My Review On The Samsung Galaxy Note

[livinthailandos]

I went and bought the galaxy tab a few days ago. and thought I would post my experience

1. Samsung Touchwiz meaning UI ( user interface ) has definetly improved over time. If compared to htc sense UI I would say it is a toss up because the touchwiz is pretty good as well, I can say this as I came from using a htc smartphone

2. Battery life - since it has a 2500 mAh this makes enjoying the phone much better in a way where you can almost run your phone the way you want without having to try to conserve some battery power. I said almost because while not at the level where smartphone battery should be in terms of battery mAh for smartphones you will notice you a big difference compared to other smartphones which most batteries are only at 1800 mAh. I have literally gone from using my phone at 6 am while at 100% battery life then during the day off and on checking emails, reading news, watching video’s, listening to music and still having 20% battery power by the end of the night at 11pm. If your not a power user this phone is great. Keep in mind I did disable internet connection and background data though off and on as well.

3. Size of phone - while it is a big phone / tablet I really believe this phone is more geared towards people who are

a. older people - simply because it makes seeing things and reading very easy on the eyes

b. Tall people - I can relate here while I’m not that tall i’m 6ft I have no problem holding the phone and it feels fine in my hands, even fits well in my pants pockets

c. People who actually want it as a combination of phone / tablet - instead of having to have a phone and tablet

4. Upgrades to Android 4 aka ice cream sandwich - from the information I can find should be able to upgrade in the first quarter of this year or hopefully by the end of march

5. S Pen - or stylus pen, while I believe its a unique attachment for the phone to use I find in terms of the experience, it feels more like a beta / testing product, I don’t believe samsung did really well on this. the experience should be smoother

6. OS - The underlying OS is gingerbread so not much of a learning curve if you’ve been an android user for the last 2 years, although that will change after upgrades to android 4 though.

7. Screen resolution - you will definitely notice a difference when compared to any other smartphone in terms how well things just look so well on this phone. Even differences in color are noticeable compared to other smartphones

8. For those of you using word, powerpoint, excel an application called polaris office is installed on here so you will have no problem viewing, editing, or saving your excel, word or powerpoint files, you can even save those documents in the 2007 format or 97 - 03 format

overall after using it a few days I've come to enjoy this phone regardless of its size.

Price for this phone starts at 22,900 baht. I look forward to any comments.

[Sam Drucker]

Thanks for the review. I'm thinking about buying a Note soon. One thing that has me perplexed is the contradictory information on the number of 3G bands (and which ones) the phone works with. A brochure says it handles 850, 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz. But in a shop, they pulled out two different models, one for DTAC and one for AIS. The DTAC model has a sticker on the front of the box that says it runs on 850 and 2100 MHz. Complicating this further is the fact that they are packaging a promotion mini-CD under the shrink wrap that blocks the specs printed on the back of the box. Ideally for me, I want a Galaxy Note that will cover 3G frequencies of 850 (DTAC, True), 900 (AIS), 1900 (AT&T when I go to the States) and 2100 (future usage in Thailand.)

Could you possibly post some scans or photos of the specs on the back cover of your box, and the barcodes/model numbers on the end of the box? It would help in knowing how these things are really configured out there. I'm half wondering if they really cover all four bands mentioned, but Samsung is bowing to carrier pressures and claiming they are carrier-specific?

[GreenSnapper]

Simple as that: don't buy a branded phone. Especially when they cash in the discount themselves.

[AlanL1275]

I love my iPhone 4 killer!

Bought Note, and 3 weeks later I sold the iPhone 4. Also selling iPad 2, because the arrogant a**holes at Apple won't give me Flash. Buying Android tablet/slate. Up yours Apple. I also own iMac, iPod x's 4.

[backsoon]

Sorry to be a bit off the topic, but not being a great expert in using these modern Ipads, Iphones, Itablets etc. will somebody, pls point me the right way in terms of OVERALL COSTS.

A friend of mine bought in Oz an original Apple Iphone on $40/month 2 year plan. This $960 spread over 24 months gives him UNLIMITED calls to any number in Oz free plus internet, emails etc.

Anything similar here?

