Samsung recently launched the highly anticipated Galaxy S4, and it seems that there is no stopping for the company as it has also launched the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3. The Galaxy Note 2 was undoubtedly the best smartphone (over 5 inches) for 2012, and now it seems that the phablet has a competitor within the house, called the Galaxy Mega 5.8.
Let's see if the Galaxy Mega 5.8 has what it takes to compete with the Galaxy Note 2.
Processor
A 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor powers the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. On the other hand, the Galaxy Mega 5.8 will sport a 1.4GHz Dual Core processor.
Display
The Galaxy Note 2 sports a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 has a 5.8-inch TFT display with 540 x 960 pixels resolution.
The Galaxy Note 2 has 265 pixels per inch (ppi) whereas the the Galaxy Mega 5.8 has a lesser pixel density of 190 (ppi).
Camera
The Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy Mega 5.8 both offer an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and include a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Both the handsets have LED flash and Auto focus.
Storage And RAM
The Galaxy Mega 5.8 has a storage capacity of only 8GB while the Galaxy Note 2 is available in 16/32/64GB internal storage options. However, both the handsets have an option to expand the memory to a further 64GB using a microSD card.
Operating System
The Galaxy Note 2 packs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, whereas Samsung announced that the Galaxy Mega 5.8 will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Battery
A 2600mAh battery powers the Galaxy Mega 5.8. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 houses a powerful and bigger 3100mAh battery.
Stylus
Samsung offers the Galaxy Note 2 along with a stylus called S-Pen which slides neatly into the device itself. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 does not have a stylus. However, the Air Gesture feature of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 enables users to receive and/or reject calls, change music tracks, browse the Internet and photos without physically touching the device. This feature enables users to navigate without tapping or swiping on the screen.
Availability
Samsung released the Galaxy Note 2 in October 2012 in Marble White and Titanium Gray colors. Samsung has announced the Galaxy Mega 5.8 but no color option has been revealed; however, the company confirms that the Galaxy Mega 5.8 will be available globally beginning May this year in Europe and Russia. The product availability will vary by market and will be rolled out gradually.
The bigger 5.8-inch display of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 will definitely attract phablet buyers; however, the spec-by-spec comparison of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 with the Galaxy Note 2 shows that the latter has better specifications than the former.
It will be interesting to see if the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is able to attract phablet buyers as the Galaxy Note 2 did.
