Are you eyeing Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2, but want something a bit cheaper or… dare we say it… bigger? If you crave a real phablet-sized Android phone, you’ll want to check out Samsung’s new Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3. Yes, those are the screen sizes for the Mega, which will debut in Europe and Russia in May.
A word of caution: bigger isn’t always better. Although the Galaxy Mega’s main selling point is its 5.8-inch or 6.3-inch display, the resolution is only qHD — 540 x 960 pixels, or 189ppi. In other words, the screen is not as sharp as some of the new smartphones that boast 1920 x 1080 displays, such as the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One.
Otherwise, the Galaxy Mega duo offers some respectable specs. The Mega 6.3 has a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 3,200mAh battery, can be bought with either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, and has 4G LTE data connectivity. The Mega 5.8 comes with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 2,600mAh battery, is available only with 8GB of on-board storage, and is HSPA+ only.
Both the Mega 5.8 and 6.3 have Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s Touchwiz skin, the same 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.9-megapixel front. And they offer 1,5GB of RAM and the ability to upgrade storage by a further 64GB through microSD. Unlike Samsung’s slightly smaller Galaxy Note, the Mega does not come with Samsung’s smart stylus, and this might be a drawback for some buyers.
While not a high-end device, the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 include some of the latest features we saw in the Galaxy S4 to those on a tighter budget. The split screen function as well as the new camera modes like Drama Shot and Sound and Shot will come pre-loaded on the device. Samsung’s S Travel and Story Album apps are also included.
Samsung will first launch the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 in Europe and Russia in May, followed by other markets. No word yet on pricing or carriers, but Samsung is positioning the Mega as a more mid-range device, so we’d expect it to be in the low to mid $500 range, unlocked. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear.
Ubergizmo has a nice first hands-on review of the Mega 6.3 here.
