To buy or not to buy Samsung Galaxy Note? That’s the question… Samsung Galaxy Note is the ‘big’ thing in Android world beside its smaller brother Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. In short, it is basically a bigger version of Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 with 720p Super AMOLED display, upgraded CPU and has S Pen stylus as input. It is a phone and tablet hybrid. Or you can also say that Samsung Galaxy Note is too big as a phone and too small as a tablet. It is really up to personal taste and usage. I usually buy stuffs online without even hand on those products. Same applied to my HTC HD2 and Samsung Galaxy S II. I ordered them without even see them in real life first. Just read lot of reviews about them then made the decision to buy. However, I have hard time to convince myself to buy Samsung Galaxy Note without see it and hand on it first due to these 2 reasons…
Samsung Galaxy Note
HD Super AMOLED
It is using Super AMOLED RGBG subpixel rendering layout or PenTile technology. Yes, HD (1280×800) helps to improve actual pixel density compare to Samsung Galaxy S2′s WVGA (800×480). However, PenTile has only 2 subpixels compare to 3 subpixels RGB stripe in Super AMOLED Plus used in Samsung Galaxy S2. This makes the images and texts look less sharp. There is no Samsung Galaxy Note from Samsung Malaysia yet. And I might need to wait for 1 to 3 months to see it myself. I did compare Samsung Galaxy S (which use Super AMOLED too) and Samsung Galaxy S2. I can easily see the weakness of PenTile. Can HD Super AMOLED help to solve the less sharpness issue?
Super AMOLED vs Super AMOLED Plus
RGB stripe vs RGBG PenTile
5.3″ Display
I like smartphone with big screen. Love to play games and watch video on big screen. So I bought HTC HD2 with 4.3″ display. It has the largest display (for smartphone) 2 years ago. So Samsung Galaxy Note should be my cup of tea, right? I have no issue to pocket in HTC HD2 and Samsung Galaxy S2 (which a bit longer than HTC HD2). Samsung Galaxy Note is 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm in size. It is not an issue to put into jean pocket. However, can you walk, sit, run, bend down, going up stairs properly?
My thumb can access to 70% of the screen of Samsung Galaxy S2 while holding with one hand. Can I hold Samsung Galaxy Note and operate with one hand? Personally, I don’t think Samsung Galaxy Note was designed to use with one hand because it has S Pen. One hand to hold it and another one to use S Pen to input. So don’t think to get Samsung Galaxy Note if you wish to use it with one hand only.
Until I get my hand on Samsung Galaxy Note, I won’t order and buy it. How about you?
Do u think u made a mistake by buying s2..?
Nope, SGS2 is a great phone.
I think, i will going desperately buy it if it launch in Malaysia… So, when its gonna be on store in Malaysia?
Mid of November.
I love htc seen hd2..sense will follow u”
Too big..
Not for me I’m afraid. I’d love one, but I just don’t think it’s practical. My S2 fits all the criteria I want (for now). Jayce, the point you make about using only one hand is a very good one it’s one or the other. A phone or a tablet not a poor man’s compromise of the two.
Well, this “compromise” is certainly not for any poor man, because the Note costs more than a lot of tablets and smartphones out there.
However, the Note is not really a compromise. It allows you to enjoy larger videos and games on its large screen, without the inconvenience of carrying a large tablet everywhere.
Then, the S Pen is very useful. Think of some of the uses:
-Make quick notes by writing onto the screen. Imagine a friend is talking to you on the phone, and he’s giving some information, like someone’s address. Instead of hunting for pen and paper to write it down, you can write that information into your phone’s screen with the S Pen even while you are still talking.
–When you go travelling, write notes with the S Pen directly on some of your photos, for future reference. Write the names and details of people you meet, on their photos that you take with the phone; write info about some tourist place you visited on some of the photos; write info about a restaurant you visited and some new dish you tried out, right on the photos you take; etc. The only limit is your imagination.
Big is always good… d-ick big or small better? big lah!
samsung galaxy s2 is the best………………….
