With all of the buzz surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S4 at the moment, attention is inevitably going to switch to the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note 3 very soon. We have heard very little rumors regarding the elusive phablet device, but now we have some interesting thoughts to share with you in relation to design of the device.

Design is arguably the biggest talking point of the device at the moment over hardware specs, mainly due to the fact that a lot of consumers were unhappy over the Galaxy Note 2 adopting almost an identical design as the Galaxy S3. Some design innovation would have been nice to see, separating the Galaxy S and the Note families away from each other further, rather than just the display screen differences.

With that in mind, many consumers are fearing that Samsung may go the same route and make the Galaxy Note 3 exactly the same as the Galaxy S4, just with a bigger display screen. While this wouldn’t be the end of the world, we’ve heard rumors that Samsung may be considering some changes for the Note 3 design at last.

SamMobile are claiming that Samsung currently has as many as three Galaxy Note 3 prototypes that are up for consideration for final release, according to their sources. The first is what we feared, a Galaxy Note 3 which mimics the design seen with the recently released Galaxy S4.

The second prototype however is thought to have a completely different design, while even more interesting, the final prototype could have a flexible display attached to it. We have seen Samsung officially tout their prowess in the market in relation to flexible technology, but has it perhaps come too early to see it on the Galaxy Note 3?

We would love it to happen, but considering there has been reported problems involving flexible display production – it may not happen. If these rumors are true though, it is very satisfying to hear that Samsung are thinking about changing the design of the Galaxy Note 3 to offer users something completely different compared to the Galaxy S4.

As we await more details, tell us what your dream Galaxy Note 3 design would involve. Would you like to see a sexy aluminum-based design, or even polycarbonate materials? Do you agree that copying the Galaxy S4 design would be a bad idea?

During CES 2013 we were treated to what could become the future of smartphone design, and that was Samsung’s Youm flexible display technology. As you would imagine there were rumors suggesting that the Galaxy S4 would come with a flexible display, but this was not to be. However, rumors of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 having a flexible display were still plausible.

Recent news makes us believe that the Flexible Galaxy Note 3 display is unlikely due to the technology being delayed. There have been rumors to suggest the Note 3 will come with a display around 6 inches, which is half an inch larger than the current Note 2, but it was the thought of a flexible display that excited us the most.

According to a source the technology used in order to produce flexible displays has hit a bump in the road with the encapsulation process, which helps to protect the display from thing such as moisture. We did not expect to see the technology used in handsets this year, but 2014 could be a different story.

However, recent news suggesting a metal Galaxy Note 3 exterior is more plausible, as it would give the phablet a more premium look and feel, something current Galaxy devices are lacking. Mashable reports that the Galaxy S4 was meant to come with a metal body, but there were issues with production, but because the Note 3 will not be released until later this year these delays could be resolved.

If you were to put your money on the design of the Galaxy Note 3, what would be more likely, a flexible display or a metal body?

Although we currently have no idea as to the design of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, what its features will be or when the phablet will be released, we do know one thing, it will be a direct competitor to the LG Optimus G Pro.

Okay, so most of you may have already known this, but we have renewed this comparison because of some software destined for the Note 3 that is very similar to what the G Pro currently has. If what we have learned is correct, then the Galaxy Note 3 will come installed with software called S Orb, which as you may be aware should have been released with the S4.

However, because the new camera software was not ready in time, the S4 was unable to take advantage of S Orb, which allows for 360 degree panorama shooting of images. It seems that the S4’s loss is the Note 3’s gain, as Samsung has confirmed this will be their first handset to use the new software.

This software is pretty much the same as Photo Sphere, which is used on a range of Nexus devices, allowing users to take 360-degree images and then merge them together to make them look a little like Street View. The only other smartphone to use this camera software outside the Nexus family is the Optimus G Pro, which will be its main competitor.

Once S Orb has been released on the Note 3, then Samsung will allow users to install it on other Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie devices, such as the Galaxy S3, S4 and the Note, as we know Samsung will fully support these handsets with the next Android update. We can also tell you that S Orb will fully integrate with Facebook, allowing you to share those panoramic photos you have taken.

