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Samsung Creates a New Device Category with the GALAXY Note

 

Samsung recently launched the GALAXY Note, a device that is a category on its own, being too big to really belong to the smartphone segment, and too small to be strictly classified as a tablet.  When the GALAXY Note was revealed weeks ago, I was not sure how to make of the device, but looking into its specs and features, I immediately saw how this can be a hit, a must-have even, for a lot of people.

The Size

Smartphones are getting bigger and bigger nowadays, with a few of them sporting 4.7-inch screens.  I was able to use one such smartphone and I can say that 4.7-inch is not too big, even for the small Filipino hand.  It was still comfortable to hold, and in fact I liked the screen size and I imagined that playing media would be great on such screen size, yet the device is still portable and easy to slide into the pocket.  Now add 0.6 inch to that 4.7-inch screen and you have the size of the GALAXY Note.  I have not personally handled a GALAXY note but I have used a GALAXY Wi-Fi 5.0 which has the same screen size as the Note.  In my experience, 5.3 inches is not too big, although if you’re only used to carrying small devices, it could feel big at first.  Needless to say, the size did not feel like a burden in terms of portability.

My point here is, the GALAXY Note, although dangerously near the point where it can be called an oversized phone, will not feel oversized when held, and will still be portable and easy to carry.  So this means that people who might think that the GALAXY Note is just too big and too uncomfortable to operate by hand have really nothing to worry about.  The Note measures just 9.65mm thick so it will fit comfortably in a pocket.

What could be going for the GALAXY Note, more than the fact that it is a phone with a big display, are the features it packs.  The Note is some sort of an all-in-one gadget since it combines the benefits of several mobile devices.  Yet, with even with these features, the GALAXY Note managed to be as portable as a smartphone.  This opens a slew of possibilities and uses to the user.

The Display

One such feature is the display itself.  The GALAXY Note’s 5.3-inch display features the world’s first and the largest HD Super AMOLED display.  It means the screen has an expansive high-resolution screen that makes for a very satisfying viewing experience.  And with bigger display, users will be able to do more tasks, with less hassle brought about by too much scrolling and screen transitions common in small screen devices.  We know how good Super AMOLED screen is but on the GALXY Note, Samsung slapped on an HD Super AMOLED display that’s capable of providing vivid clarity, deep blacks and bright colors that’s way better than conventional HD displays.  Viewing stuff on the GALAXY Note will therefore prove pleasurable.  The Note’s screen also offers a 180 degree viewing angle so sharing the screen with others will not be a problem.

The high resolution display ensures that PowerPoint presentations, web-pages, news apps and e-books can be viewed comfortably with minimal scrolling or zooming. Minimizing the need to switch between applications, the GALAXY Note’s HD super AMOLED screen is large enough to allow meaningful splitscreen operation in the most frequently used native apps.

Samsung has also included S Planner, a smart professional planning tool that makes full use of the device’s large screen. The management planner integrates the phone’s To-Do list and schedule; control and navigation is intuitive, helping users to comprehensively organize their lives.

The S Pen

Another feature that makes the GALAXY Note a good option for those looking for mobile devices is the digital S Pen, a pen-input technology that gives the user more input options, and naturally, more room to be creative and be productive.   Imagine bringing with you a device that can function both as a phone and a paper notebook.  The digital S Pen can be used for more precise sketching, and of course can be used to input thoughts quickly.

The GALAXY Note also features S Memo which is a multimedia application that records all forms of user-created content.  It can capture pictures, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes or drawings can all be captured using this application and converted to a ‘memo’.

It also has an easy screen capture feature that makes it easy to share or save what’s on the screen.  Samsung will be releasing the S Pen SDK which will allow developers to create new applications using the pen-input functionality.

The Specs

Specs-wise, the GALAXY Note also impresses. The device uses a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and features HSPA+ and LTE, the latest mobile internet technologies commonly referred to as 4G.  It must also be mentioned here that Samsung is enhancing enterprise capabilities of the GALAXY Note through its partnership with Juniper Networks for secure remote access to corporate network resources.

Samsung Galaxy Note Specifications

  • 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display (1280×800 pixel resolution)
  • Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread
  • Samsung TouchWiz UI 4.0
  • 1.4GHz dual-core processor Exynos chip
  • Mali-400MP GPU
  • 1GB RAM
  • 16GB internal memory (expandable via microSD up to 32GB)
  • HSPA+ 21Mbps or 4G LTE
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0
  • 8MP rear camera with 1080p full HD video recording
  • 2MP front-facing camera
  • GPS w/ aGPS support
  • FM radio tuner
  • 2500mAh battery
  • Size: 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm, 178g

 

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2 Comments

  1. Hm. If I had this as a student, my note-taking would have been awesome.

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