Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smart phone will be released in Singapore on saturday 15th August 2015 and the basic model price will be $1,088. This is different from the previous releases since Samsung was announcing new Galaxy Note models in Septembers and shipping them in Octobers (Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was announced in Berlin in September 2014).

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 features a 64 bit quad core CPU, 5.7 Inch QHD Super Amoled display, Android 5.1.1. Lollipop and comes in 32 GB / 64 GB memory and 4 GB RAM. Unlike the previous Galaxy Note models, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will not have removable batteries and will not feature microSD cards. And like Samsung Galaxy S6, this Note 6 model has glass and metal chassis.

Samsung has created this phablet market (large screen phones) but is losing ground to Apple's IPhone 6 Plus and some cheaper Android phablet producers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5  

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 release date in Singapore is expected to be late September 2014, and according to Singapore hardware zone web site, the new Galaxy Note will  be released in Singapore on September 26th 2014.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has just unvailed the new Galaxy Note 4 features a crisper, 5.7-inch display in a metal frame in Berlin. The display size is same with galaxy s3.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 price in Singapore is not revealed yet (actually it is not revealed anywhere yet).

Before Samsung Galaxy Note series, it was received to be ridiculous to hold such a large screen to your ear and talk. But since the introduction of the phablet in 2011, Samsung's large screen-size became a standard for high end smartphones. I use Samsung Galaxy Note 3 now and I am quite happy with the screen size. After this phone, it feels very ackward to use iPhone 5S.

Samsung is struggling to keep up with rivals and although it is the largest smartphone maker in the world now, its profits are falling. Nevertheless, Samsung made Android devices very popular. In 2011, you could hardly see a Samsung smartphone in a Singapore MRT train. 2 years later in 2013 and this year, most smartphones in peoples hands are Samsung Galaxy series (Galaxy S and Galaxy Note).

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has the same design and screen size with Note 3 but it has a metalic frame. 

But according to market analysts, Samsung Galaxy S5 was a big disappointment (compared to the traffic Samsung Galaxy S4 page got, Samsung Galaxy S5 page in this blog was very low which makes me agree with them). Even the latest version of now very old iPhone series oversold S4.

My opinion is that Samsung should stop Galaxy S series and focus on Galaxy Notes. It seems like when smartphone age started with iPhone, they were very small and when tablet age started with iPad, tablets were too big. Now this "size" problem is converging in the middle on a smartphone line called phablet. And Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the best representative of this line.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Specs:
Display : 5.7in AMOLED QHD, 2,560x1,440
CPU      :  Exynos 5433 octa-core CPU (4 cores at 1.9GHz and 4 cores at 1.3GHz) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core chip
Camera  : 16-megapixel rear and 3.7 megapixels front facing

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32 GB version is released in Singapore on September 28th 2013 with a price tag of  $1,048 without a 2-year contract. The new Samsung Phablet is be available in Classic White and Jet Black at all telecommunication operators, major consumer electronics stores and Samsung Experience Stores. No telco contract plan and prices are announced yet. The phablet, which is one of the first next generation handsets, is launched in Singapore a day before on September 27th. All 3 telcos, SingTel, StarHub and M1 have launched Samsung Galaxy Note 3 yesterday.

Singaporeans have shown a great interest to Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Hundreds braved the rain, and one person even started queuing from 4:30 am this morning, just to get their hands on the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

Samsung has announced Samsung Galaxy Note 3 early this month at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin along with a brand new Galaxy Gear smartwatch and Note 10.1 tablet. Samsung Note 3 phablet which comes with 5.7-inch screen with full HD display looks like a slim version of Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Note III comes in six colors, including pink, orange, blue, white, green and black and can record video in 4K quality or 1080p at 60 frames per second.

Release date of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in Singapore was correctly speculated to be as early as the end of September 2013:

The chaebol will be unveiling its new Galaxy Note phablet at its IFA 2013 event held in Berlin, and according to tech site HardwareZone, which is claiming reliable insider sources, the handset will be available for sale on September 27 in Singapore. Other reports also seem to indicate a global launch on Sep 27, so we wouldn't be too surprised if this is true.
Source : Samsung Galaxy Note 3 set for Sep 27 in Singapore?

Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Photo - Samsung Mobile Singapore

Top 10 Android Smartphones in Singapore

Just one and a  half year ago you would almost see nothing except iPhones and iPads around when you take an MRT or bus in Singapore. But things has changed quite fast and now iPhone is losing a big chunk of eye-time in Singapore recently: iPhones share dropped from 72 percent to 50 percent of web traffic browsing in the country throughout 2012 and it is still dropping. On the other hand rival Android smartphones are getting more and more popular.

The game developer Animoca has taken note of all the Singaporean Android fans using its games and come up with a top ten list (see below). As with recent stats from Animoca for its native Hong Kong, the smartphone landscape in Singapore is dominated by Samsung. The top five Android phones observed in Singapore are all Samsung models, with the lead four all being big-screen models. It's not a total whitewash, as Sony and HTC get a look-in as well. Here's the top ten in full:[1]

Ranking Android phone Market share (%)

1st	Samsung Galaxy S2	20.6
2nd	Samsung Galaxy S3	16.1
3rd	Samsung Galaxy Note 1	10.1
4th	Samsung Galaxy Note 2	7.8
5th	Samsung Galaxy Ace	2.8
6th	Sony Xperia Arc S	2.5
7th	Samsung Galaxy Ace 2	2.4
8th	Sony Xperia Arc	2.3
9th	HTC Wildfire	1.4
10th	HTC Desire S	1

Soon Samsungs fantastic Samsung Galaxy S4 will be in Singapore and probably get more market share for Galaxy line of Android phones.

[1] - As iOS Usage Drops in Singapore, These Are the Top 10 Android Smartphones in the Country

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE (GT-N8020) in Singapore

Launched in Singapore on 5 January 2013, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE (GT-N8020) is available to buy now in several locations in Singapore. You can now experience the ultimate in multitasking with Multi Screen function for S Note, Web-browsing, Video Player, Email, Gallery and Polaris™ Office on a generously large, vivid 10.1” display. Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 LTE, equipped with 1.4GHz Quad Core processor with LTE (up to 100Mbps) / HSPA+ (up to 42.2Mbps), works on Android™ 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) platform with an evolved UI and comes with creative and innovative applications such as Adobe® Photoshop® Touch and Peel Smart Remote.

The standout feature of Samsung's latest offering is the S Pen, which opens a new dimension of functionality and creativity, thanks to Samsung's preloaded software and Android tweaks.[1] Based on a Wacom's pressure-sensitive technology, Samsung's S Pen is highly responsive, with little lag and with integrated palm-rejection--a useful productivity feature that capacitive-touch styluses can't provide. In the new tablet, Samsung has significantly improved on the original Galaxy Note phone's pressure sensitivity, offering 1024 levels of sensitivity, compared with the original's 256 levels. The Galaxy Note 10.1 pen's detection distance is better, too, at 14mm versus the Galaxy Note phone pen's 8mm.[1]

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE comes with HSPA+ & Wi-Fi Channel Bonding. The technology lets you
revel in multimedia content without restraint or delay with the impressively fast HSPA+ (up to 42.2Mbps) speed that allows you to get your files quicker. Wi-Fi Channel Bonding boosts wireless data transmission rates by efficiently using two bonded channels instead of one so you can access to web-based content such as movie downloads, music files and games in a flash.


The retail price of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE without contract is $998. You can refer to this link to see where to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE.

[1] - Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Review: The Pen Sets This Android Tablet Apart