Now that XDA developer Adam Outler has already unlocked the bootloader of Verizon's Galaxy Note II variant, Samsung enters the development party fashionably late with its announcement of the 16GB Galaxy Note II Developer Edition.

Details such as pricing and release date are unavailable as yet, but if the Galaxy S III Developer Edition is any indication (it was finally released for $600 over two months after it was announced), it could be several months away yet. If the Galaxy Note II Developer Edition does end up costing $600 or more, Samsung now has an upgrade program that can defray some of the cost. For example, Samsung will give you up to $190 towards your new phone for a 32GB first-generation Galaxy Note, up to $225 for a 32GB Verizon Galaxy S III, up to $100 for a Droid RAZR Maxx, or up to $80 for an HTC Rezound.

I'm concerned that Samsung's Developer Edition phones marginalize the development community, potentially restricting its numbers to those who can afford to pay the unsubsidized price for them. If Samsung ever releases a consumer-centric phone on Verizon that the development community is unable to unlock, the development community would indeed be very limited. Currently, Verizon is the only carrier in the United States to force Samsung to lock the bootloaders for its Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II variants.