The Samsung Galaxy Note is a phone/ tablet hybrid that doesnt really sit in any category - weve reviewed it as a smartphone simply due to the fact it can make calls, but Samsung is definitely trying to create a new category of device with this 5.3-inch screened behemoth.
Its funny how mobile trends can change. Just a few years ago, manufacturers were falling over themselves trying to outdo each other to to provide the smallest handset in the world. Motorola got them pretty thin with the RAZR line and Samsungs own D500 was titchy.
Then something happened and big became cool. Yet, we dont seem to mind any more.
Just as well really, because the Galaxy Note is just that – big. Falling somewhere between the tablet and phone goalposts, its not as enormous as pictures may imply. But it is larger than your average smartphone.
Its dimensions come in at 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65mm yet, at 178g, its fairly light considering how heavy it could have been. This is a trait weve come to expect with the Galaxy line with both the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 handsets also being light as a feather.
To look at the Note, it looks just like a larger version of the S2. The front is incredibly minimalist with only a Samsung logo and homescreen button visible to the eye (the homescreen button is a little more rectangular than that of the S2, almost in an effort to make it seem less iPhone-like.)
The front facing 2MP camera and light sensor are there but almost impossible to see on the black model. The left hand side holds only a volume rocker, the top houses the 3.5mm headphone jack and theres a power/lock-unlock button on the right. The micro USB charging and syncing port can be located on the bottom.
The 8MP camera with LED flash is located in the centre of the rear portion in the same way it is on the S2 although, bizarrely, Samsung has, once again, chosen to have the actual glass covering of the lens protruding.
We cant understand why its not recessed as this merely makes the already vulnerable camera more prone to being scratched when the Note is placed on a surface.
The speaker is located near the bottom of the rear and just above the dock for the S-Pen (i.e. fancy stylus) that Samsung appears to be so excited about.
The crowning glory of the Note is the screen: 5.3" of WXGA goodness (1280 x 800) and it is a belter. Samsung has always been renowned for its good screens with even the Galaxy S giving us that wow factor last year.
We were bowled over by the S2s Super AMOLED Plus but the Note just blows that out of the water. 285ppi is what it gives us and not only are colours vibrant and sharp, but it looks easily as good as anything that Apple produces with a retina label, even though its obviously a lot bigger.
Under the hood, youll find a dual-core 1.4GHz processor powering this beast and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage (which you can also expand by another 32GB with removable memory.)
A 2,500mAh battery should give you plenty of juice – but considering the size of the screen, which is always the biggest drainer, it may not go as far as one hopes.
Its difficult to see just who the Note is aimed at – mainly because its hard to give it a label and put firmly in the camp of being just a phone or just a tablet. Samsung claims its the kind of device a lady could carry around in her handbag but it doesnt feel like something that has been solely designed with the girls in mind.
The nearest device we can think it compares to is the HTC Flyer though thats been out a while now and is already being reduced in price. For some buyers it could very well be a choice between the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S2 and with the only real differences being size and the S-Pen, theres not much in it.
At the time of writing, you can pick the Note up sim-free for a shade under £600 which places it firmly at the top end of the spectrum and comparable with an unlocked iPhone 4S 32GB.
You can of course pick one up on contract as well – but due to its specs and positioning, its not something youll get for free unless youre willing to pay more than £40 a month. And thats on a two year deal.
