Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Release Date Nears: Rumors Suggest Sept. 27 Availability

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected to be announced on Sept. 4 at a Samsung Unpacked event in Berlin prior to the IFA Expo, we remain uncertain about when the device will release onto the market. But recent news out of Taiwan suggests that the Galaxy Note 3 will be available to customers starting Sept. 27.

While Taiwanese website ePrice proposes the date, it of course cannot yet be confirmed. But it does coincide with other reports and rumors that suggest the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will release in late September. To gear up for the release, pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 3 will reportedly begin Sept. 16, according to ePrice. Many note that if the report is true, this may be the release date for the Galaxy Note 3 only in Taiwan, which would leave us still in the dark about when the device will be released in other markets. Similarly, tech website Geeky Gadgets proposed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 would release in the U.K. in late September, but did not give a specific date. Many others have suggested that the U.S. release in particular would not be far behind as Samsung notably releases its devices in its most profitable markets around the same time.

At this point the Korean manufacturer has a fairly predictable release schedule for its flagship “phablet” series. The previous Galaxy Note devices were similarly unveiled at or around IFA Expo, and they all also released about one month after their unveilings. The original Galaxy Note was announced at IFA 2011 in September and released in October, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was announced at the Berlin Radio Show in late August 2012, which took place just before the opening of that year’s IFA event, and released in late September. We can at least be certain that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will in fact be unveiled at the upcoming Unpacked event, as per the "Note the date" teaser Samsung sent out within its invitations.

The international release of the Galaxy Note 3 will likely see Europe, Asia and North America receive the Galaxy Note 3 within days of each other, even if it is only on a few carriers in each respective market. Considering Samsung’s Galaxy Note release history, we expect the Galaxy Note 3 to be available no later than October.

As for the U.S., many expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 come in a staggered release with the carriers AT&T and Sprint likely getting the device first, followed by T-Mobile, then finally Verizon. The release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 notably had a similar release schedule: AT&T and Sprint release their handsets first, close to the international release date in late April. T-Mobile released its handset between early-and-mid May, while Verizon released its handset in late May. The Galaxy S4 also hit other less popular carriers like U.S. Cellular, C-Spire and MetroPCS much later. For the Galaxy Note 3, a recent leak proposed that AT&T may be among the first U.S. carriers to receive the device.

As the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 quickly approaches its unveiling date, even more rumors have surfaced for the device. The most recent reports suggest that Samsung has canceled the optical image stabilization update for the Galaxy Note 3 camera and will instead equip the device with 4K video recording and 24-bit/192kHz music playback. A recent leak also showed off what may be the display panel for the Galaxy Note 3, which looks eerily similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4. Many reports proposed the Galaxy Note 3 would feature a design similar to that of its popular cousin.

Do you think the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will release onto the market on Sept. 27? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow me on Twitter @FionnaatIBT.