When Samsung first unveiled the Galaxy Note, I had mixed feelings with the device. It’s got the genes of an impressive smartphone but a form factor that’s inching towards the tablet category. After having over a week’s time with the Samsung Galaxy Note and I’d like to share my verdict. Check out the full review after the break.
The Galaxy Note sits in between Samsung’s highly popular Galaxy S2 smartphone and its first 7-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab.
To give you a good idea on how huge a 5.3-inch smartphone is, we placed it side by side the 3.5″ iPhone 4 for size comparison. As you can see, the screen of the galaxy Note is even bigger than the entire body of the iPhone 4.
The power/lock button is found on the top right side of the device while the volume controls are on the left side. The 3.5mm audio jack is found on the top side while the micro-USB port is at the bottom along with the slot for the pen stylus.
At the back, the 8MP camera is found along with the LED flash in the upper middle corner. The entire back panel peels off to reveal the extra-large battery. The cover is so thin it feels like you’d crack or break it every time you take it off to access the battery compartment (where the microSD card slot and SIM card slot are also found).
There seems to be two microphones here — one at the bottom for making calls and another one at the top which is most probably for noise canceling. The speaker grills are a bit small and is found at the back panel.
At the front, the secondary camera and a couple of sensors are situated at the top corner while the large, rounded rectangular home button is at the bottom end. The home button is sandwiched between two backlit touch panels for Back and Menu.
The large Super AMOLED screen is gorgeous, as expected of any AMOLED displays from Samsung. The screen is bright and crisp, has very rich colors, very wide viewing angles, good brightness and high contrast. The capacitive display is very responsive although it feels closer to the responsiveness of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 rather than the S2 (probably because of the higher resolution). Samsung was able to maximize the screen real estate on the Note and made the bezel as thin as possible.
At 5.3″, it’s practically a gigantic smartphone. What Samsung did was take everything that is great with the Galaxy S2 and stretched it an inch wider.
We can look at this and call it a hybrid — a smartphone and tablet in one single device. Samsung wasn’t the first that introduced a device in this category. We already saw Dell pull out a 5-incher with the Dell Streak 5 from a year ago, though they failed to impress the market and finally retiring the device this year.
But what did Samsung do with the Galaxy Note to avoid the same lackluster performance the Dell Streak suffered? For one, Samsung packaged the Galaxy Note with the hardware configuration fit for a tablet, and not just a smartphone.
Second, Samsung banked on the success of the Galaxy S2 and patterned the design and form factor from it. And lastly, the Galaxy Note was ready for ICS and it’s got a screen resolution of a much bigger tablet.
In short, Samsung made the Galaxy Note better than the S2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 combined — a device worthy of being called a Android hybrid.
Samsung even bothered to include a dedicated stylus and though it’s generally un-necessary, it comes with a few tricks of its own (especially with Google Maps).
The S Memo is a pretty nifty feature. It is a such an integral feature of the Galaxy Note that Samsung placed it in center of the standard menu, beside the Phone, Contacts and Messaging icons. I loved the fact that you can fire up Google Maps, take a screenshot, draw over it and send it via email. As such, the built-in screen capture function works when you press down on the screen and push the little button on the stylus.
The TouchWiz UI is very familiar and similar to the ones we’ve seen in the previous Galaxy line-up. This is on top of the Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread that’s pre-installed on the device out of the box. Samsung also added a few more widgets to the device.
The Social Hub is still there for centralized messaging, SNS updates, contacts synchronization and calendar management. For the heavy readers, the Galaxy Note also has the Readers Hub which is like a library of News (powered by PressDisplay), Books (powered by Kobo) and Magazines (powered by Zinio).
Samsung also added a couple more apps and features on the Galaxy Note including a custom Calendar, Movie Editor, Photo Editor and Voice Talk.
The Video Maker is simple and easy to use and although the functions are limited, it is very usable. The maximum output is only limited to 720p even if your source is 1080p.
Voice Talk is also a nice function and, like most other voice command features like Vlingo, is restricted to a specific command format (at least you can program it to respond to “Hi Siri” to wake up the phone).
Here’s the complete specs of the device although the only variant that will be available in the Philippines is the one with the 16GB internal storage.
Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 specs:
5.3-inch Super AMOLED display @ 1280×800 pixel resolution
Gorilla Glass display
1.4GHz dual-core processor Exynos chip
Mali-400MP GPU
1GB RAM
16GB & 32GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD (2GB included)
HSPA+ 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct
Bluetooth 3.0
8MP rear camera
1080p full HD video recording
2MP front-facing camera
GPS w/ aGPS support
FM Radio tuner
Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
Samsung TouchWiz UI 4.0
Li-Ion 2500mAh battery
The performance of the Galaxy Note trumps any other smartphone and tablet we’ve seen around. It scored a whopping 4154 in Quadrant (the Galaxy S2 we reviewed only had 2622 while the 1.2GHz variant reached the 3000 mark). That’s the highest Quadrant score we’ve seen on any smartphone fresh out of the box.
The fact that it can record 1080p videos and also play 1080p hi-def movies is already a testament on how powerful this device is (considering the much higher screen resolution). The HTC Sensation XE with its dual 1.5GHz processor only scored 2249 in the same benchmark. The fast internal flash storage certainly helped in here.
The camera on the Galaxy Note is impressive, as great as the one on the Galaxy S2. It’s got a fairly fast shutter speed, an accurate and fast focus that produces clear and crisp images with fairly saturated colors. It can even handle low-light environments pretty well, as shown on the sample photos below.
The Galaxy Note’s camera perform really well under low-light conditions. You will notice minimal amount of noise one some of the darker photos. That’s probably because in Auto Mode, the camera lowers the ISO settings as much as it can — the same reason why some shots look darker than they actually are.
