Samsung’s Galactic Gamble
With the Note, an epic phone brings epic potential—as long as you don’t mind going big
By Eric Adams, Posted Date: February 27, 2012
In their defense—that is, the reviewers’, not Samsung’s—it is an awfully big phone. But that’s about all the defense I can muster, because it’s really not a bad concept at all. Do you look silly with the thin slab smacked up against your ear? Yes, you do. But if, like me, most of your communication takes place via text and email—I don’t actually receive that many calls on a given day, and when I do I go hands-free, anyway—that’s not really that big of an issue. So the question then becomes, what’s the benefit of the size?
The benefit is simple: an enormous, gorgeous, crystal-clear Super AMOLED screen, which takes smart-phoning to a whole new level. You certainly don’t look any sillier working on this than you do any tablet, and the Note is a pretty compelling compromise between tablet and smart phone. Face it: everything is better with a big screen. Videos, web sites, games—they’re all easier on the eyes. Plus, Samsung has gone above and beyond to make use of the extra space. The Note, available from AT&T for $299 with a 2-year contract, includes a 8 MP rear-facing camera with flash, along with a 2 MP front camera for video chat. The huge screen simply provides that much more room for photo analysis and composition. I.e., you can see what you’re working with better. Once your brain calibrates to that sort of real estate for photo, apps, and web pages, it’s hard to go back to a 4-inch screen. My only real problem with the device was the difficulty of using it with one hand—you know, while playing basketball, driving, or performing brain surgery. (I’m kidding, of course—I’d never play basketball while distracted.)
The stylus, however, is the most intriguing component of the Note. It’s quite possible that the concept is finally mature. Consider, for comparison, the fact that Apple once, in the early 1990’s, proudly rolled out a handheld PDA called the Newton. It bombed, more or less, but was clearly ahead of its time, given the PDA’s reinvention with the smart phone. The device’s signature trick: its stylus. When PDA’s gained traction in the wake of the Newton, they all had them. Then came the capacitive touchscreen found in the iPhone and all subsequent smartphones—and goodbye stylus! But now it’s back, with smoother, smarter performance—you can click the button and swipe to go backwards or forwards, and use it to make instant screen grabs—and a host of next-gen applications, from the advanced memo-writing app included in the Note to the vastly more sophisticated sketching capabilities. It’s brilliant for those who sense that tapping and swiping with their fingers may not, in fact, solve all their mobile-app needs for all eternity. Sometimes you actually do need a pen, folks. Say, when you want to draw a fine line, make precise use of an app’s functionality, or just grow tired of tapping.
While the reintroduction of the stylus is cool, the execution of it here leaves a bit to be desired. The pen is perhaps a hair too small, and the button awkwardly positioned and a bit flimsy-feeling. Both can certainly be remedied next go-around. My fear, however, is that the “next go-around” will also produce a smaller Note. After a week messing around with it, the device has grown on me. It’s big and bold, and while clearly not destined to be a runaway hit, it certainly has potential to find a home in cargo pants and backpacks everywhere.
Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/techlust/samsung-galactic-gamble-review#ixzz1nxo9bMxR
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