[lomatopo]

Thanks for the review, another positive endorsement for the 5" "phablet" space, Every review, including a few others here on ThaiVisa, written by a real user seems overwhelmingly positive.

FWIW, LG has re-announced (ahead of MWC) their Optimus Vu, a 5" phablet; it looks pretty slick. http://www.androidce...imus-vu-gallery

As with the Tab 10.1 (3G), 8.9 and 7.7, the Note is quad-band 3G supporting 850/900/1900/2100 Mhz. You can find the Note for 21,250, if you look around, so nearly the same as post-VAT, in case you want to buy from a more knowledgeable source? As mentioned in previous posts/threads, packaging is customized for sales channels here; the phone is not 'branded", that would be cruel, only the box.

Addressing overall costs is challenging without understanding monthly usage (calls, texts, data). It's a bit like asking what are the (variable) operating costs of an automobile, without know how many Km you might drive. As with petrol, you pretty much pay for what you use here in Thailand; there are no "unlimited plans", and for ~ 95% of the customers you would probably spend less here than even on a fixed-plan in OZ. For budgeting purposes figure 1 baht/min for voice calls (domestic), 1 baht per SMS and 350 baht/1 GB of data.

Edited February 20, 2012 by lomatopo

[2unique]

Thanks for the review, another positive endorsement for the 5" "phablet" space, Every review, including a few others here on ThaiVisa, written by a real user seems overwhelmingly positive.

FWIW, LG has re-announced (ahead of MWC) their Optimus Vu, a 5" phablet; it looks pretty slick. http://www.androidce...imus-vu-gallery

.

The LG only has a 4.3 inch screen... in a 5 inch body?

[lomatopo]

Thanks for the review, another positive endorsement for the 5" "phablet" space, Every review, including a few others here on ThaiVisa, written by a real user seems overwhelmingly positive.

FWIW, LG has re-announced (ahead of MWC) their Optimus Vu, a 5" phablet; it looks pretty slick. http://www.androidce...imus-vu-gallery

.

The LG only has a 4.3 inch screen... in a 5 inch body?

You may be confusing the aspect ratio (4 x 3) with the diagonal measurement of the screen (5")?

http://androidandme.com/2012/02/devices/lg-officially-unveils-the-optimus-vu-its-5-entry-into-the-phablet-market/

Specs on the Optimus Vu include:

• 5″ IPS LCD display, with 1024 x 768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio
  
• 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU
  
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread (though, we suspect this may be running Android 4.0 soon after officially launching – LG promises within 3 months)
  
• Stylus-input capable with stylus-friendly applications built in
  
• 8 megapixel rear-camera likely to come with 1080p HD video capture
  
• 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera
  
• 650 nits brightness on the display, mirroring the super-bright display found in the ASUS Transformer Prime
  
• 32 GB built-in storage (no word on microSD slot)
  

Edited February 20, 2012 by lomatopo

[2unique]

Thanks for the review, another positive endorsement for the 5" "phablet" space, Every review, including a few others here on ThaiVisa, written by a real user seems overwhelmingly positive.

FWIW, LG has re-announced (ahead of MWC) their Optimus Vu, a 5" phablet; it looks pretty slick. http://www.androidce...imus-vu-gallery

.

The LG only has a 4.3 inch screen... in a 5 inch body?

You may be confusing the aspect ratio (4 x 3) with the diagonal measurement of the screen (5")?

http://androidandme....phablet-market/

Specs on the Optimus Vu include:

• 5″ IPS LCD display, with 1024 x 768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio
  
• 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU
  
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread (though, we suspect this may be running Android 4.0 soon after officially launching – LG promises within 3 months)
  
• Stylus-input capable with stylus-friendly applications built in
  
• 8 megapixel rear-camera likely to come with 1080p HD video capture
  
• 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera
  
• 650 nits brightness on the display, mirroring the super-bright display found in the ASUS Transformer Prime
  
• 32 GB built-in storage (no word on microSD slot)
  

nice specs -

i only saw this: Following is a gallery of the LG Optimus Vu, a 5-inch Android smartphone with a 4:3 display. from the original link - yup 4:3 aspect

as my eyes deteriorate the Note or this could make an ideal phone replacement

Edited February 20, 2012 by 2unique

[Gary A]

I had my first look at the actual phone and have to say that it IS a big phone, too big to put in a front pocket. My friend carries it in one of those little bags that goes around his waist. I think they call it a fanny pack. He likes the phone but readily admits that it is not nearly as handy as a pocket sized four inch screen phone.

