Samsung mails out invitations, hints at a Galaxy Note III
Samsung has issued invitations for a Sept. 4 product launch in Berlin.听
And although the South Korean company hasn't explicitly identified the device in question, all signs point to the official unveiling of the Galaxy Note III phablet. (The invites the phrase "note the date.")
The Galaxy Note III is not a secret. Rumors about the super-sized smart phone (or pint-sized tablet, if you prefer) have been percolating since this spring. to the latest leaks, the Note III will be equipped with a聽5.7-inch display, a聽quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and the Android 4.3 mobile operating system; there's also of support for networks.听
Why a phablet and not just another smart phone? Well, because despite their ungainly size, phablets remain beloved by consumers.听
Consider, for instance, the Samsung Galaxy Note II, which was released in 2012, and which sold extremely well around the globe 鈥� Engadget later聽 it a "massive success." Analytics firm Transparency Market Research has gone so far as to that the phablet market will swell to聽$116.4 billion by 2018.听
In related news, Samsung recently disclosed that in Q2 of 2013, its mobile division posted a lower profit than in Q1 of 2013. Part of the problem, Samsung reps said, is due to marketing costs, and part of it is the still sluggish economy.听
"Entering into a typically strong season for the IT industry, we expect earnings to continue to increase," Robert Yi, who heads up investor relations at Samsung, in a statement. "However, we cannot overlook delayed economic recovery in Europe and risks from increased competition for smartphone and other set products."
