Samsung: Galaxy Note hits Europe Q1 2012, US afterwards

Samsung has yet to officially announce Galaxy Note release dates, leading to some confusion yesterday, but the company's execs were at least able to give SlashGear a window. When we met with Samsung earlier today to get a more in-depth fondle with some of the Note's more interesting features, they told us that it's expected to arrive in Q1 2012 in the UK (and presumably Europe).

US availability, meanwhile, will follow "later than that" though they couldn't say exactly how much later. Given we've only just seen a US launch for the Samsung Galaxy S II, despite it having gone on sale in Europe in late April, it's certainly imaginable that North American carriers could drag their heels out for several months.

Samsung Galaxy Note hands-on:

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No word on pricing at this stage, though we're expecting it to carry a premium over the GSII. It'll arrive alongside various accessories, like a Bluetooth keyboard, vehicle dock and a flip-cover that may reassure some dedicated paper-notebook users.

Check out our hands-on report with the Galaxy Note, and our comparison between it, the Galaxy Tab 7.7, and the Galaxy S II.