This review is from: Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Unlocked Phone–International Version (Blue) (Wireless Phone Accessory)
2012 called. It said it wanted it’s triple duty device. Kept saying that it wanted a phone, a tablet and a notepad all in one or else…..Luckily, Samsung answered.
The mobile phone / tablet market seems to be heading towards touchscreen only devices, styluses not included. Market leaders seem to have forgotten that some of us like to “write” instead of type. By limiting their input methods, they’re forcing us to adapt to them, not making their products adapt to us. The Galaxy Note is a product that goes in the opposite direction. It allows you the flexibility to use it the way you want, whether you prefer to type, write or touch.
I’ve purchased it unlocked and since I bought it, I leave my cell phone and tablet at home. I no longer need to carry them round. It was a hassle carrying around my tablet + a stylus for writing notes, my laptop for all the other stuff and a cellphone to make calls. The Galaxy Note replaced my tablet and cell phone in one easy swoop, with no adjustment issues. I still carry my laptop though ( for more demanding work)
As a product, to me. the Note makes perfect sense. A 1280 x 800 resolution(285 pixels per inch – high pixel density) 5.3 inch SuperAMOLED screen ( bright, colorful, sharp ), makes The Note the perfect size for for quickly jotting down notes as well as carrying with you. Games and videos look brilliant on the 5.3 inch screen. Reading E-Books is fun and you don’t have to squint to make out words like on a regular phone.
Some reviewers have claimed that the phone isn’t portable, that’s not true. It fits easily in my pockets. I wear regular jeans though, not super skinny stop blood flow to my organs jeans. The Note is 178 grams, has a sleek profile and doesn’t weigh you down.
It’s backed by other high end features like a dual core 1.4 ghz processor, 16 gb inbuilt memory + a micro SD card slot (Compatible with 32gb cards) GSM cell phone capabilities, 8 mp rear camera (1080 capable at 17mbps bitrate – clean crisp video), 2 mp front camera, and most importantly, the S – Pen. This makes the G-Note a capable notepad replacement. Need to jot down an idea quick? Make a shopping list? It’s easy with the S-Pen. The S-Memo app that was specifically designed for taking notes with the S-Pen is smooth and responsive. It’s perfect for using in conjunction with the S-Pen to write stuff down. However, in case you don’t like the S-Memo app, you could download for your G-Note from the Amazon android market, apps like CATCH and SKITCH. Both are free, support the S-Pen and are great note taking / annotation tools.
Battery life is brilliant, considering the screen and processor powering the G-Note it easily lasts for a 2 days if used heavily (Web browsing, emails, phone calls,Note taking, games) and goes up till 3 days if you stick to non-demanding activities such as phone calls and web browsing.
Some of the “real world” ways in which I’ve used this phone are
Click a photo, jot down notes on it, send it to an interior designer.
Make annotations to an email.
Jot down drawings.
Write a shopping list.
Make a Travel Expense plan
Surf the internet (with flash enabled on demand ) so if I want to watch a flash video, it’s up to me. Not anyone else.
For me, the Galaxy Note shows what Samsung is capable of and what other companies should / could do if they weren’t too scared of giving a customer a complete product instead of making him buy 2 products to do the job of one. Brilliant engineering, great design and a solid, flexible product that takes the place of two products in one easy move. In my opinion, in 2012, this is truly, the best of both worlds. Pocketable, portable, capable and fast. I no longer feel the need to buy an iPad2 or a Galaxy Tab 10 or any other tablet. The Note goes with me everywhere, in my pocket and does whatever I need it to do. It definitely gets my vote for best mobile phone / hybrid tablet for 2012. Highly recommended.
Technical Specifications (from Samsung.com) – for those who may be interested Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support 5.3″ 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of WXGA resolution (800 x 1280 pixels) Android OS v2.3.5 with TouchWiz 4…
This review is from: Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Unlocked Phone–International Version (Blue) (Wireless Phone Accessory)
This review was originally for the US Warranty Note, but when Amazon stopped claiming a US warranty, they renamed it the International Version. I will try to update this review from time to time. New update 3/22/12 at bottom of review.
