With the Nexus 4 at $299, $579 for an unlocked smartphone may not seem like much of a deal. However, when you consider that the unlocked smartphone in question is the Samsung Galaxy Note II, which retails for $799 and goes for $299 on contract, the price begins to make a bit more sense. For those interested in something a little different than the average smartphone, the unlocked International 16GB Note II is currently on sale for the aforementioned $579 price on eBay’s daily deals page.
While lacking the lower price of some other smartphones, the Note II more than makes up for it with a massive 5.55-inch HD 1280 x 720 display, quad-core 1.6GHz processor, and unique S Pen feature. Clearly, the massive smartphone has at least something going for it, as over three million people have already purchased the oddball device. Normally, the lowest price for the smartphone is $659, offered by Amazon, making eBay’s deal just a bit better than usual. Despite the seemingly slight difference, the $579 price manages to place the Note II in the more attainable realm of most other unlocked smartphones.
I quite like the idea of the Note II, and if I wasn’t currently considering the Nexus 4 (and questioning whether I really need a smartphone at all), I would probably pick it up. For off-contract plans on GSM carriers, the Note II should work fine even in the US. Between the good development community and powerful hardware, Samsung’s large smartphone ranks with the HTC One X and the company’s own Galaxy S III as one of the better unlocked smartphones available today.
If you do decide to pick one up, then go ahead and swing by our Galaxy Note forum for some helpful tips and information.
[eBay via Android Police]
I’ve been using the Galaxy Note II as my primary phone on Sprint for about a week now, and I’m so happy with it that I could probably give up every other mobile device I have for it.
Just your mobile devices, Jenn?
I want to get rid of everything that is not my Dell Streak 5! (Note2 by the end of the year?)
I think I also see A Windows Surface Pro type device in my distant future.
How did the Tablet P work out over time? Was it as cool as it looked? Did it ever get a cellular radio? I don’t care about lack of OS updates as long as functionality outways flaws.
Peace
Definitely can’t get rid of my laptop, though I guess that could called a mobile device. Perhaps I should’ve said pocketable mobile devices instead.
I didn’t use the Tablet P regularly for very long. Story of most of my gadgets, I’m afraid. I do still keep it charged and ready, though, as sometimes I just feel like using it. No cell radio, but HSPA+ is nice.
people in Australia might want to know that Kogan have the Note2-7100 and the Note2-7105 for sale now.