Samsung may go cheaper with Galaxy Note 3 variant
A lower-cost model of the big-screen smartphone is due out in 2014, an insider tells SamMobile.
Consumers who've shunned Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 because of its $300 price tag may see a less-expensive version early next year.
Previous rumors had suggested that Samsung would offer both premium and not-so-premium editions of the Note 3. An unnamed insider told blog site SamMobile that the lower-cost Note 3 Lite will appear at Mobile World Congress next year and reach consumers in February or March.
No specific details were revealed about the device beyond its availability in black and white. But new shipment records for a model SM-N7505 phone, which could be the Note 3 Lite, show that Samsung is testing versions with screen sizes of 5.49 inches and 5.7 inches. The current Note 3 has a 5.7-inch display.
Previous rumors cited by SamMobile suggest the phone's screen will adopt LCD instead of Super AMOLED and that the camera will be bumped down to 8 megapixels from 13 megapixels.
In response to the report of the Note 3 Lite, a Samsung spokeswoman told CNET that the company does not comment on rumors or speculation.