You can view all the collection of photos taken using the Galaxy Note in this gallery.
The full HD 1080p video recording is equally impressive — it’s crisp, has good focus and really high frame rates.
Note: Dont’ forget to tick the 1080p video playback on YouTube to see the raw footages. Notice the stereo audio recording is also very sensitive and clear.
Making calls is a little odd because of the big form factor but if you have huge hands as well, it’s almost natural (not as crazy as holding the 7-inch Galaxy Tab over your ears). Composing text messages and general typical is so easy and comfortable with both hands (almost impossible with one hand) since the virtual keys are equally large.
Call quality is good to great and sound quality is decent but not that very impressive especially on movie playback.
Using the built-in stylus is not necessary except for when you want to do some sketching or photo editing and you can actually use it for general navigation (mind you, this is a capacitive display). There’s also a couple of gesture commands you can execute using the stylus with the pen button as the trigger.
There’s also the WiFi Direct feature but we could use it since there’s no other device to pair it with. It’s a bit curious that despite the integrated Bluetooth 3.0 we’re still recording 2.0 speeds when transferring files to my Macbook Air.
The Li-ion battery is rated at 2500mAh and is really good. I reckon close to two days on regular use with internet on. I was able to use this as a WiFi hotspot when we were in Jakarta earlier this week and it lasted about half a day with 3G and WiFi on (I think it lasted that long because the screen was off most of the time).
The device is targeted to people who are looking for a powerful smartphone and a tablet in one. It’s a bargain if you look at it that way but it might be too much if you’re just into an Android phone or just want to replace your tablet with a smaller one (remember, Samsung also has a much cheaper 5-inch Galaxy S WiFi at Php12k).
The Samsung Galaxy Note has a suggested retail price of Php35,990 (also exclusive with Smart under Plan 2000). It’s one of the most expensive smartphones to date, even more expensive than the tablets Samsung is also promoting (which are all under Php30k). If your coming from the Galaxy S2, this is definitely an upgrade. Whichever way you are coming from, the Galaxy Note is definitely drool-worthy.
Disclosure: Widget City provided us with this review unit. They also sell the Galaxy Note at their online store for only Php31,000. You can check them out here.
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ian says:
i fell my n7000 and the front lcd glass is broken? do u have any idea how much and where to fix this?
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mando says:
This blog has helped out a lot. I did have the GT P1000 when they came out. It was an awesome device since none of the cell phone companies (US) had it with the phone installed. Finally gave it to my sister and upgraded to the Galaxy S 2. Now that one is going to the wife and I ordered the GT N 7000 from the Philippines. The Galaxy S 2 is great phone but I guess I am getting a little old so the bigger screen will help out. One question, would the SanDisk-Mobile Ultra 64GB microSDXC Class 6 work with the phone?.
i don’t see why the war between the Android and Apple. To each his own. Anyways my Android phone is the hotspot for my Apple MacBook Pro and it works out great. Go figure.
Thanks,
Serenity says:
Dear Sir,
First, Thank you for the wonderful blog, helps a lot! I’m saving for this device , just one last question, is it good for reading an ebook? I like to read. please keep going po.
Thank you!
Serenity says:
May I follow up my question about this device is good in reading an ebook? Thank you for anyone respond to this question.
Have a nice day!
rancel says:
i got thia phone last april 7 from smart….well all i can say is this phone is worth having for….at first pinagiisipan ko if note o htc sensation kukunin ko sa smart…but when i saw this…read the reviews and everything…ive decded to get this one…until know it didnt fail me…in fact ayaw ko na syang bitawan…this sevice is great…kudos to samsung
@ jane….well what can i say…..maybe you bought a china phone….( i have nothing against china phones) and they are ryt, android devices are for educated people….maybe ur from a squatters area thats why you sell your note…if ever y0u really have one…hahahaha
Robbie says:
This note is good for the business and for Jane eat your f**cking/mahirap/squatter (iPhone)
:P
Jay says:
People, lay off the kid (jane).
On topic:
I just got my phone stolen so I’m thinking of replacing it with this one. :)
Joe says:
I didn’t see it mentioned yet… I think the size of the Note is ideal for games. It is close to the size of PSP. I liked playing Dead Space and Blood and Glory on this size.
Phil says:
@jane:
You say you’re not “mahirap,” but how come you sound so uneducated? You can’t even get your English right. You’re funny.
On topic:
At first, I couldn’t decide between the Galaxy Note and the new Sony Xperia S. The top-most feature I really wanted on the Xperia S was the 12MP cam, but now that I’ve seen sample photos from both devices, I’ve realized that there’s not that much of a difference in quality. In fact, the Note’s 8MP camera actually outperforms Sony’s 12MP cam in low-light conditions, from what I can see in the sample shots.
I am still a bit torn, though. The Sony Xperia S has the Bravia Engine (HD Reality Display), while the Note has Super AMOLED (which I don’t like very much, because it tends to exaggerate the colors on the screen…which means that what you see on the Note’s screen aren’t exactly “true to life,” especially if we’re talking about photos and videos).
I’ll be making my purchase next week. I think I’m going to go with the Galaxy Note. The functionality of a mini-tab, the S-pen and the large screen size (which is great for productivity) are too good to give up for a 12MP camera which isn’t even that good (again, from what I can see) and a display that I don’t really even care for that much. For the record, I still maintain that the display on the Xperia S is better compared to that of the Note’s, but I don’t think I will be looking at my future-phone’s screen that often “purely to appreciate the display,” because that would be silly.
