to do it.... Part of that functionality is tied to some updates in Android 4.3. So we are working to bring 4.3 to all those devices as well and so that is definitely one of the factors influencing adoption.
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We were working to make sure that we had the right engineering to do it on the Galaxy Note 3. So, here we are at the launch of the Galaxy Note 3 and here is Galaxy Gear. There is more to come, for sure."

The newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch have a number of features which are both innovative and complex, so Samsung have gone and made a very instructional video on all of these new features. The video explains how you can use the Air Command function and all the other shortcut features like Action Memo and S Finder. It also shows how to use the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch in a more personal way and explores all the little details in a friendly instructional manner. While it doesn't show a real-life setting, it does get everything explained nicely so do check out the video in this article.

Samsung have been known to offer practically every "S" app available with each new device they release. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is no exception, but while it still has all the previous bloatware (granted, some are definitely useful) the new software or apps designed especially for the Note 3 seem to offer a new focus on usefulness. The main feature we're talking about here is the Air Command function which is basically a circular ring shortcut menu which pops up each time you click the button on the new S Pen stylus and touch the screen with it. This gives you access to some pretty useful options which include:

• Action Memo - Continuing on from S Memo, you can write down text or a number and rather than just save it as an image, call the number directly from the app.
• Scrapbook - Much like Google Keep or Pocket, this app lets you store content for later reading, arranging and organizing it for an easier read later.
• Screen Write - a more powerful screen capture which lets you scribble or add comments on to the screen capture, making it perfect for commenting.
• S Finder - search everything in your Note 3 according to specific categories which could include hand-written notes or even symbols and formulas.
• Pen Window - outline a window with the S Pen and launch a bunch of commonly used apps into that window, where the app will match those measurements exactly and float or hover over your existing screen.

Currently one of the most powerful phablets to be introduced recently, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offers up what could be easily considered the best tech specs for any smartphone around. This includes a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and chipset along with 3GB of RAM. Benchmarks of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 have recently surfaced and show the phablet topping nearly every benchmark except for AnTuTu where it got a close 2nd place behind the LG G2. However, in all other benchmarks, the Note 3 leads with a considerable gap. Check out the benchmarks for yourself in this article.

Going for the usual internal tech spec refresh is the official announcement for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. Offering up the same artificial leather backplate look as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the tablet offers an impressive 10.1-inch screen with 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution and 299ppi pixel density. Like the Note 3, it will offer 2 processor and chipset options which include the 1.9GHz Octa core processor or the 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 with LTE support version. Other features include 3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB/64GB storage, microSD support, an 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and larger 8220 mAh battery. Samsung have also managed to cut down the tablet to a thinner 243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9mm and a lighter 535g, all powered by Android 4.3.

The 3rd generation phablet with the series that started the whole phablet trend is finally here with the official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. While it may not be the largest phablet around anymore it does keep up appearances with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED Full HD screen, a new S Pen and some really impressive tech specs. As rumoured earlier, the Note 3 comes in 2 flavours, one with a 1.9GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor and another one with 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. Both pack in 3GB RM, making the Note 3 the world's first smartphone to break the 2GB RAM limit. You also get 32GB / 64GB worth of storage and up to 64GB microSD. Other tech specs include a 13MP camera with LED flash and smart stabilization, which means the Snapdragon 800 version can record 4K video, probably at 1080p 60fps while 192KHz audio recording is also available.

As expected, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch was officially announced along with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Featuring a metallic chrome bezel it certainly looks better than the earlier leaked "prototypes" and comes in black, grey, red, yellow and white plastic watch straps. It confirms many tech spec rumours which include a camera, microphones and speaker built into the strap along with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen that has a 320 x 320 pixel resolution. Tech specs for the Samsung Galaxy Gear include an 800 MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB storage and a 1.9MB camera capable of taking 720p video. According to Samsung, while it only packs in a 315 mAh battery it should last "about a day" although they are unclear if this is 24 hours or an 8 hour working day.

At a press conference by KT Corporation about broadband LTE, a presentation slide let slip that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note III would not only support a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset but also that it would be able to handle LTE-A. While this isn't an official Samsung announcement, KT Corporation is one of the major telcos in Korea so it doesn't look like a leak or prank. The slip doesn't confirm other features or details though as there are no Malaysia release dates, no pricing and no confirmation of other tech specs. With just another 2 or so days to go, the Samsung Galaxy Note III official reveal is set for 4 September 2013 where everything gets confirmed or not, so let's wait and see. We expect even more rumours and leaks to come though, as such things usually happen the closer you get to the official announcement.