As part of its global Samsung World Tour, the Korean phone manufacturer last week formally launched its latest smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note II, into the South African market at an event in Cape Town.
Popularly known as the “phablet”, not big enough to be a tablet and slightly bigger than other smartphones, the Galaxy Note II is a hybrid follow-up from the original Galaxy Note that was released last year.
The Galaxy Note ll comes in a little thinner and taller than its predecessor, featuring a 5.5-inch HD super AMOLED screen, and a battery equipped to handle the improved capabilities of the device. It is powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with a 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor. Samsung says the Note ll is the ultimate multi-tasking tool.
Michelle Potgieter, Samsung’s Head of Corporate Marketing and Communications said: “Tonight we are launching the Galaxy Note II. Cape Town has all the characteristics of the Note II – it’s creative, it’s vibrant and friendly – all of which is why we decided to launch it here. The original Note sold over 10-million units, but I am sure the Note II will surpass it,”
“It uses a 5.5” screen – it is an increase from the previous phone, but it is slightly thinner. We have also installed a better battery and tweaked the settings for better battery consumption. The phone will also be available on 3G and LTE networks,” Craige Fleischer (Director of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics SA) said, while highlighting some of the phone’s features.
The new Galaxy Note II introduces a variety of new features such as a redesigned S Plannner, Multitasking (two Apps on one screen), PopUp Note, PopUp Video, Quick Command and Idea Sketch.
“People like to have options and like to create innovative solutions. People will use the phone in different ways and we like to cater for that. We also have a number of apps being developed for the S Pen specifically,” Fleischer added.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II will retail for approximately R8,000 (US$1,000) and will be available in South Africa through MTN and Vodacom. While only the 3G is now available, an LTE version will be on the market before the end of the year.