Elán says:
@jane
Oh my goodness! Who is this lowlife? She bashes the best and one of the most expensive smartphones to date yet her grammar is atrocious! Please get your 3rd hand iPhone 2g you bought from greenhills with your life savings and get out of here quick! Come back to the dumpsite where you came from!
arnold says:
this is the best phone samsung released!
now im waiting for the galaxy note 10.1!
bye bye apple for me
ernie says:
Got one yesterday! Grabe I’m so satisfied!..
napaka powerful ng Device na ito, lahat na yata kayang gawin. walang sinabi si 4S…
Girly says:
I really want this phone or whatever they call this thing. Im so inlove in this gadget! Parang kape lng 3n1, and i dont know what to choose between galaxy note and the bold 9900., please help!
Barnarbus Stinson says:
Hi, are they selling the 32GB version of the Galaxy Note in the Philippines? If so, how much is it going for?
Thanks!
parangano says:
I have been contemplating getting this phone for the longest time. I mean, like more than 4 months already. I got the first gen Galaxy Tab and I am thinking it’s time to upgrade to something more portable. I only have hesitations on whether this will actually get ICS and when. Parang ang dami nang balita na 2012 or first quarter of 2012 magkakaron pero wala pa rin. oh well. I don’t have the phone yet, but I just want to make sure that it will get ICS since it’s still a big ticket item for me.
ernie says:
kapal ng Mukha mo jane! feeling ka sobra.. grammar mo pa lang halatang mas mahirap kapa sa daga at ikaw ay nag aambisyon lang.. Nokia 5110 ang bagay sayo ha? wag kana makisabat sa usapan ng may mga afford bumili ng Gadgets tulad nito. hahaha!
dos_sentimos says:
Hahaha jane, madali talaga masira ang isang bagay pag di mo alam gamitin. Pang matalino kasi ang mga Android Devices eh. Balik ka na lang sa iPhone (Idiots Phone). Samsung ROCKS!!!
Sverige says:
The complete phone-tablet device!!!
Now there is no need to carry both an iPhone/Android phone AND iPad/Android tablet! This phone-tablet device has better resolution (and pixel density of course) than the iPad, and it’s a third of the size, so it’s much easier to carry and walk around with. AND it’s much more than just a 3G tablet, it’s also a phone for those times that you wish to send SMS,
Cooksterrific says:
Whoops, sorry for the typos:
*during its first days
*Android to Android
^__^
Cooksterrific says:
Great review as always! :-)
I came from a Motorola Defy (MB525), so I didn’t have a hard time using my Note during its first days (Android to Anroid, after all). :-)
I’ve had my Ceramic White Galaxy Note for exactly 17 days now and so far, I’m very happy with it.
I’m sure I’ll love it more when I get the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade as soon as it is released. :-)
Mabuhay, Samsung! You guys rock! \m/
PS. I don’t really mind it when I’m in public and people stare at my gargantuan “phablet”. On the contrary, I am PROUD of my spectacular gizmo. ^__^
jdGONEMAD says:
@jane: check mo muna grammar mo bago ka makapanlait ng squatter. tsk tsk tsk. and i believe “rich” and educated people don’t jeje-text.
jdGONEMAD says:
just got one! wooohooo!
jane says:
i re sell mine coz madaling masira ang galaxy note and people are staring at me in a funny way especially when im trying to use it as a phone and i find it pang mahirap/masa na gadget ang samsung which is im not, anyway bye squatter people
april says:
hi!jane here in the uk Samsung Galaxy Note is one of the latest mobile phone model.. which is a very popular and expensive one. I don’t think people from squatter can afford to buy it. LOL… hahaha
jane says:
i re sell mine coz madaling masira ang galaxy note and people are staring at me in a funny way especially when im trying to use it as a phone and i find it pang mahirap/masa na gadget ang samsung which is im not anyway bye squatter peole
Pa3ck says:
quite impressed with it my smart postpaid is due for an upgrade this april meaning i can go to higher plan. I was thinking of getting an iphone siri first. Then I saw the note and after reading the reviews made on it I was convinced I will get the note.
Pa3ck says:
quite impressed with it my smart postpaid is due for an upgrade this april meaning i can go to higher plan. I was thinking of getting an iphone siri first. Then I saw the note and after reading the reviews made on it I wad convinced I will get the note.
leo says:
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jarmaine says:
having read all the good review on galaxy note,, i was about to buy it yesterday but i “backed out” coz i didnt expect that it will be that “big” for a smart phone (samsung categorize it as smart phone) not a good idea to have a phone that big, especially dito sa tin pagatawanan ka lang anyway good luck sa mga bibili (nothing against samsung peace)
Popoy says:
Kelan po ba ito magkakaron sa GLOBE STORE?
Bianca says:
i want galaxy note wala bang libre na galaxy note sa samsung
camhi.barlam says:
just got my Note for a week na!
i super LOVE it. dami pwede gawin. nakakalimutan ko na nga na may iphone 4 ako. hahaha.
grabe pala freedom ng Android phones u can directly used it to get ur files from anywhere and run, unlike sa iphone more sync ka. Pero, yun lng, mas okay ang Appstore, mas organized and mas marami pa rin choices.
im just confused pa rin sa UI. closing running apps and other settings. pero learning everyday.
btw, the whole week kong hindi dala macbook ko. very convenient! XD
a major concern lang. i cant hardly last a day and half. lagi, the following day, magcharge na ko. hindi ko naman xa maxado nagagamit sa games or video playback, puro status updates and pictures lang simple because of the awesome camera.
i also have a problem with the native internet app. mabagal xa. maybe the settings i guess.
i hope sir yuga you can give some settings suggestions to prolong the battery.
thanks thanks thanks.
SUPER WORTHIT!
btw. i bought mine at WIDGETCITY! NICE DISCOUNT! XD
Paul says:
Hi there!
