14 DAY TRIAL // Roughly a month ago, South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics announced the availability of a new high-end smartphone running under Google's Android operating system, namely the Samsung Galaxy Note, and the handset has already passed through the FCC testing process. The Samsung Galaxy Note (GT-I9220) has received the necessary approvals from the FCC, but some say that it is expected to arrive on the market only next year.
The handset features support for North American 3G/4G bands, which makes it compatible with the network operated by AT&T in the United States.
At the same time, it would prove a great candidate for the networks of a series of wireless carriers in Canada, which might even launch it before US carriers do, some suggest.
For the time being, however, no official word on the upcoming availability of Galaxy Note emerged, nor on the price tag that it might feature when made available for purchase.
The handset is said to be on its way to shelves in Europe and elsewhere only starting with the first quarter of the next year, and more details should emerge closer to the release date, that's for sure.
For those out of the loop, we should note that the mobile phone was unveiled at the IFA 2011 show in Berlin, where we had the chance to put our hands on it for a few moments.
It is the largest Android smartphone unveiled to date, featuring a large 5.3-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a 1280 x 720 pixel HD resolution.
The new device also packs a 1.5GHz dual-core application processor complemented by 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, microSD memory card slot, and the usual set of sensors available inside high-end smartphones today.
The new device is based on Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread, yet it might get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich as well, maybe even before it arrives on shelves.