Is it a phone, is it a tablet? No… It’s a phablet
Filed under: Android, consumer, Smartphone
The Samsung Galaxy Note has heads turning, while most people thought phones were meant to be getting smaller, some have forgotten the need to see things clearer. Your first thought will probably be ‘this looks like the bigger brother of the Samsung Galaxy S II’ and in a lot of ways you are correct. The Galaxy Note is very similar to the Galaxy S II; just add on a larger screen, a stylus which has extra capability (S-Pen), and don’t forget a really large battery (2500mAh).
Size
Although the dimensions are the first thing people talk about it, it is important to remember that the Galaxy Note is deceivingly thin for a device with such a large screen. It has a side profile of only 9.7mm, 1.1m thicker than a Galaxy S II (one of thinnest smart phones in the market). The Galaxy Note also a 5.3 inch screen which is one inch bigger than the Galaxy S II and besides more screen real estate, the Galaxy Note also has a very high resolution of 800 x 1280 px.
Credit: Phonesize.com
S-Pen
The S-Pen goes further than just being a replacement for lazy fingers, its main purpose is to convince you to throw out your notepad and pen. The S-Pen is a precise text-input and drawing tool and has been developed with Wacom’s Electro-Magnetic Resonance technology. You will find yourself using it to take down ideas and write memos on the go.
Specific apps have been developed to make good use of the S-Pen, I downloaded two from the pre-installed application called S-Choice. The two apps, Zen Brush and iAnnotate PDF work in harmony with the S-Pen. Zen Brush helps you to draw pictures, while iAnnotate PDF helps you take notes on a PDF document which is very useful for business situations.
Unlike other stylus choices for tablets, the S-Pen is not so ideal for pressing buttons (such as dialling a number), but it still does work if you don’t want to use your fingers.
Check out the below video for some tips on how to use the S-Pen gesture:
Battery
The in-box battery is a Standard Li-on 2500mah battery, which is extremely impressive for a smart phone. Most impressive to me was the incredible stand-by time I got from the Galaxy Note, if my corporate mail was not syncing and I hadn’t made many calls or text I noticed that the battery hardly lost its charge. To save even more battery power, I followed some of the tips I suggested in my last blog (HOW TO: Save battery power on your android phone) and took on tips posted by our readers in the comments.
Why buy one?
Samsung make great products and they have not missed the mark with this one, the Galaxy Note has everything you would expect from a great Android phone with a little more functionality. What I noticed when using the Galaxy Note for the last week is that I hardly paid attention to my tablet, the Galaxy Note screen was big enough for me to browse the web with ease. If you are in the market for a new phone and you need a device which provides just that little bit more, check out the Galaxy Note which was released today.
It’s a great phone – it would have been even better if those of us who registered an interest in it were notified by Telstra as promised. Would also have been nice if Telstra had more than 2 delivered to our local Telstra store on launch day.
I’ll have to wait for a 4G/LTE model with ICS.
Congratulations Telstra for beings months late to the party on releasing this phone and then slapping your customers in the face by making in ridiculously more expensive than what the other carriers are selling it for.
If I hadn’t just bought the Galaxy Tab 7.7, I’d definitely pick up this phablet! Now it would just seem like overkill, but I really wish I’d waited. The Galaxy Note is my perfect all-in-one convergence device.
Maybe I just need to wait 12 months for the Galaxy Note 2..?
I have sn iPhone 3GS with vodaphone and plan has expired. Love it fir iPod when running but like the idea of the larger screen phone.. Happy for contact via email re plans
Hi Dennis. Glad you like. We’d be happy to have you as a Telstra customer. Check the online store or gaive the Sales team a call on 13 2200.
What you haven’t said here is , that TELSTRA have priced it out of the ball park!!
As a Telstra customer for 40 plus years with 2 mobiles, internet; Telstra Tablet wifi/3G; and home phone and failing eye sight, I had been waiting to get one of these. My current contract on one of our Telstra Mobiles finished a week ago and the timing was great, but then when we had a look at your pricing,we fell out the tree
Even on the lowest plan which would suite us, recontracting on a $49 plan shoots the cost up to $79. $30 PM for the phone, thats just plain crazy.
Looks like we’ll have to move our business elsewhere.
I purchased my Note months ago from Kogan for a little over $500, now I have freedom to choose whatever telco I want and no delays with software updates. For $15 per month with TPG I get same amount of calls and data as Telstra $59 plan. I’m still a telstra customer with other mobiles and services but I’m starting to re-think things and saving money at the same time. The market is changing Telstra, we want better deals…….
I love how Telstra are completely ignoring the statements about the pricing as if to say, “Yep, we know we are overcharging for it but we’re just gonna keep the prices up for the first few weeks to get money out of the die-hard suckers!”
Telstra just do not care at all that they are overcharging for this phone!
Sorry Craig,
Have not met to ignore the various pricing concerns, I am collating feedback and sending it to the respective people within Telstra.
