Rumor: Android 4.3 coming to Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, not Android 4.2.2

A new report says that Samsung is already working on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for some of its top devices, with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 said to make the jump directly to Android 4.3 and skip Android 4.2.2.

We will remind you that this is just a rumor at this point, so don’t get too excited about it at this time, as we can’t confirm the news just yet. Temefy has it from sources close to Samsung India that the company is working on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note, but also on the Android 4.3 update for the same devices.

Android 4.2.2 was already leaked for the Galaxy S3, but so was an Android 4.3 build for the Galaxy S4 Google Play edition.

Since Google is expected to launch Android 4.3 in the near future, it would make sense to see some devices skip a Jelly Bean version in order to run the latest Android OS available. But that doesn’t mean that Samsung will necessarily choose this route.

The report also says that an Android 4.2.2 for the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 would arrive in November instead of July, as initially expected. If true, that would be another reason to have the handsets move directly to Android 4.3 instead.

Finally, the publication says that the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 2 will all be further upgradeable to the next major Android version – supposedly Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie – but not all of them will receive it at the same time.

We’ll be back with more details about software updates for these particular handsets once we have them.

Source: Android Authority

Samsung announces Galaxy Note II has moved 5 million units worldwide

Well, that was quick. We started off this month with word from Samsung that its 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II passed three million in sales, and now the company is announcing it's moved two million more in less than a month. Now available on North American carriers the stylus-packing smartphone is apparently experiencing popularity in all regions, with no sign of slowing down. It's even had the rite of passage of being included in an Apple lawsuit, and a new ad focusing on using the stylus to become an internet meme. It may not be ready to challenge the smaller Galaxy S III for the company sales crown just yet, but with five million out the door and more every minute, XL-sized handsets are clearly here to stay.

[Source: Engadget]

Galaxy Note II with dual-SIM slots goes official in China

Picking between LTE and HSPA iterations of Galaxy Note II was difficult enough already but now Samsung China has gone official on its previously-spotted twin-SIM variant. It's the same exotic mix of micro and full-size SIM slots, alongside that potent 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 5.7-inch Super AMOLED HD screen. The phone has a respectable collection of radios (GSM 850/900/1, 800/1,900, WCDMA 850/900/1,900/2100 MHz) too -- just ensure you have all your SIM sizes in order when the device goes on sale December 3rd.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy Note II gets early benchmark treatment at IFA

Here at IFA, the Galaxy Note II's glossy plastic build is practically fading under the ambush of cameras snapping away at Samsung's booth, but clearly this phone is more than just a (super sized) pretty face, and it's time to take a look at what's under the hood. As mentioned in our hands-on, Samsung upgraded the original Note's dual-core 1.4GHz chipset to a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor. We put the device to the test today to see how those amped-up insides reflect in the Note II's benchmark scores. As you'll see below, Sammy's latest handset fares significantly better than the original Note and the Galaxy S III.

[Source: Read the full story on Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy Note II coming to ThreeUK and O2 later in the year

We've been speaking to the big five UK mobile networks, finding out where British phablet fans can get their Galaxy Note II fix. So far, only ThreeUK (after the break) and O2 have confirmed they'll be carrying the device when it arrives later in the year, while T-Mobile and Orange said they didn't have any details for us yet. Most cryptically, Vodafone's response was that it "isn't involved in this," so we figure we'll have to sit tight for more concrete news. If anything changes. we'll let you know.

[Source: Engadget]

Galaxy Note 2 reported to use flexible AMOLED panel

Samsung's flexible AMOLED displays, long demonstrated to slack-jawed journos at trade shows, could be about to find its place in an upcoming smartphone, if reports from South Korea are accurate. In a recent article on the latest AMOLED display innovations, the Korea IT Times reports that the Galaxy Note 2, due to be unveiled in Berlin on Aug. 29, will utilize the bendy display tech. In addition, Samsung's new, thinner Unbreakable Plane (UBP) tech is also said to be used in the Note 2, freeing up space for extra battery capacity. That's interesting given that just a month ago the Korean press was reporting that UBP was off the table for the Note 2.  

These rumors, combined with recent reports of RGB AMOLED displays reaching pixel densities of 350ppi, make for encouraging reading, suggesting that Samsung's upcoming stylus-toting smartphone may usher in a host new display technologies. In particular, the reported use of flexible AMOLED might suggest some sort of curved device encompassing a curved screen. Samsung has dabbled with curved glass in its phones before (in the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, to name a couple), so it's possible the Note 2 might develop these ideas further by curving the AMOLED display beneath. (It should go without saying that the actual phone itself won't bend.)  

We still know almost nothing about the Galaxy Note 2, but rumored specs suggest it'll sport a 5.5-inch, 16:9 display, up from the 5.3 inches of the original Note. Whatever form it takes, we'll be live from Berlin on the 29th to bring you full coverage of the next Galaxy Note, so keep it locked to AC.

[Source: Android Central]