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Samsung Galaxy Note
82
Engadget Review
Samsung's Galaxy Note is massively good but simply too massive for some.
Zach HonigOctober 28, 2011
Pros
- Beautiful displayExcellent cameraTop-notch S Pen productivity appsCohesive user interface
Cons
- Performance is no longer cutting-edgeLacks notification light
View All Critic & User Reviews
Samsung Galaxy Note
- Critic Reviews (7)
- User Reviews (75)
- 76AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE7 ReviewsEngadget70Samsung Galaxy Note for T-Mobile reviewWe're more than a little disappointed that Samsung didn't take the opportunity to update the Galaxy Note with modern internals ahead of its debut on T-Mobile. What was once a premiere superphone is now beginning to show its age.Engadget80AT&T Galaxy Note reviewIt is, in fact, one of the best phones to hit the market since another Samsung powerhouse -- the Galaxy Nexus. It's a device with a lot to love and is the kind of phone that would make almost every Android aficionado swoon.TechCrunch70Samsung Galaxy Note Review: Initial Impressions (VUnfortunately, you might look a little crazy with that huge thing up to your face. I found that it was really difficult to get comfortable with the device, never feeling like I had complete control over it as I would with a smaller phone.PC World80Samsung Galaxy NoteWith its large display and stylus-like pen, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a refreshing departure from the smartphone pack, but its design won't please everyone. Additionally, not enough apps support the pen right now.CNET80Samsung Galaxy NoteWith its huge screen and throwback stylus, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a polarizing smartphone that winks at tablet territory. Those who like their screens XL will find a top-notch device that lets multimedia shine. The S Pen adds some artistic potential, but for some, the phone will just simply be too big.Consumer Reports80CES 2012: Hands on with the big-screen Samsung GalSome knock the Note for being an inconveniently big smart phone and an inadequately-sized tablet. ... But for some people, including those for whom Web surfing and gaming are phone priorities, I think the Note might offer a welcome size niche.USA Today70Samsung Galaxy Note bridges gap between tablet, smGalaxy Note grows on you as you get accustomed to its size (and that pen). I suspect, though, it will have a polarizing effect: Some will deem it gimmicky; others will happily take Note.
- 88AVERAGE USER SCORE75 ReviewsEngadget Reader30October 4, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/10/03/apple-samsung-sanctions-grewal/My opinion of Samsung has dropped significantly and is now just as evil as apple in my mind...I don't think i want to buy any more Samsung products.according to the articl linked above, Samsung is guilty of:-falsifying performance benchmarks of its flagship products: the Galaxy S4 and Note 3.-hiring people in several countries to post fake performance reviews and to falsely post reports of HTC phones "constantly crashing"-Set up price fixing schemes and consumer fraud to cause consumers to pay more than they should.-price fixed memory chip prices in collusion with 8 other firms.-Participating in a cartel that reduced output of lcd screens from 2001-2006 to essentially create another price fixing scheme by controlling scarcity.-destroyed evidence that could be used in the Apple lawsuit.-re-hired a convicted tax evader as a chairman.-bribed government officials and business leaders.Engadget Reader80April 20, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80February 25, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader60February 13, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70February 13, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is all about the size which in and of itself is a pro and a con. If you decide this size is right for you then you have to live with the not so good battery life.Engadget Reader90January 25, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Awesome phone. Does everything and more than I expected it to do.Engadget Reader80December 15, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 12, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Wifi reception is not very good, but 3G is Ok.The display is phenomenal, both in size (that's the reason why I bought it!) and in pixel resolution.Ignore the uninformed that depreciate its usability as a phone - there's nothing wrong with using it for calls, and it's light weight is a very good thing indeed.If you forget wifi + bluetooth connected when you don't need them, battery life will suffer.As for the rest, it's an Android phone, with the Android apps, nothing special there. It's fast, works well with everything you throw at it and, despite some comments may suggest, it is sturdy and the back cover does hold very well.Overall, I say: never ever make your eyes and fingers suffer stress again when using this as a smartphone or browser : it's screen will reward you with a pleasant experience, almost enough to leave the tablet home.Engadget Reader90November 6, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 3, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I wanted this phone since I first saw it. I've always had a thing for tablets. I've used several tablet PCs (even as far back as Windows 2000). So the stylus feature really attracted me to the Note. The size is great too. It only took me one day to get used to it. It doesn't feel big to me now at ALL. In fact my old Samsung Galaxy S feels positively tiny now.I