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The Galaxy Note 2 has created quite the commotion since its announcement a few weeks ago. Many of us want it, but we are not sure which Carriers will offer it in the US (though there are rumors of it coming to most carriers). The wait is always the hardest part, but we finally have what looks to be good evidence that Verizon will be carrying the popular phablet.
These images just hit our inbox and we have kind of mixed feelings about them. The photos look real, and there are no obvious signs of anything being faked, but a little bell rings once you take a look at the home button. It is branded with Verizon’s logo!
So we have one of two situations here: either Verizon is out of its mind and has officially managed to make a beautiful device a bit uglier, or these images are not as real as they seem. For the first time in my tech blogging career, I am wishing for the latter to be the case.
We suppose we will have to wait and see. It could very well be something they plan to take away once the device hits the streets (wishful thinking). The back and menu button also have what looks like some kind of morse code dots, so this shouldn’t be the final design.
I know I don’t want my Note 2 to have that ugly logo in my face. Regardless, I would probably still get it, would you?
Thanks, Sean!
that home button branding will NOT stay on the final device, it CANT!! Ahahahaa
its almost as bad as the Att logo on the Artix HD(aka fake home button)
Please be a sticker….please be a sticker….
Sticker was my first thought too, because of whatever that is over the menu and back buttons
Either that or hopefully you can penny scratch it off like on the Bionic.
IDGAF. I’ll order an international case and figure out how to swap the components over to it.
The back doesn’t bother me, but if I have to take it apart for that crime-against-humanity button branding, anyway, why not do it right?
I was thinking the same. I would try to get my hands on a regular home button and swap it out.
Morse code on the menu and back buttons. That can’t be sticking. Let’s hope it’s just a prototype used for testing. *fingers crossed*
You’ve never seen a tester phone?
The home button logo looks too poorly placed to be permanent.
I will be happy to use the phone regardless
That home button looks fugly
Carrier branding?
Noooooooooooooooo.
The back looks neat and nice especially the “4GLTE” logo. But the front?? Ugly as hell..
Yayyy, Verizon! xD
If that’s indeed morse code, the left button would say Q L and the right button would be a Q and four dashes.
But what does it meaaaaaan?!?! :O
Double rainbow!!!!
I have an upgrade in a few months and will definitely get this. May look at the HTC 5 incher too, but I’ve been burned by them to many times (see Eris then Thunderbolt).
I agree with you on the getting burnt by HTC twice part, I had the hero and Evo 4G and my next phone will definitely be a Samsung or either a Nexus phone.
How were you burnt by the EVO 4G?
Over hyped under performing handset? Never got why people were so in love with it, it never really lived up to it’s potential
@z0phi3l:disqus : ?? Thanks for being specific there. You just cleared that right up…
OMG, a Verizon logo ON THE BUTTON!!! (Anybody familiar with the expression, “First World problems”? Get real…)
I am shocked nobody has asked about Austin Texas only having 3g service??
I assume that is the sticker that covers the whole front out of the package.
Talked with the tipster. It’s not.
the checkmark by itself could be fine i guess, but not the whole thing…
Give me some sandpaper, verizon branding has to go :P
Fake I bet.
That looks ridiculous.
I’m definitely holding off on any purchases until the next nexus launch
Would the logo really be that visible on a Note II that’s another color?
I’m sure they will change the logo color to make it visible.
@Mark, how were you burnt with the EVO? It was an excellent phone with updates quickly until it reached near end of life. It haf a huge developer following that is still prominent throughout the device line.the Hero I understand it was junk… I owned both.
I should have clarified, my problem with the Evo had more to do with my service with Sprint than the phone it self, the Evo still is a great phone which I am still using, while I did have a issue with HTC for not allowing us to be able to use bluetooth game controllers with the phone, it was and still is the Granddaddy of bigger screens with the 1st 4.3 inch screen that started the craze of bigger being better.
