AT&T Prices 4G Galaxy Note At $299

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 1/30/2012

Dallas - AT&T priced the Samsung Galaxy Note, a 4G Android smartphone with large 5.3-inch screen, at $299.

 The device, promoted as a cross between a tablet and smartphone, will be available in stores Feb. 19, but preorders begin Feb. 5 for delivery by Feb. 17.

 The smartphone-tablet hybrid features 4G LTE and 4G HDPA+ technology and will be available in carbon blue and ceramic white.

 The phone was unveiled earlier this month at AT&T's Developers Conference in Las Vegas days before CES opened.

  The carrier contends the device will replace multiple devices for many consumers, including e-readers, because of the display's size and use of proprietary high-definition 1280x800-pixel Super AMOLED technology, said to make the display to read indoors and outdoors.

 The Note, which comes with a stylus to jot down handwritten notes and drawings, sports what an AT&T spokesperson called the largest screen on any smartphone.

  "The Galaxy Note brings a new level of efficiency to busy customers who would normally rely on multiple devices," said Jeff Bradley, senior VP of devices for AT&T. "This new breed of smartphone helps consumers accomplish more with a single device than ever before."

 With the Note's S Pen, users can sketch drawings, write notes, or compose handwritten emails and texts. An app called S Memo lets users compile pictures, screen shots, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes or drawings into a memo for sharing.

 A planning app, designed to make use of the large screen, integrates calendar functions with the phone's to-do list and schedule.

 The Note's display, said to deliver a 180-degree viewing angle, is promoted as making it possible to view PowerPoint presentations, web pages, e-books and the like with minimal scrolling or zooming. The screen size also enables split-screen operation in the phone's native apps.

 Though the Note's screen is big, the company said it nonetheless fits in a pocket because its thickness is only 9.65mm (0.38 inches).

 Other key features include 16GB of embedded memory, MicroSD slot supporting 32GB cards, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats, 1080p video capture at 24fps and 30fps, 1080p video playback at 30fps, Bluetooth 3.0＋HS, USB 2.0 Host, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, and Juniper Networks' Junos Pulse SSL VPN for secure remote access to corporate networks.

 A one-step screen-capture function lets users instantly capture any screen for annotation and sharing.

 Samsung plans to release the S Pen SDK to let developers create applications that use the pen.