Samsung Galaxy Note II Review

A Week With the Samsung Galaxy Note II: The Phablet You Need?

January 4, 2013

1 / 8

by Nicole Nguyen 3

I test-drove Samsung's Galaxy Note II, a "phablet" (aka phone-tablet hybrid) that brings back a certain tech accessory, the stylus.

We'll see what the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has in store for the phone industry next week, but until then, the Galaxy Note II is the leading (and so far, only) phablet in the market, having shipped 10 million units worldwide. The phone ($300 with a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon; also available for varied prices on T-Mobile and US Cellular) has 4G LTE-capability, 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, and up to 64GB user memory, which puts it on par with most smartphones — but it's the Galaxy Note II's larger-than-life 5.5-inch display that differentiates it from competitors.

At first glance, the phone looks huge. Samsung released a promo video of the device being used by LeBron James, whose giant pro-basketball-player hands don't exactly put things into perspective. But despite its large proportions, the phone was surprisingly easy to handle and slim enough to slip into most pockets and purses. Take a look at why we'd get the Samsung Galaxy Note II for ourselves and some thoughts on where the phablet needs improvement.

1 / 8

by Nicole Nguyen 3

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I test-drove Samsung's Galaxy Note II, a "phablet" (aka phone-tablet hybrid) that brings back a certain tech accessory, the stylus.

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3 Comments

Nicole Nguyen 37 weeks

@twospirits — Thanks for all of your insightful input! I agree: the multi-view windows pane is my favorite thing about the Android OS. And the drop shade, which has really useful shortcuts to brightness, volume, etc. Two major wins over iOS. @CristiAlyse — Absolutely, the Note II is great for both work and play.

CristiAlyse 37 weeks

I've had my Galaxy Note II for 3 weeks now and I love it. I haven't discovered everything it can do, however, it is great tool to balance my professional and personal life ;-)

twospirits 37 weeks

Although I really do not like the term "phablet", the write up is a good one. A few observations... The display is nice but outside in direct sunlight is pretty much like other devices. Hard to read anything on the screen. With the phones bigger size, folks needs to get accustomed to the fact that its not your typical one handed device. Its really made to use with two hands especially with the S-Pen. But there are features that allow for one handed operation. The keyboard can be moved to one side for one handed operation as well as the S-Apps placeholder can be positioned on any side of the device. While its true that the permanent buttons at the bottom of the device cannot be used with the S-Pen, there are gestures that one can assign (within settings) to allow for basically the same features as the buttons but by using either the S-Pen or your fingers. Aside from the Flip covers, which are easy to buy, other accessories are a bit hard to find. But once you do find them, they make the device a full feature multimedia powerhouse. The multi-view windows feature is one feature that should be implemented in all Android devices. It turns any smartphone/hybrid into a more productive device. it is especially handy when comparing two similar apps side by side to see which one you like best. Currently there are only a few apps with multi-view capability but trhere are a few modifications that allow for all apps to be in multi-view mode. TS