Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 smartphone.
The Galaxy Note may be the best known big-screen Samsung device, but one shouldn’t forget about the Galaxy Mega series. Samsung announced its Mega phones back in May, but a Western release date has eluded us. That changed today, as one of Samsung’s massive Android phones has been confirmed for arrival in the United States.
Samsung released the Mega in two different flavors: one with a 5.8-inch screen and another with an even bigger 6.3-inch display. The latter of the two will shortly go on sale. Samsung has convinced AT&T, US Cellular, and Sprint to carry the Mega 6.3, and you’ll be able to wrap your hands around it before the end of the month, at least through AT&T.
If that sounds good, you’ll find the phone priced at $150 with a two-year agreement, or through its Next plan at $24 per month, plus your monthly tariff. The advantage of Next is you’re able to trade the phone in after 12 months without an upgrade fee. The Mega 6.3 will connect to AT&T’s 4G LTE network and go on sale August 23. Sprint is currently less forthcoming with details, saying only the Mega will be going on sale later this year, and that it’s 4G LTE compatible. US Cellular hasn’t made any official announcements at all.
So what do you get? Well, think of the Mega like a larger, but cheaper Galaxy Note. It has a 720p screen that’s 0.8-inches larger than the Galaxy Note 2, and 1.3-inches larger than the Galaxy S4. The phone runs Android 4.2.2 and shares many of the software features found on the Galaxy S4, including Air View, split window multi-tasking, and the WatchOn TV guide which also benefits from the inclusion of an IR blaster. A dual-core, 1.7GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM powers the Mega 6.3, and there is an 8-megapixel camera on the back of the device, plus a MicroSD card slot, a massive 3200mAh battery, and a choice of either black or white color schemes. Sadly, though it is huge, it does not come with a stylus. You’ll need to wait for the Galaxy Note 3 if you like to write digitally.
