It will come as no surprise to say that the
Galaxy Note II is fast and smooth. Running essentially the same tried and
tested software as the Galaxy S III, o nly this time underpinned by Jelly Bean.
With its Project Butter performance benefits, as well as a faster processor and
more RAM, there is a complete absence of lag as you scroll around the phone’s
system.
Call
quality and reception were good, as was the Wi-Fi performance. Video playback
was very smooth with all types of files, and the built-in video player supports
a wide range of common video formats.
It is powered by an Exynos quad-core
processor clocked at 1.6GHz with a very ample 2GB of RAM that rarely threatened
to be filled even when running multiple apps simultaneously. Our review unit
came with 16GB of internal storage, of which about 10.5GB was available for our
content, and it also supports micro SD cards up to 64GB so storage is unlikely
to ever be a problem, especially when you also factor in the 50GB of free
Dropbox storage as well.
Call quality and reception were good, as
was the Wi-Fi performance. Video playback was very smooth with all types of
files, and the built-in video player supports a wide range of common video
formats. Even the speakers were louder and clearer than we would normally
expect to encounter on most Android devices.
The Note II comes with an eight-megapixel
camera around the back and a secondary 1.9-megapixel camera on the front. The
main camera is the same as on the S III and is among the best around. It has
zero shutter lag and takes a fantastic snap in good light, but the quality
inevitably tails off in darker conditions. There are a few clever tricks on
board, including a fast burst mode and the ability to take stills while
shooting video. The impressive HDR mode helps overcome the dynamic range
weaknesses of the sensor and although the anti-shake mode doesn’t match the
kind of innovation we’re seeing from Nokla’s Lumia 920 it does help you grab an
important snap in low light without resorting to the feeble flash.
Battery life was uniformly excellent. The
3100mAh battery in the Note II is second only to Motorola's specialist RAZR
Maxx phone and it delivered without fail two days between charges. With lighter
use, and by turning off some of the motion and pen detecting features you could
extend that even further.
Split-screen
One of the biggest innovations in the
software is a new split-screen mode that was activated through an update. This
works with the main Google and Samsung apps and enables you to view two on
screen at the same time. Although fairly limited in some respects it does have
its uses, and represents a great way of making more of the larger screen real
estate
One
of the biggest innovations in the software is a new split-screen mode that was
activated through an update.
Wrap up
The Samsung Galaxy Note II is a success in
virtually every respect, and one of the best Android devices we’ve seen. It is
as fast and responsive as anything on the market, has a terrific screen, well
considered software (for the most part) and a stylus that has moved way beyond
gimmicky to become a genuinely useful tool.
The only question that remains is our
original one: is it a large phone, or a small tablet? Even after an extended
period of testing we’re still unsure of the answer.
The size of the Note II makes it a niche
device, but the popularity of the original shows that it is a pretty big niche
and those that want a larger screened, but still pocketable device, for
whatever reason, will lap it up.
Battery life
The battery is fantastic, perhaps the best
you’ll get on any current smartphone
Performance
Fast in every respect and with outstanding
battery life
Design
No complaints with the build quality;
design is the same as the S III
Features
It’s all here - and more. The S Pen is a
genuinely useful addition
Value for money
Expensive, yes, but this is a proper pocket
computer
Verdict
Still something of an oddity, but the Note
II has been polished in every area and is now a thoroughly impressive product
The
S Pen tucks away when you’re not using it
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Details
·
Price: $840
·
More information: www.samsung.com
Technical specs
·
Operating system: Android 4.1 with TouchWiz
·
Processor: Samsung Exynos 1.6GHz quad-core
·
Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB storage
·
Dimensions: 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4mm
·
Weight: 180g
·
Display size: 5.5-inch
·
Display resolution: 720 x 1,280 pixels
·
Expansion slot: micro SD
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