Just as Apple finished tearing down - and making fun - of the stitched leather in iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, tenuous partner and heated rival Samsung has picked it up and slapped it on the back of their new Galaxy Note 4 phablet. I kid. A little It's massive, otherwise almost majestic 5.7 inch device, and Phil Nickinson has a complete Galaxy Note 3 hands-on up already:

So as usual with a new Samsung product, we're dealing with incrementally upgraded hardware and a slew of new software features. But the new tricks on the Note 3 aren't nearly as arbitrary as some of the Galaxy S4's software features seem. They're focused on highlighting the Note's two headline features — the giant screen and the stylus — and making them easier for consumers to use.

A lot of these new features are Samsung's alone, meaning they may or many not work with non-Samsung apps, including the incredibly popular Google suite of apps. (Though Google apps will be compatible with pen window.) There's a new Scrapbook as well, and an Air Command radial menu for the stylus.

While some make fun of overly large phones and cite their lack of one-handed ease of use, there's a counter argument to be made that for people for whom the phone will be the primary computing appliance - perhaps the only computing appliance - sacrificing the phone for the computer can make sense. Especially in emerging and other regional markets. It's something Apple might have to address in the near future as well, though likely more in the 4- to 5-inch range than the 5- to 6-inch range. (Unless Phone.app makes an appearance on the iPad line...)

Check out Android Central's full Samsung Galaxy Note 3 coverage and then come back here and tell me what you think. Any interest in a 5.7-inch faux leather finished phone?

Source: Android Central