[Galaxy Note II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Mister_Mxyzptlk:
Also from Kentucky... Louisville in fact. Amen to the "Go Cats!!!"...

...and I was also a Galaxy S III user prior to purchasing my GT-N7100. However, that's where the similarities end. My Galaxy S III was a GT-I9300. I would have gone for the SGH-I747, but I just had to have that quad-core Exynos 4412. Additionally, using an international handset on AT&T U.S. allows you to use the unlimited feature phone (dumbphone) data plan.... most of the time. While the SGH-I747 has that snappy Krait CPU and 2 GB of RAM, it's still a dual-core handset; and the Adreno GPU absolutely blows. So, given that the GT-I9300 sports a quad-core Exynos with a kickass Mali GPU and works on AT&T's unlimited feature phone data plan, it seemed like a no-brainer to me. However, had I not been able to afford paying full retail ($650) for the GT-I9300 via Negri Electronics, I probably would have gone the two-year contract route, snagged an SGH-I747 for $200 and suffered through the 3 GB/mo. for $30/mo. smartphone data plan. And considering that AT&T just lit up their LTE network here in Louisville, that might not have been so terrible.

However, snappy as AT&T's LTE network may be, all of that speed is relatively useless when paired with a ridiculous data cap of 3-5 GB/mo. Taking that into consideration, I had to decide whether I wanted a subsidized Note II from AT&T, or a full-price ($700) Note II from Negri Electronics. AT&T's Note II is capable of sucking down some of that juicy LTE, but with a 3-5 GB monthly limit depending on which single-device data plan I choose. On the other hand, the international Note II (GT-N7100) from Negri Electronics is limited to HSPA+ while on AT&T's network. However, since the GT-N7100 is an international device, there was a good chance I would be able to use it on AT&T's unlimited feature phone data plan for $10/mo. instead of the ridiculous smartphone data plan at $30/mo. for 3 GB or $50/mo. for 5 GB. Mind you, purchasing an international handset in no way guarantees that you'll be able to use it on AT&T's unlimited feature phone data plan. A quick search here on XDA will yield several posts wherein AT&T customers have received a nastygram from AT&T informing them that their handset has been identified as a smartphone and that their data plan has been changed accordingly. So purchasing an international handset is actually a bit of a gamble if you're planning on using it in that manner. Luckily for me though, I was able to remove the SIM card from my GT-I9300 and pop it right into my brand new GT-N7100 without so much as a hiccup. I was using AT&T's unlimited feature phone data plan with my GT-I9300, and I'm still using it with my GT-N7100. Now while AT&T's LTE network is getting all of the attention at the moment, their HSPA+ network is nothing to scoff at either. My GT-N7100 consistently pulls 6-9 Mbps downstream and has even topped at 12 Mbps during non-peak network traffic hours. In the upstream department, I see between 1.5 and 3 Mbps. (The upstream speed requires a build.prop mod. Otherwise, upstream speed is limited to around 1-1.5 Mbps). In my opinion, unlimited HSPA+ data at up to 12 Mbps for $10/mo. is a considerably better deal than any of the capped LTE data plans that AT&T is currently offering.

So, to wrap things up, I live in Louisville, KY. I am an AT&T user biding his time until his contract is up. Then I plan on switching to Sprint. Before my Galaxy Note II, I used a Galaxy S III. Before my Galaxy S III, I used a Galaxy Note. Before my Galaxy Note, I used a Galaxy S II. See a pattern here? Anyway, I apologize for such a long-winded post. I just get carried away sometimes. I love all of my Samsung handsets and tablets, and I love talking about them. Take care everyone!