Samsung Galaxy S3 available on Sprint today for $199, next week on Verizon

By Michael Rougeau  

 

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is the flagship for Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is finally available today on Sprint, after many delays and much confusion on every carrier.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in 16GB and 32GB sizes, for $199 and $249 respectively with a contract from Sprint.
Verizon's Galaxy S3 is expected to release next week, and its pricing for the Android smartphone is also expected to be $199/$249.
Samsung initially announced that the Galaxy S3 release would take place on June 21, but on that very day the company announced that "manufacturing issues" would delay its release on all carriers.
That didn't stop them from fulfilling many pre-orders on time, but Sprint customers looking to walk into a store and try the phone out before they buy it have been out of luck until now.

Which carrier is best for Samsung Galaxy S3?

Sprint has the advantage of releasing the Samsung Galaxy S3 first, but which carrier's version of the phone is best? Read TechRadar's reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S3 for T-Mobile and AT&T.
The Galaxy S3 is the first Android smartphone to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, Google's Android 4.0 OS, which has arrived on many phones as an update.
But not every carrier will be taking advantage of the Galaxy S3's 4G LTE capabilities.
Sprint's version will run on 4G LTE, and the carrier's limited LTE network is expected to continue to expand.
Same goes for Verizon and AT&T, though T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S3 won't support the fast 4G LTE network.
T-Mobile's version is also more expensive, at $229/$279 after a $50 mail-in rebate.
AT&T's, on the other hand, can be acquired at a discount from Target or Amazon Wireless, at $149 for the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in white or "pebble blue" on Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile, and an exclusive red version will be released by AT&T in the coming months.

Samsung Galaxy S3 is the Android 4.0 flagship

TechRadar recently pitted the Samsung Galaxy S3 against its biggest competitors, Apple's iPhone 4S and HTC's One X.
The Galaxy S3 sports a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm S4 processor, 8MP camera, and 2100mAh battery.
The Android 4.0 smartphone also features NFC capabilities, facial recognition to track users' eye movements, and voice controls mimicking the Apple iPhone 4S's Siri.
Samsung expects to sell 10 million Galaxy S3 phones this month, and now that the phone's actually seeing a wide release, that number could be attainable.


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Samsung Galaxy S3: Which US carrier should you choose?

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Samsung Galaxy S3: Which US carrier should you choose?

• By Sebastian Anthony on June 20, 2012 at 8:52 am

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Tomorrow, June 21, the Samsung Galaxy S3 arrives in the United States. A carpet bomb launch will see the phone arrive on all four major carriers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile — at the same time, at the same price ($200 for the 16GB version, with a two-year contract). Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular will also offer the 32GB variant for $250. But which carrier is the best choice for the Galaxy S3?
Fortunately, as you may have noticed, Samsung seems to have pulled off the impossible and convinced every US carrier to call the Galaxy S3… the Galaxy S3. For the time being at least, we won’t be seeing the same hyperbolic noun treatment that previous Galaxy S phones went through (Fascinate, Vibrant, Epic 4G, Epic 4G Touch, etc.) This has the knock-on effect that almost every Galaxy S3 available in the US will be virtually identical — at least hardware-wise.
Every US Galaxy S3 has the same Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 dual-core 28nm SoC, clocked at 1.5GHz, with the Adreno 225 GPU. They weigh the same (133g), have the same battery life (around 9 hours), have the same 2GB of RAM, and most importantly, they all have Qualcomm’s awesome multi-mode 2G/3G UMTS & HSPA/4G LTE radio. The only difference as far as we can tell is that the T-Mobile variant (SGH-T999) doesn’t support LTE, and the AT&T/Verizon/Sprint models (SGH-i747, SCH-i535, SPH-L710 respectively) don’t support T-Mobile’s HSPA+. We believe the Snapdragon S4′s radio might be reconfigurable with some firmware hacking, however; it might be possible to take a T-Mobile S3 and use it on AT&T’s LTE network.
All US Galaxy S3 phones support Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 2.4 and 5GHz WiFi a/b/n/g, and NFC. Except for the Sprint variant (SPH-L710), it is likely that all Galaxy S3s are quad-band GSM and should be capable of GSM roaming in Europe and Asia.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, the main difference between the Galaxy S3 on each carrier is bloatware. While all of the carriers’ S3s will have Samsung’s fancy new apps (S Voice, AllShare Play, Media Hub, etc.), each carrier will have a different selection of bloatware on offer. The Sprint S3 will come with the usual Sprinty stuff (Hotspot, SprintZone), plus Dropbox and Google Wallet. The AT&T S3 is relatively svelte, with just the normal AT&T apps (Navigator, Messages, myAT&T) and YP Mobile. Neither the Verizon or T-Mobile S3s have been released for review, so we won’t know how bloated they are until they arrive on our doorstep tomorrow.
All Galaxy S3s will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, skinned with Samsung’s TouchWiz.
Except for bloatware, then (which you can easily remove), any Galaxy S3 purchased from a US carrier will be virtually identical. There are still two very important variables to discuss, though: Network speed, and the international quad-core Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300).
While the US Galaxy S3 is an LTE phone, there isn’t actually a whole lot of LTE coverage in the USA. Fortunately, our sister site PC Mag has just published its Fastest Mobile Networks 2012 guide. While Verizon is the overall 3G/4G winner, there were still 11 cities where T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network provided faster download speeds than Verizon LTE, and where AT&T LTE is available it simply blows away the competition.
Bear in mind that Sprint’s 4G LTE network is almost nonexistent (though its Network Vision upgrade is underway). T-Mobile is also beginning to roll out LTE (alongside HSPA+), though again you will probably have to hack the radio firmware to be able to use it.
Before you pick a carrier for your new Galaxy S3, I strongly suggest you check the 3G and 4G speeds for your city or region.
Finally, it’s worth remembering that you can also buy an unlocked, off-contract international (i.e. non-US) quad-core Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300) for around $800. The GT-I9300, with its 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad and Mali 400 GPU, seems to clock in significantly higher scores in GPU benchmarks, JavaScript benchmarks, and CF-Bench (a multi-core CPU and memory benchmark). Battery life seems to be roughly the same, but the Exynos version only has 1GB of RAM vs. the Snapdragon’s 2GB.
If you don’t like bloatware, it’s also important to note that there’s already a CyanogenMod 9 (i.e. vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich) build for the GT-I9300 — though I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of days or weeks before we see CM9 for the SGH-i747, SCH-i535, SPH-L710, and SGH-T999. The GT-I9300 should work on AT&T’s HSPA+ network, but it will be incompatible with T-Mo, Verizon, and Sprint.