love the phone, but I actually don't use the stylus very often. It's just not as sensitive as on a bigger tablet.Engadget Reader80October 29, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The screen is huge, perfect for playing games and browsing the web.Engadget Reader100September 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Note is my dream phone come true. My most cherished differentiator from anything else: hand-writing recognition with the S Pen, which is in essence a WACOM digitizer. This makes the Note the only dual-digitizer phone: it has both passive digitizer (touch screen for fingers) AND active digitizer (WACOM pen computing technology). With this on board, it is absolutely unique, no iPhone, nor i-anything touches it, no tablet and no other phone. In addition, I just recently upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) - the original came with Gingerbread. I also have the international version in white (GT-N7000). It is better (faster) than the American (AT&T, Verizon) versions. With ICS it is a dream. A whole suite of apps came with ICS, including the all-new S Note app that is without equal. You can draw, you can write, you can type you can include any media (voice, music, image, video) in any document you create, and it has templates for a variety of styles and documents. And then it does absolutely cutting edge things with them: for example it has corrective geometry: you draw an ugly blob and it makes a perfect circle out of it. You draw an ugly block and it makes a perfect rectangle (or square of triangle, depending on the shape you intended). It recognizes and converts your handwriting into typed, printable and editable text. It is productivity on a whole new level that no full size tablet or laptop has achieved (except for the yet to appear Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1). As for being "too big" for some: then get a frigging (inferior) iPhone. Then you get your microscopic, good-for-nothing 3.5 inch mini-screen. And you have to write with your finger like a Neanderthal on a cave wall. Enjoy. For me, bigger is better: for a phone, the Note gives fantastic browsing and video experience, there is no more a need to carry a phone AND a tablet. It comes with great GPS navigation from Google as well as I have CoPilot Live, and it has everything else: FM radio (with the incredibly good headphones serving as antenna), compass, motion sensor, light sensor, gravity sensor, you name it sensor, GREAT front and back camera (flash with the high-res back camera), Bluetooth, WiFi as well as 3G HSPA+ quad GSM (i.e. worldwide international) phone (4G LTE with the American versions, but I don't need that), and all. The S Pen works with any other WACOM (tablet PC) devices, and vice-versa (all WACOM pens work on the Note). Beautiful home screen and widgets (can have seven home screens), no need for third party launchers. Lightning quick performance (dual-core Exynos processors), especially with ICS. And ... it STILL fits in any of my pockets, as a phone should. And you get the biggest available phone screen real estate: 5.3 inches of gorgeous display. Note also that with ICS there is another innovation: one handed operation. With this on, the on-screen keyboard comes in a smaller size than the full screen width, either on the left or right hand side, in a size that can be operated with just one finger (and you can be right- or left-handed). You can set this individually for keypad-intensive applications: not only for the keyboard in general, but also for the phone keypad or the calculator keypad. So no, it is NOT too big for one-handed operation, because it has this functionality.Summary: if you share my "one gizmo" philosophy that ONE DEVICE should fulfill ALL your needs (phone, computing, note taking, voice recording, Skyping, Web browsing, texting, GPS navigation, photography and video recording, e-book reading, music and movie playing, entertainment and gaming). i.e. provide ALL FUNCTIONALITY IN A SINGLE DEVICE, so that you have to carry (and remember to re-charge) only one device that is with you all the time, everywhere - then this is it. There is nothing like it that is this complete in every respect. The only thing better will be its successors: the already announced (but far in the future as far as availability goes) Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (with a 5.5 inch screen) with even higher resolution and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet - this being the same as the Note, except in a 10.1 inch (tablet) form factor. The Note 10.1, by the way will be also unique among tablets: it will have a SIM card slot, so it will work as a phone as well. Of course 10.1 inches are really too big for a phone. But Samsung figured out an absolutely ingenious solution: the S Pen has a built in Bluetooth mic and speaker, so THE PEN SERVES ALSO AS A THE PHONE HEADSET. In short: move over Apple and everybody else, Samsung rules. I love my Note and would trade it for nothing else. Except the new one :-)Engadget Reader90September 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!All in all, I love this phone. It is a joy to utilize (generally) and the size and screen are fantastic. I do most of my web browsing, news reading, Kindle reading, music listening, and lots of Netflix on this phone. The screen is wonderful. As mentioned above, the main things that drive me crazy are that the power button being on the right side top of the phone is REALLY easy to accidentally push. Also, the lack of a physical camera button to launch the camera app and take a picture makes taking pictures