Galaxy Note 2

A Note-worthy phablet

Samsung's latest phone-tablet Galaxy Note 2 may be what it needs to lift post-Apple blues

by Hiranand Sunny Naresh

Updated 10:18 AM Aug 30, 2012

BERLIN - Samsung yesterday officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 2, a massive 5.5-inch phablet (phone-tablet) which promises to take off where its predecessor - the highly popular Galaxy Note - left off.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet promises to be faster and more powerful than its predecessor. Photo HIRANAND SUNNY

Announced at Europe's biggest electronics show in Berlin, IFA, the Note 2 vows to be faster and more powerful than the original Note and could very well fulfil that promise - judging from what I have seen so far.

Still reeling from the patent war judgment last week, where a United States federal jury found Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and awarded Apple US$1.05 billion (S$1.32 billion) in damages, the South Korean company comes under pressure to innovate, said a Reuters report.

Even though the Note was not a part of contention under the ruling, Samsung hopes the phablet upgrade could lift any post-Apple gloom at the company.

The device comes equipped with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and is shipped with the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system.

A 3100 AmH battery is also in place to help power the mammoth device, ensuring longer lasting performance and shorter charging time, according to Samsung.

The visual experience is also enhanced: The 5.5-inch, HD Super AMOLED screen with 1280 x 700 resolution provided sharp and crisp images, and video and picture quality was impressive.

And that is not all that has been modified; the Galaxy Note 2 also comes with a revamped S Pen, which introduces a whole lot of new features the original Note phone did not have.

Firstly, pulling out the S Pen will automatically pull up a menu of apps more commonly used with the stylus, such as the memo and planner apps.

The days of scrambling for a pen and paper while on a call could soon be over as well.

Pulling out the S Pen while you are on the phone will automatically activate the note application, allowing users to take notes without putting the person on hold.

The Note 2 does provide a better pen-and-paper writing experience compared to other stylus-equipped devices on the market, which is another welcome addition.

The Galaxy Note 2 boasts a new feature dubbed the Air View. This allows users to preview what is in their folders or retrieve details from the S Planner by simply hovering the S Pen above the desired target.

Other intelligent features such as the Idea Visualiser, which generates images based on the words users write, and Best Faces, which lets users pick the best smiles from a series of group shots and paste them all into a single image, also make it much easier to create and edit content on the go.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 2's massive size may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it could be just what the doctor ordered to help the South Korean manufacturer rebound from its devastating defeat to Apple.

As a user of the original Note, I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

The Galaxy Note 2, which is due for release in October this year, will come in two colours, titanium grey and white, and is expected to retail for US$800.

Source: www.todayonline.com