Despite my four years as a tech journalist,
and several more as a gadget geek before that, I have rarely fallen in love
with a mobile phone. I once had a Motorola that lit up with disco lights when
it rang - which I dubbed 'Disco Phone' - but I have always tended towards
flings, rather than full blown love affairs with these devices.
The thing is when you first unbox any
handset, it is all shiny, new and begging to be played with. But the novelty always wears off so quickly
and within a matter of weeks you are looking elsewhere to trade in and trade up
for the next new mobile with the even flashier lights.
Well, that is how you feel until you find
the one ladies and gentleman, and I believe this time, my love is for keeps.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II looks beautiful.
It may be on the large size for some with its 5.5" screen, but for me this
meant fewer mistakes when typing and made it a lot easier to find in my bag
when having to sift through all my junk to answer a phone call.
The 1,280 x 720 resolution on the HD Super
AMOLED screen is crisp and clear, and together with the size of the screen
makes watching videos, reading large documents or video calling with colleagues
a pleasure rather than a chore.
The screen also compliments the easy to use
camera, giving you great views of your 8MP rear shooter or 1.9MP front facer
with simple pinch to zoom design and auto focus.
Despite its size, the Note II is surprisingly
light at 180g - compared to the iPhone's 144g - and although it isn't made to
slip in a pocket, it is thin enough - 9.44mm - to not take up much room in a
laptop bag or briefcase.
Samsung Galaxy Note II Hits Korean Store Shelves (Photo credit:
samsungtomorrow)
I never thought I would celebrate the
return of the stylus either as my last one was part of the flimsy design of
Nokia's Express Music phone, but this accessory is much sturdier and slips seamlessly
into the casing of the device.
When using it on screen, you can hover the
pointer over menus to allow for drop down options, and when your choice is
made, the reactiveness of the screen is quick without being oversensitive. But
it is all the extra features the Note II enables that make the stylus such a
welcome addition.
The handwriting recognition is superb and
it became my default choice when sending emails or text messages to friends and
colleagues. The ability to select sections of text or images and cut it out
using the stylus was also great for collaborative work on large documents, but
felt as easy - if not simpler - that doing it on a PC or laptop.
The thing is the Note II is not designed as
a basic phone. It is designed as a tool for multi-tasking with a built in
component of being able to make calls.
This is not the first time a smartphone has
been advertised as this, in fact that is the point of most smartphones, but it
is the first time I have used one that genuinely felt like a mini computer in
your hand and would make me consider leaving the laptop at home.
It is only when calling that the Note II
falls down. The positioning of the speaker for calls is too close to the edge
of the device, meaning have to fiddle about with positioning before you get
decent audio. Also, there is no denying you feel a tad silly holding 5.5" of
plastic up to your face.
But I can forgive this thanks to nifty
Samsung ideas with calling, such as if you have someone's contact details on
screen, you can lift the phone to your ear and it will automatically dial for
you. Also, you can either swipe right if you want to send a text message or
swipe left to make a call, depending on your preference for the contact.
The only reason I can see that the Samsung
Galaxy Note II won't be to everyone's tastes is purely physical. But I believe
size matters for the better, and one week with this will leave your iPhone or
BlackBerry feeling awkward and fiddly, whilst the Note II will make you realise
how simple day to day tasks can become with a bigger screen.
It may be large, but it still pulls off
sleek. It has the performance of a complex machine but the simplicity and usability
of a Fisher Price calculator. Big is beautiful when it comes to the Samsung
Galaxy Note II and I see a very happy future for the smartphone and me.
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