more difficult. Bluetooth earpieces don't work as well on this phone as they did on our old HTC Radars (Windows Phone 7.5). On our HTC Radars pressing the earpiece would activate the voice recognition software on the phone which would listen for you to dictate a command, "Call So and So." On the Galaxy Note, you have to utilize the phone (by touching the microphone icon, or holding down a button on the phone) to activate the same functionality. This isn't truly hands free and can be distracting--which is dangerous when attempting to operate a car at the same time as attempting to make a call. Irritating. Oh, and battery life is nearly non-existent if you use your Note heavily, as my wife and I do ours. You'll want to use it a lot because of it's beautiful, big screen, and the capabilities of the device, but the battery drains almost as you watch the percentage indicator. You can get about...oh, four hours of heavy usage out of it. Not very long. So keep an extra battery or your charge cable at hand at all times. I wish they'd made the note thicker with a bigger battery, rather than skimping on battery just so the device would be ultra thin. Seriously, you WILL have this phone plugged in mid-way through the day, nearly every day that you use it. The only time it gets through an entire day without recharging it is if I simply don't use it very much. That said, I do love this phone. Future iterations I hope will have more/better stylus functionality and pressure sensitivity (and better palm recognition/rejection), much better battery life, a physical camera button, a camera that is more responsive (faster shutter) with much better image quality, a power button relocated to the top, and better integrated bluetooth/voice recognition features (that use Google Voice recognition and not that ULTRA CRAPPY third-party voice recognition solution which completely utterly SUCKS).Engadget Reader90August 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love this phone! It is large but that is an advantage, not a disadvantage. I was concerned that the larger screen was going to hurt battery life but Samsung really stepped up the standard battery and it works beautifully. No software issues that I have encountered and it was running Ice Cream Sandwitch out of the box, even though the salesman told me I would have to upgrade it myself. I just can't get over how much easier this phone is to use with the larger screen. I used to have 4 home screens for my icons and widgets but with this phone I am only using 2! The processor could be a little bit faster and a little more RAM wouldn't hurt but I really think this phone was put together well!Engadget Reader60August 4, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I use this for that 8 months. This is neither a phone not a full fledged tablet. Its just a fun device.Its good for Emailing, and social networking, bad for phone calls.! It cannot be anyone's primary phone, unless s/he has a hulk's palm.Battery life is poor, you must use a batter saving app (I use juice defender). Its over heating and making long duration call is a real pain. Never trust this one phone calls, the ergonomics is poor.What is the good about it? The customization and the play store - thanks to Android and Play store. Samsung's UI is very good especially the video clarity. Phone is average, But you can trust it for quick and quality pictures. Why needs this phone? Actually its not a must have phone for anyone. But, If you have excess money, travels a lot and like to have a lesser sized screen than a tablet (to use it in Bus/train etc) - this would be better than a tablet. My rating is 6, its above average, but doesn't excel. I think Its better to use a Phone and a Tablet, as Samsung has failed to create a new segment- Phablet! -Engadget Reader100July 6, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!One of best items I ever had. Smaller than tablet, so it is easier to handle, with still gigantic screen for easy use. As I'm not using phone app on it too often, I'm more than happy. SNote application is brilliant idea and pen is working perfectly (especially after upgrade to ICS). This device is exactly what I was looking for: small device to making notes, with good and big screen, and pen.Engadget Reader90July 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It's a big phone, but much like a truck or SUV you know what you're getting, and to compare it to smaller/sports cars in terms of size is unfair. To an extent you either want it for the size or dislike it for that same reason. The phone is more than the sum of its parts. The pen is something I occasionally use, same with SNote. The screen is great I like tweaks Samsung made to the base launcher and pull down. Email program is solid (wish there was more imap configurability) included AT&T mms is actually better than included Samsung texting program.The big knock on the phone now from a functionality point of view is the AT&T version still lacks Andriod 4 (July 2) not sure how big of a difference that will make, but makes for an amount of "grass being greener" feeling.LTE is fast in Houston (40mbps) which I'm sure will take a hit when iPhone gets it.If you like the size and can afford it, get it and don't look back.Engadget Reader70June 30, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This phone(mini tablet wateva ) is not quite bad......u won't get what u expect from the price tag but u won't mind much because of the great camera and screen resolution......Engadget Reader90June 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90June 25, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Fantastic