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Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) with 3G radios hits the FCC, gets Uncle Sam's stamp of approval? (update: probably the Galaxy Note 10.1)
Just a couple days ago, Samsung revealed the encore to the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), showcasing the company's incredible ability to iterate slates using decidedly uncreative names. Today, a fresh bit of hardware looking suspiciously like that new Sammy slate made its way through the FCC's gauntlet of tests. This fresh bit of kit comes sporting AT&T-friendly WCDMA/HSPA 850/1900 and GSM 850/1900 radios, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and a GT-N8000 model number. Who knows if this ten-inch tab is destined for our shores or if it's the UK model masquerading as such, but only time will tell. Want to know more? Feel free to do some digging in the full filings linked below.Update: As one of our astute commenters pointed out, this is likely to be the Galaxy Note 10.1 given the 2-megapixel front-facing shooter you see above -- the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) comes with a VGA unit.
Samsung announces Galaxy Note 10.1 at MWC (update: hands-on photos!)
Samsung's announced another 10.1-inch tablet to join its burgeoning collection of slates. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is an S-Pen toting variant of the similarly sized-and-named Galaxy Tab. It's running Touchwiz-infused ICS on a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU with 1GB of RAM, but here's the answer to the question on everyone's lips: nope, you can't use it as a phone. Sadly you'll only have access to HSPA+, WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0, dashing our hopes of using this as our primary cellphone to annoy people on the train. The 10.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) display is nestled opposite a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and beside a 2-megapixel one for video conferencing. S-Pen specific features include S Note for scrawling text, Shape Match and Formula Match (to digitize images and mathematical formulae) -- but more importantly is the ability to use Adobe's new Photoshop Touch and Ideas, which will both come pre-installed.If you'd rather use the slate as one of the world's largest sat-navs, you'll be relieved to know it's packing both GPS and Glonass. For the businesspersons of you out there, there's Exchange ActiveSync, on-device encryption, Juniper Junos Pulse and Cisco VPNs. It'll come in 16, 32 and 64GB variations, with a microSD slot for you to add up to a further 32GBs into the mix. It's clear that Samsung's bisecting its tablet business: purely touch-driven devices will now be branded as a "Tab" and anything with a stylus S-Pen will be suffixed with "Note." Pricing and availability are currently unspecified, but we'll do our best to shanghai that information out of a passing company rep when we see one.Update: We've added a gallery of hands-on photos just below.%Gallery-148870%Brad Molen contributed to this report.
Angry Birds Space to launch on Samsung's Galaxy Note (video)
Rovio described the upcoming Angry Birds Space as its biggest launch since the original game, but has been coy about platform details until now, as Samsung has revealed it's launching on the Galaxy Note. We're not sure how the phablet's 5-inch (or possible 10.1-inch) display comes into play, but the extra area can't hurt. Other than the "Houston... we have a slingshot" tagline there's not many other details revealed, but if you're (still) obsessed with taking down those pigs once and for all then press play on the teaser video above.
Signage suggests Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 en route for MWC debut
Could it be that Samsung really, truly, has another 10.1-inch slab in store for us this week? After seeing the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 make its official debut earlier, it appears more and more likely that it'll have a counterpart equipped with an S-Pen before the week is over. Apparently, someone was snooping sneaking around a hotel that the Sammy folks are staying at -- and are planning to show off its products -- and uncovered a poster teasing the wildly rumored Galaxy Note 10.1. Naturally, this doesn't guarantee we'll actually see the mystical tablet in Barcelona (after all, we'd imagine something like this would merit a press conference), but it's looking a heckuva lot more likely now, isn't it? [Thanks, Peter]
Distro Issue 28: A slew of device reviews and a look back at CP+ 2012
Apple's kitty cat-flavored OS refresh may have dominated the news this week, but it was a deluge of product reviews that kept the wheels spinning at Distro HQ. Issue 28 is one of our heftiest yet, featuring Sony's stateside PS Vita, Ainovo's $99 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, Motorola's QWERTY kin, the Droid 4, the AT&T version of Samsung's ample Galaxy Note and LG's fashionable Prada Phone. Shaking things up a bit, Zach Honig travels to Yokohama, Japan to bring you the biggest breakouts from the 2012 CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show. And, to round it all out, we've got a healthy helping of content you won't see anywhere else, like Ross Rubin's Switched On, Donald Melanson's Recommended Reading, our Q&A with Netbooknews' Nicole Scott and a lesson on "How to Be Happy" by cartoonist Shannon Wheeler.Distro Issue 28 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
PSA: AT&T's Galaxy Note does not support AWS for HSPA+
Specs aren't always accurate, especially when it comes to the frequencies supported by the devices we review -- something we learned the hard way with T-mobile's G2x last year. While both Samsung and AT&T list the radios in the awesome new Galaxy Note LTE as quadband GSM / EDGE, tri-band UMTS / HSPA+ (850 / 1900 / 2100MHz) and dual-band LTE (1700 and 700MHz, bands 4 and 17) we've read emails, tweets and comments suggesting that Samsung's giant phone (or little tablet?) is also compatible with AWS (1700 MHz) for HSPA+, which is used by T-Mobile in the US. Bell, which carries the same Galaxy Note in Canada, shows it supporting 1700MHz for HSPA+, further adding to the confusion. Of course, it's possible the Canadian handset is slightly different, but we wanted to verify the radio specs for AT&T's model so we unlocked our white review unit with the help from our friends at Negri Electronics. The verdict? AT&T's Galaxy Note does not support AWS for HSPA+ -- it's EDGE only on T-Mobile USA. Sure, it's rather unfortunate considering Samsung's flagship unlocked Galaxy Nexus features a pentaband HSPA+ radio, but to be clear, the same restriction applies to the global non-LTE version of the Galaxy Note that we reviewed last year.