Samsung Galaxy Tab by Wikipedia

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is an Android-based tablet computer produced by Samsung^[2] introduced^[3] on 2 September 2010 at the IFA in Berlin.
The Galaxy Tab has a 7-inch (180 mm) TFT-LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi capability, a 1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 Samsung Exynos 3110 (code-named "Hummingbird") processor, the Swype input system,^[4] a 3.2 MP rear-facing camera and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera for video calls. It runs the Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system,^[5] and supports telephone functionality as speaker phone, via provided wired ear piece or Bluetooth earpieces (except models sold in the US). It can download videoconferencing apps such as Tango as alternative to telephone functionality.^[6]

Hardware

The tablet is enclosed in a plastic frame^[7] that makes it lighter than other metal-bodied tablets, weighing 380 g (0.84 lb).^[8]
The GT-P1000 model carries a 7" Super TFT instead of the AMOLED which is used by Samsung in its Galaxy S phones.^[9] The screen has a 1024×600 resolution With mDNIE (Mobile Digital Natural Images Engine). Internal flash storage of 2 GB (North America CDMA models), 16 GB or 32 GB can be supplemented with a microSD flash card with up to 32 GB. CPU is a Exynos 3110 Applications Processor (Also known as Hummingbird) features 1.0 GHz ARM architecture Cortex A8 application and has 512 MB of RAM paired with a PowerVR SGX540 graphics processor.
The WIFI only model has a different graphics chip that doesn't support TV out and Samsung has not provided (or promised to provide) an update to gingerbread.

The tablet has two cameras: a 3.2 rear MP camera with a LED flash and a 1.3 MP front camera for video calling (the Verizon model has a 3 megapixel rear camera).^[10] The front camera has auto focus capability. The camera also has auto image stitching, combining 8 pictures. Modes include single shot, continuous, panorama, and self-shot. It can automatically trigger on detecting that the subject smiles. Autogeotagging uses the internal GPS receiver.
The tablet has GPS, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, and handsfree/bluetooth/headphone telephony. Cellular protocols include GSM CDMA, HSPA (HSUPA).^{[citation needed]}
It also has a proprietary 30-pin docking and charging connector not shared with other manufacturers.^[11] This connector appears very similar to the standard PDMI connector (a non-proprietary alternative to Apple's docking connector). It appears so similar to the PDMI connector that it is widely mistaken for it, but it is non-standard and all accessories, including charging cables, are incompatible with other equipment and only available from Samsung.^{[citation needed]}
Samsung says that its 4000 mAh battery will give it 7 hours of video playback or 10 hours of talk time.^[12][13]
The GSM variants of the Galaxy Tab have an externally-accessible SIM card slot. If the SIM card is removed while the system is on, the system automatically reboots. The AT&T and T-Mobile variants of the Galaxy Tab ship with a micro SIM in a micro SIM adapter. For non-US Galaxy Tabs, with phone function, this slot can also accommodate a 3G data-only SIM card if the user does not need telephone functionality.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab also has an optional RCA plug connector through which the screen image is shown on a TV or other display (the Tab's own screen cannot be turned off; it can be dimmed with a backlight dimming app).^[14]

Software

This tablet comes with a version of the Android 2.3 (originally 2.2) operating system with some custom skins and applications.^[15] Most Android 2.2 apps developed using Google's guidelines for Android should scale properly when displayed on larger-screen devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, according to Samsung.^[16] Adobe Flash 10.1, DivX,^[17] MPEG-4, WMV and Xvid, H.263, H.264^[18] support has also been announced. The Tab uses Atmel's maXTouch multi touch capacitive touchscreen,^[19][20] and supports multi-tasking.^[21][22]
The Tab supports calendar, email and instant messaging applications. It has a launcher for e-reading applications which starts PressDisplay when reading newspapers, Kobo when reading e-books, and Zinio when reading magazines.^[23] For viewing and editing Microsoft Office documents, the Galaxy Tab also comes bundled with the Android version of ThinkFree Office Mobile.^[24]
The Tab can also provide tethering, acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 5 devices. Stored addresses can be displayed in Google maps with one click. It also allows linkage with a contact's Facebook profile if the phone address is linked with the contact's Facebook address.
Several HD video content multimedia formats, including DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264, are supported.^[25] It can play video content either stored on the device itself or streamed from YouTube, and can output 720p video to a TV either as composite video or via HDMI when using the optional dock.^[26]
Text can be entered using Swype, by tracing a path over letters on a virtual keyboard, and standard XT9 predictive typing is also supported.^[27]
TouchWiz Samsung Galaxy Tabs allow the screen display to be saved.^[28] Honeycomb tablets without TouchWiz, including the 10.1 in Galaxy Tab, must either be rooted or have the SDK installed in order to capture screenshots ^[29]
As of November 2011, the apps market for Android tablets remains tiny with only a couple hundreds of apps dedicated to Android tablets, compared with some 90,000+ apps on the iPad's Apps Store.^[30]

Upgrades

In May 2011 it was reported that Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 was being made available in Italy, with other regions expected to follow.^[31]
Several updates have been made throughout the world and in February, 2012, android version Gingerbread 2.3.6 is available. Samsung has announced that the tablet will not receive Ice Cream Sandwich, although a value package is in the works. This package will not include a full Ice Cream Sandwich build, but instead a Gingerbread build with a few Ice Cream Sandwich features.^[32]

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Samsung Galaxy mini 2 Review - Samsung USB OTG

 

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Samsung Galaxy mini 2 Review

Review index

Posted: yesterday, 03:50 , by Nick T.

Introduction:

Android smartphones come in all shapes and sizes, including cute and cuddly, as the case is with the Samsung Galaxy mini 2. This petite-sized entry-level device is the successor to last year's Galaxy mini, and as such, it comes with improvements both on the inside and on the outside. To start, the screen is not only slightly bigger, but also sports HVGA resolution whereas the previous model had a modest QVGA display. Furthermore, the 600MHz processor has been ditched in favor of an 800MHz single core chip. But is its $270 launch price tag justified by what you get in exchange? Let's check the smartphone out and see...

The box contains:

• Wall charger
• Data cable
• Quick start guide

Design:

As you might expect out of an entry-level smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy mini 2 is made out of plain old plastic. There is a chrome-like shiny bezel around its side, while the back cover sports a fine texture that adds a little bit of extra grip and keeps fingerprints at bay. So yeah, no fancy materials anywhere in sight, but thankfully, the handset looks presentable and feels properly built.

The Samsung Galaxy mini 2 looks presentable and feels properly built

You can compare the Samsung Galaxy mini 2 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

What we are quite happy with is the way the Galaxy mini 2 fits in the palm. It feels like a pebble and rests naturally without being too small to use comfortably. All you need to operate the device is a single thumb. Additionally, the lock key and the 2-button volume rocker are very easy to find and respond with a nice click when pressed. As it is on any recent Samsung Galaxy device, underneath the handset's display we have a physical home key and two capacitive buttons for the home and back functions – properly spaced out and not prone to accidental presses.