device. Don't listen to the 'critics', this is great (just take TouchWiz off it)Engadget Reader90June 25, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80June 22, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100June 21, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Not sure why it gets 7.9. this beast should be 9.9Engadget Reader90June 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 29, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 19, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Overall this phone is a great phone to use if you don't mind the size. This phone draws a lot of attention if you are out in public. Usually with the recurring comment "How do you talk on that thing?"Engadget Reader100May 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 6, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70April 29, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Size is the only reason I sold Note.It's not a phone u want 2 carry in your hand, walk down the street and listen 2 the music, occasionally snapping a photo.I also disliked the 3.5 jack position. I hate to have it on the top of the phone.Engadget Reader100April 27, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80April 24, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I originally went with the Note because I wanted to try out the LTE service and I really wanted to see if the screen size would be a detriment or a plus. So far it's been a very good thing. I have had friends who tell me it's too big, but when I show them a movie running on it, or even a picture I've taken with the camera they usually shut up. One added benefit with the size is that it works perfectly as a GPS/music device when I have it mounted in the GPS bag on my motorcycle. I can see directions far easier than I could with my Nexus S, and it actually fits in the bag better because it's larger than the average phone.As with any good android user I currently have it rooted running an unofficial CM9 ROM, and it's been a good change so far. I like the added features and that the bloat has been pulled out. If you're sitting on the fence wondering whether to give this phone/tablet a shot, go for it. You have 30 days to decide if you like the form-factor and it only costs 30 bucks to change your mind.Engadget Reader90April 22, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Is your iPhone starting to feel a bit small? Do you use your phone primarily as a portable computer? Then this is probably the phone for you. It IS big. But that complaint from people who haven't used it is one of the biggest pluses to people who have. And the Android ecosystem is mature enough now that iPhone converts won't see any glaring omissions. And to all the haters saying, "It won't fit in my pocket!" Get a real job, and get out of the skinny jeans. It easily fits in every pair of slacks I have, and all but one pair of jeans.Engadget Reader100April 15, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It is a large phone but you get use to it after a while and I have turned a lot of people onto this phone because of the size. It is perfect for people that use their phone a lot as a computer.Engadget Reader70April 12, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100April 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The only thing that could be seen as a negative to this phone is that you think you look like a dork holding it to your head. In actuality, I make phone calls all the time and DON'T feel like a dork. This is not a big phone, all other phones are just too small.Engadget Reader100April 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Have black (or carbon blue or whatever they call it) SGH-i717. Phablets aren't for everyone but they are for me. This is what I've been waiting years for. Everything including a fantastic media player in one unit. I actually almost bought an iPad when they first came out because I thought that purchasing 3G models meant you could use it as a phone. Of course not, Apple would rather beat more money out of you.After a week or so. the phone does not feel too big. It looks daunting at the store, I almost went for a Nexus, until you actually put one in your hand and realize it's not so bad.I absolutely love it. Loved just instantly popping out the 16GB card from my Milestone and putting it in my Note for an instant 32GB phone and no need to transfer anything. Other than issues with Android's OS (still always getting better,) my only complaint is the lack of notification light. It's nice to have in discrete situations. Am learning to live with vibration notifications when it's in my pocket. The idea of noLED is great but then it means your screen is on all the time. Only use noLED occasionally at work so I'm not obsessively checking my phone every two seconds for emails, texts, etc.The quality of the media player in Samsung phones compared to Apple and the Motorola Milestone I used to have cannot be understated. It's video is the best I've ever used and its audio is just as good as a Cowon A3 I used to own and now no longer miss. People just look at PPI with these smartphones without thinking of things like convertors, color, contrast and most importantly for me-audio quality. It makes me laugh that people drool over iPhones (A 94 here for the 4S? Really?) when they sound like old transistor radios that your grandpa used to use with a single mono earbud. Through history we have learned that people will buy any iCrap despite the fact that they ALL have the worst fidelity sound in the history of smartphones and that they