Samsung Galaxy Note II goes on sale

The successor to Samsung's original big-screened smartphone can now be purchased on plans with Vodafone, Optus, and Virgin Mobile. 

The standout feature on the Galaxy Note II is its huge 5.5" HD Super AMOLED screen - a full two inches larger than the display on the Apple iPhone 4/4S. It also comes with a stylus, a 3100mAh battery, and a "multi-window" feature that lets users run two apps simultaneously in a split screen.

The Note II is very similar in design and spec to the Galaxy S III 4G, with 4G LTE, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, NFC, Android 4.1 and an 8-megapixel camera.

Vodafone began selling the Galaxy Note II yesterday in-store and online, with plans starting at $50 per month (includes $180 of credit, 200MB of data, $70 worth of Vodafone to Vodafone and 3 calls). It is also available on a $0 upfront, $80 plan, which comes with 2GB of data, unlimited calls, unlimited text, and $80 of credit for calling voicemail and premium numbers.

Optus is offering the Galaxy Note II online and through telesales. Plans start at $50 per month (includes $200 of credit, 200MB of data, unlimited social media access), and it’s also available for $0 up-front on the $99 Optus Timeless Plan (unlimited calls, unlimited text and 3GB of data).

Virgin Mobile currently has the best deals going for the Galaxy Note II, but the telco has confirmed it is currently out of stock and won't get more product until next month.

Plans start at $49 a month (includes $250 of credit and 250MB of data), as well as a $0 upfront $89 Topless plan, which comes with unlimited calls, unlimited text and 4GB of data. 

All Virgin Mobile plans come with free calls to other Virgin Mobile users, free voicemail and unused credit being rolled over to the next month. It is also offering three months free when the phone is purchased online.

Telstra will not sell the smartphone until “early next year”. 

The Galaxy Note II is available through the Samsung Experience Store in Sydney for $899 outright.