Like the saying it is better late than never, U Mobile now offers the Samsung Galaxy Note II on contract from as low as RM899. This makes it the 4th telco in Malaysia to offer the 5.5″ Phone Tablet smart phone on contract. As usual, it comes with the usual plans of U28, U58, U88 and its high usage plan, U Premium. All contracts are tied with 24 months contract. Full bundled pricing below:

U28 (1GB data) – RM1,999
U58 (2GB data) – RM1,599
U88 (3GB data) – RM1,388
U Premium (5GB data) – RM899

For U Premium, it comes pre-loaded with 800 minutes of talk time and 800 SMS per month which is split 50-50 with U Mobile and other networks. Meanwhile for U28-U88 plans, it varies of either bundled SMS, Talktime or both. You can get full details of the U28, U58 and U88 plans here.

An upfront payment between RM224 – RM1,344 is also required during registration. For comparison with other plans, check out the our Note II price comparison between the big 3 telcos.

For more information, head over to U Mobile’s Galaxy Note II page.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our quick look at the Galaxy Note II features.

Owners of the original Samsung Galaxy Note are not being left behind as Samsung is purported working on a Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the device as well. The new firmware has been leaked with screenshots of the Note running on Jelly Bean with the nature inspired TouchWiz.

Apparently the new update will also bring a host of Galaxy Note II features such as Multi-View and even Air-View. Obviously we would expect some shortcomings as the original Note’s S-Pen is a notch down compared with the new S-Pen on the Note II. With half the amount of RAM (Note: 1GB, Note II: 2GB), performance might take a hit with the new features running. No roll out dates we’re mentioned but this is certainly good news for Galaxy Note users.

Head after the break for a video of a Galaxy Note running on the Jelly Bean firmware.

Watch the multi-view in action at the 9:30 minute mark.

[ SOURCE, 2 ]

DiGi is offering the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III, Note and Note 10.1 from as low as RM699 with a special bundling with RM148/month commitment. The new DG Smart Plan special bundling of RM148/month offers 3GB of data and RM80 worth of calls/sms/mms each month which is tied to 24 months contract. In way, this bundling is actually a DG Smart Plan 68 (3GB) that’s bolt on with RM80 of extra credit.

During sign up, the special offer requires RM1,000 advance payment which is quite a lot. However if you’re a DiGi Corporate Employee Program customer with Auto Billing payment, the Advance payment is waived. On top of that, DiGi is offering extended warranty to Corporate customers which gives it a total of 2 years, except for HTC One X that’s already covered with 2 years warranty. For normal customers, the warranty can be extended at RM90 for Galaxy Note, RM115 for Galaxy S III and RM170 for Galaxy Note 10.1.

For more information, head over to DiGi Smart Specials promo page.

The newly available Samsung Galaxy Note II is by some margin, the best Android device in the market right now. Here’s a quick look at some of the interesting features of the device which is demonstrated with a hands-on video.

Retailing at RM2,299, the Galaxy Note II comes with a massive 5.5″ HD Super AMOLED display, a quad-core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and the unit we are getting comes with 16GB of storage. While the device has gone bigger in screen size with top spec hardware, the Galaxy Note II comes with additional new features that makes the large screen and stylus combo more productive.

Among the new features include a new enhanced S-Pen with AirView, Smart Rotation and multi-view support which lets you view 2 apps side by side. It also inherited the new features from the Galaxy S III such as Smart Stay and various gesture based actions.

Do watch this space as we will be having an in-depth review soon.

Related Galaxy Note II posts
Samsung Galaxy Note II Telco Plans compared
Questions Answered: Samsung Galaxy Note II
Maxis Galaxy Note II bundle offer from RM999
Celcom Galaxy Note II bundle offer from RM1,498
DiGi Galaxy Note II bundle offer from RM1,399
Galaxy Note II Launch Day details

UPDATE: Included Galaxy Note II bundling on Maxis new SurfMore Plan with 12/24 months contract.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II officially goes on sale in Malaysia today with the big 3 telcos – DiGi, Celcom and Maxis offering contract bundle plans for the device. Retailing at RM2,299, the 5.5″ Android phone-tablet with quad-core 1.6GHz processor is also available without contract at Samsung Elite Partners and there’s also a roadshow happening at MidValley from today until Sunday.