AOSP roms solved the bluetooth problem. I switched from Sense a few months in and never looked back. Still loving my Evo. In fact, there’s still a remarkable amount of development going on for it considering it’s over two years old now. I tried out ICS on it but ultimately decided to hone Gingerbread because HTC never released the camera drivers, so no 4.0+ roms have a working front facing camera. But I’m running an awesome Gingerbread rom with a excellent kernel, and have it themed so closely to ICS that it’s hard to tell it isn’t ICS. So my Evo is running great, and looking great with all day battery life to boot. Now I’m holding out for a new Nexus! But, oh yeah, Sprint data speeds do suck, lol.
I went back to Gingerbread as well, after running ICS and JB on it. But ultimately I found that as much as I respect this phone, it didn’t have the umph for the newer OSes. At least not hacked versions anyway..
HTC HD2 was the first 4.3 inch screen if I’m not mistaken.
Maybe. But it was a WinMo phone on TMo at a time when TMo had extremely limited coverage areas. So, it was a mostly irrelevant phone other than it’s small but strong fan and dev base.
EVO 4G on the other hand.. the OG Droid started the revolution, EVO 4G announced the war. :)
I see someone else asked my question and you answered, so ignore me elsewhere. :)
that looks like its just part of the sticker that covers the screen.
I LOLed when I saw the home button
LG’s phone/tab just died for Verizon.
You guys care too much about the branding on the phone. If the phone’s a beast they could put a big picture of a turd with Verizon carved in it for all I care.
For those of us that pay full price for our phones, we don’t want their ugly @ss logos plastered all over. That’s why I imported a Canadian version of the HTC Amaze because I didn’t want tmobile’s logo on my Amaze’s beautiful face.
Hahahaha! I slick agree. This phone is the phone of the year off of hardware, features, and innovation!
“big picture of a turd with Verizon carved in it”
But you repeat yourself.
I need it!
its definitely a sticker people, samsung isn’t that stupid to let that happen, hell verizon isn’t that stupid either.
I dunno about Verizon. They’ve been known to crap up lots of things.
I know what I’m getting lol
I could’ve sworn I saw an article somewhere saying it would have branding on the home button on all US versions it really doesn’t matter to me…
I don’t think the home button branding will be on the final model. It’s just placed wayy too badly to be a final design.
wtf is up with verizon branding everything
eww
A better question is why does it have a home button at all?
@socalteknique, I stand corrected, the Evo was the 2nd 4.3 inch screened smartphone.
Verizon will never GET THE NOTE II. AT&T already the FIRST NOTE. plus you guys on Verizon have TOO MANY GOOD PHONES
I hope the images are real, not because I like their branding, but becaise thjs would be confirmation that its coming to Verizon.
They branded the home button… what the hell
I love the phandroid watermark on the back but that’s not on the real phone. :)
Did I not tell y’all? Believe me now :P
Way to have your username clearly visible on web forum behind….yeah, you arent getting caught for posting that pic. Ha.
haha at the home button…yuck
I don’t care about the home button having Verizon branding on it. I had 2 previous HTC phones and that branding was twice as big top and center. It never bothered me one bit. What bothers me is when OEM’s have different models of the same phone (aka the original Galaxy series). Are you guys afraid that someone is going to say “crap, that Verizon symbol is making the phone ugly.”? You guys need to grow up. There’s bigger issues at hand such as the locked boot loaders, price and release date.
At least the crazies over on XDA Developers can outsmart Verizon with software. This is making the $600+ device ugly as hell.
So what’s the difference from it being at the top of the phone? Branding is branding no matter where you put it, why complain now?
People really buy (or not buy) a cell phone based on where (or if) the “carrier’s name” appears on the device????
I couldn’t care less.
Oh I hope this is true!
No carrier phone ever. Nexus only.
dont even care if it has giant verizon logo or vagina logo on it, i really want this phone since the first note came out. thanks to verizon for never release it…i hope this time they keep their promise!
does any one remember a s3 commercial that had branding just like this on the front above the home button? its just to put their name there and it wont always be there. I know that samsung wouldnt allow them to ruin a buitiful device
Role-On White Out! ; ]
I like it but the Verizon logo on the home button needs to be much bigger and it needs to be etched also on the LCD screen so you know you are using Verizon.