Is it really worthy to buy galaxy note than S2 or ip4s(for IP4s – ofcourse LOL)? My friend is having problem with the battery of S2. I have nothing againts S2 – Its a great phone though.. Due to the large screen I assume that Note will also have same issue when it comes to battery. Its nice to have large screen.. :)
Cheers!
renzbartolome says:
sir do u mind giving me cellphone plss..never pa akung ng ka cp and mhrap lang po kami..plsss..i beg u..if hnd ok lang dn..salamat po.
renz says:
sir do u mind giving me cellphone plss..never pa akung ng ka cp and mhrap lang po kami..plsss..i beg u..if hnd ok lang dn..salamat po
jortz says:
just rooted mine. faster and cleaner. hot on games. the Note kills!
JYEAH-R says:
ICS will be sweet on the Note but samsung will cover it with TouchWiz again. And even if it wouldn’t be that bad, I am going to put CM9 on my note straight-up. The Note will be better off with vanilla ICS. Anyone heard of ‘trebuchet’?(i love saying the word–’trebuchet’). Sounds nice and does wonders too. ICS on the Note will be sweeter with it and they’ll have that on CM9. Just a month or two left I guess. cheers!
al says:
Im planning to buy the Gnote.. will it be a good idea to get it under smart’s postpaid or should i get it unlocked??
i need your opinions.. help me pls.. thnx
jortz says:
love to play on a not too obvious screen ;)
Note is a beast waiting for ICS to unleash!
JYEAH-R says:
ICS will be sweet on the Note but samsung will cover it with TouchWiz again. And even if it wouldn’t be that bad, I am going to put CM9 on my note straight-up. The Note will be better off with vanilla ICS. Anyone heard of ‘trebuchet’?(i love saying the word–‘trebuchet’). Sounds nice and does wonders too. ICS on the Note will be sweeter with it and they’ll have that on CM9. Just a month or two left I guess. cheers!
Bob says:
Had the Galaxy Note for about 2 months now. Can’t say enough good things about it. I also own the IPAD 2 and find myself using the Note for wmail, web seached and most of the things I do on the Ipad. Now, the only thing I do on the Ipad now is play the occasional games. Portability, the screen, and camera is the best part. I can actually surf the web at work without anyone noticing, they just think I’m texting someone. Can’t bust out the Ipad in the office. Daughter has the new Iphone, not a bad phone but for me The Note is much better all in all. Do yourself a favor and buy the Galaxy Note! This is the best $750 dollars (3400 php)I’ve ever spent
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jr says:
kanya kanyang opinion nyan so lets just respect each other.. I have my gnote now and everyday i am loving it! Iphone is also good but size does matter to me because i have big fingers :D
gwaps says:
lols..itong taeng eric na to..kng magsalita parang bading.
eric says:
gratz jortz on having your new SGnote my phone ka na may deadly weapon ka pa at di lang yon may pamalo ka pa ng “dalag” har har har
Name: eric says:
lol jurrasic phone..
jortz says:
nagpppansin lang yan. Kasi hnde na msyado pinapansin ang iphone now. Alot of individuals who bought the SG NOTE can get iPhone pero like me pinili ko NOTE because it can do what i want it to do
Cliff Rosario says:
wag na patulan kasi.. @Eric.. ok lang naman.. both are capable phones.. depende lang talaga sa preference. I both have the Galaxy Note and the White iPhone 4S .. used to have the Galaxy S2(sold due to battery performance) and the iPhone 4 (snatched just this month at Makati Ave hhayy)
It’s all a matter of preference people.. respeto na lang.. though I am excited for both SGS3 and iPhone 5..
eric says:
or should i say “havajanas phone” lol
eric says:
jurassic phone bleh
jipoy says:
Dear Apple Fanboy/ Steve Nuthugger Eric,
we don’t really care if your iphone has a small screen or it is overpriced or it’s battery life sucks. we are busy looking at our own galaxy note and care nothing more with the bad decision you made by purchasing your iphone4s. I’m really sorry but I guess it’s safe to say that our galaxy note kicked your Iphone4s in the a**..
eric says:
ooo gustong umepal maghanap ka ng kausap mo
Name: eric says:
dear mdcarlosjr
it only shows that ur a man without substance..coz ur cursing other people for having thier opinion; sayang at may blog ka pa naman .. you dont know how to respect other’s opinion, no wonder no one’s reading your crappy blog and no wonder na puro kamag anak mo lang ang follower mo sa twitter… poor guy
sincerely yours ,eric
ps.. squatter mind set ka too bad
Name: eric says:
dear mdcarlosjr
it only shows that ur a man without substance..coz ur cursing other people for having thier opinion; sayang at may blog ka pa naman .. you dont know how to respect other’s opinion, no wonder no one’s reading your crappy blog and no wonder na puro kamag anak mo lang ang follower mo sa twitter… poor guy
sincerely your eric
ps.. squatter mind set ka too bad
Name: eric says:
dear md calojr
sayang at may blog ka pa naman eh.. you dont know how to respect other’s opinion, no wonder no one’s reading your crappy blog and now wonder na puro kamag anak mo lang ang follower mo sa twitter… poor guy
eric says:
yup i do have an iphone duh!! napaka pikon mo naman..ayokong pumatol sa squater eww
Marius says:
Dear Troll,
Hindi ko binili ang Galaxy Note para maging sosyal. Binili ko to kasi mahilig ako sa HD games at nagsusulat din ako sa device ko dahil writer ako by trade. Ginagamit ko ang Polaris Office at QuickOffice HD Pro. Nawa ay basbasan ka ng konting IQ para naman maintindihan mo na hindi lahat ng may high end devices e nagpapasosyal lang.
