The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is almost here, and consumers are excited for what is shaping up to be one of the most prolific fall seasons the tech market has ever had. With the iPhone 5 coming out, a possible iPad Mini, and tablets from Microsoft and Amazon, every electronics manufacturer is scrambling to carve out a place in the market for itself. In an attempt to garner sales before Apple's iPhone 5 steals the show, Samsung will be unveiling the Galaxy Note 2 at an August 29 event in Berlin, just before the 2012 IFA consumer electronics show.
This would mean that consumers can expect to have the Galaxy Note 2 in their hands by mid-September.
Apple is expected to announce a whole slew of products including the iPhone 5, the iPad Mini, and new iPods at a press conference on September 12. If history is right, then the iPhone 5 will hit shelves by the third or fourth week of September and this means all eyes will be on Apple for a very long time.
Samsung will most likely try to release the Galaxy Note 2 to preempt Apple's announcement. The Korean electronics company has been on a winning streak thanks to the successes of the Galaxy S3 smartphone and the original Galaxy Note. By releasing the Galaxy Note 2 ahead of Apple's handset, the company can hope to snag consumers who are looking for a different experience.
The Galaxy Note 2 is a truly unique device that has a good chance of showing consumers that there is a whole world of smartphones outside of Apple's iPhone. Rumored to come with a 5.5-inch unbreakable display, the Galaxy Note 2 will fall somewhere between a smartphone and tablet. This "phablet" will also sport a feature that no Apple device can claim - a first-party stylus that is intuitive, the S pen.
The S pen allows for easy note taking, and is supported by first-party apps from Samsung. Users of the original Galaxy Note loved it, and reviews of the S pen on the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet have been positive. The S pen should be a hit on the Galaxy Note 2 as well.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 will also come with a quad-core processor, a camera as powerful as 12-13 megapixels, and will most likely be running Android Ice Cream Sandwich at launch. Expect an upgrade to Jelly Bean by the fourth quarter of 2012.