For most people, getting outright can be blow to your wallet. If you’re already using or thinking of getting a postpaid plan with data, having a contracted plan with a telco makes more sense with subsidised Galaxy Note II pricing. We have compared the plans and pricing from all 3 telcos in Malaysia to find out the total minimum cost of owning a Galaxy Note II.

Head after the break for the full comparison.

First of all, the comparison made is based on the minimum cost of ownership possible. This is assuming you don’t exceed the minimum monthly commitment or incur access charges. In real life scenario, this might vary especially for DiGi’s Smart Plan where you’re only paying for data, while calls and SMS are charged separately. For Maxis, Value Postpaid plan bundling, we have taken the lowest Value Plus plan which is RM30/month for comparison sake.

In terms of contract duration, all 3 telcos offer 12 months contract while only Maxis and DiGi offer the longest 24 months option. Celcom in the other hand has a middle ground option of 18 months, which is their longest contract duration available. Click on the tables below for larger size.

12 Months

18 Months

24 Months

For DiGi, there’s extra monthly rebate savings for those that opt for auto-billing but we have omitted it as not all might choose this payment option. On Maxis, it is worth pointing out that Maxis One Club members will get to enjoy free advance payment waiver for all TalkMore 78 and Value Postpaid plans.

When deciding which plan is for you, the minimum ownership cost is just for a baseline reference. You would need to think about your current call, SMS and data usage pattern to find out which plan is suited for your need. There’s also network coverage and service quality to consider as well. Since you’re committing to a contract, it is best to stay with a telco that has optimal service at your area as cancelling a contract halfway would attract unnecessary penalty charges.

As always, if there’s any error do alert us in the comments section below. If you have any questions on the Galaxy Note II, you can drop them in our Questions Answered post or tweet to us at @soya_cincau.

Related Galaxy Note II posts
Questions Answered: Samsung Galaxy Note II
Maxis Galaxy Note II bundle offer from RM999
Celcom Galaxy Note II bundle offer from RM1,498
DiGi Galaxy Note II bundle offer from RM1,399
Galaxy Note II Launch Day details

The Samsung Galaxy Note II bundled plans is finally revealed on Maxis. This time Maxis has gone with a wider choice of plans including the recently introduced TalkMore 78 postpaid. For loyal customers under Maxis One Club, they are offering the Galaxy Note II from as low as RM999.

Head after the break for the full bundled details.

TalkMore 78 + Bolt On Data Plan

This bundling is catered for those that make lots of phone calls/sms with a need of data. The TalkMore 78 postpaid plan comes with 600 voice minutes and 500 SMS to all networks. For data bundling, you have an option of 1GB (RM48/month) and 3GB (RM68/month). This gives a total commitment of RM126/month (TalkMore 78+1GB) and RM146 (Talkmore 78+3GB) respectively.

Full bundle pricing below:

TalkMore 78 + 1GB Data (12 months) – RM1,799
TalkMore 78 + 1GB Data (24 months) – RM1,599

TalkMore 78 + 3GB Data (12 months) – RM1,599
TalkMore 78 + 3GB Data (24 months) – RM1,399

An upfront fee of RM250 applies for 12 months contract and RM1,000 for 24 months contract, which will be rebated back across a 5 month period. It is worth pointing out that the Galaxy S III is also bundled from as low as RM1,199.

More details over at their TalkMore 78 bundle page.

Value Postpaid + Bolt On Data Plan

For those that have different talk time requirements, this bundling offers more flexibility over the voice plan. It comes bundled with a minimum of Value First Postpaid (RM30) and goes up higher with Value Plus Plans 50/80/100/250/500. Just like the earlier TalkMore 78, it comes bundled with either 1GB (RM48/month) and 3GB (RM68/month) of data. The same advance payment of RM250-RM1,000 also applies but Maxis One Club members are exempted.

Full Bundling price below:

Value Postpaid + 1GB Data (12 months) – RM1,899
Value Postpaid + 1GB Data (24 months) – RM1,699

Value Postpaid + 3GB Data (12 months) – RM1,799
Value Postpaid + 3GB Data (24 months) – RM1,599

Full details of the plan available here.

