Note: Our original review was of the unlocked,
£499.99 ($784) GSM Galaxy Note. We've updated the review to reflect our
impressions and tests of the $299 (with contract) AT&T model as
well. Check out the Connectivity and Software sections, in particular, to see the biggest differences between the two devices.
There once was a time, commonly referred to as the pre-iPad era, when
people questioned if there really was a gap between laptops and
smartphones for tablets to fill. The two established device categories
seemed to have too many overlaps in functionality to permit a separate
product type to exist between them. Today, that question has been
answered emphatically by the wildly popular tablet market, but the
challenge of trailblazing new form factors remains and has been taken up
by Samsung with the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note. Too small to be considered a
tablet and too large to be deemed a phone, this new Android device seeks
to demonstrate the value of its unconventional size as well as its own
credentials.
Samsung has built the Note atop its extremely successful Galaxy S II
platform, though much as it did with the Galaxy Nexus, the company has
added some significant upgrades. The Galaxy Note has a higher-resolution
display, a much larger battery, and a new S Pen stylus, making it more
potent and versatile than a simple oversized GSII handset. So it’s
bigger, badder, and carries a small stick — does that make it Samsung’s
next great mobile device?
Hardware
Is it a tablet or a phone?
Arriving in a white, smartphone-sized box, the Galaxy Note goes to
great efforts to convince you that it really is as portable as a phone.
It’s not. The bezel around the display is minimal and the 9.65mm
thickness is practically the same as on the latest iPhone, but there’s
just no way to shrink that 5.3-inch display. Pocketing the Note is an
exercise in either frustration or denial. Oh, it will fit inside your
pants pocket, but try walking around with it there and you’ll see that
fitting inside a space is only half the battle. You’ll need to either
take to wearing blazers every time you go out or accept that you won’t
be able to comfortably transport the Note somewhere around your body.
On the flip side, the thin, bump-free profile of the Note makes it
extremely easy to slip into a handbag, backpack or briefcase. If you’re
thinking that the same can be said of the slimmer tablets on the market,
you’d be right. I don’t consider the Galaxy Note to be much of a
portability upgrade over Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7, which was introduced
alongside the Note at IFA 2011. That being the case, you probably won’t
be surprised to hear that I consider the Note more of a shrunken-down
tablet than an outsized phone, in spite of its ability to take calls.
The experience of carrying out a call on the Note is actually
surprisingly good. I’d contrast it against the 4.7-inch Titan from HTC,
which feels awkward and a bit clunky, whereas Samsung’s tabletphone can
be held up and used more comfortably. That doesn’t mean it’s any
competition for a regular phone, however: like most smartphones, the
Note warms up during a long call, heating half of your face in the
process, and there’s the social aspect to consider. Human society has
yet to evolve to the point where it can witness a person holding up a
massive slate of technology to his ear without attempting to make a bad
joke about it.
With a 4.8-inch Super HD Clear LCD touchscreen, the Samsung Galaxy Camera isn't likely to be the smallest compact camera you'll ever see, but it feels very nicely put together and is both responsive and intuitive.
Even
better news for many is that the 16 million pixel CMOS sensor inside
the camera is a 1/2.3-inch device, the same size as in many compact
cameras and considerably bigger than those in the average phone. This
should mean that the Samsung Galaxy Camera is capable of recording a
respectable level of detail with reasonably well controlled noise.
The sensor is coupled with a 4.1-86.1 mm f/2.8-5.9 lens, which gives the focal length equivalent
of a 23-483mm lens in 35mm terms. This makes it a very versatile optic,
suitable for shooting wide landscapes or cramped interiors, as well as
picking out distant details.
It could make the camera a popular
option for travellers, especially those who want to be able to share
their images with the rest of the world via the camera's Wi-Fi connectivity.
We were only able to spend a relatively short time playing with it at Samsung's Mobile Unpacking event prior to the opening of IFA 2012, but it was enough to convince us that this is a camera that will attract a lot of interest.
There's
little in the way of physical controls on the camera as most operations
are carried out via the touchscreen, which is very responsive. On the
top, however, there is a shutter release button surrounded by the zoom
switch and the power button as well as a pop-up flash. That's it, and as
a result the Galaxy Camera has a very clean look.
Those
who fear that relying on a screen to make settings selections will mean
scrolling through endless menu options can relax - Samsung has done an
excellent job with the interface, and we got to grips with it very
quickly. It has had plenty of UI design practice with its other Galaxy
products, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphones and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet.
