Now, I'm somewhat knowledgeable(ish) about new technology and I love to keep up with it. I just wanted to get some other opinions, tips, and advice about this issue. I had a Motorola Razr Maxx and it broke(cracked screen). No insurance and the charge to fix the screen was $320, for that price, I'll just spend a couple hundred more and buy the HD without contract. My contract isn't up until March 2014 now.

I played around with a new phone that I really fell in love with. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Has great reviews, I enjoyed it, and I like big screens. I am not an ios guy at all. lol.. I do like Apple, just not their phones. Now, the Galaxy S4 is set to launch in March or April, can't remember off of the back my head and as I recall the Note 2 was released about the same time the S3 was. So does anyone who really knows about this, think that they will debut the Note3 soon. I want to get the Note2 but, I'm spooked. With a $700 price tag, my funds are finite(very much so) and I can't just drop $1,400(plus tax) on phones in 4 months. What do you think? I need a phone pretty quickly, but I don't waiting a few months if a new one comes out. I guess the safe thing to do is to wait and see. My luck, I'll wait until May and buy the Note2 and then the Note3 will be announced for June. :p lol...

Any thoughts are much appreciated.

I still have the original Note. It debuted January 2012 in the US (remember that it was commercialized during the Super Bowl) so based off of that, it may be 9 months minimum before a Note 3 comes out. There's really no difference between the Note 1 and 2 other than that the Note 2 is a little curvier around the edges. It may compute faster and have a larger internal memory but I'm pretty sure you can only put a 32GB memory card into it. Also, if you're going to purchase the new phone for $699 or $799, do yourself a favor and add insurance for $4.95 or $5.95/month. The route you're wanting to go, it'll be worth it.

Also, look into buying a protective case for it. They may cost $30 or so extra but it's well worth it. I bought one of those--I call it a "wellet"--cell phone/wallet things where you can keep your cash/cards/dl and phone all in one convenient case. Whichever route you go, protect yourself. I've never cracked a screen and when you buy your own big ticket items you will find yourself being more responsible, even with the insurance.

I still have the original Note. It debuted January 2012 in the US (remember that it was commercialized during the Super Bowl) so based off of that, it may be 9 months minimum before a Note 3 comes out. There's really no difference between the Note 1 and 2 other than that the Note 2 is a little curvier around the edges. It may compute faster and have a larger internal memory but I'm pretty sure you can only put a 32GB memory card into it. Also, if you're going to purchase the new phone for $699 or $799, do yourself a favor and add insurance for $4.95 or $5.95/month. The route you're wanting to go, it'll be worth it.

Also, look into buying a protective case for it. They may cost $30 or so extra but it's well worth it. I bought one of those--I call it a "wellet"--cell phone/wallet things where you can keep your cash/cards/dl and phone all in one convenient case. Whichever route you go, protect yourself. I've never cracked a screen and when you buy your own big ticket items you will find yourself being more responsible, even with the insurance.Oh, yeah I will be getting a case for it and I'm even thinking about getting ghost amour for it. In case you don't know, it applies a think layer of film to the outside of it to protect it from small scratches. Only $15. As far as insurance goes, I will certainly get it this time around.

Well, the good thing about those cases is that they have a lip. So unless the possible screen scratching is coming from another object in your pocket, you should be good to go. I've dropped my phone a couple of times, I won't lie, and I was happy for the lip being there. Now that it's in a "cellet" (<---that's what I should really call it), it stays very protected :)

haha... I've had Otter Box cases before and they seem to do pretty good. I don't know if there are any that are better, though. I haven't really spent too much time reviewing cases for phones, but I will this time around.

On occasion in the past I've bought a really cheap phone on Craigslist just to get me by until the phone I wanted came out if I broke or lost my original phone.

That's probably what I'll do until I feel "secure" about getting the Note. I'm just so worried that when I get it, a new one will be shortly after. lol

$320 is a little absurd. Go to one of those CPR(Cell Phone Repair) stores and get a quote. They just did a friend of mine's tablet screen for $150, and one of my kids' iPods was $80 to fix.

$320 is a little absurd. Go to one of those CPR(Cell Phone Repair) stores and get a quote. They just did a friend of mine's tablet screen for $150, and one of my kids' iPods was $80 to fix.

I'll second that. I took my son's phone into CPR thinking it was absolutely toast, but it turns out it was a quick fix and cost something like $15-20. Now, obviously, a cracked screen isn't going to be that cheap, but I'd darned sure let those guys give you a quote so you can at least have that option available.

Go to CDR Electronics at Penn and I-240... You can see about getting it fixed cheaper OR you can buy a used Note 2 for a reasonable price... at least reasonable enough to get you through your contract period until you can upgrade... by then, the newer models should be out.

$320 is a little absurd. Go to one of those CPR(Cell Phone Repair) stores and get a quote. They just did a friend of mine's tablet screen for $150, and one of my kids' iPods was $80 to fix.I had a Razr, which has a special glass called Gorilla Glass(I think a lot of new phones have this). I did go to CPR on Bryant and 2nd St. in Edmond.

Spend a few hundred and get a Nexus 4. You wont regret it. https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb

Doesn't work with Verizon. GSM only.