The AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note is one of the best Android smartphones on the carrier at the moment and the cause of envy for Verizon and Sprint users who are waiting to get their hands on one (rumored Samsung Galaxy Journal).
However while the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note does pack a humungous 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD display and S-Pen features, it doesn’t match up to the international model in many ways. Here are a few reasons why you should opt for the international model instead of buying it through AT&T.
International GSM Samsung Galaxy Note vs AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note
For starters, let’s get the price out of the way. If you buy the international GSM Samsung Galaxy Note through websites like Amazon Wireless, you will need to plop down around $570. This is of course the price of an unlocked model and you won’t find yourself paying upwards of $80 per month for an AT&T contract for the next two years. If you’re fine with that, then this are the advantages you will have over the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note:
Better chipset: Dual-core 1.4GHz Exynos processor instead of the 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor (the former is more faster).
Physical home button: You won’t realize how nice it is to have a physical home button which will allow you to unlock the device with just two taps until you grasp the Samsung Galaxy Note in your hand. Due to its sheer size, it is sometime uncomfortable to press the side power key and then move your fingers down again to slide it to unlock.
Apps: You will find that the international GSM Samsung Galaxy Note has no AT&T bloatware and also retains its FM radio which is missing from the US variant.
Faster updates: We know just how long it takes US carriers to update their devices to the latest Android update. With the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Premium Suite update for the Samsung Galaxy Note already confirmed, the international variant would be the first to get it and may be months ahead of the AT&T variant.
As for disadvantages, it would be the non-subsidized price, no LTE support and no NFC.
Which one are you opting for? Sound off in the comments below.