Volume key and microSD slot (left)	Power key (right)	3.5mm jack (top)	microUSB port (bottom)
The sides of the Samsung Galaxy mini 2

Back	Camera	Battery compartment

Display:

Occupying the front of the Galaxy mini 2 is a 3.27-inch TFT LCD display with a resolution of 320 by 480 pixels (176ppi), which is okay for a low-level smartphone. In terms of quality, we are treated to a fairly accurate color reproduction. Only shades of red appear slightly undersaturated, but we don't consider that a dealbreaker in any way. Be aware, however, that the screen's surface reflects a lot of sunlight, which greatly reduces outdoor visibility. It is also inconvenient that an ambient light sensor is missing, meaning that users have to adjust the display's brightness the old-fashioned way – manually. 

Samsung GALAXY mini 2 360-degrees View:

‹leftright›

Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard Space to zoom in/out

Samsung Galaxy S2 vs. iPhone 4S: Worthy winner is? by phonesreview.co.uk

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Under: Apple iPhone, Samsung
Date: November 16th, 2011

For several months the Samsung Galaxy S2 has been known as the best smartphone leading most of the lists of top smartphones. Many other manufacturers tried to create devices able to compete with it, but none succeeded – even Apples iPhone 4, according to most geeks I know, yielded to it in many aspects. Perhaps Samsung thought its Galaxy S2 was unreachable, but not so long ago Apple released the new iPhone 4S with a number of updated specs and features… and we all understood that the Galaxy S2’s position is now shaken.
So which phone is cooler – the Samsung Galaxy S2 or the Apple iPhone 4S? Which has better features? Which is worthy of your money? I’ll try to find this out in my comparison of these two smartphones.

Design
I think we all understand that design is a matter of taste. Some like huge, heavy and rugged devices; others prefer light and tiny ones. So in this case we can’t say which phone is better – the Samsung Galaxy S2 or the new iPhone 4S – we can only note the obvious: you can’t say the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a tiny phone (it has a 4.3-inch display, after all), but it’s slim (only 8.49mm – much less than all the phones I can think of) and light – it’s plastic body together with the battery weighs only 116g. The iPhone 4S, on the other hand, isn’t much different from its predecessor in term of size and design (same cases can go for both); it’s smaller than the Galaxy S2, since its display is smaller (3.5 inches), but it’s not as thin as it.
Display
There was a time when many people believed that the Samsung Galaxy S2 had the best screen ever, but now its 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen with 800 x 480 resolution doesn’t sound that cool any longer… The resolution of the iPhone 4S’s screen is higher – 960 x 640. Of course, it doesn’t mean the Galaxy S2 is outdated now or not that good any more – its screen is very bright, all the colors are eye-popping and very beautiful, and they don’t darkle or fade when you look at the screen at an angle. It’s great for watching movies and even for playing HD games (there are plenty of them in Android Market).
However, the display of the iPhone 4S due to its higher resolution is even brighter and isn’t afraid of sunlight, too (though it actually fades a bit under direct sunlight). The only bad thing is – old icons and apps look grainy on such a clear display, so unless the developers update them and adjust for high-res screens, you won’t enjoy using them on the iPhone 4S… at all.
So… here the winner is the iPhone 4S with its super screen, though I personally like the display of the Samsung Galaxy S2, too.
Processor
The Samsung Galaxy S2 boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor that provides really fast performance without any delay. Web browsing is very quick even via Wi-Fi networks, and you won’t face any problem with loading and playing even the most “heavy” games on Samsung’s flagship.
The iPhone 4S has a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, which is also very fast (much faster than the single-core processor of the original iPhone 4 at least), but, though it provides great graphical acceleration, it yields to the CPU of the Galaxy S2 in terms of performance, so here the winner is Samsung’s smartphone.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S2 has a cool 8MP camera with auto-focus and LED flash that takes 3264 x 2448 photos and 1080p videos at 30fps. If you remember, the original iPhone 4S had a 5MP sensor, and many geeks thought it was a big shortcoming, even though the number of megapixels doesn’t really matter. Anyway, now those geeks have received what they wanted – the new iPhone 4S has an 8MP camera able to take 3264 x 2448 pictures just like the Galaxy S2 and many other modern smartphones. Plus it has a CMOS illuminated sensor, which is 73 percent more effective and about 30 percent faster than before. And of course, it shoots 1080p HD videos, too.
However, the secondary 2MP camera of the Samsung Galaxy S2 is better than the VGA camera of the new iPhone 4S. But anyway, secondary cameras don’t play a big role here, and as for the rear-facing ones, they’re both equally good, so we have a draw here.
Platform
Just like in case of design, I don’t think it’s a good idea to compare two operating systems, especially if they’re both good – each in its own way. Android the Samsung Galaxy S2 runs is the most popular platform at the moment, famous for being easy to customize and for having a huge number of apps in Android Market, too. However, the Gingerbread it runs isn’t the newest version of Google’s OS any longer, since the Ice Cream Sandwich update is already on its way, so we can’t say the Galaxy S2 runs the best software ever.
On the other hand, Apple’s iOS is really easy to use (even if the iPhone is your first smartphone ever, you won’t face any problem dealing with it – the user interface of iOS is intuitively understandable for everybody), but of course it’s not what makes the new iPhone 4S special. You’ve probably already heard about Siri – the special program designed to help the user give commands to the phone, ask questions and even send text messages. Siri is new, smart and funny, too (it came out that the developers had hidden many interesting Easter eggs, funny jokes and witty responses to strange questions in it), and I guess many people will buy the iPhone 4S especially for Siri.
Since you can’t surprise anyone with Android now, especially with its Gingerbread version, so in this case I think the prize should go to the iPhone 4S and its Siri.
Price
The unlocked version of the Samsung Galaxy S2 costs £397.99 on Amazon, while the 16GB iPhone 4S is more expensive – £593.15. However, we shouldn’t forget that the Galaxy S2 was released several months ago, and the 4S is only about a month old, so it will most likely be discounted after a while. Anyway, you can find much better deals at RightMobilePhone offering both smartphones for free with contracts, so perhaps it’s better to choose one of them instead of paying much more for a SIM-free device.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Apple iPhone 4S are both very good smartphones, no doubt, and both have their stronger and weaker sides. The Galaxy S2 is a bit faster thanks to its processor, while the iPhone 4S has a better display and Siri that has caught so much attention.
I think the Galaxy S2 has been the best smartphone for too long, and now a new device should come to replace it. Apple’s latest “child” can be this new device, so… the iPhone 4S is my choice.
The comparison article above has been written by a guest author, thank you.

