Samsung announces the Galaxy Note 3: Bigger, lighter, and leather-backed

At a press event in Berlin today, Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy Note 3, the latest entry in its supersized smartphone line.

While the Note 3 is a clear follow-up to last years Note II, Samsung has made a few notable changes this time around. For one, its upped the Note’s screen size from 5.5 in inches to 5.7 inches — all the while not making the device itself any wider. The Note’s display also offers a 1080p resolution — a first for the product line.

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Also new this time around? Leather — or at least something that feels like it. With the Note 3, Samsung has swapped the plastic back of the previous notes for a smooth, faux-leather exterior, which the company says gives the device a more “premium look and feel.”

“We developed the Note 3 with the care of an artisan,” Samsung VP Menno Van den Berg said.

Samsung has also made a variety of software additions with the Note 3, including improved multitasking and improved integration with the S-Pen. The company says that 71 percent of Note owners end up using the S Note app, which is likely what encouraged Samsung to improve the feature’s functionality this time around.

The Note 3 will come in three colors — Jet black, classic white, and pink. Expect it in October on all four major carriers in the US.

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