Rumors surfaced back in August about Samsung potentially launching a low-cost variant of the Galaxy Note 3 for emerging markets, one that would use an LCD display and an 8-megapixel camera. Now, a report by ETNews (who came up with the original rumor) is once again talking about that variant, suggesting that it will be launched sometime in November.
The launch of the LCD variant was reportedly delayed so as to not dilute the Note 3's “premium image,” but Samsung is apparently looking to release it to market sometime in November, before which it should be able to sell enough units of the standard Super AMOLED and 13MP camera-toting Note 3. It sounds quite similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy S4 Active, so it wouldn't be too surprising if we find this supposedly cheaper Note 3 to be a rugged water-proof variant instead.
There's also a possibility that this upcoming variant might have a screen size of only 5.5-inches – a shipping manifest lists a 5.5-inch Note 3 that was shipped to India for testing on September 20th, hinting that there are going to be changes that go beyond just the screen technology and camera resolution with the low-cost third-generation Samsung phablet. The model number seems to be the same as the standard model for now (SM-N900), but that will likely change later on.
Guess we'll find out what's what in the coming weeks.