Samsung Galaxy S II , From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Samsung Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) is a smartphone running under the Android operating system that was announced by Samsung on February 13, 2011 at the Mobile World Congress. It is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S, with a different appearance and significantly improved hardware.[6] The phone is also the predecessor of the yet-to-be unveiled Samsung Galaxy S III.[7] The Galaxy S II was one of the slimmest smartphones of the time, mostly 8.49 mm thick, except for two small bulges which take the maximum thickness of the phone to 9.91 mm.[8] The Galaxy S II has a 1.2 GHz dual-core "Exynos" system on a chip (SoC) processor,[9] 1 GB of RAM, a 10.8 cm (4.3 in) WVGA Super AMOLED Plus screen display and an 8 megapixel camera with flash and full 1080p high definition video recording. It is one of the first devices to offer a Mobile High-definition Link (MHL),[10] which allows up to 1080p uncompressed video output to an MHL enabled TV or to an MHL to HDMI adapter, while charging the device at the same time. USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) is supported.[11][12]

The user-replaceable battery on the Galaxy S II gives up to ten hours of heavy usage, or two days of lighter usage.[13] According to Samsung, the Galaxy S II is capable of providing 9 hours of talk time on 3G and 18.3 hours on 2G.[13][14]
Contents
[hide]

1 Launch and availability
1.1 Asia/Pacific
1.2 North America
1.3 South America
1.4 Africa
1.5 Europe
2 Hardware
2.1 Processor
2.2 Memory
2.3 Display
2.4 Audio
2.5 Camera
2.6 Connectivity
2.7 Accessories (optional)
3 Software
3.1 Android operating system
3.2 User interface
3.3 Bundled applications
3.4 Media support
3.5 Community support
4 Reception
5 Variants
5.1 Galaxy S II GT-I9100G
5.2 Galaxy R (GT-I9103)
5.3 Galaxy W (Galaxy S II Mini)
5.4 Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy S II HD LTE
5.5 U.S. variants
5.5.1 Sprint's Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (SPH-D710)
5.5.2 T-Mobile's Galaxy S II (SGH-T989)
5.5.3 AT&T's Galaxy S II (SGH-I777)
5.5.4 AT&T's Galaxy S II: Skyrocket (SGH-I727)
5.5.5 AT&T's Samsung Captivate Glide (SGH-I927)
5.5.6 U.S. Cellular's Samsung Galaxy S II (SCH-R760)
5.6 Japanese model (NTT DoCoMo)
5.7 South Korean variants
5.7.1 SK Telecom's Galaxy S II (SHW-M250S)
5.7.2 KT's Galaxy S II (SHW-M250K)
5.7.3 LG U+'s Galaxy S II (SHW-M250L)
5.8 Canadian variants
5.8.1 Rogers' Galaxy S II LTE (SGH-i727R)
5.8.2 Bell's Galaxy S II (GT-I9100M)
5.8.3 Telus' 4G Galaxy S II X (SGH-T989D)
6 Successor
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Launch and availability

The Galaxy S II was given worldwide release dates starting from May 2011, by more than 140 vendors in some 120 countries.[15]

On May 9, 2011, Samsung announced that they had received pre-orders for 3 million Galaxy S II units globally.[16]

In some time after the device's release, Samsung also released a Nvidia Tegra 2 powered Samsung Galaxy R (or 'Galaxy Z' in Sweden) variant version. The release of the Galaxy R 'GT-I9103' corroborated with early pre-release reports of an Nvidia powered Galaxy S II smartphone.[17][18] Eldar Murtazin, of Mobile-Review.com, hinted that Samsung might have faced delays in meeting worldwide shipment of both its Exynos chip and Super AMOLED Plus screens. He noted that nobody expected the "huge success" and "sky high" demand for the previous Samsung Galaxy S.[19]

Different regions around the world have received this device to market beginning from the earliest of April 2011.


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Comparison of Samsung Galaxy S2 and Samsung Galaxy R specs are located below .

Samsung-Galaxy-S-II

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Samsung-Galaxy-R
Phone Model Samsung-Galaxy-S-II Samsung-Galaxy-R
Prices
Price (RM) 1899 - 1979 -
AP Price (RM) 1630 - 1710 1435 - 1515
General
Date Announced February 13, 2011 (1st Quarter) July 30, 2011 (3th Quarter)
Status Current Model New Model
Network Technology GSM 850/900/1800/1900 GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 900 / 2100
Processor/ Memory
CPU 1.2GHz ARMv7 dual-core Application Processor Dual core, 1 GHz Tegra 2 Cortex-A9,
RAM - -
Internal Storage 16GB/32GB, 1GB RAM 1 GB RAM, 2GB ROM, 8GB storage
External Memory microSD, (up to 32GB), 8 GB included MicroSD, up to 32GB
GPU - -
Chipset - -
Body
Dimensions (mm) 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49 125.3 x 66.1 x 9.45
Weight (g) 116 135
Available colours Black, White And Pink -
QWERTY Keypad No No
Display
Screen Size & Resolution 4.3 inch, WVGA 480 x 800, Multi-touch input method 4.0 inch, 480 x 800, Touchscreen, Multi-touch, Scratch resistant surface
Screen Color Super AMOLED Plus, 16M Super Clear LCD 16M colors
Design Candybar Blok
Screen Protection - -
Multi Touch No No
Software
Platform / OS Android 2.3 Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
Java (J2ME) - -
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email SMS, MMS, Email, IM
Others Software Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration, Social Hub / Readers Hub / Music Hub / Game Hub A-GPS, Document viewers, Facebook, Picasa, Twitter
Sound
Alert - -
3.5mm Jack No No
Extra Feature P3, OGG, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB AMR-WB, WMA, WAV, MID, AC3, IMY, FLAC, XMF MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WAV
3.5mm stereo headset jack;
Battery
Battery Type/ Capacity Li-ion 1650mAh Li-Ion 1650 mAh
Stand-by Up to 710 h (2G) / Up to 610 h (3G) 620
TalkTime Up to 1100 min (2G) / Up to 520 min (3G) 540
Entertainment
FM Radio No No
TV Receiver No No
Entertainment Others - -
Connectivity
HSDPA Yes, HSPA+ 21Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps Yes
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
EDGE Class 12 Yes
GPRS Class 12 Yes
WiFi Hotspot No No
GPS Yes Yes
NFC Support No No
Bluetooth No No
USB Port Yes Yes
Camera Specifications
Type/Capacity 8 Megapixel 5 Megapixel
Max. Resolution 3264 x 2448 3264 x 2448 (Secondary Front Camera)
Flash No No
Video Recording - -
Secondary Camera No No
Extra Features - Auto focus, Smile detection, Panorama
Compare With Other Cellphones
Compare VS Compare VS

Samsung Galaxy S2 review by techradar

Samsung Galaxy S2 review

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Dual-core power, beautiful screen - the Galaxy S II is the kind of sequel we like

Our Score 5

Last reviewed: 2011-04-26April 26th 2011



the-definitive-samsung-galaxy-s2-review

The definitive Samsung Galaxy S2 review

The Samsung Galaxy S II is the phone the Korean firm deems the successor to its best smartphone so far. And with a 1.2GHz processor, super-slim chassis and feather-light innards, it's easy to see why.