AT&T Galaxy Note review
It was once said that if a phone or tablet used a stylus its hardware designers had blown it. It was also said that if the software on that device contained a task manager that coders had similarly missed the mark. The Samsung Galaxy Note on AT&T contains what many would consider a stylus and, if you hold down the Home button, you're presented with what can only be described as a task manager.So the Galaxy Note, Samsung's massive 5.3-inch "superphone," is critically flawed then, right? No. It is, in fact, one of the best phones to hit the market since another Samsung powerhouse -- the Galaxy Nexus. It's a device with a lot to love and is the kind of phone that would make almost every Android aficionado swoon. However, with its massive 5.3-inch display and generally understated styling, it isn't for everybody. We reviewed it before in European guise, but now read on to see if AT&T's $300 LTE version of this big brute is just right for you.
Canada welcomes the Galaxy Note, available on Bell and Telus for $199 today (video)
Boom. Just as promised, the large beast that is Samsung's don't-call-it-a-tablet handset has hit available status in the Land of the Maple Leaf. Canadian carriers Bell and Telus have the Galaxy Note up for grabs now on their respective sites at the cost of $199 with a whopping three-year contract, while anything's yet to pop up on Rogers' page (we'll let you know as soon as it does). The launch comes a few days ahead of its expected release on US shores, where it'll require less of a commitment but carry a heavier price tag. Still pondering if the galactic 5.3-inch device is the right fit for you? Give our review one last glance before you decide to make the enormous jump.
LG Optimus Vu gets pictured alongside Samsung Galaxy Note, hints at possible stylus
LG's recently leaked five-inch Optimus Vu has been showing of its curious 4:3 proportions again -- this time, alongside its closest rival, Samsung's Galaxy Note. It looks like you're going to get those suit pockets let out a little if you're interested in picking up the Optimus Vu -- it's a fair bit wider than even the Galaxy Note. We also get a real world glimpse at the Vu's hardware, which sports a bevel design similar to that of LG's recent Prada team-up. Unfortunately, there's just the one lonely comparison photo to go on, although an extra screen grab of some note-taking features has also surfaced. Will the LG's big phone / tiny tablet arrive packing a stylus? We'll have to wait until we get our hands on one -- or a more detailed leak. We've included a peek at the note annotation app right after the break.
BLU Studio 5.3 and Touch Book 7.0 hands-on
You know handset vendors like Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola. You've probably even heard that manufacturers such as Pantech, Sharp and Acer produce phones as well. But have you ever heard of BLU? If you haven't, don't worry -- you'd be in the ranks of the 99 percent. Calling itself the "leader of the Latin America market with vision to expand worldwide," the outfit is nothing if not confident about its stature in developing countries. In the US, however, it's a completely different story: here, BLU is a virtual unknown: a low-profile brand, selling unlocked phones and tablets via e-tailers at bargain-basement prices.Our friends at Negri Electronics hooked us up with the BLU Studio 5.3 ($260) and BLU Touch Book 7.0 ($230) for a short time, giving us the chance to play around with them for a little bit. Rather than doing a full review on both items, we felt it was more appropriate to first give the product lineup a formal introduction to the site. BLU, meet Engadget. Engadget, BLU. Let's dive in.
Samsung brings us more to love, offers Galaxy Note engraving in South Korea
Sure, you can draw whatever the heck you want on the front of your Galaxy Note, but what about that blank blue or white canvas 'round back? With north of a million 5.3-inch pocketable slates in circulation around the world, you'll need to get a bit more creative to truly make it yours -- and Samsung is willing to help. If a trip to South Korea is on the books between now and March 31st, you can now deck out your Note with custom messaging on the back, with the company letting customers "engrave wished letters on the backside of their own device with laser beams." And we can all agree that laser beams boost the appeal of any device -- even the Note. So what would you tattoo on your Note's backside? We'll share a few staff picks just below, but let us know your plans in the comments. "Large is just a matter of perspective" "Yes, I can make phone calls" "It's not a STYLUS" "Size DOES matter" "More to Love" "Wide Load"
Samsung Galaxy Note coming to Bell, Rogers and Telus in February
Those of you who seem to be more closely connected to the Maple Leaf than the pine needle might've jumped on the envious side at the news that folks across the border are getting their hands on the LTE Galaxy Note. Envy no more. Via blog post, Rogers has announced that Samsung's "phablet" creation will be surfing through its fresh 4G waves in the upcoming month. Aside from the Rogers branding we expect to see, it'll be hard to distinguish this Note from its AT&T brother, as it'll be identical in the specs department. Based on a page thrown up at Best Buy Canada, it looks as if it'll sell for $249.99 on a three-year contract (with Bell and Telus getting in on the fun, too), with the first of 'em shipping out on Valentine's Day. Desperate to be the first to try and fit this in your pocket? Head on to the source to join the carrier's reservation system.
