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.

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