[wana]

Thanks for the review, another positive endorsement for the 5" "phablet" space, Every review, including a few others here on ThaiVisa, written by a real user seems overwhelmingly positive.

FWIW, LG has re-announced (ahead of MWC) their Optimus Vu, a 5" phablet; it looks pretty slick. http://www.androidce...imus-vu-gallery

.

The LG only has a 4.3 inch screen... in a 5 inch body?

another big monster of a phone is the htc sensation xl 4.7" screen but the bexel around it is too big for my liking

screen clarity is good but it was noticeably bigger in the hand than a gs2 ,not so easy to operate with one hand

but you could probably get used to it in a couple of days

1.5 gig processor and costing around 22,000k

[QED]

I had my first look at the actual phone and have to say that it IS a big phone, too big to put in a front pocket. My friend carries it in one of those little bags that goes around his waist. I think they call it a fanny pack. He likes the phone but readily admits that it is not nearly as handy as a pocket sized four inch screen phone.

I bought one a few weeks ago and always carry it in my front pocket. I was scared of the size at first, but it is not as bad as I expected, and I am just used to it now. Brilliant phone, I cannot think of one negative point about it, really pleased I was able to get past the size issue and just took the plunge.

[lomatopo]

There are rumors of a Note 10.1 being launched at MWC. Presumably a 10.1 Tab with a super AMOLED screen, and calling and...

http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-headed-to-mwc-20120215/

[Sam Drucker]

Simple as that: don't buy a branded phone. Especially when they cash in the discount themselves.

No, it's not as simple as that. The phones are not "branded" in a sense that they have a carrier's name on them. But Samsung is at least implying that these phones have different specifications for 3G/HSPA use on the DTAC and AIS networks, and will not work on each other's. Furthermore, there does not appear to be a "neutral" Galaxy Note phone out there (in Thailand). The Independent shops have these phones configured for either AIS or DTAC also, just like actually getting one from DTAC or AIS..We (on this forum) have been trying to sort this out, essentially by "reverse engineering" information. But we can't be 100% sure. I (personally) don't want to spend a lot of money on a phone like this and then months later be surprised to find out it doesn't work on a different network.

I have to admit I'm confused at Samsung's motivation for doing this? Why de-rate the phones from stated spec for the benefit of carriers (to the detriment of customers?) If this is all a game, and the phones actually all have the same spec, why do this? It forces extra production line issues for packaging/labeling, additional inventory issues for wholesalers and retailers, less product appeal due to less implied capabilities, all to maintain an illusion. Granted, we (here on this forum) are much more tuned into these issues than most consumers are, but still . . .

It also has sales staff confused if the AIS and DTAC-spec phones actually have the same specs. I was in an independent shop asking about the 3G bands supported, and they told me the story about getting it for AIS-spec or DTAC spec. When I said I wanted it with the quad-band 3G support like the website shows, they went and grabed an HTC phone and told me that would support quad-band 3G. I just don't see how Samsung thinks they could come out ahead by either de-rating the specs on phones they are selling here, -or- implying that they are de-rated.

Galaxy Note specs from the Samsung Thailand website:

[livinthailandos]

first of all I bought my samsung galaxy note at jaymart, and while on the package it has some small sticker regarding AIS on it, I put my dtac sim card in and I still have 3G right now

1. I suppose its possible AIS or DTAC have some software that changes the underlying programming code to edit the radio frequency chip on the phone to make it so your phone will not work with other carriers but it would be new to me and to be honest you would probably hear about it pretty fast ( basically if this is true this would sound like a tactic used in the US where the phone is locked to a particular carrier ) although I have not seen in thailand phones being locked down normally there all unlocked.

2. That being said unless i'm mistaken AIS and DTAC run GSM networks not CDMA so should be no issue in regarding changing over to carriers but who knows

I i'm sorry if I made it to technically for anyone but just wanted to point it out. correct me if i'm mistaken

[lomatopo]

No, it's not as simple as that.

