Earlier this month we brought you news from CES that the Samsung Galaxy Note would be coming to the US on AT&T’s network sometime this year. Now the carrier has announced that the device will be launching on February 19th and will retail for $299.99 with a two-year contract. Those who don’t want to wait for the February 19th in-store launch of the device can pre-order it starting on February 5th for delivery by the 17th. Preorders can be placed online or in an AT&T store.
The Galaxy Note is certainly an interesting entrant in the smartphone/tablet market. With its 5.3-inch OLED screen and S Pen (stylus), it aims to split the difference between smartphone and tablet. It also includes several unique features designed to leverage the device’s unusual screen size. S Memo is a multimedia application designed to accommodate a variety of user-created content including pictures, voice recordings, typed text, or handwritten material. It also includes a beefed-up calendar application that integrates the phone’s to-do list and scheduling apps.
The Galaxy Note’s peculiar smartphone/tablet design makes it unique among its competition. It will be interesting to see how it fares. Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets praised the Galaxy Note for bringing “a new level of efficiency to busy customers who would normally rely on multiple devices.” The Galaxy Note, he said, will allow users to “accomplish more with a single device than ever before.”
The Galaxy Note requires a minimum 2-year contract and data plan. The device is also 4G LTE compatible, which means it will work on AT&T’s fledgling 4G network.