Warranty Is it a Samsung warranty? A previous reviewer called Samsung and their rep said it isn’t, but did their tech rep have correct information? HassleFreeCell says they provide a 90 day warranty. So I chatted with an Amazon rep, and he was quite clear, but did he know anything? You will have to judge. Here is his reply: You are now connected to Deepak from Amazon.com. Me:Concerning Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Unlocked Cellphone–US Warranty (Blue) What are the warranty details? Is this a Samsung warranty? Deepak :Hello, my name is Deepak. I’ll be happy to help you. Me:OK Deepak :yes. it will be honored by the manufacturer. Me:Is it a one year warranty? Deepak :Yes. Me:That is all. thank you. Deepak :Thanks for visiting Amazon.com. We hope to see you again soon. Happy Holidays!
Color The phone back is a dark navy blue.
Size The phone fits easily in all my pants pockets (jeans and dress). The HTC Amaze feels like a brick in my pocket, and the Samsung Note is slightly heavier, but feels MUCH lighter – maybe this is because it is so thin. It fits in my medium size man-hands, but I would not want it any larger. I have never dropped a phone, but I am worried for the first time (see Cases, below).
Screen Big and beautiful. What else can I say?
Stylus This was a main reason I got this phone because I always used a stylus for typing accuracy on my old Palm (4 inch screen) and my Sony P1i (2.6 inch screen). When I tried out phones with 4.3 inch screens I was not able to type accurately. Surprise! I find that I can type as fast with my finger since the 5.3 inch screen is so big, and I can go slightly faster with Swype. Voice recognition is much better than I expected and for everyday words is the fastest method of text entry. So my stylus sits unused.
Clock app A Samsung clock app comes with the phone. It is not well documented that you are required to select the icon at the top right of the screen to prevent the screen from timing out. The clock allows a pre-alarm of nature sounds to help wake up.
FM Radio At least this version of the Samsung Note does have an FM radio and here in Indianapolis it receives about 30 stations. Correction: It DOES have RDS (I just had it turned off), and you can rename stations. As with all phones, headphones are required to act as the antenna.
Headphones The note comes with a set of ear-bud phones with microphone. Ear-bud phones depend on a good ear seal which can vary from person to person. I get a good seal and I find them adequate for casual listening.
Stands Both the “iZel Innovative Hands-free Stand” and the “iCarpus Stand” fit the Note and hold it securely on a bedside table. The Motorola wall charger works well, but is larger than the Samsung charger.
Cases I first bought a cheap TPU case and was disappointed with the thin non resilient plastic which I think won’t provide enough protection if dropped. I then bought a TPU Gel case – the kind with an “S” design on the back. Despite the name, this is not resilient either, but it has rough edges on either side to give a much better grip to prevent dropping. I have now changed to a Armor Dual Layer Cover sold by DayDeal.com. It has a hard plastic outer layer and a soft silicone inner layer with extra protection on each corner, and it is very elegant with a red back and black accented sides. This should give significant impact protection, but it is slightly bulkier than the TPU cases although it still fits in my pockets.
Phone Plan This is a GSM phone so it will only work with T-Mobile and AT&T here in the US. It has been claimed that AT&T apparently will work with 4G data on this phone. T-Mobile’s frequencies currently allow only 2G data (but it has been reported that with the failure of the AT&T takeover, T-Mobile may gain access to 4G data). However, consider if you need data. At home, work and almost every hotel I have access to wifi, and I use a TomTom for directions. Since I don’t use a lot of voice minutes, I happily use T-Mobile prepaid (pay as you go). The 100 dollar prepaid card (1000 minutes/text messages, but no data) is good for one year and as long as I buy a new card before the end of the year, the minutes roll over.
Update 1/5/12 (10 days use): I still think that this is the best phone for someone who needs a large screen. The only bad thing I can say is that I find the phone slippery, but with a case this is not a problem. Battery life has been better than I expected – great. I…
Authors bio is coming up shortly. 
Best of both worlds,
2012 called. It said it wanted it’s triple duty device. Kept saying that it wanted a phone, a tablet and a notepad all in one or else…..Luckily, Samsung answered.
