Samsung Galaxy Note 2 goes 5.5-inch and quad-core in August

By Rich Trenholm on 10 July 2012, 6:03pm

If you thought the Samsung Galaxy Note was big, wait until you get a load of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 -- it's set to be even bigger than the ginormous current model.

The Note 2 is reported to be a 5.5-inch slab of a phone, a slight but potentially noticeable size increase over the current version's 5.3-inch screen. Korean publication MK News reports the Note 2 will take a bow in August.

The tech world descends on Berlin at the end of next month for gadget industry bunfight IFA. The Note debuted there last year, so we're expecting Samsung's sequel to take a bow at this year's event alongside the rest of this year's big-name new kit.

The larger Note is expected to pack a quad-core processor. It's also set for a bump to a 12-megapixel camera, or even a 13-megapixel job. The current Note sports an 8-megapixel snapper.

The Note 2 and will hopefully show off Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the next generation of Android software for phones and tablets. Jelly Bean makes its debut on the Google Nexus 7 later this month, but there's little word on when it'll show up on other devices.

CNET will be at IFA in force, so we'll bring you the first news and previews from Berlin, including a look at the Galaxy Note 2 when it emerges. As for when you can get your hands on the new Note, it's likely to arrive in October ahead of the Christmas rush.

The Note was the first oversized phone to poke the boundary between phone and tablet. It seemed odd but has proved surprisingly popular, among a general trend of phones getting bigger.

How big is too big for the Note? Will you buy a Note 2? Annotate in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Comments 17

Add your comment

anonymous 10 July, 2012 18:36

My SG2 will be due an update at the end of the year and this is the only phone I can see so far that's a big enough step up to warrant an upgrade.

I may have to get trousers with bigger pockets :)

iam a wp7 10 July, 2012 18:58

Anon

What about the S3?

anonymous 10 July, 2012 19:05

I cant wait for this one. Looks far superior than the s3 and I think the slight increase in screen will be great plus the 12 mg pixle camera:) I WILL BE UPGATING FROM A iPHONE 4G which I cannot stand no more. I hope the battery is as good as the s3.

anonymous 10 July, 2012 19:07

5.5 inch is perfect and makes the tablet, netbooks, ultrabooks and laptops virtually redundent as its becomes the all in one device of the future with taking it anywhere with ease, saving on loads of other devices, chargers, etc to be arried around. perfect for on-the-move business as well as personal use.
i can't wait to lay my hands on one. i first was going to get the now Galaxy S3 but felt it was too gimmiky and could not compete with a tablet device either and so decided to hold out for the Galaxy Note 2 with great anticipation. bring it on Samsung, you rock. time to kill all the competition once and for all.

anonymous 10 July, 2012 20:19

cool! i certainly will go for it if it hits the market before new iphone!! I beliebe this will be gorgeous ans awesome phone

peterty 10 July, 2012 21:10

You say "it's set to be even bigger than the ginormous current model", but according to other rumourmongers it WON'T be bigger than the current Note (because although the screen will be bigger, the bezel will be thinner, so the overall size will be the same - or maybe even slightly smaller! (It seems it's likely to be thinner too, although personally I'd put up with an extra millimetre thickness for a slightly larger capacity battery.)

I'm definitely up for it; my contract expires soon and I was considering an early upgrade from my S2 to an S3, but now I'll hang on for the Note 2.

anonymous 10 July, 2012 21:12

Sounding increasingly like a fantastic phone. My only gripe... why so soon?!? The Note only launched last Sept/Oct - anyone signing up with a contract will still be in contract when the Note 2 launches. I took 18 months (forking out £179 for the handset to get it at release), so I'll have 6-8 months remaining if the Note comes in in Aug/Sep. Not sure it'll be worth the costs of ditching my contract AND paying for a new handset. Gutted.

anonymous 10 July, 2012 21:26

Better battery is the most important thing as an owner of the note 1. I don't care if it's thicker just make it last longer!

anonymous 11 July, 2012 03:45

If they do what they did with the S3, screen size increase without compromising too much on the actual body bunk, I will definitely upgrade my note to the note 2, I have been moving from 3gs to Sensation XE to S2 to now the Note, i gonna say, Not one sec do i regret it, it's an All in one handset

anonymous 11 July, 2012 08:26

I bought 3 of the galaxy s3 phones and they are amazing, yet i still love my Note. I welcome the larger screen and quad core processor. I will buy it immediately upon release. The note is truly the perfect business tool

anonymous 11 July, 2012 09:08

all over this, want it badly, upgrade due in January......

anonymous 11 July, 2012 10:40

The problem with all new products these days is that there is so much hype that you are invariably disappointed when they eventually arrive. The 12 meg will only be an improvement if its sensitivity is improved. I hope it will have a "plus" screen this time. I know that the screen is a little big to hold but the browsing advantages will make it worth it.

anonymous 11 July, 2012 14:42

YES! YES! YES!

professerclever 11 July, 2012 17:58

And they say there is a recession! All I read about is people upgrading their phone every eighteen months (or less!) Do their peers make fun of them if they don't have the very latest model?

anonymous 12 July, 2012 13:29

but what about android 4.1 jellybean? no more flash support ? adobe is no longer supporting android after ICS ?

anonymous 12 July, 2012 18:01

I went from GS2 to NOTE and am very happy with it. The size is wonderful and I would be even happier with another 0.2 inches. I hope that they improve on the screen as well and even increase the resolution because it is so big the actual pixel density is beaten by quite a few phones like Experia S. Even so the screen is still good.

So as long as it continues in the same path as NOTE1 and there is no other product to beat it then yes.

I do think that in the next year or so we will see the growth of the so called Phablet it really is so practical for all the things that make a SMART phone SMART.