The Note2 is 151mm x 80mm so it really isn't that much bigger than one would think.  The biggest thing about the device is the Ménage à trois of LTE bands!

It's just so damn huge though.

WOW... the mid-range Mega is tri-band??!!?!?  what to do what to do... thanks AJ for this great article!

How's the RF specs on output?

Nice work AJ with the very quick turnaround!!

Seriously Samsung. Why are they alienating the Note 3 to be single band LTE when the Mega and GS4 mini are triband?

Doesn't the mega have only middle/low range specs? What a waste.

How's the RF specs on output?

 

Nice work AJ with the very quick turnaround!!

If I'm reading it right, it looks like 23.5 on every LTE band and 25 and CDMA, at least that's what some table in the SAR part says so I dunno.

How's the RF specs on output?

 

Nice work AJ with the very quick turnaround!!

To get the teaser article out so quickly, I had to focus only on the fundamentals, namely size and bands.  But Josh says that the uplink RF looks middle of the road.  So, I will take a look, especially as we would like to run a follow up article on the full FCC OET specs at some point.

AJ

Seriously Samsung. Why are they alienating the Note 3 to be single band LTE when the Mega and GS4 mini are triband?

Doesn't the mega have only middle/low range specs? What a waste.

I thought this would be a cause for celebration.  Instead of taking a dump on it, take what you can get, guys.

And though that may have been the case in other regions, this Galaxy Mega does not look to be a mid range device.  This obvious Sprint variant supports NFC, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 5 GHz Wi-Fi hotspot.

We have not yet nailed down the chipset(s), but I would not be the least bit surprised if the Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) is right at the center.  About the only thing that you might lose is the AMOLED screen.  But is that a big loss or even a loss at all?

AJ

Just to give some background, we've suspected the SPH-L600 was the Mega 6.3 for a while now http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/30/sph-l600-passes-through-bluetooth-certification-likely-the-samsung-galaxy-mega-6-3-for-sprint/. Looks like it was spot on.

But yeah, no way is it dethroning the Note 3 - the specs aren't even close to do so. Just because of the bands?

Oh, and not sure if you realize but the Mega 6.3 was already announced by Sprint (just in case you didn't): http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/sprint-to-bring-unlimited-data-experience-to-samsung-galaxy-mega.htm.

I'd take a phone with the same exact specs of the Note2 but with 800LTE and 2.6 LTE added, I would buy it in a heartbeat. 

It will truly be a shame if they thought enough to make a mid-range tri-band handset but didn't think enough to actually do that for the Note 3.

I'd take a phone with the same exact specs of the Note2 but with 800LTE and 2.6 LTE added, I would buy it in a heartbeat. 

Ditto.  My Note 2 has been good to me and the Note 3 looks awesome.  

With us being this close to triband LTE phones though it just doesn't make sense to move up to a high end phone that doesn't have it.

Its not a small moon it's my new phone....

Its not a small moon it's my new phone....

Same here will be getting it on day one......

 

it may render the Galaxy Note 3 irrelevant.

This statement is a joke, right?

...But does it have SVLTE?

(Just trolling)

not a snapdragon800...

SPH-L600 MSM8930AB

8MP Cam

1.5GB RAM

Aka Snapdragon S400 dual core 

Oh, and not sure if you realize but the Mega 6.3 was already announced by Sprint (just in case you didn't): http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/sprint-to-bring-unlimited-data-experience-to-samsung-galaxy-mega.htm.

Yeah, the news here is not that it exists or that it's coming to Sprint.  The news here is that it is Triband LTE for Sprint (B25, B26, B41).  That was not known until this afternoon.  And to contrast that to the Note 3 as being only on one LTE band for Sprint, and you have the making of a drama for Sprint nerds.

Robert

It will truly be a shame if they thought enough to make a mid-range tri-band handset but didn't think enough to actually do that for the Note 3.

The issue here must be timing.  The Note 3 probably was set in stone too early for it to be Triband.  Whereas the Mega is already an existing phone that they are just going back and adding Sprint bands to for their network.  And it didn't have a hard release date to hit like the GN3.  That's my two cents.

Robert

This statement is a joke, right?

Not really.  To a Sprint network enthusiast, bands supported would be more important than having the latest computing power and RAM.  The specs of the Mega are more than sufficient for 98% of users.  Most of us want Band 26 for in-building and far distance performance and Band 41 for high capacity and higher speeds.

I bet S4GRU Members would choose the Sprint variant of the Mega over the GN3 by 2:1.  The general public could be a different story.

Robert

you know, considering this is a large device specifically for Sprint, do you think they would add the old 

Just to give some background, we've suspected the SPH-L600 was the Mega 6.3 for a while now http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/30/sph-l600-passes-through-bluetooth-certification-likely-the-samsung-galaxy-mega-6-3-for-sprint/. Looks like it was spot on.

 

But yeah, no way is it dethroning the Note 3 - the specs aren't even close to do so. Just because of the bands?

We realize and appreciate that the SPH-L600 has been suspected for several months now.  But that is not the point.  You miss the point.

After the Sprint variant Note 3 seemingly turned out to be single band LTE, tri band LTE for this Galaxy Mega is a huge development worthy of announcement.

How can you not appreciate that report?  Are you just one those myopic, "GSM ecosystem focused" guys who expects all bands to be supported?

AJ