Actually it is, but you seem intent on making it more complicated than it really is. Any SGS Note you buy here, from DTAC or TrueMove H or AIS or SiamFone will be quad-band 3G, end of story, and will work on AIS, DTAC, TrueMove H, TOT, AT&T (U.S.) and even a "service provider to be named later".

I've explained the reasoning behind this in response to a number of your posts on this subject but obviously I haven't done a good job. This is all about confusing the marketplace, which if your response is any indication has been successful, and directing sales towards a specific channel.

Stop kvetching and buy something already.

Edited February 20, 2012 by lomatopo

[Sam Drucker]

Thanks for your input livinthailandos. It further points toward these separate AIS and DTAC models being something to mislead the consumers due to some kind of warped reasoning.

The issues up to now have been only regarding 3G data network bands; we seem to have gotten past these issues with regards to having quad bands for GSM/GPRS/Edge in the last few years. And thankfully, most of the world is on GSM and we don't have the added wrinkle here of CDMA.

I'll probably go down and pick up a Galaxy Note for myself in the next few days, and bring along the Samsung website specs and see what they say.

Thanks for sharing your information.

[Sam Drucker]

No, it's not as simple as that.

Actually it is, but you seem intent on making it more complicated than it really is. Any SGS Note you buy here, from DTAC or TrueMove H or AIS or SiamFone will be quad-band 3G, end of story, and will work on AIS, DTAC, TrueMove H, TOT, AT&T (U.S.) and even a "service provider to be named later".

I've explained the reasoning behind this in response to a number of your posts on this subject but obviously I haven't done a good job. This is all about confusing the marketplace, which if your response is any indication has been successful, and directing sales towards a specific channel.

Stop kvetching and buy something already.

Well actually, we've been in different threads about different products where this has been discussed previously. It's quite possible it is the same for each product (such as various Galaxy tabs, Galaxy Note, etc.) You are probably right in what you have stated previously in the Galaxy Tab 7.7 thread. But it is nice to confirm it also for the product being discussed here (the Galaxy Note) and with a separate source. If you're not correct about the Galaxy Note and I buy one, it's not going to help me when I find out (perhaps months after purchase) that I spent 20,000+ baht on a phone that doesn't have the full capabilities I thought it had when I purchased it. So forgive me for having the foresight to conduct my due diligence before making a significant purchase. And knock of the attitude while you're at it too. You're usually quite informative and helpful around here. The issue I've raised is why people come to this forum . . . to share information. I was simply asking (in post #2) if he could share the specs he had from the actual packaging, and explained why I was interested in that.

[nikster]

Sorry to be a bit off the topic, but not being a great expert in using these modern Ipads, Iphones, Itablets etc. will somebody, pls point me the right way in terms of OVERALL COSTS.

A friend of mine bought in Oz an original Apple Iphone on $40/month 2 year plan. This $960 spread over 24 months gives him UNLIMITED calls to any number in Oz free plus internet, emails etc.

Anything similar here?

All inclusive plan at True-H costs THB 599/month (more like 660 including tax). That has 3G, minutes, texts, and unlimited 3G internet.

At USD 22/month, it's a steal.

Of course True doesn't subsidize the phone so you have to buy or bring your own, 23,900 for an iPhone 4S, around 20k for one of those higher end Android devices.

[nikster]

Apparently there are 3 models of the Note around - yikes!

From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Note

• N7000 - The original version, with a dual-core 1.4GHz Cortex A9 processor
  
• N7003 - A lower-powered and cheaper version, with a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255T processor with an S-LCD screen initially available in South Africa.
  
• LTE version - with higher-speed communications ability, available in South Korea and the United States
  

[nikster]

BTW played with one in the mall and I have to say this device is pretty cool. Definitely too big as a phone, by which I mean "for making phone calls" but then again how much time do I spend making phone calls on my iPhone? Not much. 1 call a day, usually.

Huge screen is otherwise a big plus, and it's thin and light. Most importantly Android ICS got a redesign and this is the first version that I would consider buying. Previous versions were just butt-ugly - ICS looks nice.

