Is it a handset? Is it a tablet? Usually there isn't too much argument, but in the case of the Galaxy Note it may very well depend on the size of your hands.
Design
Measuring 147x83x10mm (weighing 178g) and with a screen size of 5.3 inches it's very much on the borderline between a massive phone, like HTC's Sensation XL (4.7-inch screen), or a mini tablet, like Samsung's Galaxy Tab (various sizes, but the smallest has a 7-inch screen). Samsung seems pretty sure it's a handset though, since it's given it Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread for its operating system, rather than the tablet-optimized version 3.2, Honeycomb.
The mammoth 5.3-inch WXGA screen is a wonder to behold. The pixel count of 1280x800 would be impressive enough on its own but with Samsung's super AMOLED technology it's fantastically bright and vivid, with extremely deep, immersive blacks, drawing your eyes into pictures, web pages and videos. With 285 pixels per inch (ppi), it's getting vanishingly close to the iPhone 4S's 330 ppi, and of course, it's much bigger.
It comes with a stylus that fits into a recess in the side, which seems quaintly old-school, harking back to the days of resistive screens. But it's not just a stylus, oh no: it's an "S Pen" (smart pen) and when you use it with the S Memo application (see what they did there?) you can adopt a variety of nibs and colours to draw and highlight. It'll convert handwriting into text too, and you can share your Notes via Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Evernote, MMS or email.
User interface and cameras
As usual, Samsung's TouchWiz UI has packed a wealth of widgets and apps onto the seven available home screens, but it's easy enough to play around with them to get them just how you want them.
The 8-megapixel camera includes autofocus and an LED flash as well as anti-shake and a range of scene modes. Picture quality is decent enough, but it's a shame it doesn't come with an editing suite to make the most of the screen.
For video recording, resolution can go up to 1080p full HD and there's also a 2-megapixel camera on the front for video calling.
Performance
Performance is blisteringly fast and capable from the dual-core 1.4GHz processor. Apps consistently opened nippily, there was no sign of lag, and in benchmark tests it came out on top of any similarly-specced Android device.
The Voice Talk app from the Galaxy S2 is also on board, and does a very good job of taking voice commands in the manner of Apple's Siri -- just say "Hey Galaxy", and you're ready to search the web, send a text, take notes, dial numbers and get directions.
The web browser renders web pages well and as well as pinch-to-zoom you can also hold two points of the screen, then tilt to zoom in or out.
There's a generous 16GB of memory on board for storing media, as well as photos and videos you capture on the device itself. Plus you can add up to 32GB via microSD card.
Despite the hefty 2,500mAh battery, it doesn't deliver an outstanding lease of life, putting up a better-than-average show, delivering barely a day's worth of fairly heavy use.
Conclusion
There's a touch of the Marmites about the Galaxy Note -- if you love its huge size, there's plenty to admire, with all of Samsung's top-notch tech on board. But if you hate the idea of cramming your pocket with such a massive device, nothing will persuade you to take it on. Maybe consider HTC's Sensation XL? (Thanks wired.co.uk)
Specifications
Software : Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
Processor : 1.4GHz dual core
Memory slot : Yes
Display : 5.3in WXGA 1280x800 pixels multitouch
Connectivity : GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth,A-GPS
Ports : Micro USB, 3.5mm headphones, mini HDMI
Camera : 5 megapixel, LED flash
Video playback : . MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ DivX, WMV, VC-1
Audio playback : MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG
Radio : Yes
Battery : Li-ion 2500mAh
Size : 147x83x10mm
Weight : 178g.
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