have no intention of ever improving it. Many of these people also probably own Bose speakers and systems and think that those are the best. Even funnier is that "audiophiles" will buy 600 dollar headphones for their iCraps when the biggest upgrade would be to just buy any other brand of smartphone if audio is important to them. Samsungs for one are worth the expensive headphones, iCraps are not.Seeing that they're phones I think it's funny that people love iCraps despite my wife's constantly dropping calls. No dropped calls here yet.The Note may not be for everyone. I bristle at all the major press reviews whining and knocking it down a couple of points solely based on its size but for some I guess it will be a valid complaint. Try one out at a store, buy one and if you don't like it return it within the return period for a Nexus. But it's for me and how I use technology. I absolutely love it. Time to Note-ify ICS and get it out, please!Engadget Reader100April 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100April 8, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I own the Galaxy Note i717 for AT&T. I also have LTE in my area and it has been really solid with pretty good speeds (~20mbps down/~7mbps up). Sometimes, I honestly can't tell if I'm browsing on WiFi or LTE until I look in the notification bar. The built-in software designed for use with the SPEN is pretty fantastic. I send my wife a lot of MMS hand-written notes using it.If you read my comments on each category, you'll really get a better idea of how I feel about each area of this review in particular.Would I recommend this device to anyone? If you have large hands, then yes. If not, you may want to look at an HTC ONE X device.Engadget Reader100April 6, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Note is amazing. Have had it since November 2011 (unlocked). Only annoying thing is the comments from passerby's on the "size" - they just don't get it. I use Bluetooth headset so I do not hold it to my head. :) gdgt reviewers are clueless... If you want a productive phone, gadget you can't go wrong with this one...Engadget Reader90March 29, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The current GDGT score of just 7.6 is very misleading. If you go through the user reviews most are 9s and 10s. There are a couple of 8s and one 7. The phone isn't for everyone, but it is a great phone for those people that want a big screen on their phone. I know that I use my phone mostly for email, apps, and watching videos, all of which are better on a big screen. Sure I make calls and the phone is huge against my head, but looking like a doof with a huge phone is well worth it. The phone is very snappy, I haven't had any OS hiccups, I'm not a huge fan of the overly predictive Samsung keyboard, but that can be modified. The battery life is the only possible issue with the phone. It has a 2,500mAh battery, which does a great job, but the LTE antenna is pretty power hungry, but that really is only an issue if you plan on streaming lots of video.Engadget Reader90March 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 27, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is a great phone once you get to this size you don't want to go back to anything smaller! everything is nice and big on it pictures, video. Reading web pages is much nicer with the screen size. It handles flash video very smoothly, one key factors is ditching the stock browser and music player and getting something like dolphin browser and double twist, both run super smooth. Double twist has podcasts which was a must for me to switch to android. All the important apps I needed for business were in the android market place alot of my games were there also and even some that aren't on the itunes app store also there is a larger selection of free apps. I wear regular pants and the phone fits just fine in my pants most girls carry purses so it fits in there fine! If you wear skinny jeans, then this prob isn't the phone for you. Give it a shot if your with att they give you 30 days to try it out if you don't like it take it back and you get your money back minus a 28 dollar restocking fee. I was well prepared to just try it out for 30 days and take it back because I thought it would be just to big, but I've really grown used to it and love it!omenz90March 18, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 16, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I was extremely skeptical about this device when I first heard about it, but from the moment I got it in my hand to review it I didn't want to put it down. The screen is beautiful, with enough resolution and real estate to accomplish many complex tasks. Surfing the web is by far the best I have used in a phone, and At&t's LTE network is insanely fast. The battery life is also the best I have used in any device, especially a 4G device. Overall, this is by far the best phone I have ever owned.Engadget Reader90March 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The galaxy note replace a Dell Streak. In one sentence: this is what the Streak should have been/become.The screen is gorgeous, and looking at movie on it simply amazing. The real estate let you see lots of information at the same time.I was apprehensive of the Samsung TouchWiz interface, but I must admit, it’s indeed usable, and have some good intentions (DLNA browsing and sharing)PlusThe screenThe cameraThe Samsung S Planner application, which is the best calendar application I’ve used on android so far.The stylus during winter time :DMinusThe built-in video playerThe TouchWiz home not enough