Talk of a Galaxy Note 3 ‘Lite’ has been doing the rounds ever since the high-end Note 3 hit the market last September, though we’re still awaiting an official announcement from Samsung regarding such a device.
As we know, the Korean tech giant isn’t shy about pushing out multiple variations of a flagship product, and with 2014 expected to be a bumper year for phablet sales, and news that an apparent spec list has fallen into the hands of GSM Arena, we could well see the wraps come off the oversized smartphone at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona next month.
The spec list, which was reportedly discovered among some “internal product positioning documents”, suggests the forthcoming phablet will be called the Note 3 Neo.
As GSM Arena points out, the specifications laid out in the documents indicate the device will be more Note 2 than Note 3, coming with the former’s 5.55-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel camera, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, and a 3100 mAh battery.
In comparison, the Note 3 has a 5.7-inch display, a 13-megapixel camera, 3GB RAM, 32 GB storage, and a 3200 mAh battery.
Before you start thinking it’s simply the Note 2 with a different name, there are a few differences – the Neo will reportedly launch with a more powerful 1.7GHz dual- and 1.3GHz quad-core (hexa) processor, a notch up from the Note 2’s 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos offering. The device will apparently be slimmer than the Note 2, as well.
The tech company will also add the Note 3’s faux-leather back to the Neo, according to GSM Arena, complete with those ‘stitched’ edges. Earlier reports had suggested Samsung would ditch the leather look and instead go with the Note 2’s plastic rear panel.
Finally, the Note 3’s Smart Features, also found on the Galaxy S4, are thought to be part of the new phablet’s offerings, too.
The budget-price Neo, if indeed that’s what it ends up being called, will likely be aimed at emerging markets where the high-end Note 3’s price is still prohibitive for many consumers.
