After months of rumors, leaks and hopes, the T-Mobile Galaxy Note is finally here. The phone will cost $249.99 after $50 mail-in rebate and with qualifying two-year contract, although you can buy it outright ($599) or on a monthly payment plan.
Overall, the phone is very similar to AT&T’s version although it doesn’t support LTE. Instead, the Galaxy Note works on T-Mobile’s 42 Mbps HSPA+ network, which works well enough in areas that T-Mobile has enhanced network coverage.
My first look at the phone shows that you don’t have to wait for Android 4.0, which AT&T Galaxy Note owners had to. Samsung already integrated Android 4.0.4 with its TouchWiz software, including advanced support for the S-Pen stylus. I also give you a size comparison to the two devices that the Note “fits” in-between: The Galaxy Nexus smartphone and Nexus 7 tablet.
Overall, my early impressions of this phone are solid in terms of performance and battery life. If you’re a T-Mobile customers pining for the Note — one of the 77 percent that prefer a large device — this is likely worth the wait.
I love my Note. :-)
I love mine too!
Looks really cool but T-mobile took to long to release it. I wouldn’t pay $200+ for a snapdragon s3 today when the S4 is available. I have a htc sensation and the s3 makes it a little uncomfortable to hold at times.
Does this mean T-Mo is going to be getting the Note just as ATT is getting the Note 2? Why is Samsung giving exclusivity to a carrier that does not offer unbundled phones and service?
A Galaxy Note II could be in the near future for AT&T (and international markets, of course) so your point on timing makes sense. But there’s no guarantee that T-Mo would get a Note II at the same time. And if folks wanted a Note II badly, I’m thinking they’d switch to AT&T to get it or do what they did this time around: Wait for T-Mobile again. ;) As far as your second question: Money would be my answer; that and potential audience, which is nearly 3x more for AT&T than for T-Mobile and it’s relatively unique HSPA+ frequency bands.
Kevin, I’d be willing to bet that ATT isn’t paying Samsung any extra for the exclusivity (they basically locked T-Mo out of the Note until the Note II was ready), but rather they told them they would only sell the Note if they had exclusivity. Which I think is illegal, and if it isn’t, should be, especially for devices sold to work on the almost-monopoly airwaves that the government licensing system has granted ATT. It’s bad enough that bundling is allowed by the DoJ and FCC, but a carrier shouldn’t be allowed to block consumers from using a device on another network; the deal between Samsung and ATT does just that.
T-Mobile should file an anti-trust complaint with the FTC and DoJ, but probably wont because they are afraid of retaliation by Samsung. Samsung should quietly encourage T-Mo to do just that, because ATT is reducing the sales of the Galaxy Note by not letting Samsung sell it to users on T-Mo. you know that there is little in the way of technical obstacles to keep the Note from running on both networks; it’s an abusive power play by ATT that keeps it out of the hands of people who refuse to sign a deal with them.
You used to use the Galaxy Nexus with just the data SIM from your old Galaxy Tab. Can you do the same with the Galaxy Note? If I can put Jelly Bean on it and just use my data SIM, I might get one.
I don’t see why you couldn’t use a data-only SIM with any Android phone, TBH. You’ll just need to configure something for VoIP if you want voice calling.
I ask because it wouldn’t work in my Sensation 4G and wonder if it’s because T-mobile locks out IMEI numbers of in network phones.
Ah, that could be the case. Since I don’t buy phones from carriers, I couldn’t say. You might be better off with an international version in that case…
does thIs meant that galaxY N0te cAn be sold much cheaper?. i just bought galaxY NOTE last m0nth, worth 600 bucks, im n0t froM U.s btw, cAn anyONE clear thIs thIng for me, i really apPriciate it,
Love my note too. Great when you ad a flygrip to it. Makes it usable with one hand.