Thank you,
Sunil
I agree with most of these comments – this is lunacy from Telstra. They have truly dropped the ball on this one. I have waited and waited like a loyal Telstra customer, even signed up to the ‘advance notice’ section for the Galaxy Note. Not only did I NOT get the promised ‘advance notice’ that it was about to be release (or even after it was released) I have been gobsmaked by Telstra’s audacity in pricing it out of the ballpark. How utterly stupid can a marketing manager be? Nobody is going to pay these prices. This phone will FLOP not due to the phone but the idiot pricing structure. Optus and Voda will sell up a storm with GalNote while Telstra tries to count chickens which will never hatch. Just ludicrous. I can’t describe any better how disappointed and angry I am with these amateurs at Telstra – after all my loyalty over the years too! The Telstra pricing/marketing manager should be dismissed – pure and simple! This was their chance to make a real statement with a breakthrough product and they’ve completely blown it! I’ve been with Telstra forever and have been hanging on this one. IT ISN’T EVEN 4G FERR CHRISSSSAKES!! How the hell can they demand this ridiculous price for a 3G thing WITHOUT ICS??!! Lost yet another customer you silly, silly gooses! What IS wrong with you these days?! So, so sad to see this happen to my previously fave telco . . .
Cant get foxtel on my galaxy note!!! Have been on phone hold to Telstra data now for 1/2 hr and getting no where fast…This is a joke!!!!
I t gets worse…was on hold for 1/2 hr…get through to Philippines Telstra…who connect me to credit!!! Not Data…Then I tell the cuserv person in Telstra credit I want Mobile Data because I can’t get Telstra Foxtel and guess what he does???….He connects me to FOXTEL TV !!!!!!!!!!!
This is unbelievable….No-one listens in Telstra anymore …If they can’t handle a simple enquiry like I have what hope is there for a complex issue to be solved!!
Tried again and on hold !!!!!!!
Hi there, I’ve asked someone in our customer support team to get back to you. My apologies for the issues you’ve had today. Danielle
Sunil, you might get top the bottom of this then.
A basic freedom connect plan can be had for $49 (s-plan), I want to re contract so then the same plan with same content gets jacked up to $59 as soon as I mention I might be interested in getting a note. Then I’m told that the note will cost another $20 per month so now we are talking $79 per month. Why am I being penalized with an extra $10 for the exact same plan just because I want a phone rather than just continuing with the just paid for phone?
Finally got notification via an email two days AFTER the G-Note was released but of course too late for the local Telstra shop to have stock.
Over the years I’ve encouraged everyone I know to go with Telstra but this latest shock over the pricing of a phone is crazy. I will now buy one online for over $300 cheaper than Telstra’s price. The MRO does not even begin to cover the cost when you have to take out a bigger plan as the $49 cap no longer even has a MRO credit.
I am no longer a Telstra defender.
Any news on when we might see the ICS update for the Note?
Sorry to rain on the parade but Telstra is regulated by the government the have to charge the higher prices otherwise they would wipe out all the others in a heart beat. They own the major infrastructure and rent it to others like Vodafone ect. It has the best connections for a reason. Price is just a factor but what’s the point in having unlimited services if you don’t have reception to utilise it. no price war guys their hands are tied they can’t be cheaper it would breach legislations it’s part of the fare trade practices act so I you want to complain about price too bad it will have to be to a politician and we all know what one of them are worth.
Wow Peter, above, so many afctual errors in your post. Strange that no one has come to correct you.
Anyhow, my question. When will Ice Cream Sandwich be availiable for Telstra Notes?
I see previous requests have gone unanswered, does this mean that the answer is the usual ‘too late to compete with everyone else’?
Hi Russell, no fixed date as of yet but we will be sure to fill you all in on the blog when we do have one.
Thanks,
Sunil
So, still no update on ICS for the Note N7000B
i meant this as a question for Sunil by the way
So where is Telstra’s announcement about ICS for the Telstra Galaxy Notes????
Ice Cream Sandwich update for Vodafone Samsung Galaxy Note is approved awaiting rollout ..August 3rd, 2012 12:51 PM
It’s been a while coming but an update to the weekly Vodafone blog has advised customers with the Samsung Galaxy Note that the Ice Cream Sandwich update for their phone has been approved and all we’re now waiting on is details on how and when the rollout will occur. The update will take owners from Android 2.3.6 up to 4.0.4 and should hopefully include the Samsung Ice Cream Sandwich Premium Suite which brings updates to the S-Note Productivity Tool, My Story App and an S Memo Upgrade.
I’m pleased to announce that we have now granted approval for the Android 4.0.4 update to the Samsung GALAXY Note (N7000B). Keep an eye on our blog for further information related to roll-out.
Personally if I were a Vodafone branded Galaxy Note owner I’d be ensuring that my Kies software on my PC or Mac was up to date and ready to go just in case it’s delivered that way.
Information about Galaxy Note on Telstra.com for at least the last week only gives info about the phone. Nowhere have I been able to see it offered on a deal! Go figure . . . seems impossible to buy one unless you ring up the 1800 number.
This will be great. I’m sick of carrying around my phone and tablet separately.
Who would have thought a few years ago, when mobile phone manufacturer’s were racing to reduce the size of their latest phones.
Still silence from Telstra about our ICS update for the Note.
Vodafone and Optus rolled there’s out TODAY Tuesday 07/08/2012.
Still no word on the release of ICS for the Note?
As after sales service goes, this is pretty sad. But then, there’s no more money in it, so why rush.
Hello Wusl, Have a look here on CrowdSupport for info.
So anyway, Samsung have just announced the Galaxy note II, which will be released with 4.1 Jellybean and 4G (hopefully on release) It’ll probably cost more, but it will be worth it.