AT&T to Offer 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega for $149

AT&T has announced that it is bringing Samsung's massive 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega phablet to the U.S. for a relatively wallet-friendly $149 with a two-year contract. The handset, which is the largest in Samsung's stable of smartphones can also be had for $24 per month on AT&T's Next early smartphone upgrade service.

From a design standpoint, the Galaxy Mega is a carbon copy of the Galaxy S4 right down to the physical home button and capacitive Back and Settings buttons on the handset's front panel. Unfortunately, for a 6.3-inch screen, the Mega's display resolution is a disappointing 1280 x 720. The phablet's internal specs aren't anything to write home about, either. You only get a 1.5-GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage.

MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Rumor Roundup: 6 Things to Know

Samsung's popular 5-inch Galaxy S4, on the other had, has a 1.9-GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. That said, the Mega's middle-of-the road specs do fall in line with its mid-range price point.

The Mega's U.S. release comes at a curious time for Samsung, as the company is expected to announce its 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 phablet at the IFA 2013 conference in Berlin next month. That handset, however, should have specs that are more comparable to Samsung's popular Galaxy S4. The Note III should also command a higher price of around $299, putting it at the top of Samsung's Galaxy lineup.

Daniel P. Howley
LAPTOP Senior Writer
A newspaper man at heart, Dan Howley wrote for Greater Media Newspapers before joining Laptopmag.com. He also served as a news editor with ALM Media’s Law Technology News, and he holds a B.A. in English from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.