Kung di mo ito maintindihan, pakamatay ka na lang. Choke on your iPhone. :) (If you have one)
Sincerely,
Samsung Galaxy Note User
JYEAH! R says:
Bro,
Them trolls are everywhere. Too bad they don’t know how over-hyped & overpriced that fruit-phone they love is. Pagnaka-iphone, sosyal? Weh? Where do these people get off man! They are paying for the brand?
Anyways, salamat sa tips sa market apps. Never heard of them and I am yet to try them. About sa antivirus, ok na ba AVG Pro anti-virus? I think it works. I got it for free sa Samsung Hub app. There, they even supposedly give you a 120pounds-worth voucher to download movies+music which doesn’t work for me. Baka dahil for UK customers only ata. At least naka kuha ako AVG. HEHE
eric says:
lols thats a “JURASSIC” phone… we pinoys only have a small hands, so that will be humongous on our hands …
eric says:
lols thats a “JURASSIC” phone… we pinoys only have a small hands, so that will be humongous on our hands … iphone is still the best… mad sosyal kasi pag naka iphone ka unlike that brand naka samsung ka lang
Marius says:
@PinoyAndroid You’re right, I get those strange stares all the time when i’m in a cafe or when I’m just walking in the mall, looking at my messages. One time a group of college peepz even started talking about my Note while I was drinking coffee. Hehe. I guess the size of the device gets them every time.
Pinoy Android News says:
The Galaxy Note is a nick breaker period! People will stair at you like you did a horrible crime…
JYEAH! R says:
I got my Galaxy Note last December 9. I bought it for Php28700 lang plus 450shipping to Davao City. Sa widgetcity ako bumili, ok naman sila ka-transact, kakatakot nga lang kasi thru text lang ako nakipag-usap, di ako maka-connect thru landline, it was also my first time to buy an item via bank deposit. I was pretty skird man!
Then I felt na meron ‘catch’, I mean if u think about the low price! Ah, ang unit ala NTC sticker, which I think is not necessarily a bad thing. I think it’s imported. From Singapore ata. I’m not sure. I got bothered at first and then DANG!!! I realized something which made me laughed at myself—yung last two cellphones ko pala eh galing UK pareho padal ng ate ko at natural di rin Reg. sa ntc but they were both amazing high-end devices. So I decided, ‘the hell with the NTC thing!’ I just prayed that they send me a perfectly functioning device and boy they did! thank God!No issues to this day.
About the Note, one word: OMG!!!!! Ang galing ng phone, the display is superb. Actually, everything is.
Bottomline, I think it was a steal when I bought mine. Comparing sa prices as of now, 30k-33k pa, meron pa nga 36k sa isang mall dito.
Marius says:
Bro, get Blackmart Alpha and Applanet Market. Enjoy :) Don’t forget to install Lookout and Norton Lite hehe, just in case. Kaya naman ng Note parehas, both are light on the RAM
JYEAH! R says:
28.5k lang pala plus shipping. my bad.
marius says:
@Jeff congrats on getting the Note :) you’ll get used to the shiny back.. just use the leather flipcase it’s adequate protection already. You can visit Memo Express sa Sm north cyberzone and ask them for other accessories. Authorized service center ang memo express and you can also go there to get your Icecream Sandwich when it’s released 1st quarter of 2012.
jeff says:
I just got my galaxy note.. worth every cent of my hard earned money.. san ba pwede bumili ng capdase casing or any protective casing ng galaxy note? super shiny kasi yung back part nya mas maganda yata kung medyo may texture.. thanks
jortz says:
I luv this phablet! Got mine before xmas and its fun takin pictures of my baby! Luv gaming! The size rules IMO. Metal music fits the media player!
mojacko says:
So 31k NTC registered w/ samsung 1 year warranty + the official flip case na worth 1.4k ba?
itipiddotcom says:
This is truly what i want for xmas
Richard Dean says:
is there a white galaxy note in trinoma?
Marius says:
Had mine for 2 weeks now. Nothing like having one of these babies. Get it. You will not regret it. And by the way, Samsung has great customer support. They even have a social media support team at Twitter. I call their toll free line whenever I have specific questions about the unit (better sure than just partly sure) AAAAAND Samsung will be releasing a firmware upgrade for the note in the first quarter of 2012 (confirmed by the Samsung social media support team @ Twitter). Ohyeah!
cz says:
Confirmed, Samasung Trinoma is selling their GN for 31k on cash, 33k Card, while other samsung/mobile store are 34,990 to 36k. Hindi kaya may catch ito. Ung ibang store kasi naka-sealed pa ung unit na ibenebenta na GN pero sa samsung trinoma hindi na daw naka-sealed, meron lang nakapatong na seal ng SEPCO pero ung original seal from factory broken na. At ung warranty replacement is 3 days lang while others can give more than 7 days replacement kung factory defect and one year warranty for parts and services.
iam_JAYR says:
ah ganun ba? damn! balak ko pa naman bumili ng GN cash tomorrow sa Trinoma.. I guess I’ll just wait a little more.. sa SM Marilao kasi 36K.. Too expensive.. salamat sa info pre!
Francis@BlogsDB says:
Samsung Galaxy Note, I’m starting to fall inlove with this hybrid android while reading this one. Great review.
