The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a “Phabet” (Phone Tablet hybrid). It has a screen size of 5.5 inches, a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution with a pixel density of ~267ppi. The low pixel density of ~267 ppi makes the Note 2’s screen display not as sharp and clear as the iPhone 4S (330 ppi) or the Galaxy S3 (306 ppi). At the core of the Note 2 is a quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 processor with 2gb RAM which makes the Note 2 a very powerful smartphone that runs applications swiftly and smoothly.
I have always wondered if the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was a suitable smartphone for me. When opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it and spun it around for 4 weeks. Hence, this is a real world experience review of using the Galaxy Note 2 – not a review based on specifications.
I received the Note 2 the day before going off on a 4-day vacation. With a 64gb sd card inserted, together with the app iSyncr, I synced my iTunes library of about 5,000 songs and then copied 5 movies onto the sd card. These will have given me hours of entertainment.
The Note 2 was paired with my car’s sound system via bluetooth. With Navigon the turn by turn navigation app, the Note 2 was a great GPS device that played my songs and guided us on the drive from Vancouver, BC to our destination Osoyoos, BC, Canada. The 5.5-inch display provided a wider view than my regular iPhone 4S or my dedicated Garmin GPS.
Although the Note 2 has a low pixel density of 267ppi, but because of its 5.5-inch screen size, watching movies was comfortable. It would have been much better if its pixel density was above 300 ppi. The speakers produced the best sound I have heard coming out of a smartphone.
The 8MP camera was capable of taking sharp pictures.
Due to its screen size, reading and replying emails was very comfortable. I didn’t need my iPad for this task anymore. During the 4-week trial period, about 90% of my email tasks were performed on the Note 2. However, due to the content and nature of the other 10% of emails, those needed to be attended to with my notebook or desktop.
The Note 2 eliminated my need to carry my iPad for reading, while waiting for appointments or to connect to my web server for some small tasks. However, when there was a need to VPN into my office server, I still needed my iPad. The Note 2 nor any Android or Windows device would also not allow me to perform this task; Windows 8 phones are not VPN capable yet; the Android devices are VPN capable on spec but is a no-go for me since the Android 2.3. My experience was that if you have a problem or need help with an Apple device, you can make an appointment with an Apple Genius at the Apple Centre. However, if you need help with an Android or Windows device, you need to find the genius in you.
The Note 2 provided Internet connectivity to my notebook and Macbook Pro without any problem. The Internet through this access point was pleasantly fast via the LTE network.
During the short period I tested the Note 2, I did not find any use for its multi-window capability. I guess if you were bored enough with your texting partner, you could easily watch a movie while texting at the same time.
With its 3100 mAh battery, the Note 2 battery life easily lasted from 7am to 9pm for me.
Although the size makes it comfortable for many uses, the size and weight of the Note 2 made it a burden for me to carry around in my pants or jeans pocket. It is not my go to device but I did not mind it as much.
For most usage, it was a great smartphone that eliminated the need for an in-between device from phone (to tablet) to notebook/desktop.
The S-Pen when used with the Note 2 was a great device. Its ocr capability easily coverted my free-style writing to text with great accuracy. Hovering the S-Pen over the heading of emails showed some of its contents. Hovering the S-Pen over a calendar entry showed the contents of that entry. I did not have enough time to explore more features of the S-Pen.
Apart from the useability of the Note 2, as a phone, it was awkward putting it to my face. Maybe the mic was further away from my mouth as the people I conversed with over the other end of the line sometimes thought I sounded very nasal; like I had caught a flu or was having allergies. Generally, as a phone, it was not suitable for me.