Exposure modes
As
you might expect, there's a selection of shooting options for the
inexperienced photographer, but Samsung also included the more advanced
Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual exposure modes
for experienced users.
These
options are accessed via the Expert option in the Camera menu. Once
this is selected, a neat graphic of a lens with a series of rings
appears on screen and the sensitivity (ISO), exposure compensation,
aperture and shutter speed are adjusted by 'rotating' the rings with a
flick of a finger.
In
addition to the Auto and Casual mode that are designed for keeping
photography very quick and easy, there's a Smart Pro option that enables
you to choose the most appropriate scene mode for the shot.
This
includes options such as Waterfall Trace, which records moving water as
a blur; Blue Sky mode, which ensures blue skies are saturated and not
washed out; and a Light Trace mode for shooting car light trails and so
on at night. There are also more common options such as a Macro,
Panorama, Smart Night and Best Photo mode.
There's
also a Voice Control mode that, as the name suggests, enables you to
control the camera with your voice by getting it to zoom in and out or
take a shot with a voice command. This sounds like a really useful
option for self-portraits, but because the Samsung Galaxy Camera's
screen is fixed there will be a little bit of guesswork involved with
the composition.
Picture management
After the images have
been captured, the Galaxy Camera's Smart Content Manager organises them
into searchable folders based on time and location.
There
are also options to tag faces in the images, rotate pictures and crop
shots as well as view them in a slideshow. Images can be selected for
view with a tap of the screen and scrolled through with a swipe of two
of the finger - just as you would with a smartphone such as the Samsung
Galaxy Camera's cousin, the Samsung Galaxy S3.
A
Sharing widget is claimed to make light work of uploading shots to all
your favourite social media sites, and Auto Cloud Back-up is available
for remote storage straight after they are taken.
Early verdict
We
haven't been able to use the Samsung Galaxy Camera properly or examine
any images yet, but we're pretty excited about it. It has a high-quality
feel and although it has lots of options and some pretty advanced
controls, it's very easy to use.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera will
have a full price of around £399 (around $630) in UK, and will be
available from around mid-October.
The 16 million pixel, 1/2.3
inch CMOS sensor should be capable of capturing images that are on a par
with other compact cameras and significantly better than those from the
average smartphone. However, the lens has a wide zoom range (21x) and
it will be interesting to see if this compromises the image quality at
all.
We're really looking forward to receiving a full-production
sample for our full Samsung Galaxy Camera review. As well as testing the
usual photographic aspects, looking at sharpness, dynamic range and the
like, we'll try out a few apps and share images via the Wi-Fi
connectivity.
Update: We've now spent a few months living day in,
day out with the Samsung Galaxy S3 - also known as the Samsung Galaxy
SIII - so check out our findings. We've also got the latest version of
the software, so we've updated the review with all the fancy new
features as well. We have also added our early thoughts on how the
Samsung Galaxy S3's specs compare to those of the iPhone 5.
With
the latest version of Android, a whopping 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD
screen and a whole suite of Apple-beating features, is the new Samsung
Galaxy S3 the greatest phone ever?
Samsung has made a big deal
about this phone, not only choosing to launch it at a big and glitzy
standalone event in London but also claiming it had nearly 10 million pre-orders before it'd even launched.
The
price is pretty palatable for a top-end phone – the likes of Three
offer it for just £34 a month with oodles of minutes and data, which is
already much, much cheaper than any iPhone would ever launch for.
And
there are even cheaper deals - it can be had for £28 per month from The
Carphone Warehouse with no upfront cost... you can probably find it
even cheaper if you hunt around online, but it's a very low tariff level
for a top-end phone to launch for.
But let's get down to the main question – is this the phone you should be spending your hard-earned cash on?
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is, according to Samsung anyway,
'inspired by nature – it sees, listens, responds, and enables you to
share the greatest moments'. While this is all a little hyperbolic, the nature theme is certainly present when you handle the phone for the first time.
Brushed
polycarbonate – you've got a choice of 'Marble White' and 'Pebble Blue'
– adorns the large device, which runs in with dimensions of 136.6 x
70.6 x 8.6mm, despite still having to pack in a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD
screen.
Update: We've
now spent a few months living day in, day out with the Samsung Galaxy
S3 - also known as the Samsung Galaxy SIII - so check out our findings.
We've also got the latest version of the software, so we've updated the
review with all the fancy new features as well. We have also added our
early thoughts on how the Samsung Galaxy S3's specs compare to those of
the iPhone 5.
With
the latest version of Android, a whopping 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD
screen and a whole suite of Apple-beating features, is the new Samsung
Galaxy S3 the greatest phone ever?