Michael says:
is there a monthly cap for the unlimited data plan P2000? thanks
ientlerj says:
Sorry, I mean for cash its 31K and for credit card (don’t know the terms of payment)it will be P32,990 (SRP Price). The Samsung store is located at the back of Nike Stadium. The sales lady told me that there was a buyer who asked for the price of Samsung Galaxy Note, He bought it for 35K on other Samsung Store. He was like “Nanlumo”. And it’s NTC registered too! =]
ientlerj says:
Go to Samsung Trinoma. Its cheaper there. Around 31K. Other stores sell it for 35K-40K. Cash basis only. BTW, its legit =]
ientlerj says:
Iba-iba ang pricings ng mga Samsung Stores. They sell it from 35,000 to 39,+++. I’ll suggest buy the Samsung Galaxy Note sa Samsung Store Trinoma. (Likod ng Nike Stadium) They just sell it for P31,000 for cash basis at P32,990 for credit card. (don’t know kung ilang terms ang payment). Nagkwento si Ate Sales Lady na nakabili na yung buyer sa ibang store, nanlumo ng malaman na 31k lang sa Trinoma =] BTW, Its legit.
Lyndon says:
I got mine yesterday here in Saudi. It’s probably equivalent to peso 34,000 from the showroom. This is one kickass phone, even better than S2! I’m no expert on phones, but I surely know how to use one. The screen is really stunning, i have not seen quite like it. The video playback is awesome on the 5.3, but I have a little bit of a problem with the sound as I am not crazy about it on this phone, as the speaker is just okay.. Dunno why.. plus the fact that they have this unusual design with the headphones, trying to make it comfortable by having soft inverted funnel shape earpiece that you tend to hear a mono sound, while placing it comfortably on your outer ear. If you want to hear a good bass, then you need to push the earpiece up your ear canal, creating a little vacuum, which makes it quite uncomfortable for me, but I suspect it would be okay for half the users. Well, I just replace it with a good bluetooth headphones of my choosing or until I get used to it. :D
Michael says:
kelan ba to lalabas sa smart? wala pa kasi sa website nila
cris says:
may cash out ba to sa smart??.. and what plan can we it for free?.. help po. thnx
jorpetz says:
id rather use this as a tab than a phone. i luv the big screen and the inside power specs! but i will just wait until ICS is unleashed for this beast!
Gams says:
Wow! What a phone..Samsung is really a kicker!
onlinestore123 says:
galaxy note 1gb 29,700
we accept CREDIT CARDS…www.facebook.com/onlinestore123
orange senorita says:
It should be on Ice Cream Sandwich. :( it’s still badass on Gingerbread though.
syaonline says:
Samsung Galaxy Note Benchmark on Android 2.3.6 (Antutu, Quadrant, CF-Bench & Vellamo) http://samsungmobilers.ro/post.php?id=199
Raul says:
Php 31,000.00 and meron in some stores na Php 29,500.00
I got sa Samsung para sigurado, kasi expensive yung unit. Mahirap na, buti nang sigurado.
Max says:
may free case sa 31k?
Jays says:
hey raul,
where did you buy your SG Note?
hal says:
Magkano yung Galaxy Note jan sa Pinas?
Raul says:
Samsung store, SM City Marikina
Izac says:
blah blah blah about all these fancy features… yeah i got convinced to buy this junk made out of cheap plastic last Nov 19, 2011.
1) battery drains so fast, on standby consumes 25% of fully charged battery from 12midnight to 6am in the morning (WIFI, BT, etc are off).
2) the usb-charger is so short and made up of cheap brittle plastic – I accidentally trip the extension chord, and the unit fell usb port first and easily broke.
Cliff Rosario says:
@Izac – try to check the Android version. It should be 2.3.5 which should have improve the Battery usage. I used to have a Galaxy S2 and was so frustrated about the battery getting drained half way through the day. I got my GNote at the Samsung-Smart event in Podium last Saturday and I can tell that the bigger screen, wee bit faster processor and excellent battery performance is making me believe I got a good deal with this phone
I sold my S2 the following day at Greenhills and was able to buy a Mango Flavored HTC Radar handset. So now this gives me a tally of 3 handsets.. an iPhone 4, Gnote and an HTC Radar. iOS/Android/WP7… and guess which phone is my fave.. yep you got it right.. the GNote…
I am wishing my hardest that this gets ICS next year as ICS will look far better on a bigger screen.
@Raul .. I agree point by point..
off topic…Haven’t seen a pinoyexchange post regarding Galaxy Note Users.. let’s have one!
Raul says:
Poor you. Saan ka naman nakabili ng Galaxy Note on Nov 19? Sa ibang bansa? Grey Market? Ibalik mo na lang yung unit mo if you’re not happy with it.
As for me, my SG Note actually lasted 2.5 days with 3g on when I left it alone (I have 3 phones, 1 per network)
The note is amazing, the s-pen is extremely accurate, comparable to my Wacom tablet for the pc.
There were issues I read online about the screen showing weird banding when displaying solid dark grey colors on the lockscreen on low light and lowest brightness. So, I talked to my contacts in Samsung Phils I found that the problem is with the lockscreen app that comes with the Note only. When I replaced the stock lockscreen with another app, presto! problem gone.
With regard to the charger, yeah it’s just about .75 meters long, but you can use another charger with a micro usb head… and the one that comew with the note has build quality about the same as the one on the iPad2.
Oh, and some phones and tablets do not have built in codec support for some media… I have the SG Tab 10.1 and it doesn’t have as rich support for media as the GS Note… this thing plays EVERYTHING I could throw at it, even ogg-vorbis and matroska.
Jake says:
Hi, I’m having a hard time choosing which to buy, so I hope you would help me out.
My old phone is already losing its glory and needs to be replaced. I’m thinking of 2 options:
1. Samsung Galaxy Note
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 PLUS a cheap phone (as in below 2,000p)
Here’s a list of my mobility needs:
1. I’m not a hard caller/texter. I don’t call/text for nothing. My average daily call and text time may be 2-3 hours. 80% business, 20% personal.
