If you’re looking for one of the most innovative phone and tablet hybrids currently on the market, the Samsung GALAXY Note is for you. The new Samsung GALAXY Note offers exciting new applications and exclusive features with the promise of bigger things to come. With a combination of enhanced multimedia features, S pen applications and a carbon footprint tracker, the features and applications available with this new tablet are exciting but leaves customers disappointed with a nondescript release date for Android 4.0.
Previously launched in September, GALAXY Note is still a beautifully styled machine. The 5.4 inch super AMOLED display is impressive in its resolution (1200 x 800 pixels) and lets the S Pen write with complete ease. The S Pen, a small handheld metal pen about the width of one’s hand, allows for fast drawing and note taking on an interactive screen. However, the weight and bulk of the GALAXY Note might put some users off- weighing 178g, its portability and ease of transport is somewhat questionable. Regardless, as a hybrid of a tablet and a phone, its size might feel bulky but it is the perfect mass negotiation between a tablet and a smartphone.
Premium Suite, a new feature of the Android network, offers several new features and applications for those who love their tablet pens with S Pen, such as S Note and My Story. Samsung are also catering to the smartphone gamers- GALAXY Note is an official partner of Angry Birds Space, the newest Angry Birds game in its million dollar franchise. Also, on purchase and signing up for Premium Suite, 30 free levels are available for users which are sure to entice people in the gaming market.
While there is heavy focus around the 'innovative' new S Pen, it feels like Samsung have forgotten to appeal to hand-to-screen interaction and excitement that is normally attached to tablets as a whole. While this might accidentally alienate some people shopping in the tablet industry, GALAXY Note is able to be used both by hand and by Pen with its capacitive touchscreen to create a visual interactive bonanza. Regardless, the S Pen’s functionality is perfect for those working in engineering, building and architecture industries- they will find its ease of use and functionality a definite positive as it’s one of the best developments of tablet pens on the market.
One of the new applications that Samsung’s Premium Suite has available is My Story. Somewhat like an e-card creator, it gives the user an ability to create a range of cards for their contacts using multimedia content and drawing with their S Pen. This helps to excite the user into utilising other applications on the Android network that use multimedia, and is a smart move- it holds no limit on card attachments, embracing video content, photos, text, notes, and audio clips to send to your family and friends. Sky is literally the limit.. as far as cards go.
Its processor is impressive. At a speed of 1.4 GHz, it is able to get all tablets and phone jobs done with complete ease. Paired with 4G compatibility and a battery that lasts for 780 minutes of phone conversation, it can go the distance for multitasking across a prolonged period of time.
A great bonus for the environment-conscious user is that of its Carbon Footprint Certification. Second to the Samsung Galaxy S II, they both are the first mobile handsets on the market to receive a green overhaul to meet the PAS 2050 Carbon Trust's requirements. Working like a greenie pedometer, Footprint Expert 3.3 is able to produce scientific assessments of the user's carbon footprint to make one more aware of the impact the phone use is making on climate change. Nice to be given a fuzzy feeling that you're not killing the world as fast while doodling in My Story.
However, rushing out to the shops to purchase this tablet phone has its drawbacks. It’s one of the many phones on the Android list that won’t receive an upgrade to 4.0 (affectionately named Ice Cream Sandwich) until the second quarter of the year. This is incredibly frustrating, as Premium Suite's layout has been designed with Ice Cream specifically in mind, meaning that for now it’s hard not to see drawbacks without a pair of rose-coloured glasses. Without any specified system upgrade release dates explained, this means GALAXY Note users may be stuck waiting a long haul. While one of the key features of the phone cannot be utilised to its full potential immediately, this fondly nicknamed ‘phablet’ by Android users is one that will have a lot of the competition's eyes watching its growth and popularity carefully.