Samsung Galaxy Note 3: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is Samsung’s rumored “phablet” — blurring the lines between smartphones and tablets. Here’s what you need to know about the potential device.

1. Sources Say The Galaxy Note 3 Will Be Released In Second Half of 2013

According to sources familiar with the production of the Galaxy Note 3, the new phablet device will be released during the second half of 2013, which is in line with other estimates. Gottabemobile.com reported that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be coming out in “Q3 or Q4” of 2013.

2. The Specs Sound Amazing

The specs for the Note 3 sound great. It seems like the Note 3 will have a 5.99-inch 1080p display, an Exynos 5 Octa processor (which isn’t available in the US yet), and 3GB of RAM. The most important spec rumor is the addition of the Exynos 5 Octa processing chip. Here’s what Gottabemobile.com said about the new microprocessor:

The processor, which hasn’t made it to the United States just yet, is a top-notch performer and it’s one that should show some significant improvements over the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and its older generation Exynos quad-core processor.

3. It’ll Run Android 4.3 or 5.0 Key Lime Pie

It seems like the Galaxy Note 3 run either Android 4.3 or Android 5.0, depending on when 5.0 Key Lime Pie will be released. Most rumors indicate that Android 4.3 will be unveiled at Google I/O next week. As we previously wrote, Android 4.3 is being pushed out due to delays with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, but that doesn’t mean it won’t have some great features. Some new additions to the operating system include Google Babble — a unified messaging service — and Bluetooth Low Energy Technology.

4. The Note Can’t Get Bigger (Can It?)

As previously mentioned, the Note 3 will probably have a 5.99-inch screen, which is actually massive. The iPad Mini is 7.8-inches, which means that the Note 3 would rival small tablets like the Kindle Fire. Obviously, the rumors and speculation hasn’t been acknowledged by Samsung, but we’ve heard rumblings that Samsung could be making a tad bigger, which would be counter productive in our opinion. Why buy a phablet when you can get a tablet instead, with more functionality and features?

5. It Could Canabalize Samsung Galaxy S4 Sales

Speaking of which, how will the Note 3 affect the Samsung Galaxy S4 — the company’s flagship device? It’ll probably hurt the S4, and there’s a lot of precedence to support this claim. Just look at Apple’s tablet line: The iPad Mini, which was released in October 2012, is not only more affordable but is a different size than the iPad 4. But the iPad Mini overtook iPad sales in February 2013, according to MacRumors. But, since the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 are different beasts, the effect of the Note 3 on the S4 probably won’t be as drastic as the effect the iPad Mini had on the iPad.