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212 of 216 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic "tablet phone"..... Fits my needs perfectly!!!
By Lionel B.
Due to updates I have tailored my review so readers can quickly spot what info/section will be most helpfull to them:Section I: General Information (22 Nov 2011)Section II: Some accessories: Chargers and Cases (24 Dec 2011)Section III: Data for T-Mobile Users (14 Jan 2012)Section IV: Some other 5" Minitab phones (28 Feb 2012).Section V: Tidbits (07 Mar 2012)***** Section I: General Information (22 Nov 2011) *****I have had my Galaxy Note for over a week now and have completely deserted my Nexus S. Concerns about size or whether it will fit in my pocket are long gone. Any sense of what people may think when I hold it to my ear have completely disappeared and I hardly get any weird looks from anyone anyway except to ask to see the device and marvel over it.Pros: (Updated 3/21/12)- Fantastic specs.- Beautiful to behold.- Fast, fast, fast (1.4GHz Dual Core Processor).- 5.3" HD Super AMOLED screen makes every thing easier to do and beautiful to look at.- Ideal phone for those who mostly text/chat/email/web but need to have phone capabilities handy (I use the Motorola HX550 Universal Bluetooth Headset, Black which allows me to talk and still do stuff on the Note).- Excellent Battery life of 20 to 40 hrs (I recommend you first get a baseline of the battery life before you add too many apps. Watch especially the widgets you add, I have found a couple to be battery drainers).- Movies and pictures looks brilliant. As to be expected, movies will drain your battery faster.- Apps are more functional and a lot of fun to use.- A dream come true for frequent travelers as it will definitely reduce the number of devices you carry on trips. For example, I don't even travel with my kindle anymore as the kindle app is easy to read on the Note.- S pen (S Memo): Comes in handy for jotting down quick notes and lists. You can also share these notes via your favorite messaging app. A few days ago, I lost my s-pen; cost $30 to replace :( Samsung ET-S100EBEGSTA Stylus Pen for Galaxy Note with Samsung SGH-i717 - Data Cable - Retail Packaging - BlackCons: (Updated 12/31/11)- May not be ideal for those that spend the majority of their time talking especially because of its size. The advantage of the device is when you interact with it.- Only edge (2g) for T-mobile USA users. This may not be an issue if you spend the majority of your time in fast wifi environments. (See section III of the review for some information of data speeds).- It does feel fragile and I fear dropping it.- Web browsing hugs battery life. For example, visiting several web pages over a 10 min span reduced my battery life by 4 to 5%. My usual web use on an average day is about 30 minutes so I don't feel the drain that much (see comments for more details). Also, using the Note as a GPS with google maps is a big battery drain - be sure to use a good car charger when you do GPS over long distances.Conclusion:The Galaxy Note is a beautiful device in all ways and a big brother to the successful SGS2. It now tops the small class of similar devices started by the Dell Streak (See Section IV for a list of some other 5" devices). These devices in the 5 to 6 inch category are not your classic smartphones or tablets so don't try to pigeon hole them into one of these extremes. You have to view the Note as we did the SUVs when they first came out. The Note is a perfect fit for those who mostly text/chat/email/web and want phone calling capability. It is also a dream come true for travelers as it will definitely help reduce the number of devices you carry on trips. It has quickly become my #1 device.***** Section II: Some accessories: Chargers and Cases (24 Dec 2011) *****Accessories:** Phone Charger **:My phone came with a British 3-prong charger (Output 5V/1A) which I have since replaced as it is bulky and requires a US adapter. If you are looking for an American (US) style charger you can try one of these, all of which I have, and match exactly the 5V/1A output of the original charger:* Samsung USB Travel Adapter (ETAOU80JBE): (Updated 4 May 2012)Samsung OEM 1.0A Original Home Wall AC Travel Charger Adapter + USB 2.0 Data Sync Connect Transfer Charge CableAmazon now carries an original OEM adapter that works perfectly with the Note - yay!!!. It costs about $8, much cheaper than the 15 bucks I bought mine before it became listed on Amazon.* PowerGen 1000mA Heavy Duty USB Charger & USB Cable for Apple iPhone 4 4s / iPhone 3Gs 3G:The PowerGen cost me $6. This cube shaped charger has a similar feel and size to the Samsung charger above at less than half the price.