Samsung Galaxy Note teardown shows small LTE chip

We often see device teardowns that show the chips and circuits, but rarely do we see them from the actual hardware manufacturers. Bucking the trend is Samsung, which shares a blog post and breakdown of its Galaxy Note, the 5.3-inch Android handset that I took a close look at on video during the Consumer Electronics Show this month.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit in the device dissection is section 5.2, which contains the phone’s memory, CPU, rear camera and LTE radio. Why? Because there has been recent discussion about why Android phones have larger screens than the iPhone.

I’ve long said it’s because a larger screen has the potential to provide a better overall experience, provided the display resolution is high. It’s easier to read and type on a larger screen and also is better for watching video, a smartphone activity that’s on the rise.

In contrast, Apple blogger John Gruber recently suggested that Android screens are growing in size in order to accommodate the LTE radio chips. Following the chip and baseband industry, I simply didn’t agree at the time of Gruber’s statement, and a look at Samsung’s Galaxy Note tends to back me up; an LTE radio and supporting antenna could certainly fit in a smaller device if desired. In fact, it’s already been done in the Samsung Galaxy Attain for MetroPCS: a 3.5-inch Android phone with LTE radio.

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