The dual-core race is set to heat up massively over the next few months, with the LG Optimus 2X already released, and the Motorola Atrix, HTC Sensation and iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S all set to bring the tech to market too.

Coming in at £35 a month and £519.99 SIM-free, the Galaxy S 2 isn't the cheapest phone out there by a long chalk – so let's see if it can match up to that larger price tag.

You can check out our Samsung Galaxy S 2 video:

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is almost impossibly thin when you pick it up – dimensions of 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm mean it's one of the thinnest smartphones on the market at the moment, rivalling the likes of the iPhone 4 and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc for the title.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

It's crazy-light too – when we show you what tech is rammed under the hood, you'll be amazed that it all goes in a device that weighs only a shade over 100g (116g, to be precise).

Samsung clearly traded the premium feel an all-metal chassis might have brought to keep the grams off the Galaxy S2 – pop the battery cover off and you'll find you're holding a piece of pretty flimsy plastic.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

However, most of the time you won't be removing this and it fits nicely into the contoured chassis – the mesh feel on the rear also helps keep your hand from getting warm during extended holding.

The other thing you'll notice when you first pick up the Galaxy S2 is the screen – at 4.3 inches it's hard to miss, and when you turn it on the Super AMOLED plus technology hits you square in the eyeballs (once it's got through the toughened Gorilla Glass).

Samsung galaxy s2 review

We called the Samsung Galaxy S "the best phone on the market for media" when we reviewed it, thanks to its first-gen Super AMOLED screen. Now the Galaxy S2 has definitely improved on that, with a superbly crisp and vibrant screen.

The only problem is a slightly schizophrenic auto-brightness - if you try and save battery by having the sensor monitor ambient light levels, then the screen decides to bounce about with light levels even in same conditions.

UPDATE: Samsung has released a fix to solve this problem already, so forget about it. Un-read what you just read. We could delete it, but that would be lying to you.

In the hand, the Galaxy S2 sits much better than we'd have expected, given the whopping screen on offer, and that's mostly down to its slim depth.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

The front of the phone is pretty sparse, with the home key the only piece of furniture on offer. This rectangular button flanks two touch-sensitive buttons – Menu and Back – so there's no room for contextual search here.

The volume keys are located on the left-hand side, and the power/lock key is on the opposite flank; both are easy enough to hit without error, and crucially the travel on the power key is softer so that it's much easier to hit when you're juggling it in the palm – compare that to its predecessor, where you could accidentally drop it trying to shut off the screen.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

The 3.5mm headphone jack lives on the top of the phone, bucking the lower placement on other 4.3-inch screen phones, and the microUSB slot (which also doubles as an HDMI out port) lives on the bottom.

The only other element of note is the 8.1MP camera with single LED flash on the rear – it's slightly raised, but not so much that it disrupts the Galaxy S2 when you're placing it on a table, thanks to a rear lip to help you hold the phone.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

We actually (foolishly, in hindsight) unboxed the phone while bouncing about on a powerboat on the Thames - and luckily, there was a camera rolling the whole time. (note - we're well aware of the stupid spec mistakes on the boat. Some were down to information given to us by Samsung that has since changed, and some due to sheer confusion at being thrown ten feet in the air and having our spine crushed.)

Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 7.0" Reviews

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Product Features

Is Your Laptop Nervous? It Should Be
The Samsung Galaxy Tab™ brings you the media you want and keeps you connected with anyone, anytime. Compact and light, you can keep in touch with people and content through 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi® 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® Wireless Technology 3.0. With a battery life of up to seven hours* and a crisp TFT-LCD display, you’re free to communicate, update, and enjoy.
Your Favorite Movies Are Always Showing
Samsung's new Media Hub app brings your favorite entertainment to the Galaxy Tab. The app is pre-loaded for instant access to a broad selection of movies and TV shows that start playing while they download when you rent or purchase them.
See more>>

Be a Bookworm and the Office Hero
Bury yourself in all of your favorite books, magazines and newspapers with just a touch of the screen with the pre-loaded Amazon Kindle™ e-Reader. Access all of your important documents as well as create new ones via ThinkFree Office™, which is compatible with Microsoft® Office applications like Word, Excel® and PowerPoint®. Experience the ultimate full HTML internet viewing experience with Adobe® Flash® for watching videos and animations on the incredible 7" LCD display.
Cameras Coming and Going
The Tab makes creating and sharing images and video fast and portable with its two cameras. The rear-facing 3-megapixel camera with flash captures images and video that can be edited and shared. With its front-facing camera, you can easily stay in touch and video-chat for either business or pleasure. Users can align the Galaxy Tab with video chat clients including Qik and Fring (downloaded from Android Market™) and seamlessly talk with other people over a Wi-Fi connection.

Samsung Galaxy S2 review

Samsung Galaxy S2 review

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Dual-core power, beautiful screen - the Galaxy S II is the kind of sequel we like

Our Score 5

Last reviewed: 2011-04-26April 26th 2011

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the-definitive-samsung-galaxy-s2-review

The definitive Samsung Galaxy S2 review

The Samsung Galaxy S II is the phone the Korean firm deems the successor to its best smartphone so far. And with a 1.2GHz processor, super-slim chassis and feather-light innards, it's easy to see why.

The dual-core race is set to heat up massively over the next few months, with the LG Optimus 2X already released, and the Motorola Atrix, HTC Sensation and iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S all set to bring the tech to market too.

Coming in at £35 a month and £519.99 SIM-free, the Galaxy S 2 isn't the cheapest phone out there by a long chalk – so let's see if it can match up to that larger price tag.

You can check out our Samsung Galaxy S 2 video:

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is almost impossibly thin when you pick it up – dimensions of 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm mean it's one of the thinnest smartphones on the market at the moment, rivalling the likes of the iPhone 4 and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc for the title.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

It's crazy-light too – when we show you what tech is rammed under the hood, you'll be amazed that it all goes in a device that weighs only a shade over 100g (116g, to be precise).

Samsung clearly traded the premium feel an all-metal chassis might have brought to keep the grams off the Galaxy S2 – pop the battery cover off and you'll find you're holding a piece of pretty flimsy plastic.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

However, most of the time you won't be removing this and it fits nicely into the contoured chassis – the mesh feel on the rear also helps keep your hand from getting warm during extended holding.

The other thing you'll notice when you first pick up the Galaxy S2 is the screen – at 4.3 inches it's hard to miss, and when you turn it on the Super AMOLED plus technology hits you square in the eyeballs (once it's got through the toughened Gorilla Glass).

