Turns out the gigantic Galaxy Note was popular enough to merit a sequel. Samsung’s Galaxy Note II is a bit taller and narrower than its predecessor, on account of a switch to a 16:9 aspect ratio on a 5.5-inch 720 display. The processor is beefed up to a 1.6 GHz quad-core chip, and there’s a big 3,100 mAh battery inside. The Note II’s S-Pen is also heftier than the original, and there are new stylus-enabled functions on board, such as the ability to open a notepad during a phone call just by taking the S Pen out of its holster. It’ll be available in October outside the U.S. and will hit stateside later in the year.
Coming Soon: 15 Interesting Phones, Tablets and Hybrids
The summer tech drought is over and gadget makers have come out swinging with Windows 8 laptop-tablet hybrids, Android tablets and high-powered smartphones. Here's the most interesting new gear announced at the IFA 2012 show in Berlin.
Samsung Galaxy Note II (Android)
Full List
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- Asus Vivo Tabs (Windows 8 and RT)
- Dell XPS 10 (Windows RT)
- Dell XPS 12 Duo (Windows 8)
- HP Envy X2 (Windows 8)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 (Windows 8)
- Samsung Tablets (Windows 8 and RT)
- Sony Xperia Tablet S (Android)
- Sony Vaio Duo 11 (Windows 8)
- Toshiba U925t (Windows 8)
- LG Optimus G (Android)
- Samsung Ativ S (Windows Phone 8)
- Samsung Galaxy Note II (Android)