Samsung unveils the new Galaxy Note II phablet

New Delhi: Fresh off a legal battle with Apple, Samsung has announced a new version of its Galaxy Note smartphone-cum-tablet combo, an offbeat, oversized smartphone that's become a surprise hit.

Samsung, the world's largest maker of phones, has unveiled the Galaxy Note II at IFA Berlin. The 5.5-inch screen is narrower but longer than on the first version. The processor is faster, and the software has been further adapted for the included stylus - the phone's signature feature.

While Apple has been releasing a new smartphone model each year, Samsung makes several to target different types of customers. That includes low-end phones for price-conscious customers. As a result, Samsung has been selling more smartphones than Apple this year.

Samsung unveils the new Galaxy Note II phablet

Samsung has announced a new version of its Galaxy Note, an offbeat, oversized smartphone that's become a surprise hit.

The Note runs on the latest version of Google's Android operating system - version 4.1 Jelly Bean - but isn't among the phones that Apple is asking a judge to ban from the US, after a jury in California ruled last week that some of Samsung's Android phones violated Apple patents. The jury awarded Apple $1 billion in damages in a high-profile case that could force Samsung and other Android phone makers to rethink their designs.

The Note is designed to work well with a stylus for jotting notes and drawing on a screen, while styluses for other devices tend to be an afterthought. The Note's large screen also makes the phone more like a tablet and more suitable for playing games and consuming content. Samsung started selling a tablet version of the Note this month.

The Galaxy Note II features a 5.5-inch (140.9mm) HD Super AMOLED screen with a 16:9 ratio and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. The smartphone will be available in two colours - Marble White and Titanium Gray.

Samsung Electronics says it has shipped 10 million first-generation Galaxy Note smartphone in one year.

Samsung says the new phone will go on sale in Europe and Asia in October.