2. I spend a lot of time everyday in mobile Facebook, Twitter, etc. In fact my average WAP charges is around 80% of my monthly bills.
3. When I’m traveling, I watch movies or read e-books.
4. I’m not excited about the camera. I have a nice digicam.
5. I think I like the idea of webconferencing. I’m not sure if this is available in Tab 10.1
6. I commute (MRT, bus, jeep, taxi).
So guys, what do you think? Thanks for all your help! Either you reply here or tweet me your suggestions.
godard says:
6. I commute (MRT, bus, jeep, taxi).
kinda scary commuting with a 10.1 tab these days..
getting S2 or note will be more okay.. but i still dont recommend flashing it out inside the FX, jeep or bus…
i’m with dan_md
another vote for S2
dan_md says:
Go for the Note or the Galaxy S2.
If mobility is a priority, both devices are perfect allowing one-handed use without attracting too much attention.
You’ll also need that extra hand to hokd your train ticket or safety handrails.
At work, it’s better to be seen using a phone than a tablet. The latter makes you look distracted from your job instead of looking productive (unless you’re the boss).
Watching movies is tolerable even on a 4.3″ or 5.3″ screen. You don’t need that much screen estate unless you intend to watch it with someone.
For a media buff, a large memory is a necessity. While both Note and Galaxy S 2 allow you to expand beyond the 32GB built-in memory, this is not possible with the Tab due to lack of SD expansion.
Max says:
May i know where can i buy a screen protector for galaxy note? zagg and capdase are my top choice but not available.
Stephen Warren says:
I called widget city and they gave me the cash price of Php 29,700. I’m going to check with Abenson what is the price for 0% interest with nothing to pay for 3 months promo.
ICe says:
nice review…
i agree with the crampy back cover of this
tablet-phone… its really thin and prone to cracks… <–
Sir nag crack yun battery cover nyo sa likod.. my wife has one and played by my kid its very very flexibile as in parang cardboard na nibend mo in half that forms a loop … so i wonder baket nag crack yun sayo .. even if you ask samsung sales rep to demo they are willing to bend samsung sgs II/ note backcover …
Jhong Obenza says:
Gud Am! meron po ba tong GPS? Mataas po bang accuracy nito?
Botsok says:
@Yuga
nice review…
i agree with the crampy back cover of this
tablet-phone… its really thin and prone to cracks…
but for me having i would suggest to wait for
P6200 (2nd gen 7″ Tab of Samsung GTAB series.
CarloBlogg Online3.0 says:
wow, battery life close to 2 days on regular use and internet on?? Nice! sarap cguro magtype ng docs sa Galaxy Note with that kind of battery life; a real office on the go good for 2 days :D
Should have waited for Samsung Galaxy Note! :-|
JYEAH! R says:
ssshooot! 29.7K na lang sa widgetcity! I think they’re legit because they’ve been mentioned in ph tech blogs including yugatech…sana mabili na nokia n900 ko :{
Tan Swee Heng says:
Is this unit already launched in Malaysia and what is selling price in Malaysia
epasal says:
Nice for widget city to be given your indirect referral. Their website however is literally littered with grammatical errors. Really affects the credibility of the seller although I like the products and the posted prices.
jackson says:
i really wish globe got the exclusive rights to distribute this. damn
brutus says:
Is widget city a trustworthy store?
gusto ko sana bumili sa kanila kasi sobra mura sa kanila
Ian says:
Battery Life niya very similar to iPad. So sulit ito. =)
Reynaldo says:
We are offering it for sale for as low as 16GB…450USD and 32GB…500USD.
Interested buyers should please contact us on: reynaldo.rodrigu****@****.***
alchriz29 says:
This is a scam! Samsung Electronics haven’t release any 32GB version of the GALAXY NOTE.
Tmcr says:
Boss, order ako sampu nung 16 GB. Pero COD dapat. Kaliwaan.
Max says:
is this a scam? ang mura naman nyan
Alex says:
I’ll give you an additional 100$ if you deliver a 32GB (total of 600$) to our office, anytime next week! What do you think?
.
.
.
.
Yeah! I didn’t think so!
slabster says:
looks a bigger S2 to me
i love my s2 and thinking of upgrading to note but im worrying about games hehe…there are games i love in nexus s but had a hard time playing in s2 because of the screen size, and now here comes a bigger screen…
jones says:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1336187
It would be great if you could check this problem a lot of people are having. If it is also part of the Philippine units that we have received.
ogago says:
(also exclusive with Smart under Plan 2000)
-what do you mean? checked smart’s website and its not there..
jdGONEMAD says:
sayang walang infrared. :( LOL….
Nigel says:
Hmm.. Why would i name Vlingo into “Siri”? Not to be a smart-ass but, the review went off-course when you mentioned Siri, and not really tested the battery from full to drained. If this comes as an immature comment, you can bash me anyway. There are rooms for improvement on this review. Btw, I like this phone a lot.
sani g says:
Sir yuga, mali spelling ng radio mo sa specs. Fadio yung naisulat mo. :D
Marvin Paul Catalan says:
FOR SALE: Dell Venue Pro, windows 7 smartphone, complete box, 2 months used. Email me @ cmarvin****@****.***
Technokyle says:
I think mas mabagal ang pagtype ko dito kaysa sa smartphone
H says:
gorgeous! it looks even better in the actual pics than the promo ones. i have one question though:
@yuga – microsim ba sya or the usual/regular sim?
