This review is from: Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 16GB Unlocked Android Smartphone – Dark Blue (Electronics)
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 – Black
Cons: (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:
This review is from: Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 16GB Unlocked Android Smartphone – Dark Blue (Electronics)
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!!!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Authors bio is coming up shortly. 
Fantastic “tablet phone”….. Fits my needs perfectly!!!,
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)
Samsung ET-S100EBEGSTA Stylus Pen for Galaxy Note with Samsung SGH-i717 – Data Cable – Retail Packaging – Black
- 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
Cons: (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 Cable
Amazon 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:…
Read more
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|The complete phone-tablet device!!!,
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!!!
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