When it comes to handheld devices – and we will return to the old chestnut of is-it-a-phone or is-it-a-tablet – you’ve got to decide if you want it to be hand held. Or hands held.
Samsung certainly has the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 pegged as a mobile phone, essentially a Samsung Galaxy S III with an even bigger screen. But with its 5.5in display, it’s equally easy to see the Note II, like the last year’s Note before it, as a miniature tablet. A handset this broad and tall falls more naturally into two-handed operation.
See: more Google phone reviews. See also: Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 vs Galaxy SIII vs Galaxy Note II comparison review.
We like the user’s introduction to the handset: upon thumbing the power switch on the upper right side, the lock screen shows an elegant white feather quill on a blue background, setting images of a creative writing device. And writing and scribbling is the added attraction for this rather powerful slice of hands-held computing.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Style us
It includes a touch stylus, which slides into its own slot underneath when not required. Pulling the stylus out and bringing it close to the screen (sometimes) lets the Note II know that you’re about to do some sketching, scribbling or doodling, and will bring up an area at the bottom of the screen for stylus input.
It’s recognition of cursive joined-up English handwriting was quite impressive. We found its handwriting recognition overall to be very good, almost usable as a full-time text input option. But we were still frustrated by transcription errors, which take more time to correct than just tapping all our text in through a virtual Qwerty keyboard in the first place.
But beyond text, there’s plenty of scope to draw and sketch, helped by the use of technology licensed from Wacom, a pressure-sensitive stylus that Samsung calls the S Pen.
You can hover above the screen and click a stylus button for added functions. This Air View feature needs some practice to make it work effectively for you.
In fact practice is what’s required to use many of the Note II’s features. At one end of the user-friendly scale lies the iPhone and iPad, while Samsung’s Note II is more of an Othello device. To coin the old board game’s catchphrase, it’s something like a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.
Perhaps not a lifetime. But Samsung was unable to lend us a sample more than a few days, and that was not enough time for us to come to terms with this intricate device.
More complexities were found in the Multi Window feature, which lets you view two apps running side by side on the screen at once.
This interesting new facility was added with an OTA software update – but we found no explanation offered how to use it. It did seem to leave an annoying rounded tab on the screen at all times. When dragged across the screen this would reveal a strip of the limited range of apps that are compatible with the feature.
We could then, for example, have a video playing while browsing a web page. It's a neat way to truly show off a mobile device's multi-tasking ability, and we're sure some users will find ways to make it a handy option.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Tablet vs smartphone
There’s no denying this is a large device, by modern mobile phone standards. It’s around 151mm high and 81mm wide, and 10.5mm thick (and not 9.4mm thick as Samsung’s mendacious specs would have you believe).
Our review sample weighed a not-insubstantial 214g, although it was fitted with the optional Samsung cover flap that wraps around the screen front.
In use we found this really is a two-handed device. Samsung offers an option within Android’s Settings titled ‘One-handed operation’. This lets you switch the on-screen keyboard, dial pad and calculator to one side of the screen.
It’s a thoughtful gesture – but it only moves these controls a few millimetres in either direction (for left- or right-handed users). And to bring up the dial pad, for example, will typically require two hands anyway as its icon is out of reach; once you’ve started handling with both hands it’s easier to just continue that way.
Build quality is satisfactory, feeling weighty and all-of-a-piece in the hand. Screen quality is very good: while listed as a Super AMOLED type, it doesn’t have the over-ripe colouring we’ve seen from these displays on earlier Samsung phones.
Picture quality from the rear-facing 8Mp camera was rated ‘good’, if not as good as smartphones that invest more technology into their imaging capability. High-contrast areas showed obvious purple fringing, for instance, although the camera was fast in operation.
HD video was more than usable but suffered from focus-hunting issues even in good light. Grain level was low, improving clarity although shot footage could get a little smeary on even slow pans.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Internal specifications
The essential innards of the Samsung Galaxy Note II are the same as the Galaxy S III. So inside we find a Samsung Exynos 4412 SoC, using a quad-core ARM processor. Only this time the ARM Cortex-A9 chip is running at 1.6GHz instead of the S III’s 1.4GHz.
