Samsung GALAXY Note Review
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Have you ever wondered how big could phone screens get? Judging by recent trends, manufacturers seem to be constantly raising the norm as they continue to produce bigger and bigger handsets. We've already seen many such offerings, sporting 4+” screens, like the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Motorola DROID X2, but one product easily overshadows them all, in terms of size.
Of course, we're talking about the Samsung Galaxy Note. This beast of a phone actually carries a 5.3” display – the biggest you can find on a device, marketed as a “phone”. We can already see the debate over whether the Galaxy Note should be considered a giant phone or a mini-tablet, however, we'd prefer to stay away from this, and rather focus on the unique capabilities of the handset, in order to see if it has a chance in this cruel world. After all, not many smartphones today come with a special stylus of their own, designed to ease the process of note-taking. Unfortunately though, none of the U.S. carriers has announced plans to carry the Galaxy Note yet.
Anyway, let's see if Samsung's Galaxy Note has the potential to become the next big thing in wireless!
The box includes:
- Samsung Galaxy Note
- Wall charger with detachable microUSB cable
- Handsfree headset with three pairs of eartips
- Some papers
Design:
So, um... what should we say? The Samsung Galaxy Note is one monster of a phone! It is gigantic, and it doesn't feel like anything you've used before. And if you're the type of person who'd say that the Galaxy S II is just too big, then wait until you see this guy. Don't think you'll be able to use it just like you use your typical smartphone – you can't fit the Galaxy Note comfortably in your pocket. Well, you can carry it in your pocket, but don't try to sit while it's in there. It's by no means heavy, but it is too cumbersome to handle normally. This “phone” is designed for the biggest of hands, but we don't believe that it will fit well even in such hands.
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The Samsung GALAXY Note is gigantic and designed for the biggest of hands | |||
The Samsung Galaxy Note is made of plastics, but it doesn't feel cheap at all. The device is solid, and even the capacitive stylus stays very firmly in its spot, and requires a bit of force to be removed. No wiggle whatsoever.
Now, let's turn our attention to the gargantuan 5.3” display of the Galaxy Note. It is, of course, of the capacitive type and utilizes the Super AMOLED technology, which translates into rich colors, deep contrast levels wide viewing angles and... a bluish tint on top, mostly visible when displaying white. Having so much real estate however, means that screen resolution should also be abundant, in order to keep a respectful pixel density. This is one area where the Galaxy Note performs admirably, having an 800x1280 pixel res, which translates into 285 ppi. We're happy to say that everything on the screen is very clear and easily readable.
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The Samsung GALAXY Note uses a gargantuan 5.3” display | ||
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Apple iPhone 4 (left, top), Samsung GALAXY Note (center, bottom), Samsung Galaxy S II (right, middle) | |
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The special capacitive stylus is positioned at the bottom of the device | ||
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Volume rocker (left) | Power key (right) | microUSB jack (bottom) | 3.5 mm jack (top) |
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Back | Camera | Battery compartment |
Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard Space to zoom in/out
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111 Comments
1. Eingild posted on 02 Nov 2011, 12:00 29 3
A 7? Seriously? This tablet/phone hybrid is a beast.
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28. shayan posted on 02 Nov 2011, 16:55 5 0
and galaxy note is the top phone right now in gsmarena.com user ratings...
30. xtremesv posted on 02 Nov 2011, 17:47 2 2
Yeah true but none of them has had it in their hands. That's the only credit I can give to this review but everything else is totally out of place. They should have reviewed the Note as the niche device it is, not as a normal smartphone or an iPhone 4S wannabe.
29. buggerrer posted on 02 Nov 2011, 17:05 15 3
who is Ray S. anyway to review such great device and give it 7/10 !
33. xoatomxo posted on 02 Nov 2011, 18:29 5 0
I want this phone and cant wait until this phone launches in America. What other phones did Ray S. reviewed anyway. I am very curious.
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68. tmcr7 posted on 03 Nov 2011, 23:38 5 1
Looking at his video, he hasn't even shown why typing on the Note is poor because of the big screen. It really doesn't make sense. But in this video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKk9RZLmoBw
The reviewer clearly demonstrated how thumb-typing on the Galaxy Note is very, very easy. He can also easily touch the keys in the middle of the keyboard without any problems.
And the video also showed how the browsing experience is significantly better, just by holding the device in a landscape position.
2. hunted posted on 02 Nov 2011, 12:08 1 4
Does this mean no use in buying this phone? The mark says SII is better
3. AppleSux posted on 02 Nov 2011, 12:26 19 2
well, i have read the other reviews, where they say that the call quality, and speaker performance are awesome, n very impressive, even engadget (which is considered pro-apple) talked abt the impressive call quality, and speaker performance of the Galaxy Note. either iPhonearena is totally biased (which it is most of the time), or they have got a faulty unit. one other thing, when phonearena talks about the battery life, they just mention the manufacture's stats, but they should mention the battery life according to their own experience and usage and their own special battery tests. simply quoting the official stats cant be cosidered a good review. dont trust phonearena reviews ever. techradar and gsmarena reviews are way better and comprehensive.
6. Mazhh posted on 02 Nov 2011, 12:49 14 1
Ray S is on apple's payroll.. !!! phonearena sucks !!!
13. Vinopantoz posted on 02 Nov 2011, 13:34 17 1
They are not phonearena..they are iPhonearena...
63. bucky posted on 03 Nov 2011, 16:09 2 6
or maybe you cant handle the truth
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8. leftheodo posted on 02 Nov 2011, 13:01 15 3
If it's not Apple it's not good enough, right? This is getting annoying and iDiotic!
