Samsung has been crowding the market with quite the array of smartphones making changes to suit various people’s needs, and the Samsung Galaxy Note II does it with real estate. You get plenty of it on this one which makes it great for videos, games and reading. I’m not a fan of the seeming old world stylus, but this ones has definitely been improved.
So far, with all the smart phones, we’ve reviewed the LG Optimus G, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Reverb,  Asis Padfone 2,  Nokia Lumia, iPhone 5, LG Escape and the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx for our Holiday Shop. We also put together a full guide which compared Apple’s iPhone 5 to everyone else and let you know which phone was right for you. I hate trying to wade through all the sites figuring out which one is more accurate so we put together this ten page guide make it easier for you readers.
Samsung are the main rival to Apple in the smartphone stakes, and they’re constantly releasing new products to keep themselves at the forefront of the market. As the iPhone 5 has recently been released, it’s no surprise that Samsung have also released a top-end product at around the same time. But this is not simply an iPhone replica in a Samsung case. It offers several features that are unique, besides being a powerhouse. So is this phone a true iPhone 5 contender? Read on to find out.
Key Specs For The Samsung Galaxy Note II
Release Year: 2012
Operating System: Android 4.1
Size: 3.2 x 0.4 x 6 in
Weight: 6.4 oz
Storage: 16GB/32GB/64GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G
Cameras: 8 MP
Battery Life: Talk Time: 17 hours; StandbyTime: 69 hours
Samsung Galaxy Note II: The Pros
Screen Size: It’s impossible to miss this feature â€" it’ll hit you smack bam in the face before you even have a chance to take in the design: the Galaxy Note II has a huge screen. There’s nothing else in the smartphone market to rival it on this, making its 5.5†screen unique. Yes, you heard that right, a 5.5†screen.
While it’s not as big as a tablet, it’s really not all that far off, and thanks to this large screen you’ll be able to do things with this phone that didn’t seem possible before. But back to the basics, a screen of this size has many huge advantages.
Firstly, if you enjoy watching movies on your phone then this will be as close as you can get to a home cinema setup on a portable device. The screen is just awesome, allowing you to see levels of detail you never have before on a smartphone screen.
It’s also fantastic for viewing photos, reading and for playing games. Plus the menu is a dream to navigate at this size, and there’s so much room for icons it feels like the screen space will never run out.
Stylus: One of the other reasons for the massive screen on this phone is that it’s meant for taking hand-written notes. The S-Pen, Samsung’s stylus, is the device you use to make these notes, and it’s a great product. It’s comfortable to hold and the screen responds excellently to it. It really picks up handwriting well, making mistakes fairly rarely even when your writing is small.
Fast: This phone has a top-end quad-core processor that’s blindingly fast. Whatever you’re doing on this phone, you can be sure it’ll happen quickly and without a hint of lag. HD movies, games, web surfing and multitasking can all be carried out without a hitch, and the device is strong enough to see you well into the future of applications and games as they get more demanding.
Camera: As well as lots of power and a massive screen, this phone completes the basic package with a top quality camera. It’ll deal with all light conditions effectively, giving you great daytime pictures and the best possible night-time pictures given the inherent limitations of smartphone camera equipment. If you like taking shots on your smartphone while you’re out and about, this phone is a really good option.
Battery Life: Battery life is a fundamental part of any portable device, and the Galaxy Note II has plenty of it. It lasts all day and night, and what’s better is that charge times on this phone are really quick. So even if you have to be out again in a few hours, you can get enough of a charge done in that time to see you through the rest of the day.
4G LTE: One of the biggest new technological developments in the smartphone world is 4G LTE. This is the fastest form of wireless data transfer available, offering speeds in excess of most home WiFi setups. A strong signal could net you in excess of 20 Mbps transfer speeds, ensuring a totally smooth web browsing experience that allows for simple streaming of HD quality movies wherever and whenever you are. Of course, data plans for LTE are expensive, and going over your usage limit is even more pricey, but that’s what you pay for the best tech around.
Multi-Window Multi-Tasking: One of the most unique features of this phone, and one of the best uses of the large display, is the ability to split the screen in two and operate two different applications simultaneously. That means you can be watching a movie in one half of the screen as you browse the web or write an email in the other, without having to switch between the two.Â
Samsung Galaxy Note II: The Cons
Size: So, the massive screen isn’t all great. It means you have a massive phone, which makes it hard to carry in a pocket, and really requires two-handed operation much of the time. It’s just not possible to reach across the screen using only one hand.
Imperfect Stylus: Though the stylus generally functions well, it is flawed. The mistakes it makes can hold you up when trying to write notes by hand. The technology is good, but could do with further improvement.
Price: This is one of the most expensive handsets on the market, and the price tag may be prohibitive for many potential buyers. You could pick up an iPhone 5 for less than this, although you won’t get the incredible screen size or stylus features with that.
Is The Samsung Galaxy Note II Worth Buying?
Put simply, the Galaxy Note II is a potential iPhone killer. However, its enormous size limits its appeal. If this size isn’t an issue for you, then you only stand to benefit from the incredible screen, great camera, lightning fast speed and stylus technology. This is a true top-end phone easily rivaling the iPhone 5 for quality.
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