This bodes well for sheer performance, as it’s the highest clocked ARM smartphone processor we’ve ever come across. Intel goes higher, up to 2.0GHz, but only with a single-core chip – and arguably not one yet suited for low-power mobiles.
HTC has promised an update to its One X Android phone, the HTC One X+, pushing clock speed from 1.5GHz to 1.7GHz. How much power you need from a smartphone is perhaps the more important question, as Google's hardware partners seem to be in an arms race whose only spectators are early adopting Android followers.
To give a fast-feeling phone, attention must go into optimising the operating-system software with the graphics processing hardware. For the software, Samsung has built its version of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), making the Note II one of three devices we've seen to include this year’s version of the Google OS, after the Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus and Acer Iconia A110.
Google Android 4.1 is said to have better optimised graphics, bettering the already improved interface responsiveness of Android 4.0. Powering those graphics is also the same processor found in the Samsung Galaxy S III, an ARM Mali-400 MP.
This is a relatively speedy component, faster than the graphics in the nVidia Tegra 3, if short of the fastest solutions currently available.
Using this Mali-400 MP, the Note II approached the graphics performance of the iPhone 4S: in the Egypt HD game test, Samsung’s phone could play at 17fps, against 19fps for the previous-generation Apple phone. The iPhone 5 played the Egypt HD benchmark onscreen at 38fps, capped here by a V-Sync limit.
To gauge the main processor speed, we used the Geekbench 2 test. Averaged over five runs, the Note II scored 1958 points, the highest overall score we’ve seen in this particular test. It comfortable betters the 1659 points we averaged with the Galaxy S III and the 1650 points of the iPhone 5.
Browsing speed can be compared by JavaScript rendering performance in the SunSpider test, where a low number is better. Here the Samsung Galaxy Note II scored an average of 1022ms, a very good score. By comparison, the Galaxy S III scored 1447ms in the same test, and the iPhone 5 903ms.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Network performance
The Galaxy Note II shares the cellular modem technology of the Samsung Galaxy S III, and with it the ability to work with the UK’s forthcoming 4G LTE network, Everything Everywhere (EE).
This new network is still to be launched later this month, so we tried the Note II with the fastest UK 3G network, to see what kind of mobile broadband performance is available today.
From our test location at the IDG offices, we ran a battery of network tests over a short time span in early October, and compared to the fastest 3G cellular handset we’ve measured so far, the Apple iPhone 5.
From the Samsung we saw a mean average of 11.1 Mbps for download speed, and 2.35 Mbps upload.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II performed very well, giving the double-digit megabit-per-second figures that were not so very far off what we’ve seen in our own real-world tests of EE’s LTE network.
Its 3G performance could be bettered under these test conditions though. Using the same Three SIM on the reference handset, we saw average download speeds of 15.4 Mbps, and 2.73 Mbps download.
In our limited use of the Note II over a few days, battery life was good enough to last two days of sporadic use, a reasonably healthy runtime, helped in part by the large 11.78Wh removable lithium battery inside.
