Smartphone rumors are wonderful things, and device manufacturers do not always issue a global release, or even an country-specific version, of every possible hardware and software combination they test. Having said that, the powerful Samsung Galaxy Note II big-screen smartphone/tablet in the United States currently runs on a powerful Exynos 4412 system chip that includes a speedy 1.6 GHz quad core Cortex A9 central processor (Galaxy Note II N7100 model code).
The Samsung Galaxy Note II is available for a reduced sale price now starting at $149.99.
But a recent AnTuTu benchmark database revealed some eyebrow-raising numbers that also raise multiple questions regarding the availability of future Galaxy Note II smartphones in China and the United States. The second generation Galaxy Note phablet was launched with one of the biggest displays ever designed for a smartphone in October of last year and can currently be spotted running on the Sprint 4G LTE system in the US available at the Amazon Wireless store online for only $49 on contract.
The Sprint variant significantly undercuts the price tag offered by competitors Verizon and AT&T on the same handset, and as mentioned above, the current CPU and hardware package on the Galaxy Note II 4G available in North America is plenty powerful. However, it appears that Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung is constantly looking for ways to build on its advantage over Apple as the global leader in smartphone shipments, a position the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4 have helped cement only recently.
The leaked benchmark results point to a currently unavailable version of the Note II, allegedly powered by the Snapdragon 600 chipset and not the Exynos 4412. The model number on the handset in the benchmark tests is N7108D, with the last digit in that model number designating that it will be headed to China. This means a global version may not be rolling out, but at this stage anything is possible. This is the same Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.9 GHz that powers the Galaxy S4, and it will run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
The benchmark showed a total of 26,901 overall points scored across several processing criteria, among all the phones tested. That score is better than the number posted by the US market Samsung Galaxy S4 running the same processor, but at this very early stage and considering the unofficial nature of the leak, North American access is not known. There is no also no confirmation on the authenticity of the benchmark result, and if a new the Galaxy Note II variant is launched, it is sure to command a premium price.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II is available for a reduced sale price now starting at $149.99.
