HOW BIG IS TOO BIG?
Smartphone screen sizes have jumped over the last few years from the once standard 3 inches to the even now more common 4.3 inches and larger. So when the Samsung Galaxy Note was announced back in September of 2011, I was not sure what to expect from this phone (or for some a tablet) as it is the biggest phone enabled device yet with a 5.3"screen. Hence, the term "phablet" was used by many to describe the Note, that Samsung hopes will help minimize the need for consumers to carry multiple devices while on-the-go. Other than the first 'HD Super AMOLED' screen the other unique feature of the Note is the 'S Pen' (stylus) which Samsung states "provides you with the ability to freely capture and create ideas anywhere and everywhere". This is something that really intrigues me as I love to draw and now I can with the S Pen that is included with the Note. It also means that business users can take notes or even jot down ideas without looking for a pen and paper to do so. The first Galaxy Note that was released in Asia and Europe was the "International" version with some very nice specs:
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE (INTERNATIONAL VERSION) SPECIFICATIONS:
HD Super AMOLED 5.3" (1280 x 800 resolution) screen with Gorilla Glass
Dual-core 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset
Internal Memory: 16GB
1GB RAM
microSD support (up to 32GB)>BR>
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth technology v 3.0 + HS
USB v2.0 microUSB (MHL), USB On-the-go
8 MP rear camera, autofocus, LED flash with 1080p@30fps recording support
2 MP front camera
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)but will be updated to Android 4.0 ICS
GPS with A-GPS support
FM Radio
Battery: Li-on 2,500 mAh
The North American version of the Galaxy Note was released last week and while it has most of the same specs as its sibling, instead of the Exynos chipset it has a less powerful 1.5 GHz dual-core Scorpion CPU and does not come with home button at the bottom. The one area where we do get an upgrade though, is in the LTE network support, but to some this may not be necessary as LTE is still in its infancy and is not yet available in all areas.
While the Note is getting an impressive amount of media attention, it will be interesting to see how this device is received as many with smaller hands may not like the size of this "phablet" and in turn it may have a negative impact on how many of them are willing to adapt to it. Let's not even mention trying to hold it up to ones ear when placing or receiving a call as it does look kind of nerdish. I do see myself using this for the reason of having a pen like experience and if it works as well as it's touted to, then I may just pick one up and undoubtedly use a Bluetooth headset for calls and Clarivues Samsung Galaxy Note LTE screen protector for protection.
Other manufacturers have taken notice to the Note and LG is soon to release their own "phablet" with the LG Optimus Vu which includes a 5" screen and a similar type of stylus. However, we don't yet know if the general public will take to these insanely large phone enabled devices or make them just a niche product but, let the debate begin. Will you consider the Note or some other large "phablet" or stick to the 4" size at most?