Samsung galaxy s2 review

We called the Samsung Galaxy S "the best phone on the market for media" when we reviewed it, thanks to its first-gen Super AMOLED screen. Now the Galaxy S2 has definitely improved on that, with a superbly crisp and vibrant screen.

The only problem is a slightly schizophrenic auto-brightness - if you try and save battery by having the sensor monitor ambient light levels, then the screen decides to bounce about with light levels even in same conditions.

UPDATE: Samsung has released a fix to solve this problem already, so forget about it. Un-read what you just read. We could delete it, but that would be lying to you.

In the hand, the Galaxy S2 sits much better than we'd have expected, given the whopping screen on offer, and that's mostly down to its slim depth.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

The front of the phone is pretty sparse, with the home key the only piece of furniture on offer. This rectangular button flanks two touch-sensitive buttons – Menu and Back – so there's no room for contextual search here.

The volume keys are located on the left-hand side, and the power/lock key is on the opposite flank; both are easy enough to hit without error, and crucially the travel on the power key is softer so that it's much easier to hit when you're juggling it in the palm – compare that to its predecessor, where you could accidentally drop it trying to shut off the screen.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

The 3.5mm headphone jack lives on the top of the phone, bucking the lower placement on other 4.3-inch screen phones, and the microUSB slot (which also doubles as an HDMI out port) lives on the bottom.

The only other element of note is the 8.1MP camera with single LED flash on the rear – it's slightly raised, but not so much that it disrupts the Galaxy S2 when you're placing it on a table, thanks to a rear lip to help you hold the phone.

Samsung galaxy s2 review

We actually (foolishly, in hindsight) unboxed the phone while bouncing about on a powerboat on the Thames - and luckily, there was a camera rolling the whole time. (note - we're well aware of the stupid spec mistakes on the boat. Some were down to information given to us by Samsung that has since changed, and some due to sheer confusion at being thrown ten feet in the air and having our spine crushed.)

New Samsung Galaxy device US trademarks applied for

New Samsung Galaxy device US trademarks applied for
Under: Mobile Phones, Samsung
Date: March 8th, 2012

Well now it appears that old Samsung might have at least three new devices to add to their Galaxy range at some point in the future, as word is Sammy has been applying for trademarks on three devices in the United States, and all will be new smartphones.

According to the guys over at The Next Web by way of Fusible, back on the 2nd of this month, Samsung submitted trademark applications for the Samsung Galaxy Emerge with a serial number of 85558647 along with the Samsung Galaxy Halo with serial number 85558619, and the Samsung Galaxy Stellar with serial number 85558639.

These three new Sammy devices are obviously Galaxy class smartphones because each of the trio have been categorised as “Mobile Phone: Smartphones,” in the filing that was made with the USPTO.

Obviously there is no word on just what these three Galaxy class smartphones may offer or even if they actually exist at this time, as apparently old Sammy is in the habit of filing handset trademarks with previous trademarks including the Galaxy Awaken, Galaxy Axiom, Galaxy Rite and Galaxy Heir smartphone just before Mobile World Congress.

However, gaining the trademarks does mean that Samsung can use those names for a smartphone at some point in the future if they desire to do so, so perhaps we will see the Emerge, Stellar and Halo surface at some point in the future.

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Samsung Galaxy S2 Overview

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Samsung Galaxy S2 Overview

The Galaxy S2 (sometimes known as the Galaxy S II) is the follow up to Samsung's widely successful Galaxy S lineup. This time, the Galaxy S2 raises all the stakes and Samsung has found a way to double almost every spec in a true, one of a kind sequel.

With a 4.3-inch SAMOLED Plus screen (no more Pentile Matrix display), 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos processor, 8MP rear camera/ 2MP front-facing camera, both 1080p recording and playback, NFC capabilities, great battery life and one of the thinnest phones on the globe, the Galaxy S2 is a welcome update to the Galaxy family. Superphones don't get much better than this.

Many have heralded the S II as being the best smartphone to come out yet, with some reviewers saying that even the iPhone 4 can't beat it. It has Samsung's overlay, TouchWiz 4.0, which is said to be leaps and bounds better than 3.0.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Specs
General
Form Factor: Candybar
AKA: Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy S II 4G
Date Released (YYYY/MM/DD): 2011/04/28
Size
Weight: 116g
Dimensions: 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm
Display
Resolution: 480x800
Size: 4.3 inches
Type: Super AMOLED Plus
Camera
Video: 1080p full HD Playback and Recording at 30fps
Flash: LED Flash
Auto-focus: Yes
Megapixels: 8MP (Rear), 2MP (Front)
Connectivity
GPS: A-GPS
USB: MicroUSB 2.0
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0
Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n
HDMI: Yes, MHL-enabled microUSB port
Multimedia
Headset Jack: 3.5mm
Radio: FM Radio
Battery
Type: 1650 mAh
Hardware/OS
Operating System: Android 2.3
Internal Memory: 16GB
External Memory: MicroSD (up to 32GB)
RAM: 1GB RAM
Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos processor XMM6260

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MWC: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 hands on review

MWC: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 hands on review
Samsung keeps the heat on Apple
By Khidr Suleman in Barcelona
Wed Feb 29 2012, 16:50

WITH KOREAN HARDWARE GIANT Samsung adding more tablets to its expanding portfolio, The INQUIRER managed to get its hands on the 7in Galaxy Tab 2 running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Galaxy Tab 2 retains most of the design and traits that made the original Galaxy Tab popular with enterprise users and consumers. However, in terms of looks, the Galazy Tab 2 isn't the sexiest and slimmest in the Galaxy Tab range and we prefer the original 7.7in Galaxy Tab.

Samsung hasn't gone over-the-top with the specifications on the Galazy Tab 2 either, in a deliberate attempt to keep the price of the device as low as possible to try to entice first time tablet buyers.

The main area where Samsung has made cost savings is the 7in display, shipping the Galaxy Tab 2 with 1024x600 resolution. This is not as good as the original Galaxy Tab's Super AMOLED screen with 1,280x800 resolution.

However, under the hood Samsung has not skimped on components. The Galaxy Tab 2 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There is a microSD slot that allow users to boost storage by another 32GB, which is always handy.

We found the performance of the Galaxy Tab 2 to be smooth, although not as quick as that of the quad-core powered Transformer Prime.

Samsung has also pre-loaded Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich onto the tablet so it is capable of offering the most up-to-date software experience of any tablet, which is important, as Apple gears up to unveil the Ipad 3.

The 3G device also retains the ability to make calls so you can use it as a smartphone if you wish, although using a Bluetooth headset is probably best though, to avoid getting strange looks.

HSPA+ network connectivity of up to 21Mbit/s, plus 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also supported, but no LTE model is planned. µ

Source: The Inquirer (http://s.tt/15VCO)

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Samsung Galaxy Note | Mobile Phones, Tablets & E-Book Readers | · Samsung

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Reviewed by Michael Calore Email Author · February 27, 2012

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy Note is rich with top-of-the-line features. It has a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of internal storage and an 8-megapixel camera, all tied to AT&T’s speedy 4G LTE network.

