ocaholic - Smartphones > Samsung Galaxy Note

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Preview

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Specifications / SoC

Under the bonnet of this huge smartphone there is a Samsung Exynos 4210 dual core SoC. The CPU, which clocks at 1.4 Gigahertz, is fast enough to perform all tasks adequately fast. Opening programs and apps is done quickly and even playing games is no problem for the note.

One of the very best things about the Galaxy Note is its battery pack which comes with 2500 mAh capacity. When it comes to everyday usage then the device needs to be recharged every second day, even if you should be a power user. In our conversation time test we measured an astonishing 11 hours and 30 minutes until the Note shut down. This is almost twice as much than what other (good) smartphones are capable of. In another test we set the screen brightness to max and the device under load. Under these conditions we measured about 6 hours and 30 min until the batterpack was empty.

SoC
- Samsung Exynos 4210
Clock Speed
- 2 x 1.4 GHz
Cores
- 2
RAM
- 1 GB
Battery
- 2500 mAh
SAR-Value
- 0.26 W/kg
OS
- Android 2.3.6
App-Store
- Google Play
Weight
- 178 Gramm
Dimensions
- 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm
Frequency band
- Quad-Band
WLAN
- 802.11 b/g/n
EDGE
- Yes
UMTS receiving
- 21.1 Mbit/s
UMTS sending
- 5.8 Mbit/s
Browser Flash capable
- Yes
Videoalls
- UMTS and WLAN
Touchscreen
- Capacitive
Display
- Super-AMOLED
Display size
- 5.3 Zoll
Display Resultion
- 800 x 1280 Pixel
Display color
- 16'777'216
Display brightnes
- 353 cd/m²
Voice recording
- Yes
Profiles
- Yes
Push E-Mail
- Yes
Exchange
- Yes
Memory
- 16 Gigabyte
Memory card slot
- micro SD
USB
- 2.0
USB connector
- Micro USB
SIM
- SIM
Bluetooth
- 3.0
Camera
- 8 Megapixel
Camera autofocus
- Yes
Video resolution
- 1080 x 1920 Pixel
TV out
- HDMI via microUSB
Music player
- Yes
Headphone out
- 3.5 mm
Video player
- Yes
Radio
- Yes
GPS receiver
- Yes
Navigation Software
- Google Maps

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Case / Design / Handling

With its 144 x 83 x 10 millimeters the Galaxy Note big but not chunky. Luckily it still fits the pocket of a mans jeans. What might be a bit difficult is using this device with one hand. Unlocking can be done using one hand but if you want to write a SMS or an e-mail you'll automatically use both hands. We were very surprised by the panal format keyboard. It was possible to type messages quickly and free of mistakes. And the landscape format keyboard is even more comfortable.

A closer look at the materials shows that the Galaxy Note is made from polycarbonate. The removable backcover has a glossy finish. Once taken off it reveals the chassis, which has also been made from polycarbonate.

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Display / Camera / Audio

The Galaxy Notes heart definitely is it's 5.3 inch display. Samsung decided to use a Super AMOLED display that shows rich colors. At a resolution of 800 x 1280 Pixel there is a pixel density of 285 dpi which in other words means that letters can be read without issues when they're very small. Furthermore brightness and contrast are on a very competitive level too.

When you take your first pictures with the Galaxy Note you'll quickly notice that under daylight conditions you can shoot quite good pics. Inside a building or with artificial light the pictures lack sharpness and the colors aren't that rich anymore. If you like to take snapshots you might be disappointed. The autofocus always needs some time until it has found the right settings. Using the integrated camcorder you can shoot 1920 x 1080 FullHD movies. In this case the colors are very good and picture is also sharp. But again there is the autofocus that needs more time than usual to do its job.

Included in delivery there is a headset which isn't too bad to be honest. Thanks to the silicon pads the earpieces fit perfectly. Like with most cheap headphones these days there is too much bass. Luckily there are several presets that can be changed to make them suite your individual taste. With a decent pair of headphones and the integrated equalizer adjusted to your individual preferences the sound isn't too bad. In fact it is quite linear and nothing is overpronounced which is a good sign.

Page 5 - Display / Camera / Audio

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User Interface

These days the Galaxy Note ships with Android 2.3.6 and Samsungs own TouchWiz 4.0 user interface. The most unusual input device with the Galaxy Note is the "S Pen" which is also called "Stylus". It is hidden in the bottom right corner of the smartphone where you can easily pull it out. The S Pen itself comes with a button throughout which you can get additional functions. If you press the button und tap the screen with the tip of the pen for more then three seconds it automatically takes a screenshot, which is being forwarded to an editor where you can add hand writte notes. Furhtermoer the Galaxy Note comes with a very good software regarding handwriting recognition. If your handwriting isn't too ugly the Galaxy Note will easily recognize it. In fact you can do everything with the pen. No matter if it's writing text message, e-mails or browser URLs. In fact the pen is a very practical addition. Combined with the widget to write notes, it might even replace all the post its which just lie around.

Conclusion

The Galaxy Note from Samsung is one of the devices you either love or hate. The sheer size of the thing make it take some time until you got used to the device and in the end there are as many advantages as disadvantages because of the size. What's important if you think about buying this device are your personal preferences. If a big display is important for you then you should relly have a look at this smartphone. It was also very interesting to follow all the discussions around this device before it was launched. There were people saying smartphones with screens bigger than 5.0 inch are stillborn. Nowadays, some six month later we see that millions of Galaxy Notes have been sold and thefore it is a huge success.

The highlight of Samsungs Galaxy Note - as expected - definitely is it's 5.3 inch display. A Super AMOLED panel with 800 x 1280 pixel and a pixel density of 285 dpi means that there are rich colors, good brightness, good contrast and very sharp letters. If we were to compare the resolutions of this display, then we'd say that it's similar to Apple retina display you find with today's iPhones. 5.3 inch size is even enough that watching TV on the Galaxy Note is fun.

The second best thing about this smartphone is it's battery. Some might even say that the battery is the most convincing part of this product. Placing a 2'500 mAh battery pack results in a battery life one used to get before the birth of smartphones. It is possible to stay away from a power source for two days even if you are a power user. People who thing that the big display will empty the battery quickly don't need to worry anymore. Even when putting the display to max brightness and providing the chip with load, the battery lasts longer than with all the other smartphones we have tested so far. Another concern might be that Samsung did reduce the performance of the chip in order to get longer battery life. In fact, it's the other way round. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy SII the increased clock speeds significantly to 1.4 GHz for both cores. Therefore there is plenty of performance for all the applications.

Nevertheless it will take some time until you've become used to the Galaxy Note. With samller phones you can do quite a lot of things using only one hand, where you'll need both your hands with the Galaxy Note. This makes everyday use a little bit more complicated. On the other hand there are additional features or even the option that this 5.3 inch smarphone replaces a tablet.

To be honest, we liked the Galaxy Note and as soon as we got used to it we were convinced about this product. Users who are looking for a smartphone with a big display, should really have a look at this product.