Samsung has made a big deal
about this phone, not only choosing to launch it at a big and glitzy
standalone event in London but also claiming it had nearly 10 million pre-orders before it'd even launched.
The
price is pretty palatable for a top-end phone – the likes of Three
offer it for just £34 a month with oodles of minutes and data, which is
already much, much cheaper than any iPhone would ever launch for.
And
there are even cheaper deals - it can be had for £28 per month from The
Carphone Warehouse with no upfront cost... you can probably find it
even cheaper if you hunt around online, but it's a very low tariff level
for a top-end phone to launch for.
But let's get down to the main question – is this the phone you should be spending your hard-earned cash on?
The
Samsung Galaxy S3 is, according to Samsung anyway, 'inspired by nature –
it sees, listens, responds, and enables you to share the greatest
moments'. While this is all a little hyperbolic, the nature theme is certainly present when you handle the phone for the first time.
Brushed
polycarbonate – you've got a choice of 'Marble White' and 'Pebble Blue'
– adorns the large device, which runs in with dimensions of 136.6 x
70.6 x 8.6mm, despite still having to pack in a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD
screen.
We'll
lay it out right now: the plastic feeling of the Galaxy S3 won't appeal
to all. It feels very lightweight (despite tipping the scales at 133g)
in the hand, and some people will read this as feeling a little cheap.
However, it's exactly the same sensation as we found on the Galaxy S2,
and given the silly numbers of sales that had, we think there's more
than a market for a phone that you'll barely notice in your pocket most
of the time. But
we'll be very clear on this - the Galaxy S3 is not a cheap-feeling
phone. It's got a really solid Gorilla Glass 2 front, a well-packaged
interior and a more robust battery cover. It's polycarbonate rather than
bog-standard plastic, although we're not sure some people will like the
more rounded nature of the design. However, despite being made of similar material, there's no doubt that the HTC One X
feels more premium in the hand. Although the One X is actually 3g
lighter than the Galaxy S3, it feels a touch weightier, which shows the
way texture can affect the way a phone feels in the hand. And there's
something about an object so large feeling so light that some will find
disconcerting in the S3.
There's no doubt in our minds that the
Pebble Blue offering is the much more attractive option, since the
Marble White looks similar to a low-end Galaxy Mini or similar – the brushed effect is really necessary. Compared to rest of the Galaxy line, the S3 has more in common with the original Galaxy S
than the S2, with curved edges the theme in the design language. The
home button has also been elongated, although the same menu and back
buttons remain from the prequel. Overall, the effect is much more like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus than anything else – rounded edges, HD screen but with a more minimal bezel to really accentuate the larger screen in the hand.
The
button design around the phone has been well thought out in our opinion
- for a phone this big it's very difficult to make all the keys
accessible, so putting the lock button on the right-hand side rather
than the top makes a large degree of sense.
The addition of the
lozenge-shaped home button, and its softkey 'Back' and 'Menu' buttons
are great additions in our eyes, as it means contextual menus can be
found easily without needing to mess around looking for the on-screen
icon.
The volume up and down button is parallel to the lock key on
the left-hand side of the phone, and also within easy reach when
holding the Galaxy S3 in the hand. The
microUSB slot is placed at the bottom of the phone - easy to find with a
charger but it will be interesting to see how it's used when placed in
docks and car cradles. The
battery cover is also made of the same polycarbonate material as the
rest of the body. Yes, you read that right - the battery cover is
removable! This
means that not only can you switch the battery in and out - a key
consideration for many people - there's also a cheeky surprise in the
shape of a microSD slot next to the microSIM port. Expandable memory?
This just gets better and better.
This means that theoretically
you'll be able to have a 128GB-capacity Samsung Galaxy S3 if you combine
the top spec of internal memory (64GB) with the largest microSD card
around at the moment (64GB)... making it a mouth-watering prospect for
those who love a spot of media. Sure,
there are stats that say only 10% of users regularly go over 16GB of
storage, but there's always the lower end version of the Galaxy S3 for
that. With HD movie downloads becoming far more prevalent, plus the
influx of HD apps, we think more space is an excellent idea.
But
overall, in the hand, the Samsung Galaxy S3 feels superb. The design
contours well against the palm, and while the screen size may be a
little big for some (you'll need a bit of shuffling to reach the upper
section of the screen) it's definitely useable in the hand.
So in
short: if you don't mind a slightly lighter-feeling polycarbonate shell
and you like big HD screens in your pocket, this is a phone definitely
worth checking out.
