The Galaxy Note 2, often called the “Note” or “Note 2” is Samsung’s newest and most powerful phone to date. The phone’s size and capabilities have spawned the term “phablet,” which is a phone and tablet combined into one device.
Retail price on this phablet is around $600, and depending on the cell phone provider, you can pick this up as low as $299. Don’t let the price scare you though, this phone is worth every penny.
It is hard not to notice the massive screen size of the Note 2, especially when side by side to an iPhone 4/4s. Depending on the size of your hand, the Note 2 could fit snugly or seem like you’re holding an iPad mini; the same goes for trying to put it in your pocket.
The 5.5 inch AMOLED screen is measured from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. It’s not heavy nor is it very thick. It weighs just a few ounces more than the iPhone 4 and its little brother, the Galaxy S3.
The Note 2 comes with a stylus called the S Pen, which can be used to write freehand in many apps or just to surf around the phone. There’s definitely a learning curve when using the S pen, so make sure to practice your skills daily. And for all you Forgetful Frankies out there, Samsung added a nice little feature for you called S Pen keeper. This sounds an alarm when you walk away with the phone and the S Pen is not placed back within the phone.
Split screen is the big feature on this phone. It allows you to have two apps displayed on the screen at the same time. For example, you could watch a YouTube video on the top part of the screen and text your best friend on the bottom. This is extremely useful for students trying to multitask during class or even when working in a study group.
However, don’t get your hopes up on playing “Angry Birds” and watching YouTube in split-screen just yet. Many developers have yet to update their software to be compatible with this new technology.
So far,only certain applications can go split-screen. If this news depresses you then head on over to Cyanogenmod, they have a few things that can get all of your apps working in split screen mode.
The Note 2 is outfitted with a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor that is blazing fast. Apps load up almost instantly, downloads from Google Play take seconds, and scrolling throughout the device is smooth like never before. If you appreciate the smooth scrolling of the iPhone, then you’ll love the Note 2 (which runs Android Jellybean 4.1.1).
The phone is intuitive to your touch, with features like face detection, eye detection, shake to erase, and the always fun palm slide screen capture. The Note 2 loads videos, music, and documents in a fraction of the time, especially when compared to its more sluggish competitors like the Google Nexus 4 or the Sony Xperia ZL.
Overall, this phone gets a nine out of 10. It’s sleek, fast, and useful unlike any other cell phone on the market. The pros of this phone far outweigh the cons, which makes it worth every penny. Whether you’re in school or run a business, this phone has everything you need all packed into one device.