Comments
Domdymond said: Im using the note 2 now You can make the boat ware invisible Only gripe is the 10 gb usable storage I really wish I could have gotten the 32 or 64 Plus the multi Window tab goes away when you hold back Or in the notification menu quick settingsat the far right
Phil C said: I think comparing to the iP5 is very helpful and useful - is sets a benchmarkThese were not IMPRESSIONS but accurate testing which helps one reach decisions
Masimba said: I love Samsung I wanted to buy the S3 i definately have to buy the Note 2 after testing it
Guest said: Nice generic review considering the time to get experience on the device If looking the answer like does the Bluetooth V40 already work It did not work with Galaxy S3 and this would be one of the main points for me to purchase
Stonedbones said: How much hatred can one put into one comment I agree with your sentiments 100 I found the review concise useful and informative and it is certainly helping me decide which way to go phone-wise I do wonder why certain folk even bother to read these articles or maybe they just like to find fault with other As the saying goes Those who can do And those who cant criticize
Stonedbones said: Water off a ducks back I hope Matt
gerry murphy said: people are really brainwashed to pay that amount of money for a phonesmart or not my oh my
Matt Egan said: Happy to take criticism But Im not seeing any specific criticisms just this is a bad review principally because the conclusion isnt entirely in accordance with the posters subjective opinion I would love objective criticism - havent yet read any
Simon Jary said: Angry people this is a four-star review that makes quite light references to the iPhone and even mentions that the Note trashes it on performance If thats biased Lord help us all
Vtkaviarasan said: You think this is a best review Just techradars review or some good tech sites review about note 2 U know they are called good tech sites bcoz they dont post biased reviews Reviewer here never posted the strong points of the device may be hes not tech saavy even a layman who just got would do good review than him All he can do is he dont know how to use the features of the phone Hes in his own lala land Wake up
Guest said: How much hatred can one put into one commentDeepergreen - reviews HAVE TO compare different products Otherwise they woldnt tell you muchFabiojungle99 - can YOU do betterSarah Jackson - what is so terrible about it At which point did it become a negative review I could go forerever but I dont want small mided people to live in my head rent freeI actually enjoyed this review It is well written easy to read and understand and made me curiousI dont think I would buy this phone myself as it is too big but I can see my sister making good use of it
Sinepa said: The Galaxy Note 2 is full of features that the iPhone 5 can only dream of and yet thevalue for money is only 355 while it is 45 for the iPhone 5 Even though the latter is much more expensiveSo tired of these Apple fan websites
Sutureman said: I love the Galxy Note I but I willNOT be buying any moreSamsung phones until they get rid of the BLOATWARE - it is unbeliveable why Samsung fill the phone with crap - which you cannot uninstall What planet are Samsung on Cant you just let the Customer decide what he wants or does not want on his own phone
Sarah Jackson said: I agree what a terrible and negative its ok review I have just swapped over from the iPhone 5 due to a plan upgrade allowing me a new phone and will be giving the iPhone to a family member as I find the Note II a much more powerful tool for what I need and use
Mama A said: I agree with TAUSMC We might as well face it everyone isnt going to be happy no matter how much better these phones get I myself dont care for computers with all the bugs and virusus you get with them Its frustrating putting your money into computers and then a few months to a year later it starts to slow down or act stupid I love the idea of having one device to everything I need to do and more WAY TO GO SAMSUNG
Matt Egan said: Wow Praise indeed
Fabiojungle99 said: Possibly the worst review in history
Ken said: Biased review from an author that is an apparent iPhone user
TAUSMC said: You obviously dont know how to use Android phones I have no problem learning everything that a phone can do I dont have the Galaxy Note 2 yet but even then I know how to work the 2nd screen and how to command that window pop up tab to go away You just hold the back button That will bring that pop up window for the second screen up and take it away These Samsung phones have tutorials to show you how to do things Also if youre a tech savvy or not so much type of person you play with the phone to find stuff out If you go on YouTube you can find out many things this phone can do Its way more advanced then the IPhone 5 and I like all the stuff that it can do The more they put in these phones the better I cant wait to see what they will put on the Galaxy Note 3 and also the Galaxy S4 Im hoping Samsung will put their Flexible OLED unbreakable screen in to these phones I like big screen phones because now if I want to watch a movie on a plane or in a car and or even search the Web I can do it with ease and not have to carry a tablet It saves me money not to have to buy a tablet or a laptop Yes these Android phones arent as simple at the IPhones They are more like your home PC and can do way more then what any IPhone can do Lets hope they keep innovating make these phones more durable faster and basically more and more like a little PC in your pocket
Deepergreen said: Your comparations to the ip5 are annoying and not helping the reader