Samsung was showing off the Galaxy Note for AT&T at Pepcom's Digital Experience event last night. Referred to by many as a "Phablet", the Galaxy Note packs a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED Screen. Unusually, it's bigger than most phones and smaller than most tablets. The idea is that this product will offer the best of both worlds. An international GSM version has been available since October 2011. Samsung is partnering with AT&T to bring the Galaxy Note to America in the near future. Read on for specs, hands-on impressions, and original photos of the Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T.
Here are the official specs:
• 5.3” HD Super AMOLED touchscreen (1280x800)
• Integrated S Pen
• Enabled for 4G LTE
• 1.5GHz dual core processor
• Android™ 2.3, Gingerbread
• 16GB onboard memory
• Expandable memory up to 32GB with optional microSD™ card
• 2500 mAh battery
• 8MP rear facing camera
• 2MP front facing camera
• Mobile HotSpot capable
• "SAFE" Samsung Approved for Enterprise
There are a few major differences between the AT&T version and the global model. First, this phone boasts a 4G LTE radio for outstanding mobile broadband speeds. To accomodate that change, Samsung dropped its 1.4GHz Exynos processor in favor of a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255T. Some writers are claiming that this is a faster processor because of the difference in clock speeds. It's not. The Exynos is a bit more capable, particularly on the GPU side. The Qualcomm chip is also a great processor, but it's not quite up to the Exynos' capabilities for gaming.
The AT&T version of the Galaxy Note will also be available in two colors: carbon blue and ceramic white. Both are fine looking products, but I thought the white model looked prettier (you know, if care about your phones being pretty).
As for the size, check out the photo of the Galaxy Note next to my Galaxy Nexus . The Nexus, with its 4.65-inch display, is considered by most to be a very large phone. Next to the Galaxy Note it looks tiny -- I'm talking Erkel tiny. Below is a photo of my pal Dave Oshry using the Galaxy Note as a phone. Some people think that holding up something this big to make a phone call looks ridiculous. Obviously these people have forgotten how big Zack Morris' phone was on Saved by the Bell.
Yes, the Galaxy Note looks and feels unusual compared to most products on the market. As a phone, I completely admit that it feels funny, but I believe that it's something I could get used to. As a data consumption device, it felt great in my hands. It's quite comfortable to use for web browsing, checking email, watching movies, etc. as long as you don't mind using two hands. As for what to do with the Galaxy Note when you're not using it? It's most definitely a back-pocket device. Most women and people that wear skinny hipster jeans will struggle to put the Galaxy Note in their front pocket.
After you get past its size, the most eye-catching facet of the Galaxy Note is its screen. You really ought to take a look at this phone/tablet as soon as it's available at AT&T stores. It's gorgeous. The 1,280 x 800 display makes for a pixel density around 285ppi. It's a pleasure to read and watch videos on. As with every Samsung Super AMOLED product I've seen, the black levels are perfect and the colors are extremely vibrant, though a bit inaccurate and overpronounced.
Another novel feature of the Galaxy Note is its stylus. I'm fairly certain that I haven't used a stylus since the heyday of the Palm V. It was unusual using the stylus on a capacitive screen rather than a resistive one. Actually, it was unusual using a stylus at all. Aside from moving around the OS and apps, the Galaxy Note has an app called "S Memo" for writing notes and drawing pictures. The stylus feature of the Galaxy Note is something I'd have to spend at least a week with before judging its usefulness.
The Samsung Galaxy Note is a curious device. I definitely enjoyed using it for a brief period of time, but I'm not sure if it's something I'd like to carry with me everywhere. Does it offer the best features of a phone or a tablet? Is it a jack-of-all-trades or master of none? I'm anxious to use the Galaxy Note for an extended period of time in order to find out.
What do you think of the Galaxy Note? Does its size appeal to you? How about the stylus?
