Could the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 have two different unveilings, one for the US and one for Europe?

Although it hasn’t (yet) managed to raise the same amount of hype as the Galaxy S3, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 2 is one of the most awaited and debated Android devices on our radar. Rumors have suggested different unveiling and release dates for the second-generation phablet, and while Samsung is still keeping the mystery intact, things seem to be shaping up for a busy August.
You might remember we talked about a mysterious invite Samsung sent our way last week for a “major announcement and unveiling of the newest Galaxy device”. The event was to take place on August 15, but that date didn’t make nice with earlier speculations, which almost guaranteed Sammy will unveil the Note 2 on August 30, right before IFA’s official start.
At the time, we assumed that only one of the two dates would prove to be the official unveiling event of the Galaxy Note 2. What we didn’t consider was the possibility for the new phone/tablet hybrid to be introduced on August 15 and on August 30.
That’s exactly what the guys over at Netzwelt.de speculate, without having any conclusive proof however. They claim that the new Note might be unveiled for the US public on the 15th and for the European tech fans on the 30th, which kind of makes sense.

Then again, if Sammy has in fact decided to hold two separate events to unveil the Galaxy Note 2, there’s a good possibility that we’ll be seeing some differences between the two versions of the device. That wouldn’t be so surprising, as we are already used to seeing high-end gadgets in the US coming with dual-core procs and their European counterparts sporting quad-core CPUs. We did hope that the second-edition Note would be an exception to that rule, and that Sammy will find a way to couple its quad-core Exynos platform with US LTE radio, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here after all.
What prevent us from taking today’s rumor for granted, though, is Samsung’s latest track record with US and European release dates. Basically, every Sammy high-end device that has come out in the last couple of years has enjoyed a European release before it has seen the light of day in the US. But if the Note 2 gets unveiled in America before it’s presented in Berlin, won’t it have to start selling stateside first?
No matter how the Note 2's introduction will go down, we promise to keep our eyes peeled on Samsung over the coming weeks and let you know when anything important will happen. In the meantime, you can check out our rumor roundup from a couple of weeks back to know what to expect from the Note 2. Don’t forget to drop us a comment, too, and let us know if you’re thinking of getting Sammy’s future phablet soon.
SOURCES Netzwelt Sam Mobile
TAGS Galaxy Note 2IFA 2012phabletSamsungSamsung Galaxy Note 2


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Sony might unveil new smartphones in Berlin on August 29, Hayabusa and Mint could lead the line-up

The CES, MWC and IFA electronics tradeshows used to be the events where new trends were made and products were unveiled. But lately some of the big manufacturers have shifted their strategies. Samsung, Sony, and Asus have all started to hold exclusive events of their own, to ensure that all the spotlight is on their products.
The Samsung Unpacked event from May, when the Galaxy S3 was unveiled, was probably more popular than both this year’s CES and MWC together, and now Sony is trying to do something similar with an exclusive Berlin press conference and “booth unveiling”.
Sony’s special announcement will take place just two days before the beginning of IFA 2012 (also set to be held in Berlin), and, while we haven’t yet got an invitation from the Japan-based tech giant, we’ll cover the event extensively, right from the “crime scene”.

The guys over at GSM Arena have received one of the first invitations from Sony, but unfortunately it doesn’t say much about what products are to be revealed in Berlin. The invite doesn’t specifically mention the company’s mobile division, but the fact that it was first sent to a website like GSM Arena is a clear indicator that we’ll see one or several new Android smartphones.
There are only a few likely suspects for the headline title of the event, but Sony might also be prepping a surprise. The LT29i, a.k.a. Hayabusa, a.k.a. the global version of the Japanese Xperia GX, could well be made official on August 29, although we frankly expect it to come much sooner.

The LT30 Mint is another high-end Sony smartphone expected to be launched quite soon, with rumors from January stating that it could start selling in September. That possibility seems pretty slim right now, but it’s not impossible that we’ll see the Mint unveiled in Berlin and made available a few weeks later.
Towards the lower end of the range, there are two other Sony smartphones leaked in that launch schedule from January, but both of them are still wrapped in mystery. We haven’t heard a thing about the “AFFM” or the “Atlas” over the last six months, so there’s a good chance they have been either postponed or canceled altogether.
The August 29 event, which is set to start at 16:15 and end at 17:00 (CET), could also be the perfect occasion for the unveiling of  a non-smartphone Sony product. We might see a new Walkman or even the much awaited Playstation 4 get some attention.
No matter what devices Sony is planning to unveil next month in Berlin, it’s pretty clear that we’re all in for a treat, so don’t forget to check back to our website to find out what this event is all about.
SOURCES GSM Arena
TAGS IFA 2012SonySony HayabusaSony LT29iSony LT30Sony Mint


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