I don't really "get" why there isn't a row of icons like on the iPhone, in other words, what is it that I would want to do that is not opening some app or another? Serious question. On the iPhone everything is an app and it makes sense that the apps are laid out in a nice grid and that's the entire user interface. On ICS, I can pull up such a grid, I know, but... why not just put it there to begin with?

[backstairs]

I am tired of all this, 'it is too big to use as a phone'. Why? Why does it have to be the same size as your ear? I tried putting it to my ear and no one screamed. It was great. Remember when dudes held master blasters on their shoulders? Well it aint that big. And it looks and feels okay. Come on, be different. And white shell is exquisite.

Edited February 20, 2012 by backstairs

[lomatopo]

Apparently there are 3 models of the Note around - yikes!

From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Note

• N7000 - The original version, with a dual-core 1.4GHz Cortex A9 processor
  
• N7003 - A lower-powered and cheaper version, with a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255T processor with an S-LCD screen initially available in South Africa.
  
• LTE version - with higher-speed communications ability, available in South Korea and the United States
  

Only the Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 is sold here. It is quad-band 3G regardless of what the box says. I confirmed this in person with a vendor who sells ~ 20 of these a week, to quote, "no, it is not locked, yes it will work on DTAC, True AIS end quote.

In the Samsung numbering scheme it seems like the last two digits can be use to denote WiFi only, XX10 or WiFi + 3G, XX00.

There is talk about a Note 10.1.

Regarding the size many people use bluetooth headsets so size doesn't matter. If it's too big for you don't buy it, at least you have the choice unlike that itty bity 3.5" screen.

And evidently some people don't understand what so there was no "attitude", just a friendly wink. sheesh.

Edited February 21, 2012 by lomatopo

[ludditeman]

I think the exact opposite, TOO SMALL, battery MUCH TOO SMALL.

I'm using a 7" Galaxy Tab, and its battery lasts all day without problem.

For those who think, too big to hold to my ear, all I can say is BLUE-TOOTH headset.

The idea of the smart-phone is great, but without a battery that allows everything to run all day, it's pretty pointless.

[TongueThaied]

Nice review and best of luck to you. If your experience with Samsung is anything like mine, you will need a very expensive repair right after the warranty runs out. Then, when they change the model, support will stop altogther and you'll have to throw it on the junk heap where it will land along side my 2-1/2 year old $400 top-of-the-line YP-P3 32 GB MP3 player.

I would be delighted to hear from you in about 14 months.

[lomatopo]

Nice review and best of luck to you. If your experience with Samsung is anything like mine, you will need a very expensive repair right after the warranty runs out. Then, when they change the model, support will stop altogther and you'll have to throw it on the junk heap where it will land along side my 2-1/2 year old $400 top-of-the-line YP-P3 32 GB MP3 player.

I would be delighted to hear from you in about 14 months.

You seem to post a lot about negative experiences with Samsung products, especially in Samsung-related threads. Since you seem to have sworn off buying any more Samsung products why are you even reading these threads?

FWIW, I have a dozen or so Samsung products: HDDs, TVs, Tablet, phones, washing machines and have not had one failure. My SGS1 is ~ 16 months old and still going strong. I suspect that my experiences are closer to the norm than yours?

[Sam Drucker]

Nice review and best of luck to you. If your experience with Samsung is anything like mine, you will need a very expensive repair right after the warranty runs out. Then, when they change the model, support will stop altogther and you'll have to throw it on the junk heap where it will land along side my 2-1/2 year old $400 top-of-the-line YP-P3 32 GB MP3 player.

I would be delighted to hear from you in about 14 months.

I think you have issues.

[lomatopo]

I'm going to use allot of 3G, does anybody know what different 3G packages are available from AIS on this phone?

[lomatopo]

http://hotspot.3bb.co.th/location/iframe_location_acumen_map.php?province_id=11&amphur_id=0&district_id=0

http://www.3bbhotspot.com/home/service/index.php

[fabianfred]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28361002@N07/sets/72157629262932525/show/

I am a keen photographer and have often wanted a nice pocket camera...but have often been disappointed. This does the job and has nice video too...just watch the camera shake...