* Power Bug & Cable -ipod/iphoneThe Power Bug charger costs about $9. It is a bit bulkier that the other two above and has a glowing blue light around the usb port that some may find annoying. Other than that it is made by Phillips (a well known brand) and the outlet prongs fold in.I use all three chargers - one at home, one in the office, and one in my travel bag and have not had any issues with any of them.** Inexpensive Cases ** (updated 22 May 2012)The choices of cases to buy on Amazon are now so varied and numerous. Several nice expensive case exist for around $40, however, if you are looking for something inexpensive but decent until the prices drop or want to try a range of product types before settling on a final expensive one, here are some inexpensive alternatives to try:* Samsung EFC-1E1COEGSTA AT&T Galaxy Note i717 Flip Cover - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Orange: I got this free with my new note (old one was stolen). The back replaces the original back so there is no added protection there. The flip cover is a nice concept and adds protection to the screen. It costs about $18. Reviews show it may not fit the ATT version.* Black S-Line Soft TPU Gel Case Cover For Samsung Galaxy Note / i9220 GT-N7000. I used this gel case with my old Note. It is very inexpensive ($2) and adds protection to the sides and back of the phone. It does take away some of the beauty of the phone (as any gel cover will do IMO, but you get a bit more comfort that your Note is more protected from drops.* elago G4 Slim Fit Case for at&t, International Galaxy Note - (Soft Feeling) Black - ECO PACK. This hard gel case has a nice professional feel and costs $11. However it does not cover the top and bottom of the phone like the TPU case does.A few expensive alternatives to the above are:* elago G4 Handmade Genuine Leather for at&t, International Galaxy Note - Folder type* Melkco - Samsung Galaxy Note / GT-N7000 / i9220 Ultra Slim Handmade Premium Genuine Cowhide Leather Case Jacka Type Face Cover Book Type Black* elago G4 Handmade Genuine Leather for at&t, International Galaxy Note - Bar type***** Section III: Data for T-Mobile Users (14 Jan 2012) *****This is some info for those that want the Note but have to stay on T-Mobile and can't switch to AT&T. I have collected some data speeds around my area (I am sure this will vary from area to area). I am fortunate that T-mobile is testing 3g/H+ on their 1900MHz band in my area (around Oxford Valley Mall, Fairless Hills PA) but not my home :(.Here's the data I collected:TYPE ... PLACE ..... PING ..... DOWNLOAD ...... UPLOADEdge ... Home ...... [385 ms] .. [199 kbps] .... [195 kbps]3g ...... Town ...... [50 ms] ... [2,009 kbps] .. [1,108 kbps]H+ ...... Town ...... [119 ms] .. [5,866 kbps] .. [1,240 kbps]WiFi .... Home ...... [36 ms] ... [19,658 kbps] . [11,237 kbps]As you can see, Edge is pretty slow. Since, I am with WiFi 95% of the time (at home and in the office) I do not feel the disadvantages of Edge that much and I do get 3g/H+ in some areas when I am in town. So IMO if you are around fast wifi the majority of the time, and have to stay on T-mobile, the Note is still a great phone to have. For those that want additional info on the areas that t-mobile is testing 3g/H+ on the 1900MHz band used by the Galaxy Note, please see Howard Forums under the T-mobile section "Post here if you have noticed 1900MHz 3G on an iPhone or other device".***** Section IV: Some other 5" Minitab phones (28 Feb 2012) *****Given that the Galaxy Note has now revived the 5" tablet/phone niche initially established by the Dell Streak, what are we to expect in the near future from other companies. Here is a short list of some new/soon-to-come models:Lenovo LePad S2005LG Optimus VuBLU Studio (Dual Sim)Pantech Vega No. 5ViewPhone 5ePanasonic Eluga PowerPlum Mobile The Might (This one looks like the Note without a stylus. It is also dual-sim)Thomson 5.3-inch X-view 2 (Dual-SIM)Hopefully as the list grows we will likely see greater innovation in this niche market :)***** Section V: Tidbits (07 Mar 2012) *****Over the past few months I did a little experiment in respond to the famous "What is that?" question when folks first see me with the Note. The conversation generally takes one of two paths depending on my response:Other Person: What is that?Conversation 1:Me: It's a mobile phone that's also great to use as a tablet.Other Person: Wow, that's a huge phone isn't it?Conversation 2:Me: It's a mini-tablet that's also great to use as a mobile phone.Other Person: Wow, that's really cool.So based on my unscientific experiment, it looks like folks tend to accept the Samsung Note more as a minitab than as a phone. Thought it was kind of interesting. Give it a try and let me know what you find :)
273 of 290 people found the following review helpful.
The complete phone-tablet device!!!
