As we bask in the afterglow of the HTC First and it’s Facebook capabilities, I think that it’s safe to say that the hard core Android fans are looking for some news about a phone that they may actually want to buy. So far this year we’ve gotten flagships from Sony, HTC, and Samsung. That leaves the X Phone and possibly another Verizon Droid from Motorola, LG’s followup to the Optimus G, and of course this year’s Nexus from a manufacturer to be named later to round out the list of 2013 flagships.
You may have noticed one high end device left off the above list and that’s the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The Original Galaxy Note was unlike anything people had seen from a smartphone because of it’s size, and it was so popular that other manufacturers followed suit and produced their own handsets in the newly designated “phablet” category. So now as we get deeper into 2013, it’s time to start thinking about what the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will have in store for consumers as we roll towards it’s impending third quarter release.
A Larger 6 Inch Screen
The first thing that anyone thinks of when the Note is mentioned is the screen. When the first Note was introduced people wondered who would want a screen that was 5.3-inches. However after the success of the original, Samsung went with an even bigger 5.5-inch display with the followup Note 2. Looking towards the Note 3 there are reports out there that Samsung is looking to go even bigger with this year’s model, a lot bigger in fact. SamMobile for instance has reported that Samsung is looking to go with a full 6 inch display on the Note 3 and this would actually fall in line with some of the smartphones that are rumored to be coming from China this year with screens as big or bigger.
Unbreakable PHOLED Display Technology
Of course a bigger screen means that it’s a bigger area that can possibly be damaged and it looks as though Samsung has plans on improving that as well. Samsung will reportedly use unbreakable PHOLED screen technology on the Galaxy Note 3. The full HD screen will apparently be a flexible that will make it near impossible to break. Also falling in line with their use of “green technologies”, the high resolution display will not be as power hungry as similar devices.
The 8-core Exynos Octa 5 Processor Across The Board
The next thing we can expect to see from the Note 3 is the use of the 8-core Exynos Octa 5 processor. This is something that only select Galaxy S IV handsets can boast, which depending on who you believe either has to do with LTE or supply issues. Regardless, consumers should expect to see whatever issues with the processor ironed out by the time the Note 3 hits the market, meaning every variant of the device will be rocking the high speeds.
Upgraded Camera Specs
As far as the camera goes we should expect to see a megapixel bump there as well. Now there are going to be people out there that say people look ridiculous holding up something like that to take a picture, but if you choose to do so the Note 3 camera will likely go from 8MP to either 13MP or 16MP.
Deeper TouchWiz Integration With Key Lime Pie
Finally we should expect to see a much more fluid operating system in the Note 3. By the time it is released in September there will be more than a few devices running Google’s new Key Lime Pie OS, so odds are the Note 3 will run that out of the box. Also if the GS4 is any indication look for the Samsung to put their own Touchwiz features front and center when it comes to the Note 3. Between the Samsung S Health apps and some of the newer photo software, Samsung will continue to try as hard as they can to move away from the Android brand without actually leaving it.
We still have a few months to go before the official announcement of the Galaxy Note 3 and odds are some of these rumored specs will change more than once before then. However it’s always fun to think about what Samsung has in store for us until we finally find out. Whether that’s in another Broadway style show or at the more conventional IFA 2013 trade show in Berlin.