The mobile phone / tablet market seems to be heading towards touchscreen only devices, styluses not included. Market leaders seem to have forgotten that some of us like to “write” instead of type. By limiting their input methods, they’re forcing us to adapt to them, not making their products adapt to us. The Galaxy Note is a product that goes in the opposite direction. It allows you the flexibility to use it the way you want, whether you prefer to type, write or touch.
I’ve purchased it unlocked and since I bought it, I leave my cell phone and tablet at home. I no longer need to carry them round. It was a hassle carrying around my tablet + a stylus for writing notes, my laptop for all the other stuff and a cellphone to make calls. The Galaxy Note replaced my tablet and cell phone in one easy swoop, with no adjustment issues. I still carry my laptop though ( for more demanding work)
As a product, to me. the Note makes perfect sense. A 1280 x 800 resolution(285 pixels per inch – high pixel density) 5.3 inch SuperAMOLED screen ( bright, colorful, sharp ), makes The Note the perfect size for for quickly jotting down notes as well as carrying with you. Games and videos look brilliant on the 5.3 inch screen. Reading E-Books is fun and you don’t have to squint to make out words like on a regular phone.
Some reviewers have claimed that the phone isn’t portable, that’s not true. It fits easily in my pockets. I wear regular jeans though, not super skinny stop blood flow to my organs jeans. The Note is 178 grams, has a sleek profile and doesn’t weigh you down.
It’s backed by other high end features like a dual core 1.4 ghz processor, 16 gb inbuilt memory + a micro SD card slot (Compatible with 32gb cards) GSM cell phone capabilities, 8 mp rear camera (1080 capable at 17mbps bitrate – clean crisp video), 2 mp front camera, and most importantly, the S – Pen. This makes the G-Note a capable notepad replacement. Need to jot down an idea quick? Make a shopping list? It’s easy with the S-Pen. The S-Memo app that was specifically designed for taking notes with the S-Pen is smooth and responsive. It’s perfect for using in conjunction with the S-Pen to write stuff down. However, in case you don’t like the S-Memo app, you could download for your G-Note from the Amazon android market, apps like CATCH and SKITCH. Both are free, support the S-Pen and are great note taking / annotation tools.
Battery life is brilliant, considering the screen and processor powering the G-Note it easily lasts for a 2 days if used heavily (Web browsing, emails, phone calls,Note taking, games) and goes up till 3 days if you stick to non-demanding activities such as phone calls and web browsing.
Some of the “real world” ways in which I’ve used this phone are
Click a photo, jot down notes on it, send it to an interior designer.
Make annotations to an email.
Jot down drawings.
Write a shopping list.
Make a Travel Expense plan
Surf the internet (with flash enabled on demand ) so if I want to watch a flash video, it’s up to me. Not anyone else.
Edit photos
Make phone / Skype video calls
Read Kindle books
Connect it to a PC monitor through a (MHL) USB to HDMI adapter and used a bluetooth keyboard to type out emails and watch movies. (Just for the heck of it – considering the G-Note has the specifications of a top of the line notebook from a few years ago, I wanted to test it out. If you feel like doing the same, you’ll need a Menotek Micro USB to HDMI MHL Adapter for Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Evo 3D, HTC Evo 4G Tablet, HTC Sensation 4G, Sprint Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy Nexus )
For me, the Galaxy Note shows what Samsung is capable of and what other companies should / could do if they weren’t too scared of giving a customer a complete product instead of making him buy 2 products to do the job of one. Brilliant engineering, great design and a solid, flexible product that takes the place of two products in one easy move. In my opinion, in 2012, this is truly, the best of both worlds. Pocketable, portable, capable and fast. I no longer feel the need to buy an iPad2 or a Galaxy Tab 10 or any other tablet. The Note goes with me everywhere, in my pocket and does whatever I need it to do. It definitely gets my vote for best mobile phone / hybrid tablet for 2012. Highly recommended.
Technical Specifications (from Samsung.com) – for those who may be interested
Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support
5.3″ 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of WXGA resolution (800 x 1280 pixels)
Android OS v2.3.5 with TouchWiz 4…
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|Why Unlocked? US Warranty? and etc.,
This review was originally for the US Warranty Note, but when Amazon stopped claiming a US warranty, they renamed it the International Version. I will try to update this review from time to time.
