Yesterday, Verizon announced that their customers could begin pre-ordering the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on Friday. Samsung had announced the new smartphone earlier this week at the IFA conference. In addition to the phone, Verizon is also allowing customers to pre-order the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch starting today.

This morning, AT&T announced that it will be matching Verizon, allowing its customers to pre-order the Galaxy Note 3 starting today. The device will cost consumers $300 with a two-year contract, or $35 a month under the new AT&T Next service, which allows customers to pay their devices off gradually and upgrade them sooner. Unfortunately for early adopters using AT&T, the Galaxy Gear is not yet available for pre-order. AT&T stated that the smart watch will become available “in the coming weeks.”

The launch date for the Galaxy Note 3 has been announced as September 25, though that only applies to Europe. In the U.S., customers are beholden to mobile providers that often take the time to place their own software and branding on smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected to appear in the U.S. starting in October, and a simultaneous launch across carriers is highly unlikely. By allowing pre-orders, AT&T and Verizon (the largest carriers in the U.S.) are signaling that Samsung has provided them with, at the very least, some early estimates for initial U.S. shipments.

(Image courtesy Samsung)