But see the Note in the flesh and you’ll notice one thing above all else: its massive 5.3-inch display.

The screen is positively gigantic. Comically huge to the point of shame. Closer to a tablet than a phone, the Note dwarfs the iPhones and Droids around it. Hold it up to your face to make a call and everyone around you laughs. Seriously, it never gets old.

It’s not all punchlines, though. Watching videos and playing games are amazing experiences, and it’s more comfortable to read web pages and e-books on the Note than on any other phone I’ve tested. The large, bright, HD Super AMOLED screen requires more power to run, but since the phone is bigger, Samsung could slip in a bigger 2,500mAh battery battery. I was able to watch movies continuously for about four and a half hours, and I could browse the web and read books for more than twice that long. During six days of regular use (texting, browsing, Rdioing) I only had to recharge the phone for a few hours every other day.

But it’s just too big. The Galaxy Note’s girth makes it tough to carry in your front pocket comfortably while walking around or riding a bike. Stick it in your back pocket, and its bulkiness requires you to take it out when you sit down. Will I have to resort to a man-purse?

The large screen also makes a chore out of using the on-screen keyboard and menus. It’s too wide to type or scroll comfortably with the thumb of one hand, so the Galaxy Note quickly shows itself to be a two-handed device. For a smartphone, this is a no-no. There were too many times when I needed to thumb my way through text messages, menus or web pages with one hand.

Granted, typing with two hands on that big screen is easier, and mistakes are less frequent. But I have to use two hands all the time to type comfortably.

Speaking of input, the Galaxy Note’s other marquee feature is its stylus. Samsung calls it the S Pen, and it slots into the bottom right corner of the phone. The S Pen uses conductive technology from Wacom, so it doesn’t need a battery, and it has 256 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as a small button on the side to modify your input gestures. It’s well-designed and easy to hold, and it sits in the phone snugly, so I never worried about losing it.

There’s more trouble here, though. The stylus is not capacitive, so while it works on the screen, it doesn’t work on the capacitive Android buttons under the screen. If you want to go back in the browser, see a menu, or return to the home screen, you have to momentarily swap in a finger.

The Note comes with a systemwide app called S Memo Lite. From anywhere in the OS, a double-tap of the stylus calls up a notepad so you can jot down a note (there’s also the more full-featured S Memo that you launch like a regular app). It’s convenient if you’re just writing “Remember the milk”-type notes. Beyond that, using the stylus for writing is a pain. The handwriting recognition software is undercooked. It works some of the time, but it guesses wrong far too often. I found thumb-typing to be faster, more accurate, and more efficient — an impression that didn’t change with a week of practice. It was also easier to move the cursor around with my fingers. If this thing is going to force me to use two hands, I’d still rather just leave the stylus tucked out of sight and finger-tap everything.

That’s not the only issue with the stylus. Samsung has released an SDK for developers to build apps specifically for the S Pen, but there are a scant few available. Most are boring sketchpad apps (Skitch by Evernote is the best one). And how is it for drawing? Not great. The input lags, so if you draw briskly, your pen is always an inch ahead of the lines appearing on the screen. It’s not natural at all, and I had to slow way down to get good results. A far cry from my Moleskine.

The final bummer: the Galaxy Note is a Gingerbread device. It’s running last year’s OS — oddly fitting for a machine that immediately brought back memories of my old Handspring.

I suppose there’s a sector of society that will love the Galaxy Note: people who spend a lot of time on the train or the bus watching videos, playing games, and reading text, (and who also own a purse or satchel). For everyone else, I’d recommend sticking with Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, which also has a big, beautiful screen, but runs Ice Cream Sandwich and is comfortable enough for most of us to type on using one hand.

WIRED Huge 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED screen is phenomenal for videos and games. Powerful processor, great camera, great battery life. 4G network speeds are fantastic. You can place voice calls on your e-book reader just like you’ve always wanted to. Samsung’s Kies app makes it easy to connect to your other networked computers.

TIRED It’s too big to carry comfortably, and too bulky use with one hand. The stylus is nice, but the software to support it isn’t there yet. Also, it has a stylus. Android 2.3 with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin makes me yearn for ICS. Astounding amount of AT&T shovelware out of the box.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review

Samsung's new Galaxy Note is a unique device in the smartphone market. Straddling the line between a smartphone and a tablet, the Note features a massive 5.3-inch display, which is considerably larger than the screen on any other smartphone available today (just see the image below sitting alongside an iPhone). Because of this, the Note is rather unwieldy in the hand, and nearly impossible to use one handed.

Trying to make the most of the smartphone's larger footprint, Samsung has attempted to add functionality to the Note with its "don't-call-it-a-stylus" S Pen input device. But once again the Note's dominant feature is its 5.3-inch, Super AMOLED display that packs a dense 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. The form factor alone will place many potential buyers at odds, while others might appreciate the hybrid nature of the device. Read on to learn our findings.

Samsung Galaxy Note
Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Note borrows heavily from the designs Samsung has used for its Galaxy S II line of smartphones. In fact, one would not be faulted for thinking that the Galaxy Note was just a Galaxy S II on steroids. The big display looks fantastic, with great, punchy colors, tremendous viewing angles, and good outdoor visibility. The pixel layout is the much-derided PenTile format, but since there are so many pixels packed onto the screen, you have to really hunt to see any PenTile patterns in images. It really is a great display.

Because of the massive screen, the Note has equally large dimensions - and therein lie the difficulties I had with using it as a phone. The Note measures 147mm (5.78in) tall and 83mm (3.27in) across, which means that it feels absolutely massive when held in the hand. Even compared to the already large Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket with its 4.5-inch display, the Note is a enormous beast (and it makes the 3.5-inch iPhone 4S look positively diminutive). I am unable to reach the corners of the screen with my thumb without having to significantly move the Note around in my hand and stretch to my hand's fullest extent, which gives me concern that the Note will slip out of my hand and fall to the ground.

Thus, using the Galaxy Note is a two-handed affair, and there really isn't a way to get around it -- unless you are a pro basketball player, I suppose. However, despite its large dimensions, the Note remains very thin at only 9.7mm (0.38in) thick. As with many thin Samsung smartphones, the thin profile of the Note certainly makes it feel even larger than it actually is.

The rear cover of the Note is made of the familiar, thin plastic material that Samsung has used on many of its prior models, but the Note's back features a classier texture than the others that makes it feel as if it is of higher quality. The textured back helps in handling the device, though I am not sure it will prevent users from eventually dropping it.