Samsung is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to cornering the smartphone and tablet market. We already looked at how they are set to release a new tablet soon, well it seems as though a new phablet is inbound as well. The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 looks set to bring the larger screen smartphone to those on a limited budget.

Looking at the Mega 5.8 specs, it’s clear to see this is no Galaxy Note 3, but Samsung doesn’t want it to be. For those on a limited budget they have had to Sit back and see how consumers have been able to enjoy the phablet, while staying out of their reach. It’s for this very reason why Samsung is releasing the cheaper device – well that and improving on their profits.

According to SamMobile the Galaxy Mega 5.8 specs have been confirmed, and it’s not got a 6.3-inch display as rumored, so this must be saved for the Note 3 instead.

As for those specs, we should expect to see a 5.8-inch qHD TFT display, with a less than impressive 960 x 540 resolution. The phablet will be powered by a dual-core, 1.4GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, an 8-megapizel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixal front-facing shooter.

Because this is more of a budget device, the 2,600 mAh battery makes sense, although the screen will not demand that much power, so battery performance should be pretty good. Finally, Android Jelly bean 4.2.2 should come installed on the mega 5.8.

There are currently no details as to when the Galaxy Mega 5.8 will be released, but it’s clear that Samsung are ready to cover yet another market.

What are your thoughts on the Mega 5.8, or would you rather wait for the Galaxy Note 3?

Samsung has been very busy recently if we are to believe recent rumors, not only could their new Galaxy Tab 3 morph itself into the first 10-inch Galaxy S tablet instead, but there’s also news that Samsung is to release two Mega Phones.

While we cannot be certain as to the validity of such a rumor, this is a huge twist for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, as one of these Mega Phones could turn out to be the new Note 3, or Samsung is bringing yet another new range of large smartphones to the market.

These handsets are said to come in two variants, a 5.8-inch and a 6.3-inch version, both of which have been rumored sizes to the Note 2 successor. The model numbers for these two handsets are the GT-i9512, and the GT-i9200, so one has to wonder if SamMobile is on the money this time, or if this is yet another rumor we need to take with a grain of salt?

As yet there are no specs for these so-called Galaxy Mega Phones, although we do have some vague release dates. The smaller handset is said to be released in week 22 and the larger of the two in week 25, which is May 27 to June 2 and June 17 to June 23, 2013 respectively.

If these handsets and dates are the real deal then the likelihood of one of them being the Galaxy Note 3 is pretty slim, as we don’t expect to see a new version of the phablet until September at least. If this is the case then Samsung’s handset range is about to get even more confusing.

Now Samsung has unveiled their Galaxy S4 all of those rumored features that were a no show kind of makes some of those predictions a little worthless. However, all is not lost, as a few of them could make it to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, such as the “unbreakable display”.

Those of you who expected to see a much stronger display on the S4 were left feeling a little disappointed, although that’s not the only issues people had. We assumed Samsung would make several design changes, along with bigger hardware improvements, but the S4 was more of a minor refresh, just as the iPhone 5S will be later this year.

Now we are being told the Note 3 will have this type of display and it will be one of its key features, but is this just another of those rumors we have to take with a grain of salt? However, there’s also a suggestion the display could be flexible, which is still possible with OLED.

Because the size of the Note 3 is expected to be larger the new plastic display will be a little lighter, which we have to say should be very welcome when you think the phablet will also be tougher as well.

According to the report the Galaxy Note 3 could come with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and a display size bordering 6 inches. Personally we believe the Note 3 will be just a minor upgrade like its smaller sibling and a major design change will not happen until next year with the Note 4, just as we expect to see with the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 as well.

Even though the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will not be in direct competition with the iPhone 5S because they cater for different markets, the two could be about to size each other up in September. If what we have learned is true then the new version of Samsung’s phablet could be announced at IFA in September, which could be almost the same time as Apple’s next smartphone release.

As well as the Note 3 possibly being unveiled at IFA 2013 in September, there’s also the chance that the Galaxy Tab 3 could see its debut as well. Like we said this is mere speculation, but seeing as though the Note 2 was unveiled at the end of August last year, it’s not a big stretch of the imagination to assume its successor will be revealed around the same time, well that’s according to a source of SamMobile.