Maxis One Club offer

Last but not least, Maxis One Club members get a sweeter deal. This is basically the TalkMore 78 + 3GB data option which is offered at RM999 instead of the listed RM1,399. That’s RM400 extra savings. What’s even sweeter is that the advance payment is also waived until 30th November 2012.

For more info, head over to Maxis One Club page.

Celcom has confirmed its pricing details for the Samsung Galaxy Note II with the device starting from RM1,498 with contract. It will be available in the following outlets tomorrow on the 19th October:

Blue Cube @Publika Shopping Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Blue Cube @Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Celcom outlet @Taman Molek, Johor Bahru
Celcom outlet @Bangunan KWSP, Penang

To sweeten the deal Celcom will also be bundling the first 100 Note II sold with a Flip Casing worth RM149. You can also stand a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S III by taking part in the lucky draws that will be held at the participating outlets. Full launch promo details here.

Details on the Celcom Galaxy Note II plans right after the jump.

The Galaxy Note II is bundled with Celcom First postpaid plan of Prime 40, Premier 80 and Elite 150 that is bolt-on with mobile internet plan of 1GB or 3GB. In terms of contract duration, you have a choice of either 12 months and 18 months. Obviously the lowest bundled price of RM1,498 is tied with the highest Celcom First Elite 150 bundled with 3GB of data for 18 months. During sign up, an upfront payment between RM250 to 450 which Celcom will rebate back from your first bill onwards depending on your usage.

If you have any questions on the device, do shoot them here or via twitter at @soya_cincau.

Celcom now has quietly started its Registration of Interest for the Samsung Galaxy Note II. So far there isn’t any details on its plan offerings but those that pre-register will be among the first to know.

Early today, DiGi has started offering online pre-orders from as low as RM1,399 on contract. Meanwhile Maxis too will be bundling the Note II and are expected to reveal their offering soon.

To register, head over to Celcom’s Galaxy Note II page.

Thanks synnnx for the heads up!

Right after yesterday’s official announcement of Samsung Galaxy Note II, DiGi has made the first move to offer online orders of the device. Retailing at RM2,299 outright, DiGi is offering the Note II from as low as RM1,399 with 24 months contract with DG Smart Plan 88.

In terms of plan options, DG Smart Plan 48 offers 1GB of data while Smart Plan 68 at 3GB and Smart Plan 88 at 5GB monthly. Calls and text are charged separately at 15sen/minute and 10sen per SMS respectively.

The full bundling price of the Galaxy Note II as follows:

DG Smart Plan 48 (12 months) – RM1,949
DG Smart Plan 48 (24 months) – RM1,799

DG Smart Plan 68 (12 months) – RM1,849
DG Smart Plan 68 (24 months) – RM1,599

DG Smart Plan 88 (12 months) – RM1,749
DG Smart Plan 88 (24 months) – RM1,399

An upfront payment between RM50-600 is required, depending on plan and contract duration option and the amount will be rebated back to your first bill. Both Titanium Grey and Marble White colours are available.

Alternatively, you can pre-order a unit from selected DiGi retail centres at Sunway, Pulau Tikus (Penang), Suntec (Penang), Taman Molek (JB), Api-api (KK) and Kuching.

Deliveries will only start on 19th October 2012 which is the official release date for Malaysia.

Head over to DiGi Online Store to pre-order yours now.

Thanks @meshlah for the alert!

The Samsung Galaxy Note II comes with a 8MP camera that’s capable of shooting full HD 1080p videos. Over at the front, it comes with a 1.9MP shooter which takes videos in 720p. In camera mode, the Note II is a rather snappy shooter which lets you take instant non-stop burst shots up to 20 photos. We’ve uploaded a sample video and a couple of sample shots for initial testing.

Photos turn out pretty good with great detail which obviously is a big improvement over the original Galaxy Note. Somehow it seems rather identical with its Galaxy S III sibling that also comes with a 8MP shooter.

Head after the break for some sample shots.

Here are some shots taken so far. Click to view in original size.