Samsung's first attack on the smartphone
segment larger than 5 inches came in the form of the Galaxy Note. It differs
from most phones we saw earlier: first, it is very large, and related to the
use of pen, a very outdated concept at that time. Who are willing to buy this
stuff? However, despite the huge size, this tablet/phone (please forgive us:
phablet) has attracted the hearts and wallets more than what Sammy had
expected. The S Pen showed it was not just a simple pen, the painters and
technology enthusiasts loved it and the successful marketing campaigns helped
sell millions of units. The Note’s success could not be denied.
Samsung
Galaxy Note II
At that time, did Samsung realize that it
was sitting on a gold mine? It's hard to know for sure, but its success has
only one meaning: the inevitable next model. The Galaxy Note II has some big
shoes to fill. However, we believe it will accomplish the task: it has a
quad-core Exynos processor, double RAM, a bigger screen and the new S Pen
tricks. It sounds interesting, but the new version has actually won the old
version? Is it worth spending a sizable investment (the prices vary, but start
at around $788 for non-SIM version) when it is only one year far apart? We will
satisfy your curiosity.
Hardware
To see the new Galaxy Note II, it is
necessary to attend an intensive course in Samsung’s favorite design language.
While the original version has the overall appearance and slightly square
corners similar to the Galaxy S II, its successor is also inspired by nature
and "is designed for people" like the Galaxy S III. We will not
reject the possibility of that you mixed them up (the size difference is a
clear sign, but on the other hand, the phones look quite similar). In fact,
Samsung has a habit of changing things on an annual basis, may seem a bit
boring than every of a few months. However, by accepting the annual design
cycle, the devices like the Note II likely spend through the initial stages of
development faster than normal.
We also figure out that the new consistent
strategy of the company will have a major impact on the brand recognition of
Samsung. The original Galaxy Note owners - whether it is the international
N7000 or one of its many versions - all know very well how it feels when
sometimes getting the question, "What is that?" from the random
passersby. With the width of 3.16 inches (80.5mm), the height of 5.95 inches
(151.1mm) and the depth of 0.37 inches (9.4mm), the Note II is slightly
thinner, narrower and higher than its predecessor. Along with the pebble-like
shape, of course, it provides a more comfortable experience when holding it in
the hand, although it is slightly heavier at 6.35 ounces (180g). Even though it
is more attractive than the first Note, undisputedly, it is a great device, and
it will continue to attract stares for that reason.
While we all want our smartphones in the
long run, the issue of build quality is extremely important here, based on the
fact that the size of the phone makes it easy to be dropped. That's the reason
why we're pleased with the company’s decision to make use of a polycarbonate
frame, which is the same frame on the Galaxy S III. After using the Note II
frequently, we believe that Samsung has created a durable, stable device.
(Also, you can find some tests of dropping the phone on the web. Please notice:
it suffered very well). Since the new Note has a larger screen and a thinner
frame, its buttons on each side have been scaled down a notch. For example, the
power key now lies in a natural position which is easier to find by feeling.
The only disadvantage is that it is also easier to hit accidentally. It is due
to the fact that we are discussing the button layout, we will continue with the
full sightseeing Vanna White-style tour: beginning with the front, you will find
a LED light (it is not on the first Note), earpiece, the sensors and a 1.9MP
camera on the screen, while the large physical home button found below the
screen surface is flanked by two capacitive keys (menu and back) on each side.
The bezels on the top and bottom are smaller than the original Note, even
though the left and right bezels are still similar.
The
Samsung Galaxy Note II’s power key now lies in a natural position which is
easier to find by feeling.
Honestly, the front is the busiest part of the
phone; Samsung announced the minimum policy for the rest of the Note II. There
is a power button on the right; the volume rocker is on the left, the place
holding the S Pen and micro-USB charging port (with the ability to MHL) is
below and the 3.5mm headphone jack is above. The back is quite discreet; there
is an 8MP camera module and LED flash on the unique Samsung logo, as well as a
speaker grille located near below. The battery cover is completely flat- fixed
at the back of the phone (except for the fact that the camera and speaker are
slightly bulging) and curved in when it is adjacent to the edges.
One design decision we always appreciate
from Samsung is a removable battery, which had been increased to 3100mAh
(2500mAh on the original Note). Above it, you will see the slot for the
micro-SIM card and microSDXC well as the contacts for the NFC and wireless
charging. Our special review unit, provided to us by our friends at Negri
Electronics, is the white N7100, the international version that lacks super-fast
LTE speeds that many users desire.
Samsung
Galaxy Note N7000 vs. Galaxy Note II N7100
So, those who are looking for the fastest
Note II will now need to buy the N7105, which offers the next-generation data
in bands 7 (2,600MHz) and 20 (800 MHz). Those who love speed in the United
States may also be interested in the version of the Note II sold on AT&T,
Verizon, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, although there will be little aesthetical
difference between them and the international copies - as we have seen with the
Galaxy S III series. The two international versions of the Note II can run
HSPA+ 21.6Mbps (850, 900, 1,900 and 2,100MHz) along with the quad-band GSM/
EDGE. They also have dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n with Wi-Fi
Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA and NFC. If you are a device addict who needs the
full list of specifications, we have compiled all the details of these specs
below.
|
Galaxy Note
N7000
·
Dimensions: 5.78x3.27x0.38 inches
(146.9x83x9.7mm)
·
Weight: 6.28 ounce (178g)
·
Screen size: 5.3 inches
·
Screen resolution: 1280x800 pixels (285ppi)
·
Screen types: HD Super AMOLED
·
Battery: 2500mAh
·
Internal storage: 16GB
·
External storage: microSD (up to 32GB)
·
Rare camera: 8MP
·
Front-facing camera: 2MP
·
Video capture: 1080p
·
NFC: In select variants
·
Radios: HSPA+/UMTS, GSM/EDGE, LTE
·
Bluetooth: Version 3.0
·
SoC: 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos 4212
·
RAM: 1GB
·
MHL: Yes
·
Operating system: Android 2.3 (upgraded to
4.0)
Galaxy Note II N7100
·
Dimensions: 5.95x3.16x0.37 inches
(151.1x80.5x9.4mm)
·
Weight: 6.35 ounce (180g)
·
Screen size: 5.5 inches
·
Screen resolution: 1280x720 pixels (267ppi)
·
Screen types: HD Super AMOLED
·
Battery: 3100mAh
·
Internal storage: 16/32/64GB
·
External storage: microSD (up to 64GB)
·
Rare camera: 8MP
·
Front-facing camera: 1.9MP
·
Video capture: 1080p
·
NFC: Yes
·
Radios: HSPA+/UMTS/GSM/EDGE; LTE (in the
N7105)
·
Bluetooth: Version 4.0 LE (with Apt-X
support)
·
SoC: 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos 4412
·
RAM: 2GB
·
MHL: Yes
·
Operating system: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
|