You must see the display of sgs1 and sgs2. If you have them both infront of your eyes and run a movie from the same source you will be disapointed as i did. Im great fan of galaxy family. I have galaxy s1 and 2, and tab. Unfortunatly the how bad the display of gs2 in movies has pushed me to go back to gs1.
gs1 izzzzzzzz low ………….. dude
SGS2 is always great option.
yeah………………
“Or you can also say that Samsung Galaxy Note is too big as a phone and too small as a tablet”
as you have already said, the form factor doesn’t really suit me well
am waiting for the asus transformer 2 which rumored to be released on 7 Nov 2011 to replace my netbook
I had already galaxy s1 from 10 months. Which has super amoled disply. Recently last week i bought galaxy s2 with super amoled PLUS. I did actual and real comparison especially for the displays of the both. L gs1 is better in all aspects. Really i was diapointed the display of s amoled without the shit of plus is marvelous and realistic but in galaxy s2 it is really artificial and their claim that black is really black but they ignored in real life there is some times greys and shdows i switched back to gs1 because the display issue is no.1 concern
i cant even unlock the screen with one hand . haha
I have been using HTC HD2 for the past two years. Stock OS was Windows Mobile 6.5. It was ok.
After approximately a year, I switched the OS to an NAND Android Froyo. Comparing between WM6.5 to Android, I personally like Android more. The main factor before I made the purchase was the screen size and didn’t really considered its battery life (which I should have!). Although I felt 4.3″ was big initially but after a while I wished it is bigger something like 4.5″ or 5.0″. So Samsung Note’s 5.3″ will definitely be a welcoming feature to me (I think it’s an optimal size between a phone and a able). I dearly hope that the Samsungs Notes’ 2500mHA rating will last for two to three days before recharging with heavy use. Have there been any review on this? Finally the S-pen thingy is something that I look forward too as I can draw circuits diagram, write notes (I like to write) and perhaps do random doodling. It’ll definitely be my next phone upgrade.
No review from me because I decided not to buy Samsung Galaxy Note.
Hey bro … how are u ?
I am buying Galaxy Note in the following 2 days from BCI ( the official distributor of Samsung mobiles in Jordan) … They made a special offer from 21 to 25th December (Christmas offer) that is 15 % discount with free flip cover and 8 Gb memory. I just want to know where this device is made before buying and unboxing it as I want the device that is ” Made in Korea by Samsung ” not other Countrys like china or Vietnam . How could you help me bro ???
Thanks
No way to tell until you unbox and open it.
Hi Jayce,
What make you change your mind by saying “No” to Note? I am planning to have a white Note, but just to ensure it fit me… (using HD2 now… still can’t let go Garmin).
I have Galaxy S2 already. Note is just like a bigger version of S2.
http://www.jayceooi.com/2011/11/14/samsung-galaxy-note-impression/
I am still think iPhone 4S vs Galaxy Note… hmmm… any advise?
Android and iOS. They are totally 2 worlds. Which one do you prefer?
Hmmm, I like both. I think getting a Note, and wait for iPad 3 will be a good option.
Im using galaxy note for a couple of days now… Think so much irreplaceable!!
I wanna buy note…. but u says its not worth it…,
So i should ot buy it….???
One thumb doesnt matter so much to me….!!!!
Buy it if these weakness do not concern you.
I was typing these lines at 2 am… What do u expect…??
And is it a grammer test that u r checking my speling mistakes…?
Just point ur view thats it…!!!
I have iphone 4 But loved features of note so i thought of buying it… Thats why i asked u… But you u r so great that u r bring out my mistakes…!!! Wtf man…!!!!
Whatever Tc. I respect ur view..
Its looks like u dont allow people to re comment….!!!!
Lollzzz tc…
hi you have mentioned that you already have a Samsung Galaxy S2.. Have you tried opening and running the flash games like FarmVille, The Sims Social, FishVille, etc. when using facebook on a web browser? What is the screen display? is it just the same as when using a desktop computer or a laptop? Can you accept game gift requests? How about in Samsung Galaxy Note? Sorry for these questions, its just that i’m planning to buy SG S2 or SG Note and I need to know if the web in these units works just like when i’m using a real computer.. Hope you reply please.. thanks a lot.. ^_^
I only tried Facebook Restaurant City on Galaxy S2. Running extremely slow. Not sure about the Flash performance on Galaxy Note. If can, go hand on to find out.
Everyone talks about the the big screen, its pen …. etc of Galaxy Note. No one mentions anything about its battery life. Any comment on the battery life ….comparing it with SII / Iphone’s ?
From what I heard, Galaxy Note’s battery life is better than Galaxy S2.