Galaxy Note 4 launch set for Oct. 17; preorders start Friday

Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 CNET

Samsung is getting ready to launch the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 4, the next version of its smartphone-tablet hybrid.

The company said Thursday that preorders on the Galaxy Note 4 will begin Friday -- the the same day Apple is launching its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung's so-called phablet will launch October 17 in the US.

To sweeten the pot, Samsung will offer a "guaranteed total trade-in of $200" on working smartphones that are swapped for a Galaxy Note 4 preorder. This means that even if your old phone isn't deemed worth more than $50, you still get $200 to spend on a Galaxy Note 4. The deal is available between Friday and October 16.

Samsung's decision to start preorders on the iPhone's release day underscores the contentious relationship between the companies. Apple and Samsung have not only battled in court over alleged patent infringement, but Samsung has released a barrage of marketing assaults on the new iPhones, claiming they are outdated and come with features that customers would have found years ago on Samsung phones.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 4 earlier this month. The device comes with a 2.7GHz quad-core processor and a 5.7-inch display. It runs Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) and features a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera. Like the iPhone 6 Plus, it features a near-field communications chip. The Galaxy Note 4 also comes with Samsung's newest S pen stylus that can be used in place of your fingertip to input information.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 will be available in black and white on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular networks.

The prices have trickled out via the carriers. T-Mobile's off-contract price is $749.76. The carrier said Thursday it will offer the device for no money down and monthly payments of $31.24 over 24 months.

Sprint, meanwhile, said the Galaxy Note 4 will cost $30 a month for 24 months, for a total of $720. The two-year contract price is $350.

AT&T has several options for paying for the Note 4. It's $300 with a traditional contract, $34.42 under its AT&T Next 18 program, and $41.30 under its AT&T Next 12 program, both of which offer upgrades after their respective periods. The off-contract price is $825.99.

Verizon is selling its Galaxy Note 4 for $300 with a contract, and $700 off contract. It costs $35 a month on its device installment program, Edge.

CNET has contacted Samsung for comment. We will update this story when we have more information.

Updated at 11:33 am PT: To include Verizon, Sprint and AT&T's pricing on the device.

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Phone network opens up iPhone 6 pre-orders, outs Apple secrets early

China Mobile don't play by the rules

Someone had to go too far and spoil the party: China Mobile has reportedly opened-up pre-orders for the iPhone 6, seemingly confirming Apple's next phone will come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch varieties.

Invites for the 9 September launch of the iPhone 6 have already been sent out, but China Mobile has reportedly jumped the gun by launching a pre-order campaign for the new phone, according to China Daily.

It's the Beijing branch of China Mobile that launched the contentious campaign, which asks prospective buyers to choose between 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions of the phone.

While we haven't been able to locate the web page for the pre-order, we're told that it doesn't also spill the beans about when the two phones will actually start shipping.

A China Daily source suggests we'll see iPhone 6s start to arrive by mid-month, although this is merely the standard for Apple launches. Once an Apple device is unveiled, you can be sure it'll be available within a couple of weeks.

The pre-order campaign has apparently attracted 33,000 orders as of Tuesday 2 September, even though it's only available in Beijing, and is for a phone that doesn't officially exist yet.

While we have not heard of any Apple reaction to this early leaking of the iPhone 6's core design specs, you can bet if it happened in the UK we wouldn't be looking at slapped wrists – more like cut off hands.

These long-rumoured specs come as no surprise, but we're still none the wiser as to whether the reported production issues for the larger 5.5-inch iPhone will result in a staggered release, or limited availability of the large iPhone.

via Mac Rumors

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