When I first held the Samsung Galaxy Note in January at CES, the truth is… I wasn’t very impressed. My biggest reservation? The size & comfort factor of the device in my hands. But while using it during NYFW, I have a different perspective and appreciation for this hybrid of a device. Positioned as the “best of both worlds” device, the Samsung Galaxy Note is supposed to fill the gap between large tablets and smartphones. With a 5.3-inch touchscreen, the Note’s size does in fact fit between many tablets and smartphones. But make no mistake, the Note is a phone.
While using the device during New York Fashion Week – I had the opportunity to test out it’s functionality in a real-world, fast-paced environment. Some of the aspects that I enjoyed using on the device includes, taking photographs, video and the note-taking function using the S-Memo and S pen. With the S-Pen, I was able to quickly jot down notes, edit photos by adding notes as well as cool screen “capturing” functions too.
As a well-placed Samsung family member, the Galaxy Note fits nicely when compared with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Samsung SII. The S II is offered with smaller, but still huge, touchscreens of either 4.3 inches or 4.5 inches. Like the S II, the Note’s display uses Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology, and it looks absolutely amazing. As I shared with a fellow blogger, the Note’s 5.3-inch screen is the display that works out beautifully for watching HD-quality movies. (I’d rather view movies on the Galaxy Note than on my iPhone 4S).
The Note, like the S II and the Nexus, has an 8-megapixel/1080p camera with a single LED flash in back and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting or photos. Like the S II, the Note features 16-gigabytes of built-in storage and a microSD card slot that can accommodate a card of up to 32-gigabytes of added storage. The Galaxy Note currently runs on Gingerbread and not the newer Android Ice Cream Sandwich, but don’t worry Samsung will release the new OS update will be available by the end of March.
With all the cool features that this device offers, the fact still remains that in addition to being a tablet device, it is also a phone. Making a phone call using the Galaxy Note was not as awkward as I initially thought. TRUE, it is NOT the Samsung SII (a phone that you can easily maneuver with one hand) – but the speed and clarity of the calls on AT&T’s 4G LTE network makes up for it (especially if you’re used to those ‘slower’ networks).
Overall, I enjoyed using the device. The ease & visibility of checking email, online surfing, and using social networks makes it a great device. If you’re not a fan of maneuvering with a larger smartphone for your mobile calls – I’d suggest investing in a stylish bluetooth device to make your Galaxy Note complete.
Available today for $299.99 with at 2-year agreement on AT&T.