New update 3/22/12 at bottom of review.
Warranty
Is it a Samsung warranty? A previous reviewer called Samsung and their rep said it isn’t, but did their tech rep have correct information?
HassleFreeCell says they provide a 90 day warranty.
So I chatted with an Amazon rep, and he was quite clear, but did he know anything? You will have to judge.
Here is his reply:
You are now connected to Deepak from Amazon.com.
Me:Concerning Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Unlocked Cellphone–US Warranty (Blue)
What are the warranty details? Is this a Samsung warranty?
Deepak :Hello, my name is Deepak. I’ll be happy to help you.
Me:OK
Deepak :yes. it will be honored by the manufacturer.
Me:Is it a one year warranty?
Deepak :Yes.
Me:That is all. thank you.
Deepak :Thanks for visiting Amazon.com. We hope to see you again soon. Happy Holidays!
Color
The phone back is a dark navy blue.
Size
The phone fits easily in all my pants pockets (jeans and dress). The HTC Amaze feels like a brick in my pocket, and the Samsung Note is slightly heavier, but feels MUCH lighter – maybe this is because it is so thin. It fits in my medium size man-hands, but I would not want it any larger. I have never dropped a phone, but I am worried for the first time (see Cases, below).
Screen
Big and beautiful. What else can I say?
Stylus
This was a main reason I got this phone because I always used a stylus for typing accuracy on my old Palm (4 inch screen) and my Sony P1i (2.6 inch screen). When I tried out phones with 4.3 inch screens I was not able to type accurately. Surprise! I find that I can type as fast with my finger since the 5.3 inch screen is so big, and I can go slightly faster with Swype. Voice recognition is much better than I expected and for everyday words is the fastest method of text entry. So my stylus sits unused.
Clock app
A Samsung clock app comes with the phone. It is not well documented that you are required to select the icon at the top right of the screen to prevent the screen from timing out. The clock allows a pre-alarm of nature sounds to help wake up.
FM Radio
At least this version of the Samsung Note does have an FM radio and here in Indianapolis it receives about 30 stations. Correction: It DOES have RDS (I just had it turned off), and you can rename stations. As with all phones, headphones are required to act as the antenna.
Headphones
The note comes with a set of ear-bud phones with microphone. Ear-bud phones depend on a good ear seal which can vary from person to person. I get a good seal and I find them adequate for casual listening.
Stands
Both the “iZel Innovative Hands-free Stand” and the “iCarpus Stand” fit the Note and hold it securely on a bedside table. The Motorola wall charger works well, but is larger than the Samsung charger.
Cases
I first bought a cheap TPU case and was disappointed with the thin non resilient plastic which I think won’t provide enough protection if dropped. I then bought a TPU Gel case – the kind with an “S” design on the back. Despite the name, this is not resilient either, but it has rough edges on either side to give a much better grip to prevent dropping. I have now changed to a Armor Dual Layer Cover sold by DayDeal.com. It has a hard plastic outer layer and a soft silicone inner layer with extra protection on each corner, and it is very elegant with a red back and black accented sides. This should give significant impact protection, but it is slightly bulkier than the TPU cases although it still fits in my pockets.
Phone Plan
This is a GSM phone so it will only work with T-Mobile and AT&T here in the US. It has been claimed that AT&T apparently will work with 4G data on this phone. T-Mobile’s frequencies currently allow only 2G data (but it has been reported that with the failure of the AT&T takeover, T-Mobile may gain access to 4G data). However, consider if you need data. At home, work and almost every hotel I have access to wifi, and I use a TomTom for directions. Since I don’t use a lot of voice minutes, I happily use T-Mobile prepaid (pay as you go). The 100 dollar prepaid card (1000 minutes/text messages, but no data) is good for one year and as long as I buy a new card before the end of the year, the minutes roll over.
Update 1/5/12 (10 days use):
I still think that this is the best phone for someone who needs a large screen. The only bad thing I can say is that I find the phone slippery, but with a case this is not a problem.
Battery life has been better than I expected – great. I…
Read more
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|