Samsung has made an admirable effort to extend the capabilities of Android, taking its software from what has been described in the past as annoying and slow to innovative and unobtrusive. Most of these features are off by default, but you have bells and whistles galore if you want them. Another major unique feature is the S-Pen, as Samsung refers to the stylus that disappears into a slot on the back of the device. The first Galaxy Note’s screen was topped by a Wacom digitizer, a technology that allows for use of powered stylus to draw on the screen with incredible accuracy. This phones’ screen actually has a small electrical field that sends power into the stylus when nearby, allowing it to report button input, pressure sensitivity, and even proximity to the screen when not actually touching it. It’s the rare technology that actually appears to work magically, considering how little impresses people anymore. There are many places on the Note II that Samsung has extended the phone to take advantage of the S-Pen. Besides a powerful note-taking app, with myriad drawing features, the phone can detect when the pen has been removed and trigger actions. When the pen is hovering over the display, specific apps will preview links, videos, pictures, email messages, and other items. The S-Pen can also invoke gestures, and there’s a handwriting input to write on the screen and have your scribbles converted to text. Apps can take advantage of an API to utilize the S-Pen, and while most popular apps haven’t, a surprising number of note-taking, drawing, and even some games and productivity apps in the Google Play store cite S-Pen support.
Performance
Powering all of this multitasking, gesture-aware goodness is Samsung’s latest Exynos SoC (System on a Chip), with a four-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. Most benchmarks show the Note II is faster than all or almost all phones and tablets on the market, and the large amounts of RAM mean that running two apps at once or using extremely powerful applications doesn’t slow the phone down. After a month of using the phone, I haven’t run into an activity or app that can make it stutter or freeze up, a testament to a powerful chip. While the Note II has been overclocked to 1.8 GHz, even at 1.6, it’s considerably faster than the original Note overclocked past that speed. This increased speed is likely due to the increased RAM and improved speed optimizations in Samsung’s drivers and OS customizations, as well as the continued improvement of Google’s 4.1 (Jelly Bean) version of Android. All of that speed should come at a price, but it doesn’t. Not only does the Note II have a bigger battery than its predecessor, but the phone also uses it better.
This might be anecdotal evidence, but it shocked me nonetheless. I used the Note II on my regular morning routine, viewing web pages, reading cached news articles, listening to music, and even watching a video while getting ready for work, commuting, and getting settled at my desk. I didn’t use my original Galaxy Note at all, and both devices were fully charged and unplugged at the around the same time that morning. Even though the Note II’s screen was on for over an hour and a half during those 140 minutes, and being actively used, it only drained 19 percent of its battery under heavy use, while the Note I idling away in my bag, drained 26 percent of its battery. Yes, the first Note has a battery problem that worsens the longer you use it, but the strong battery management on the Note II should make it one of the biggest selling points of the device.
Camera
As usual, Samsung’s camera has few weak points, even if it isn’t likely to win any awards. The 8 megapixel shooter features good color reproduction, can take eight photos in short succession and choose the best shot, smile detection, HDR photos, and even some Instagram-like wacky filters. Videos can be shot at up to 1080p, and both modes include image stabilization options. There is a passable 1.9 megapixel front facing camera that deserves a cursory mention lasting as long as this sentence. The camera refocuses and adjusts to light changes quickly (under a second) and can take about four shots per second by pumping the onscreen shutter button. Samsung’s burst shot mode takes up to 20 pictures, as long as you hold down the shutter, and gets about five frames per second. The gallery app, on occasion, chokes while loading a lot of pictures, though it has a nice two-pane view, letting you switch between albums and photos quickly, when it works. You have control over ISO, color balance, image stabilization, and you can even take a picture with a voice command by simply saying “capture, “shoot”, “smile” or “cheese.”
Hackability
The developer community is active with this phone. Many hacks and ROMs developed for the international versions are easily ported to the U.S. versions, making for a large community customizing the phone. Recently an official Cyanogenmod 10 build for the international version was posted, which should mean versions to come for other variants. On some U.S. devices, the wireless charging hardware is partially present, and some simple work or minor soldering can add that feature. The worst version to hack, as usual, is the Verizon version, the only one in the world with a locked bootloader.
The Strengths
Overall, this is a fast device with great battery life. Samsung’s TouchWiz continues to improve, keeping more of stock Android while adding completely optional, yet useful and unobtrusive, features. The camera is as good as most, with a lot of unique options, and the S Pen can be a huge feature if you take advantage of it.
The Weaknesses
The phone is damn big. That alone is going to be a reason to stay away for many, so don’t kid yourself that it doesn’t matter. TouchWiz isn’t stock Android, and while it isn’t bad, some of the changes may not be your cup of tea.
Wrap Up
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note II the right phone for you? From a features perspective, of course it is. There is no phone faster, more capable, or better built currently available. That said, the size of this Note is a deal breaker for many, so get your hands on one and try it in store. If you can hold it, then its probably the phone for you. For previous Galaxy Note owners, this phone is a no-brainer. With support for the fastest networks on all major carriers worldwide, any discerning smartphone buyer should give the Galaxy Note II a shot.
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