Samsung Galaxy Note

Tucked in the lower right corner of the Note's frame is the S Pen input device. The S Pen uses Wacom technology and works with the digitizer in the Note's display to allow users to draw and activate things on the screen with the pen-like tip. The tip has 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, so apps that support the S Pen's capabilities can allow the user to draw thick or thin lines depending on how much pressure they put on the screen.

The S Pen also has a function button on the side of it to perform various tasks like screen capture. Unlike the Scrybe pen for HTC's Flyer tablet, the S Pen does not require a battery. The housing that the S Pen fits into is snug, and the pen won't fall out unintentionally. Still, the S Pen is very thin and small, and many users will likely lose it at some point during their Galaxy Note ownership (AT&T and Samsung are offering replacement S Pens for $29 a pop).

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Samsung Galaxy Note: The Most Controversial Phone On The Planet [REVIEW]

Samsung Galaxy Note: The Most Controversial Phone On The Planet [REVIEW]

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samsung galaxy note on bench

Steve Kovach, Business Insider



Steve Kovach is editor of SAI: Tools at Business Insider. He writes reviews and advice for gadgets, apps, and consumer tech.
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Think back to one year ago.

Screen size was one of the only ways Android phones could set themselves apart from the iPhone. Early last year, all those phones with four-inch screens seemed like a godsend to people who liked to consume a bunch of content on their device.

A lot can change in a year.

With the Galaxy Note, a massive smartphone with a 5.3-inch screen, Samsung is betting you'll want a device that offers all the big-screen advantages of a tablet, plus all the communications features you're used to in a smartphone.

Oh yeah, The Galaxy Note also comes with a stylus, that relic of the pre-iPhone PDA era, which can be used on the phone's touchscreen for doodling and jotting down notes.
Click here for photos of the Galaxy Note >
Is It Too Big?

I've been using the Galaxy Note for a week. During that time I showed it to a bunch of colleagues and friends and their reaction is almost always the same: "Wait, that's a phone?"

And it's not said with the amazement and wonder a revolutionary device would elicit. Instead, it's said with shock and disbelief. Who in their right mind would want to carry around a phone that can barely fit in your hand?

I tend to agree.

The Galaxy Note is almost six inches long and just more than three inches wide. For comparison, the iPhone is 4.5 inches long and 2.3 inches wide. It's uncomfortable to hold with one hand. It's even more uncomfortable to talk on. When you make a phone call on the Galaxy Note, it covers the entire side of your face. It looks like an oversized Pop-Tart.

samsung galaxy note

Steve Kovach, Business Insider

Granted, smartphone users don't make as many calls as they used to. It's all texts and tweets and emails. But as a communications device, the Galaxy Note is too big for you to comfortably navigate its touchscreen. Unless you have Shaq-sized hands, there's no way you'll be able to swipe from the top to bottom of the device. It's a stretch to reach that handy drop-down notifications menu.

Typing is isn't too bad though. The wider touchscreen keyboard makes it easier to prevent typos and autocorrect fails.

So yes, for most people, the Galaxy Note will be too big.

Like, practical-joke big.
Blast From The Past

When I met with Samsung's reps to get a guided tour of the Galaxy Note, they told me Samsung's vision with the device was to replace your pen and paper. Why carry around a smartphone, a tablet, and a notepad?

That's the supposed problem the Galaxy Note's stylus is supposed to solve.

But it's not a problem. Today's touchscreen keyboards are incredibly accurate. With excellent note-taking apps like Evernote, you can dash off a note and sync it the cloud in no time. Even the standard note apps that ship with smartphones are more than good enough to do the trick. With the stylus, Samsung is trying to fix something that isn't broken.

And it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal if the stylus was as accurate as the old-school pen and paper method.

But it isn't.

When writing or doodling with the stylus, there's a very noticeable delay between when the tip touches the screen and when your marking appears. Yes, it's a lot more accurate than the credit card pads you sign your name on when paying at the supermarket. But the stylus still doesn't have that perfect, natural feeling of a pen and paper.

One way Samsung counters that problem is with a feature that converts your handwriting to plain text so you can copy it to an email or text message. But in my tests, it almost never worked properly. Pointless.

samsung galaxy note

Steve Kovach, Business Insider

The handwriting recognition stinks.

I found myself getting frustrated taking notes with the stylus. In the end, I just switched to the touchscreen keyboard. It's just easier and a lot more accurate.

Luckily, Samsung doesn't force you to use the stylus. The Galaxy Note is just a super-sized version of your typical touchscreen smartphone. You can do everything with your fingers.
Other Than That, It's Just A Really, Really Big Android Phone

At its core, the Galaxy Note is exactly like any of Samsung's other Android smartphones, just with a much larger screen. It's still running an old version of Android called Gingerbread, which is optimized for phones, not tablets. Luckily, Samsung says an update is coming soon that will add the latest tablet version of Android called Ice Cream Sandwich to the Note.

Like all Android phones, the app selection isn't as good as what you'll find on Apple's devices. Developers still prefer to make their stuff for Apple first. When they do bring their apps to Android, they tend to be less polished than their Apple counterparts.

As far as the basics go, the Galaxy Note's battery will easily last you a day or more, despite its power-hungry (and brilliant) screen. Even at such a large size, the screen's resolution is crystal clear, making videos and games look incredible. The Note also makes a decent point and shoot camera, but the shutter lag is unbearably slow. Overall, if the Galaxy Note's size doesn't bother you, you're going to get an amazing Android phone.

samsung galaxy note

Steve Kovach, Business Insider

As part of Samsung's partnership with AT&T, the Galaxy Note's exclusive carrier at the moment, the phone is completely bogged down with crapware. When you first turn on the Galaxy Note, your screen will be filled with useless AT&T-branded apps. Even worse, you're constantly prompted to sign up for AT&T's smartphone services.

You know how Windows PCs come loaded with annoying promotional anti-virus software and other useless add-ons? The Galaxy Note is just like that.

Even worse, you can't delete most of AT&T's apps without hacking your phone.

AT&T isn't all bad though. The Galaxy Note runs on the carrier's new 4G LTE service, which is remarkably fast. I conducted a series of speed tests in New York City and got download speeds that will rival what you're used to on your cable modem at home. At times, it was much, much faster than that.

Unfortunately, AT&T currently has 4G LTE in just 28 cities, so there's a pretty good chance you won't get to try it until it expands to new markets this year.
Should You Buy It?

It'd be impossible for me to recommend the Galaxy Note to the Average Joe looking for a smartphone. It's not going to work out for most people. Don't just run out and buy it. You have to hold this thing to see if you're comfortable with it. Even if you do like it, the price, $300 with a two-year contract, is a bit hard to swallow.

If you're OK with a giant phone, then go for it. You won't be disappointed. But if you're just looking for a great Android phone, Samsung's Galaxy S II offers the same performance in a more reasonable form factor.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-note-review-2012-2#ixzz1n2LFZy8V