Samsung Announces Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition

Announced today by Samsung Electronics was the long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the manufacturer’s latest iteration in its popular smart phone family. The company also announced the Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch, as well as an update to its Galaxy Note tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.

All of these new Galaxy devices will be available on September 25 in 149 countries, with worldwide availability in October.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Firstly, you’ve likely noticed a change in notation: namely that Samsung has dropped the use of roman numerals in favor of a simple hand-drawn 3 – adding to its focus on the device’s included S-pen, which we’ll dive into in a moment.

Samsung pitches the Note 3 as an Android 4.3-running device that’s “slimmer [size], lighter [weight], larger [screen], and faster [speed]” than its predecessors. It also claims to have a much “longer” battery life than the previous Note phones. Each device includes a redesigned, “much more enhanced” S Pen, which is used to control the device more precisely than your finger.

As for technical specs, Samsung’s new note is powered by 3GB of ram, a 2.3GHz quad-core chipset (for the LTE version), and a 1.9GHz 9-core octacore shipset for non-LTE models. It has a 13-megapixel camera that shoots 60fps 1080p-resolution video, as well as a 5.7-inch screen to display it all on.

Samsung mentioned quite quickly that the phone can shoot 4K video with its camera, but we’ll have to get back to you on the legitimacy of that claim. Perhaps it can instead view 4K video? We’ll find out ASAP.

The Note 3 has an abundance of new multitasking features, including overlaying apps over each other. This is made possible by the phone’s new “pen window” feature, which is built into a pen-accessibility system called “Air Command.” Pen Window, within Air Command allows you to draw a box anywhere on-screen (and within any app) that brings up a list of apps that you can then overlay over any app you’re using. The size box you draw is the size of the app list that appears, and is also the decided size of the app that you select to appear over your current app.

All Note 3 phones include category 4 LTE wireless hardware with multiple bands, enabling functionality “with all types LTE networks, no matter where you are.”

“Our inspiration came from our customers. We listened to you,” said JK Shin, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications Division at Samsung.

“You said you wanted more options, you wanted to do more with your smartphones. You wanted bigger screens and better input capabilities. The first Galaxy Note was just the beginning.”

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be officially available September 25 for most countries (but not the United States), 149 to be exact, and will be globally available (and in the US) before the end of October. You can get one on any major carrier like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular.

The Note 3 will come in a number of color options for its leather-like back casing, as well as be compatible with “a wide range” of accessories like flip wallets and skins from an assortment of manufacturers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition

Samsung’s latest tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, was unveiled today shortly after the Galaxy Note 3 phone and the Galaxy Gear smart watch, and comes packed with a barrage of new technical features.

Samsung calls it the “ultimate productivity” device.

It sports a 10.1-inch WQXGA screen (2560 x 1600 resolution capable), the same as what’s built into the Google Nexus 10. The new Note 10.1 comes in at 7.9mm thick and includes a 8,220mAh internal battery, 3GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel back camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, and an 8-core octacore chipset that rates at 1.9GHz. Like the Note 3, it has a semi-leather back casing.

There are 3 tiers of the tablet, differentiated by storage size: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, as well as by wireless capability: Wi-Fi only, Wi-Fi + 3G, and Wi-Fi + 4G LTE.

The device has no announced price, like its Note 3 and Gear siblings, but will be available in October worldwide, and shortly before on September 25 for 149 different countries.

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That’s it for the Samsung Unpacked 2013 Event! What did you think?