By Juwan I. Hayward
Now there is no need to carry both an iPhone/Android phone AND iPad/Android tablet! This phone-tablet device has better resolution (and pixel density of course) than the iPad, and it's a third of the size, so it's much easier to carry and walk around with. AND it's much more than just a 3G tablet, it's also a phone for those times that you wish to send SMS, and to have a 'normal' (verbal) phone conversation without voice over IP apps. I am one of those people that actually 'texts' a lot more than I speak into my phone, but the phone is a bit large, so hands-free earbuds or a bluetooth headset is recommended if you speak into your phone a lot.Because of my impatience, I imported my Galaxy Note from a UK site before it was available on Amazon, but I would have preferred to purchase this device from Amazon instead of importing from overseas. I was so excited to receive my note, and I am simply amazed by the screen resolution and speed!! The build quality is excellent, the device is light (and thin if that's your thing), and a fully charged battery lasts from morning 'til night! I am going to sell my iPhone and Android tablet ASAP!More on the screen resolution/camera:Remote desktop/VNC access from the Note is amazing for those of us that sometimes work remotely, and this device currently has the best balance of usability and portability; For example, for remote desktop use, the iPhone 4/4S is limited by 960 x 480 pixels, the iPad is currently limited by 1024 x 768 pixels, and any Android tablet with 1280 x 800 resolution is nowhere as portable as the Note! Even if Apple finally releases a 9.7-inch 720p iPad in March, I will be staying devoted to my Note. (Tablet makers should be focusing on making 1080P tablets for 2012, in my opinion.) Speaking of pixels, the Note has an 8MP camera on the back and a 2MP camera on the front, so once again much better than any iPad/Android tablet camera, and on par with the cameras on any of the newer smartphones eg. iPhone 4S/Galaxy S2.Also, if the 5.3-inch screen is too small for remote desktop or watching movies, say in a hotel room, the Note has HDMI-out via a MHL-HDMI adapter! (Samsung and other brands available on Amazon; Take a look on Youtube for NZtechfreak's excellent video reviews on HDMI-output and other amazing things you can do with the Galaxy Note!)What would I improve about the Galaxy Note?1. LED notifications; there are no flashing lights when a new push message is received, not cool man!2. If it could have been just a bit smaller (around 4.9 inches), but not as small as the 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus, which has a 1280 x 720 resolution (but only a 5MP camera by the way, and the home screen is still only 4 icons wide!).In summary, the Samsung Galaxy Note is:1. Better than any smartphone - matching camera/phone features but faster processor, more pixels/higher resolution = more home screen icons, and a longer battery life!2. Better than any tablet - matching screen resolution and long battery life with any of the newer tablets, but has a better camera, and is still small enough to walk down the street with.This is the best mobile device ever made!!!
121 of 127 people found the following review helpful.
Perfect Mini-Computer (phone-tablet) to Carry With You Everywhere
By Charles Scidmore
Like the excellent, well-written review by Juwan I. Hayward, I also ordered this from Clove Technology in the UK because I didn't want to wait for it. I had not anticipated that I would be able to get it so soon from a vendor via Amazon (with the exchange rate, it cost me a little more than $100 more than it can be purchased here). Of all of the many gadgets and phones I have owned in the past 30 years, this is by far the best and most superior gadget I have had the privilege of owning and using. It really is a perfect mini-computer. I could conceivably eliminate most of my other gadgets and just use this device. It is small enough to put in most pockets (especially jacket or pants).I go nowhere without it. It is superfast, with a beautiful screen. I use it for playing music, playing games, reading Kindle and ePub books, reading and editing documents, taking notes, surfing the web (in addition to the excellent Android Browser, I love the Dolphin Browser and even occasionally use Firefox for Android), reading news feeds from Pulse and News360, checking Facebook and Google+, taking candid pictures (it also has a good-quality front-facing camera for video chats, which I have yet to use), and all of the many other things one does on today's smartphones and tablets. I have heavily invested in the Android ecosystem, and it really has no noticeable weaknesses compared to iOS (iPhone/iPad/iTouch). This one device combines all the best attributes of a smartphone with those of a tablet, and it is more portable that the normal tablet of today. I own a top-end tablet, and I find myself using it rarely since getting the Samsung Galaxy Note three weeks ago.Lastly, it has a pen. I love the pen. This device is remarkable and outstanding without it, but the pen really does take it to another level for me. I use it for drawing, doodling, taking notes, having my notes transcribed (the transcription software delivered with it is quite good), and use to more efficiently play games and such. It is really the icing on the cake.I highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy NOTE. It could conceivably be my go-to device for several years to come.
See all 208 customer reviews...
nice one
For Fun Only!
Aweful Phone!
Not recommended