customizableTouchWiz additions still limited despite some good ideasThe hard buttons which does not work with the stylusEngadget Reader80March 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The phablet is decent but more or less a mini tablet that you can make calls on. I find it a bit too large for lengthy phone calls. Thus the reason I didn't rate call quality. I've been using this phonebfor a few weeks and made 3 calls. The device is used for video watching 90% of the time.Engadget Reader90March 8, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100March 7, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 5, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I was skeptical about the large screen on this device. I moved from an iPhone to a Moto Droid 1, then a Droid 3, then to a Samsung Focus S (WP7). It was hard to leave the Windows Phone 7 and move back to Android. Fortunately this cell phone has been solid since the beginning. If you are familiar with the Samsung Galaxy series of phones, you already know that the hardware is very good. The unknown for me was the battery, the stylus, and of course, will I be able to carry this phone comfortably. I have had this phone since its release and the battery life is quite good. With regular use, it lasts me all day and I end up with 20-30% at the end of the day. I can't say enough things about the stylus; I am a developer/designer and the ability to be able to draw precisely over images is invaluable for me. Finally I am able to carry this phone in my pocket comfortably. I have to say that it is not for everyone, it is a large device and if you wear very tight jeans, do not expect it to fit comfortably in your pocket. The screen is not exactly as good as the Samsung Galaxy series but it is very close. I assume they had to make some changes to allow the stylus to work. Under the lower brightness, the black levels are not good but very acceptable since I hardly use the lowest brightness level. That is why I can't give it a 10. I can't believe that the reviewers are complaining about the ecosystem on this phone. Android's ecosystem is quite large. It is also quite clear that TechCrunch's review of this phone is not correct since I disagree with several things they complained about the Note. We own an iPad (in the drawer) and an Asus Transformer (ICS) as well, and I prefer Android personally, be Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwich. The Note will be upgraded to ICS in couple of months but I am not disappointed from not having ICS right now. My Verizon Samsung Galaxy 7" tablet has been sitting on the drawer since I got my Note (time to sell it). The Samsung Galaxy Note has replaced my small tablet and believe it or not the AT&T 4G LTE speeds have been very good in my area. The Note is quite fast as well, I have not been complaining about its speed. I would recommend it to people that need a larger device and would like to have the ability to use a true stylus (for drawing or writing) and not have to carry a small tablet when traveling.Engadget Reader90February 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It is not the perfect combination of portability and power but is a must-have for who want a good tablet and a good smartphone but want buy only one.Engadget Reader90February 20, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is a great phone if you're okay with the size. If not, go with a standard SGII or the SkyRocket (actually just wait for the SkyRocket HD). That being said, if you're excited about the prospect of all that you could do with a bigger screen then this is a great device. If you've got a 4-inch phone and a 7-inch tablet, this can replace both conveniently.The device is a touch plasticky, but the plastic materials do keep the weight down and keep what could have been an unpocketable phone pocketable. In addition, you've got an unparalleled visual experience with this device. As for the S Pen, it's good if you think you'll use it. The best feature is the S Memo lite actually. From anywhere in the phone, you can just double tap with the pen to bring up a quick memo and jot something down then get right back into what you were doing. It's surprisingly convenient and simple. The biggest issue for people migrating from the HTC Flyer will be the notes ecosystem. Unfortunately, right now, it just doesn't compare to the amazing functionality with Evernote that HTC built into the Flyer and Sense. You can sync your notes to Evernote from S Memo, but it stops there and you have to it manually. Unlike the Flyer, which would do it automatically and incorporate alerts and reminders with Evernote as well as record and sync audio.Overall, it's a great device for its audience. It's not going to be the for-everyone device Samsung claims it to be in their Super Bowl commercial, but it will be a great device for some. Whether you're one of those people or not is more up to you to decide. If you're looking to cut your paper usage down, digitize your notes, find a new way to sketch throughout the day or just broaden your phone's capabilities and use (while also realizing you're limiting yourself in terms of portability, then this could just be the device you've been looking for.Engadget Reader80February 16, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 16, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100February 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 30, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 30, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I believe my comments above have said it all.Engadget Reader100January 29, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!the best ALL IN ONE EVER. SKETCH BOOK , NOTEPAD , GAMING DEVICE , TABLET , PHONE, BROWSER, SAT NAV WITH GPS AND GLONASS , DLNA, KIES, ALLSHARE, 2500MAH BATTERY THIS THING ROCKS !Engadget Reader90January 13, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Excelent smartphone, once you get used to its size. Very good display, hardware and software as well.Engadget Reader70January 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80January 5, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Quickly Summarizing the Samsung Galaxy Note -1] 5.3" Large AMOLED Screen2] Best of the Best Screen to watch pictures & movies3] Much better to read and reply emails or browse4] Faster Processor and really fast5] Latest OS and expected ICS6] Pen support and good apps for it (haven't used much though)7] DLNA function to stream media8] 16gb memory internal and 1gb ROM (in India)9] Thin and sleek for its form factor10] Conversation starterNegatives -1] Big Phone, difficult to use single handed2] Big Phone, u may find it a bit awkward while using it as a phone (i don't have an issue)3] Cant keep it in ur jeans pocketEngadget Reader90January 3, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 31, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!At first the size is very intimidating. it takes a while for your hand to get used to the width. Let me get this out of the way by saying if you have BIG hands, then this phone will be a joy to use. If not, then this will feel more like a tablet than a phone.Feature wise, my complaint is the lack of NFC, other than that, it's got everything you could possibly want from a phone. The only other annoying omission is the PenTile matrix display which gives you the feeling you're lacking a sub pixel but that's just it, a feeling.The stylus is not exactly the most useful thing due to the fact that my writing style allows my hand to touch the screen while writing. If you can avoid that, the stylus works really well.Overall, a great product with genuine innovation. The battery life is amazing and with top of the line specs, what more do you need?Engadget Reader90December 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!best phone i have had.Engadget Reader100December 8, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 6, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This phone is for people with larger than average hands who don't wear skinnyjeans. It's a big phone, but still a phone. It's also a tablet, but a small one. Perfect if you ask me. This is what I had wished the Dell Streak 5 to be, but Dell utterly failed. Samsung did it right. Now I don't have to worry about carrying two devices(phone+tablet) and a way to keep them charged, or pay huge monthly bills for data plans on both.The Note also has a really neat power saving ability which I haven't seen detailed in any review so far. I'll describe it here in the hopes that it's not something that everyone else has because it's built-in to Android; Power Saving...Hit that from the Settings menu, and you'll see a checkbox to enable "System power saving", and another selection to enable "Custom power saving". From what I can tell, enabling "System power saving" reduces the max speed of the CPU, lowers rendering speed, and sets the screen brightness all the way down (which is plenty bright already). "Custom power saving" can be adjusted to take effect at 50% battery to 10% battery in 10% increments. Custom will (at your individual selection) turn off WiFi, BT, GPS, data Sync, has a selectable brightness setting, and can adjust the screen timeout. Both power saving options can be enabled at the same time at 50% battery or less.I've played with the S-Pen a little, but I'm not the artistic type, and I don't have good handwriting so the best I could do is mark up some screenshots or deface some pictures before uploading to facebook. The S-Pen prefers to be used perpendicular to the screen surface, as any angle introduced to the S-Pen will cause the drawn line to stray from underneath the point of the Pen. It seems like you could control that, or even use that to your benefit if you had the patience.720p videos look just incredible. Even high bitrates, it just smoothes out the playback to it looks like you're watching a TV. And the black levels! Sometimes I can't tell where the edge of the screen is.The camera is pretty good too. Definitely the best I've seen so far, across a few other Galaxy devices I've encountered.I'm sure there's something I missed, so leave a comment and I'll try to answer your questions.Cat90November 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Samsung GALAXY Note is a marvel in phone design, a new category in mobile electronics and a breath of fresh air with all the look-a-like phones out there. Our phones define what we do, they are our everyday tool and our every hour object, The time you leave your desktops and laptops behind, it is Note time.I could not ask for more than this device, and instead of holding a tablet and a phone you just hold one device that is speedy, light, tough and great. The pen works great and it is hands down the best pen ever created for a mobile device. It is a pressure sensitive Wacom Digitizer than enables you to leave your old physical pens behind.I believe that this size is a new genre in phone design and should be adapted much more often.Well done Samsung!
Key Specs
TYPE
Smartphone
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android
SCREEN SIZE
5.322
INTERNAL MEMORY
161
CAMERA
Yes
CARRIERS (US)
AT&T
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