Samsung Galaxy Note review and specifications

January 14, 2012

Ever wondered just how big cellphone screens can get? We’ve seen the newer handsets (such as the Samsung Galaxy SII and the HTC Sensation) sporting screen sizes of 4+", but one device dwarfs them all. 

As a result, we have to ask the question, “Is the Samsung Galaxy Note a big phone or a small tablet?” 

Key features of the Samsung Galaxy Note: 

• Form factor: phone/tablet hybrid 
• Display: 16M-color 5.3" Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of WXGA resolution (1280 x 800 pixels)
• OS: Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, TouchWiz UI
• CPU: 1.4 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, 1GB of RAM, Exynos chipset
• Camera: 8 MP autofocus camera, 1080p video recording, LED flash, 2 MP front-facing camera
• Memory: 16/32 GB internal memory, expandable via a microSD card slot
• Battery: 2,500mAh
• Miscellaneous: S Pen, Gyro sensor, accelerometer sensor for auto rotation, ambient light sensor, Adobe Flash Player 10.3 support, DivX/XviD support, TV-out (adapter required) 

Samsung Galaxy Note advert

S-Pen stylus

Steve Jobs was not a person to mince his words, but his comments on the stylus – “If you see a stylus they blew it” – definitely didn’t change our attitude towards it. There are numerous ways to implement a digital pen into a touch-screen device and that’s exactly why the Samsung Galaxy Note deserves more than a second glance. 

The device does not rely on a resistive touch-screen (like most other devices) as it uses a Wacom active digitizer system. Wacom is known for its artists’ tablets and technology used to aid artwork and sketches on the PC itself. The company offers a digital inking experience that is extremely soft, free flowing, accurate and pressure-sensitive. 

As a result, The Samsung Galaxy Note allows you to use your finger, the stylus or both when exploring the Android operating system. 

Wrap-up 

If you can get over the stumbling block of deciding how to carry the device comfortably, you're in for excellent performance, screen and camera quality. We imagine that both business people and technical geeks will be captivated by the Samsung Galaxy Note as it has something for both groups. However the easy note-taking is likely to appeal more to the suit-and-tie crowd. The lightning fast processor will let power-users enjoy every Android app, game and Flash site ever made. 

Samsung Galaxy Note deals and specials 

Vodacom, MTN and Cell C contract deals for the Samsung Galaxy Note can be found here.

Naman Singh

www.dionysuscellular.co.za

Samsung Galaxy Note