The iPhone 5S debut is unknown; much like every Apple unveils really, but if we were to go on last year then September is a good bet and could possibly be a week or so after Samsung has shown off their Note 3. While the two will not compete with each other, there will no doubt be several videos comparing both devices against each other.

However, we expect both models to be a minor update on their predecessors, just as the Galaxy S4 was with the S3. This was a shock for the Samsung faithful last week because they expected so much more with the Galaxy S4, surely they will be prepared not to expect too much when the Note 3 is finally released?

It’s a different story for Apple lovers because they expect the iPhone 5S to be just a minor refresh, so anything else will be considered a bonus.

Yesterday saw the unveil of the Samsung Galaxy S4, and with it there were several accessories being shown as well. However, there is only one of interest to us because it helps give us an idea of the Galaxy Note 3 screen size. The accessory in question is the Game Pad and because the small device provides support for screens from 4 – 6.3 inches we feel as though this is telling us something about the size of the next phablet.

We could be reading more into this, but they must have given support for a larger screen size for a reason, and we’d like to think that reason is because the Note 3 will have a 6.3-inch display? It’s not too much of a stretch really because this would be in line with several rumors we have heard before.

The current size of the Note 2 screen is 5.5 inches, so increasing by almost an inch does seem a little far-fetched, and considering the S4 only had an increase of 0.2 inches, those could those Note 3 rumors be incorrect?

Personally we believe that the Galaxy Note 3 will only see a minor screen size increase like its sibling the S4. Speaking of that new handset, we have to wonder if it paints a picture of what is to come in terms of hardware for the Note 3? Depending who you ask the S4 disappointed a little because it was not the massive upgrade that we expected, but rather a minor one.

However, these people are only basing this on the looks because they are so used to Samsung changing the design of their new smartphones, but if you were to look at the hardware and software changes then you will be pleasantly surprised.

You have to hand it to Samsung; they really have several markets covered in the smartphone and tablet business because of their range of device sizes. The South Korean company saw a gap in the market for a large smartphone and so released the Note, and also a sequel last year.

Later this year we know that a new model will be released, and there are fresh rumors that the size of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 could boarder 6 inches, well 5.9 inches to be precise.

The reason we have speculated this is because a recent rumor suggests that Sammy is working on a 5.9-inch phablet, which will be powered by the quad-core Exynos 5 Octa processor.

It stands to reason why we would suspect why this even larger phablet could be the Note 3, as we recently reported that this device is to be powered by the CPU mentioned above.

However, if this is the case then it could upset a few people as they assumed that the Note 3 could come with a 6.3-inch 1080p Full HD display, although we have to say that going over the 6-inch mark is starting to border on the insane for a smartphone or phablet.

It’s worth noting that the source of this rumor has a varied track record, so this could be another one of those meaningless rumors. However, when you consider that the original Galaxy Note had a 5.3-inch screen size and the Note 2 a 5.5-inch screen, a jump to a 5.9-inch display is far more likely than going over the 6-inch barrier.

There are several advantages about sticking with Android handsets, the first is there being plenty of choice, and the second is that they never stay at their full price because they can often be included in certain retailer sales. We say this because the Galaxy Note 2 is currently half the normal price, but this has lead to some misguided speculation about an early Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release because of this price cut.

Whenever there is a price cut on such a device there is always going to be speculation that retailers are making way for stock of an updated version of the device. However, this cannot be the case because the Note 2 isn’t that old and one would presume that the successor will not be released until the fourth quarter of 2013.

If you wish to sign up for a new two-year contract then Amazon will sell you the Note 2 for $149.99, but if you are looking to upgrade then you’ll have to part with $189.99 instead, which is still pretty impressive.

We’re pretty sure that many consumers still have a while to go until they are eligible for an upgrade and wonder how long this deal will run for. The problem is we just don’t know, so you’ll just have to hope that this is a long-term deal – although we highly doubt it.

Has this offer tempted you or will you wait to see what Samsung has to offer when they announce the Galaxy S4, which is said to be announced in the next month or so and could come with a larger screen – ideal if you feel the screen is too small on the S3 and too large on the Note 2?