Samsung Confirms October 17 UK Launch Date For Galaxy Note 4

However company forced to deny rumours of possible design defect in phablet device

UK phablet fans have only a few weeks to wait for another headline device to add to their collection after Samsung revealed that its Galaxy Note 4 device would go on general sale here on October 17.

The company confirmed the launch date in a statement, saying that due to the “phenomenal interest” shown in the device, which was announced last month at the IFA show in Berlin, the UK launch date was being moved up.

Eager customers have been able to pre-order the Note 4 from both Samsung’s official online site since September 19, and high-street retailers including Carphone Warehouse since last Friday.

“Samsung UK is working hard to ensure that pre-orders and sales across all channels can be fulfilled as soon as possible,” the company added.

Online site Clove.co.uk has been the first retailer to reveal a price for the Note 4, saying it will be selling it for £575 SIM-free including VAT. All the major UK operators, including O2, Three, Vodafone, and Carphone Warehouse have all also confirmed that they will be selling the device.

Note4EdgeMind the gap

Despite the excitement surrounding the launch of the new device, Samsung was yesterday forced to deny reports of a possible defect in the Galaxy Note 4, following complaints from some customers in South Korea that there was a gap between the phablet’s frame and display panel.

Since going on sale in South Korea and China last Friday, several pictures have emerged on social media sites showing how a business card could be inserted between the display panel and the frame.

Samsung insisted the gap was a natural part of design that “does not impact the functionality or quality” of the phone, in spite of customer worries that it might allow liquids or dust into the device.

“We assure our customers that all Galaxy Note 4 units meet our strict manufacturing and quality control standards,” the company said in a statement, adding that the device had passed rigorous tests for both dirt protection and water resistance.

The latest in Samsung’s line of “phablet” devices will feature a 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display (2,560 x 1,440) housed within a aluminium frame surrounding a plastic chassis weighing just 163g. It will be powered by a quad core 2.3GHz Qualcomm 805 processor, and features a 13MP rear camera, fingerprint sensor and heartbeat monitor, much like Samsung’s recent Galaxy S5 smartphone.

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