Review: Samsung Galaxy Note ll

The Samsung Galaxy Note ll delivers on all of its promises, making it a strong contender in the top-of-the-range smartphone market.

---

Building on the success of the original Galaxy Note, Samsung has introduced the Note ll. It's bigger, faster and more functional than its older sibling and boasts a multitude of improvements.

According to Samsung's Craig Fleischer, director of mobile business in SA, the smartphone is ideal for creatives, and Samsung expects the Galaxy Note ll to outdo the impressive global sales figures enjoyed by the original Note.

The Galaxy Note ll is longer, narrower and marginally heavier than its predecessor, at 80.5 x 151.1 x 9.4mm and 180g. Although it dwarfs most smartphones currently on the market, the 5.5-inch smartphone is only marginally chunkier than Samsung's Galaxy S lll. No, it doesn't fit that comfortably in the average person's hand, but this doesn't make it cumbersome to use.

Because of its size, the Galaxy Note ll is not a one-handed device. To compensate for this, Samsung has equipped the phablet with a one-handed operation mode that aligns applications to the left or right to make it easier to use the device with one hand.

With a polycarbonate body, the Note ll feels sturdy.

To put the sheer size of this display into perspective, Apple's iPhone 4S fits comfortably inside the Note ll's screen. But the extra real estate makes multimedia use an absolute dream - watching videos, editing photos, surfing the Net and gaming on the Note ll is a pleasure.

The Note ll's 1 280 x 720 HD super AMOLED screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 2, making it scratch-resistant. Although I was tempted, I did not deliberately try to scratch the screen as part of this review. The display does not feature Samsung's PenTile matrix pixel arrangement, nor does it boast a standard RGB one. Instead, Samsung has fitted the Note ll with a distinctive pixel matrix arrangement and this unique arrangement works, as colours on the Galaxy Note ll truly pop.

The handset runs on Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean), the first Samsung device to ship with this operating system. All of the updated Jelly Bean features are intertwined into Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, which is intuitive and easy to use.

In an attempt to cater to those who don't want all the frills, Samsung has added an Easy mode home-screen, which makes the interface a lot simpler. The device features Android's intelligent personal assistant, Google Now and Jelly Bean's expandable notifications, which make for easy access to e-mails and social media accounts. Users can customise the slide-to-open menu to house the apps they use frequently.

I experienced no problems making or receiving calls, but did feel a little dorky holding the gargantuan device up to my ear.

The Galaxy Note ll makes multi-tasking a reality, no doubt because of the power housed in the device's 1.6GHz quad-core processor. Users can split the screen and launch two apps at once, with no lag when changing between the two. And Popup Video allows the user to play a video in a smaller window while doing something else, without affecting the phone's performance.

The standard browser is quick and easy to use, but the device also has Opera Mini and Chrome if users prefer these.

The Note ll comes with 16GB to 64GB of internal user memory and 2GB RAM, as well as a microSD slot that can support an additional 64GB of storage. A Bluetooth-, WiFi- and 3G-enabled device is currently available, with an LTE version set to be released at the end of 2012.

Samsung markets the new Note as "the ultimate smartphone for on-the-go creativity" and the device's improved S Pen functionality makes these creative promises a reality. Using the Note ll, users are able to make comprehensive notes featuring their own doodles, videos, clipart images and shapes. Write a keyword into the Idea Sketch window and the Note ll will bring up preloaded illustrations, which can be customised by the user. Although I am not entirely sure how often one would use all of this, it does allow users to bring together a comprehensive idea using various media.

The handwriting recognition when using the stylus is exceptionally accurate, regardless of the neatness of the user's writing. I even used it in the car (I wasn't driving, by the way), with no real problems.

Many of the new S Pen features are about convenience. Air View, for example, allows users to preview the contents of a folder or e-mail by simply hovering the S Pen over it. Similarly, Quick Command lets users instantly launch applications by jotting down pre-registered symbols or commands. So users can write '#Mom' to immediately call their mothers, or '?dog' to launch a Web search for their favourite breeds.

For those who are concerned about losing the handy pen, the Note ll will vibrate if the pen is removed for an extended period, and users can also set the device to make a sound when it senses the user walking while the S Pen is not inserted.

The potent processor makes for a smooth gaming experience, and gaming is where the Note ll's massive display comes into its own.

The phablet is fitted with an 8MP rear-facing and 1.9MP front-facing camera, with HD video recording. The camera features Buddy Photo Share, Burst Shot and Best Photo. In addition, Note II users can also play around with Best Face, which takes multiple shots and then allows users to choose the preferred face or pose of each person for perfect group portraits. The Paper Artist app applies filters to images, allowing Note ll owners to compete with even the most experienced Instagram aficionado.

Like the S lll, the new Galaxy Note ll boasts Smart Stay technology, which uses the front-facing camera to put the device into standby mode when it detects that the user is no longer looking at it. In addition, the Galaxy Note ll has a Smart Rotation feature, which uses the front-facing camera to determine the position of the user's face to prevent the screen from switching to landscape mode when it is being used in a portrait position.

The Note ll comes with all the apps one would expect from a smartphone today, with an additional 700 000 Android apps available through Google Play. Social magazine Flipboard was a firm favourite of mine, combining all of a user's social media accounts in an easy-to-use, stylish package.

According to Fleischer, having a larger display should not impact on the weight or battery life of a smartphone, and with the Galaxy Note ll, it certainly does not. The 100mAh Li-ion 3 battery, like the device, is one of the biggest on the market and lasts for more than a day, even with heavy use. Light users will probably only need to charge the device every couple of days.

In October, I attended the World Tour of the Note ll in Cape Town, which featured a great deal of fanfare and faux adlibbing. I must confess that it left me a little skeptical. My thoughts during the event were that Samsung had thrown this elaborate soiree for one of two reasons: either the device was crap and it was trying to distract us with flashing lights and semi-naked dancers, or the spectacle was justified by the fact that the consumer electronics company had developed a truly remarkable product. After just two weeks with the device, I would have to make a resounding vote for the latter.

When considering Samsung's latest phablet, I think the only thing working against the handset is its size - perhaps being a little big for some. Personally, I'd be happy to sport a little extra bulge in my back pocket in order to enjoy the exceptional performance and functionality that is the Galaxy Note ll.