Max says:
price will surely go down a bit maybe 26,990-29,990 same pricepoint as galaxy s2 since its only 16 gb and after the quad core phones comes out but who would still buy this if higher spec(htc edge, htc zeta, galaxy s3) comes out. It just a couple of months wait can you endure it?
camhiliciouz says:
wow!
this is really nice, specially when you’re going to a conference.. you dont have to bring a laptop (that is if you’re just a participant) nor use pen/paper to take notes. i mean its an all-in-one device..
for me the phone/tab thing is a winner. adding the stylus for taking notes is +++..
i want one..
making me throw the idea of buying a tablet…
i just hope the price is lower…
sigh.
excited says:
very very tempting
Berto Putik says:
Added to my Christmas Wishlist.
binuhay nito ang love ko para sa touchscreen phones.
sana magkaroon ako nito
: )
Operation Super says:
Anyone looking for a kidney? :D
garz says:
*laughing out loud*
ysucit says:
http://www.yugatech.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/touchwiz01.jpg
Is that a green IP Call button between the green Call button and the yellow SMS button? Or is it a 3G Video Call button? Or even a Google Voice button? And here I was thinking that feature would be available only on Android ICS 4.0. Good job in making it available on Gingerbread, Samsung! Other Android ROMs should follow suit.
hapi says:
Sir Yuga, pls. allow me to share my input on galaxy note, especially for the undecided buyers. I’ve been using the note as my primary mobile for 2 days now, and this is my opinion :
Pros: 1. The screen is simply stunning, especially for games,
movies, messaging and surfing the net on the go.
2. Though, i rarely use the s pen, its good to know that its
readily available when you need it, say, for annotations
or sketches, and i believe its has plenty of opportunities.
3. In spite of its size, its still portable and you can make & take calls
as you would on a normal mobile phone (but pocketability is a
different issue).
Cons: 1. Expensive – with its price you can already buy an LED tv or pay for
car loan for 1 or 2 months.
2. Pocketability, holding the device is not much of a problem, but.
putting it into your pocket together w/ your keys, coins or smint
doesn’t feel comfortable.
There you have it, if you want a smarter smartphone, you will not go wrong w/
the NOTE….
hapi says:
Sir Yuga, pls. allow me to share my input on galaxy note, especially for the undecided buyers. I’ve been using the note as my primary mobile for 2 days now, and this is my opinion :
Pros: 1. The screen is simply stunning, especially for games,
movies, messaging and surfing the net on the go.
2. Though, i rarely use the s pen, its good to know that its
readily available when you need it, say, for annotations
or sketches, and i believe its has plenty of opportunities.
3. In spite of its size, its still portable and you can make & take calls
as you would on a normal mobile phone (but pocketability is a
different issue).
Cons: 1. Expensive – with its price you can already buy an LED tv or pay for
car loan for 1 or 2 months.
2. Pocketability, holding the device is not much of a problem, but.
putting it into your pocket together w/ your keys, coins or smint
doesn’t feel comfortable.
There you have it, if you want a smarter smartphone, you will not ho wrong w/
the NOTE….
sylv3rblade says:
It is quite hard to pocket. >_>
JYEAH! R says:
wohhhooh? did you just say you put your Galaxy Note, which is a 35K device, in your pocket with your keys, coins and whatnot??? what a crazy thing to do!!!
deuts says:
Now I wonder how hot does it get after 15 minutes of continued use?
orange senorita says:
Pretty sweet phone/tab. But why is still on gingerbread?
Operation Super says:
ICS was just released a few days ago.
wengweng2003 says:
Sir, nasubukan po b ninyo yun built in app n video editor? Nkita ko lng po kc s video s youtube n meron pla ganun feature s gnote :-) umabot po b s version n lalabas d2 s pinas? At kumusta po paghandle nya s video editing, mabilis din po b? Salamat po :-)
Dan_MD says:
“To each his own.” Not a fan of this form factor. It’s either a dedicated smartphone or a separate tablet for me. My current use case is an Android phone and an iPad.
Will gladly compromise if this phone is given to me free. :) The line between tablets and smartphones running Android is further blurred with the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android v4.0) that shall unify smartphone and tablets to replace Gingerbread and Honeycomb.
One can’t help but feel shortchanged. For that restrictive price bracket, Samsung could have housed the Samsung Note in brushed metal but that would shed away the Chaebol capitalist’s profit margins.
123 says:
bakit nabuhay muli ang stylus? its a thing of the past na samsung!
Joe says:
Try to read up a little and catch up. It’s not the same stylus you see on the old palms and winmo devices.
GensanBoy says:
It’s like a blown up Samsung Galaxy S2. .
Mitee de la Cruz says:
Thank God! I thought I wouldn’t get my daily dose of yugatech while you were away. :)
Steve Jobs says:
Iphone 4S is the undisputed King of Smart Phones.10 Million sold in 1 Month. Can you beat that Samsung?
JYEAH! R says:
10 million sold with battery issues. Ouch!
Edwin says:
Will be getting one on Saturday… So excited…. whew…di na ako makatulog hehehe :)
benchmark says:
I was amaze with the speed…i want it, but the price for me is not right. How I wish this December, the price will go down. I wanted a hybrid phone…
wala pa bang phone na isha-shake mo lang, magkaka power na (like the old watches)? hehehe hybrid kamo…
Anyway, I really hope soon, the price will go down. :)
iamdoods says:
Sister to Dell Streak…
Ram says:
AWESOME review! I just don’t want the Galaxy Note, I NEED IT! Buying this smartphone pretty soon! :)
Review says:
nice review also i’ve seen your appearance on ANC doing insights on Ultrabooks it was really nice.
Here is the link for those who did not watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS7o7ER1E90
Max says:
I’m sold except for the bluetooth 3.0 recording only 2.0 samsung should make it 4.0. May i know the battery life? would it last a day or two?
Joe says:
It says right there in the review that it’s close to 2 days with normal use.
Thanks for the review, Yuga.