Word's on the street that come September, Samsung will launch the successor of its Galaxy Note 2 phablet, the Galaxy Note 3, at the IFA 2012 in Berlin.
With the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2 setting the standards, Android fans are looking forward to the new features the third-generation phablet will bring to the table. Like most follow-ups, the Galaxy Note 3 will undoubtedly be an improvement on its previous iterations and look to surpass the sales milestones.
We take a look at the top five rumored features of the Galaxy Note 3 that have been creating quite a stir:
1. Colossal Display
If you thought the 5-inch Galaxy Note and 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 were enormous, wait until the Galaxy Note 3 makes an appearance. Rumors are rife that the Galaxy Note 3 will sport a ginormous 6.3-inch or 5.9-inch screen.
Reports suggest that Samsung is highly likely to take the 6-inch-plus screen size route, especially since rival China-based companies have been outing devices that have the same screen size. Taiwan-based Huawei unveiled its 6.1-inch Ascend Mate phablet at CES 2013 in January, so the notion of such colossal smartphones does not seem farfetched.
2. Exynos 5 Octa-Core Processor
Rumors point to the Galaxy Note 3 housing an Exynos 5 octa-core processor, which combines two quad-core processors: a 1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A15 and a 1.2GHz Cortex-A7.
The 8-core chip has already been introduced in the Galaxy S4 variant in some regions and will likely power the Galaxy Note 3 as well.
3. Unbreakable PHOLED Screen
Rumors also hint at the Galaxy Note 3 sporting an unbreakable PHOLED screen. The screen is reportedly made out of an AMOLED material called "green PHOLED" which employs "color Green-Yellow" in the display, making the screen 25 percent more efficient in saving power.
Moreover, Samsung is rumored to be employing an unbreakable plane display (UBP) for the Galaxy Note 3. It is widely speculated that the phablet will feature Samsung's new "Youm" flexible display, which the company showed off at the CES 2013 in January.
However, other reports have suggested that Samsung may opt for an LCD screen in favor of a PHOLED one, as it makes for a better S Pen experience. We'll just have to wait and see whether the PHOLED or LCD screen finally makes it to the Galaxy Note 3.
4. Powerful Camera
The Galaxy Note 3 is speculated to pack in a 13 or 16-megapixel primary camera and a 2 or 3-megapixel rear-facing snapper, bettering the Galaxy Note 2's 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. The primary snapper will likely come with the new "Samsung Orb" feature, which allows 360-degree photo capture.
Moreover, the Galaxy Note 3 is expected to pack in the Smart Pause and Smart Scroll eye-tracking features like the Galaxy S4.
5. Key Lime Pie
Android fans eagerly await the appearance of the next-gen operating system, Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. The current crop of smartphones at best boast of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
The Galaxy Note 3 is expected to come pre-loaded with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie OS, which will give the smartphone a clear edge over rivals.
What's more, Samsung is apparently working toward improving its signature UI, TouchWiz, to make it equally capable.
Of course, the Galaxy Note 3 could well take a page out of the Galaxy S4's book and impart additional features like humidity and temperature sensors, finger hovering, IR blaster and more.
Come September (or perhaps sooner?), we will know what Samsung has in store for its phablet fans.