Samsung Galaxy Note available at AT&T February 19th for $300, pre-orders begin February 5th
We've known for a while that the Samsung Galaxy Note was coming to AT&T sometime soon, but now we actually have a date: February 19th. If that day just isn't going to come soon enough, there's a way to get it delivered two days earlier -- the carrier's offering a pre-order option beginning next Sunday, and your February 17th delivery is promised as long as you click that "order" button by the 15th. Just as predicted, the device will be available for $300 with a two-year commitment. Check out the press fact sheet and video past the break for more info.
Vlingo co-founder explains data-collection issues
With Carrier IQ and O2's most recent data-snooping, people's vigilance about what information cellphones transmit is increasing. Using a Galaxy Note, AndroidPit found that every four minutes, Vlingo's voice-recognition app was sending a packet of data to an unencrypted server. The packet contained your GPS co-ordinates, IMEI (unique device identifier), contact list and the title of every song stored on your device -- without proper warning in the privacy policy you agree to when starting up the app. We spoke with co-founder John Wynn, product marketing head TJ Leonard and communications manager Erin Keleher, who gave us a full and frank discussion about what's going on and the steps it's taking to remedy the situation, which we've got for you after the break.
Samsung dissects Galaxy Note, confirms NFC support for LTE version
Teardown fans rejoice! Samsung's chosen to dissect the Galaxy Note for all to see -- and on its official blog, no less. Strangely, the pictures show the global Galaxy Note with its physical home button but the specs match those of the Galaxy Note LTE that we played with at CES and which is supposed to launch on AT&T and Telus real soon now. There are no major surprises here -- Samsung outlines some of the over 1000 components within, including the glorious 5.3-inch 1280x800-pixel HD Super AMOLED display, the unspecified 1.5GHz dual-core processor (likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3), the eight megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash plus other bits and pieces like sensors and radios. What's particularly interesting is that Samsung confirms NFC support (with the antenna inside the battery cover) and the use of a Wacom digitizer for the S Pen. Want more? Hit the source link below for the pr0n gory details.
Switched On: Connected Electronics Show
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Compared to CES 2011, which featured an explosion of tablets and high-powered smartphones poised to jump on emerging 4G networks, this year's edition of Gear and Gloating in Las Vegas was a more muted affair when it came to mobile devices. Sure, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile trotted out a few devices and there were even a few standouts, such as the Transformer Primesque Lenovo IdeaTab S2 with its its docking keyboard as well as the heavily promoted Galaxy Note, coming soon the U.S. after launching in Europe.
Refresh Roundup: week of January 16, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T passes through the FCC
Well that didn't take long. Shortly after getting our grubby mitts on the AT&T variant of Samsung's Galaxy Note at CES, the jumbo phone has made its way into the loving arms of Uncle Sam at the FCC. Naturally, it's not advertised as such, but test documents reveal that a model SGH-i717 handset packing UMTS/HSPA+ (21Mbps) and GSM/EDGE world radios, plus Ma Bell-friendly bands 4 and 17 LTE has passed the FCC's emissions tests with flying colors. So, now that it's got the governmental stamp of approval, all that's left is to find out when we can make with the S Pen action on AT&T's newly minted high speed network. Don't keep us waiting, guys.
Samsung Galaxy Note Notepad hands-on at CES: it's like a Note, but analog
What if Samsung made a Galaxy Note, but instead of throwing a dual-core processor, a few megabytes (or gigabytes, whatever) of RAM, and random pieces of silicon between the front and rear covers, it included an undetermined amount of paper? What it we lived in a world where that type of activity was not only okay, but encouraged? What if the Note is actually the Notepad in a parallel universe? What if the aforesaid parallel universe is reality in Las Vegas, Nevada? Think about it.
WiFi certification fuels speculation of Samsung Galaxy Note successor (updated)
The Samsung Galaxy Note is just now working its way to the States, but a recent certification by the WiFi Alliance is already stoking the flames of its replacement. Known only as the GT-N8000, it's thought this device may be the eventual replacement for the GT-N7000. Of course, this isn't the only plausible explanation, as the new model number may hint at yet another new family of devices. There's credence to this flow of logic, too, as the Galaxy S II (i9100) was the spiritual decedent of the original Galaxy S (i9000). Whether your preferred method of divination involves tea leaves, crystal balls or Cleverbot, one thing is certain about this new Sammy -- it's gonna be 1,000 more, y'all. Update: Apologies for the crossed wires, as we reported last night, the Samsung GT-N8013 also recently hit the FCC, and is presumably a variation of the GT-N8000.
