The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date has cleared its final hurdle in the United States with all five Galaxy Note 3 devices passing through the FCC’s clutches on the way to their respective carriers. With some information still missing and a Galaxy Note 3 release date incoming, it’s time to make some predictions regarding its upcoming release.
Earlier this month, in Berlin, Germany, Samsung took the stage to announce the Galaxy Note 3, its Galaxy Note 2 successor, which will be hitting more than 140 countries on September 25th and will be hitting the United States and Japan in October.
Unlike past Samsung launches where there wasn’t any release date information to be had, the Galaxy Note 3 release date in the United States emerged for several carriers shortly after the device and its new screen, processor, S Pen, design and software were announced. In fact, we saw the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 become one of the first devices with specific release date information, something that didn’t happen with the Galaxy Note 2 or the Galaxy S4.
The Samsung Galaxy Not 3 arrives in October.
In fact, the Galaxy Note 3 release in the U.S. feels like an episode out of the Twilight Zone. While AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made their plans known, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, who have typically been first to announce information, remain silent about official details. And with October approaching quickly, prospective Galaxy Note 3 buyers are looking for answers.
We don’t have any official answers from Sprint and U.S. Cellular just yet but we do know that their Galaxy Note 3 models will be coming soon, thanks to FCC filings that emerged just yesterday, a final hurdle that smartphones need to pass before they hit shelves.
On the heels of that news, and with October in focus, it’s time to make some bold predictions about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date in the United States.
Galaxy Note 3 Orders Will Arrive Early
The first Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date belongs to AT&T which will be releasing the Galaxy Note 3 on October 1st, a day ahead of T-Mobile and more than a week ahead of the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 October 10th ship by date. We expect that the AT&T Galaxy Note 3 will be the first Galaxy Note 3 that lands in consumer hands and we expect that some orders will arrive early, possibly in September.
Expect the Galaxy Note 3 to arrive early for those that pre-ordered.
In the past, we’ve seen carriers ship out pre-orders early, with those orders arriving a day or two ahead of the official release date. Whether that’s a thank you to those that ordered early or not isn’t clear but what’s clear is that it has happened. The Galaxy Note 3 isn’t expected to have supply issues, thanks to Samsung’s fantastic supply chain, and thus, we don’t expect a sell out. So, we expect AT&T to deliver it, at the very least, on or around October 1st.
Will this happen at every carrier? It’s hard to say, but we wouldn’t be surprised if other carriers got their Galaxy Note 3′s out before their announced release dates to appease consumers and get the ball rolling.
Ample Supply
Yes, we expect that there will be ample Samsung Galaxy Note 3 stock available on release date. For one, this is a niche device with its massive 5.7-inch display and S Pen stylus which push the price to $299.99, far more expensive than an average smartphone. The iPhone 5S this is not, so we don’t expect to see overwhelming demand.
Speaking of the Galaxy S4, we saw Samsung do a great job of keeping the device in stock across all carriers, even with it in hefty demand. As we’ve pointed out, Samsung has talked about how its plastic designs, the Galaxy Note 3 features a plastic faux leather back, enable it to keep devices in supply even when there is a ton of demand.
The company learned its lesson with the Galaxy S3 launch and we haven’t seen major supply issues plague a flagship in the U.S. since. The Galaxy Note 3 isn’t sold out yet during the pre-order process and we don’t expect that to change.
We expect just about everyone to be able to walk into a store on release day and buy this phone.
Sprint Galaxy Note 3 Release Date
Oddly enough, the Sprint Galaxy Note 3 is still without an official release date. Sprint, in the past, has been quick to announce details for its Galaxy devices but for whatever reason, it has been slow to the trigger with the Galaxy Note 3 release date.
Officially, the carrier says that it will be coming this fall. Fall officially begins on September 22nd and ends on December 20th giving Sprint a wide window to release the Galaxy Note 3. However, we think that the carrier will be releasing the phablet in early-to-mid October just like its competitors.
When exactly, isn’t clear. We think early-to-mid October though.
For one, Sprint needs all of the help it can get. The carrier remains the only major U.S. carrier that offers true unlimited data to new customers but competition is fierce. Sprint’s 4G LTE network is still dwarfed by those of AT&T and Verizon and T-Mobile and its new off-contract data plans and new LTE network have made it a major player.
In other words, Sprint needs to get the top devices out before or around the same time its competitors do in order to compete. It loses customers if it launches late.
With the device now past the FCC, we think it’s only a matter of time before Sprint makes its plans known.
U.S. Cellular Galaxy Note 3 Release Date
Same goes for the U.S. Cellular Galaxy Note 3. The point of carrying a big time phone like the Galaxy Note 3 is to attract customers to your network. U.S. Cellular remains firmly planted in as the nation’s fifth largest carrier and with a growing LTE network, like Sprint, it wants to make some headway with consumers.
Offering the Galaxy Note 3 up on a reasonable date goes hand-in-hand with this so we expect the company to get the device out in early-to-mid October as well. Officially the carrier tells us that it will be out in October though it doesn’t specify a date.
Look for it to arrive in and around the dates for other carriers so that it can stay competitive.
Immediate Galaxy Note 3 Deals
Competition is going to be fierce this year. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C arrive September 20th. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is expected to arrive this month. The HTC One max is getting closer. And the Nexus 5 will more than likely arrive at some point in mid-to-late October. In other words, the Galaxy Note 3 is not only dealing with other big name smartphones, its release is also going to be sandwiched by the iPhone and the Nexus 5.
What this means is that we should get a healthy dose of Galaxy Note 3 deals when it’s released as retailers look to lure in consumers looking for instant gratification. Last year, we saw immediate Galaxy Note 2 deals, we even saw the device slashed down to $199.99 as early as December. And while we don’t while we don’t expect places like Amazon to offer deals that low right off the bat, we could see $50 discounts on day one.
There will be Galaxy Note 3 deals and that’s something that Galaxy Note 3 buyers need to keep in mind on the road to the Galaxy Note 3 release date in the U.S.
Lots of Galaxy Note 3 Accessories
At the Galaxy Note 3 launch event, Samsung detailed Galaxy Note 3 accessories including the S-View cover that will be a tempting purchase for those toting a Galaxy Note 3. Samsung has a penchant for launching its accessories after a release date so we can’t be sure if the S-View cover will be available on day one in the U.S.
Accessories will likely be widely available for the Galaxy Note 3.
However, we do think that there will be a bunch of Galaxy Note 3 accessories available right off the bat. For instance, Spigen says that its accessories will be coming soon. And we have a feeling that Otterbox is going to have some cases available as well, perhaps right from the start. There will also likely be some other less-known accessory options available right from the get-go as well.
Galaxy Gear Will Be Hard to Find
Finally, we think that the Galaxy Gear may be a little difficult to find on the Galaxy Note 3 release date. First of all, we haven’t seen every single carrier announce availability yet. In addition, Verizon isn’t selling the Galaxy Gear without a Galaxy Note 3 included. And finally, we haven’t seen carriers offering up the orange Galaxy Gear, just the white and black.
Don’t expect to find the Galaxy Gear that you want on release day.
We think some carriers will have it available on release day but there will likely be others, AT&T perhaps, that launch it after the Galaxy Note 3 arrives. And those looking to snag colorful versions of the Galaxy Gear may have to go through a retailer to get one as there aren’t any signs of release day availability, even at the carriers offering up the watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment