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Samsung Galaxy Note II

editor said:
I'd say this screen is just about as big as you could ever get for using as a camera without looking an utter arse.
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Yup. I'd agree. It's about as big as can be usefully held or stuck in a pocket (it just fits my jeans - I checked) until such time as alternative display tech delivers (roll-up flexible screens, virtual retinal display, etc).
 
My phone is still mainly a phone, but it's been a multi-use item ever since texts were invented, more so when a camera was added, then the internet, etc.
 
Another very positive review.
Judged by smartphone standards, the Galaxy Note II delivers outstanding battery endurance. Two days of regular, 3G-powered use are a perfectly reasonable expectation from this device. After one 30-hour stint with it — involving Gmail sync, web browsing, multiple phone calls, some limited photography and video playback — I was left with 68 percent of battery power remaining.

...the Note II produces crisp, beautifully detailed images on a consistent basis. Closeup photos are particularly pleasing, with the autofocus working quickly and the background gaining a nicely blurred-out appearance.

..the S Pen remains head and shoulders ahead of any other first-party stylus solution out there. It’s integrated beautifully into its host device, both physically and in software terms, and offers a high degree of precision without requiring batteries or any special care or attention. It asks for no tradeoffs, its addition to the device is a pure positive.
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Verdict:
When first announced, the Galaxy Note II looked and felt very much like a supersized Galaxy S III with a slightly fancier stylus attached. After spending some quality time with it, I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s exactly what it is. And that’s a good, nay, a very good thing indeed. The S Pen has matured and improved in subtle but significant ways, while the GS III formula has only been upgraded with a larger battery and an even more generous screen size. At nearly 5 inches, Samsung’s flagship 2012 phone is already too big for a lot of people to comfortably use one-handed, so why should they not opt for the larger, but also more capable, Galaxy Note II?

Relative to its predecessor, the Galaxy Note II is a clear and unequivocal upgrade. It’s now more powerful, lasts even longer, and ships with the best software that Samsung has yet put on an Android device. It doesn’t feel as characterful or quirky as the original Galaxy Note, and it is indeed festooned with superfluous apps and software presets, but those are small hurdles you can either disable or avoid. The commercial success of the first Galaxy Note came as a surprise, however the same won’t be true of the Galaxy Note II. It represents the best possible marriage of the Note lineage and Samsung’s 2012 technology and is likely to cement the Korean company’s position as the premier Android device maker.
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http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/8/3464212/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-review
 
Love this:

247786_10151182242393360_275956968_n.jpg
 
I wish this thing would stop tempting me, How good do these features sound?
Earlier we mentioned that Popup Video is available on the Note II, but that isn't the only thing that pops up -- you can do the same thing with Popup Note, which is activated by holding the S Pen button and double-tapping on the screen. This is basically a miniature version of the S Note app, which takes up less than half of the screen real estate. This means you can take notes and watch videos simultaneously. (Popup Browser is also available.) This is the best example of true multitasking that we've ever seen on a smartphone, and there were no lags, coughs, stutters or any sign whatsoever that the quad-core Exynos processor was buckling under the load. If this is only the beginning of what these phablets are capable of with the right engine under the hood, color us impressed.
​
We're not done quite yet, multitasking fans. Samsung advertises another feature called Multi-Window that parallels -- nay, exceeds -- the aforementioned Popup Note in awesomeness. We recently saw an implementation of this in the Galaxy Note 10.1, and it's back, here in the Note II as Multi-Window. The implementation is a little different this time around, with a long press on the back button brining up a side bar of apps to choose from. On its tablet incarnation, this consisted of a choice of six. This time we have much more to choose from, including YouTube, ChatOn, GMail, Maps, Internet and, well, you get the idea.

This list is also customizable so you can cut the ones you don't want, and bring your faves to the top. In practice, it works well. We had videos running while we checked our email, and happily scoured Google maps whilst we kept some restaurant reviews open in the other pane.
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And here's Engadget's enthusiastic wrap up:
To answer the question we posed at the beginning of this review, this thing is the real deal, and it's decisively better than the device that began the whole phablet craze. With SIM-free versions starting in the ballpark of £530, it's a bit on the pricey side, but for good reason: it offers best-in-market performance, an S Pen experience that blows its predecessor out of the water, a solid OS in Jelly Bean and plenty of other features that will make this a tempting offer to even the most petite-handed individual. To do so in a package that's actually thinner and narrower than the first Note is a tremendous accomplishment, and one that'll be hard to match. Get ready to have your cake and eat it too.
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editor said:
Samsung have just released the source code if you're techie enough to do anything with it:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/08/samsung-releases-galaxy-note-ii-source-code/
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that covers the modifications to the OS. what about the modifications to my apparel... I wouldn't try carrying in my trouser pocket (as current iphone 3GS) but seems fine for a jacket pocket. But I don't often wear a jacket. Certainly around the house.

Was v tempted by the deals on Three http://store.three.co.uk/view/product/ql_catalog/threecatdevice/2534?priceplan=PAY_MONTHLY&ID=1230 but a neighbour tells me that reception in our road is crap. Perhaps I'll activate the GiffGaff sim I got some months back... oh shit it's a micro sim...
 
Galaxy Note 2 takes a microSIM and Giffgaff offer them (besides you can obviously cut one down to fit anyway).
 
Damn! Another rave review!
Verdict:
When you get the Note 2 out of its box, your first reaction will be to its enormous size. Some will find it absurd, but those who want a big screen with loads of beautiful detail, a much better battery and some cool pen features will "get" it within 10 minutes of holding it for the first time.
The Note is a device that shouldn't work. A device that the Koreans dreamt up after too little sleep, and too many energy drinks. But somehow, it's the most captivating phone we've used for a long time. It manages to invalidate the tablet to some extent, because it's big enough to be a powerful media device, but small enough to carry everywhere.
It isn't a phone for everyone, but those who love gadgets will take to it, and it will change their lives.
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http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/6011/samsung-galaxy-note-2-review
 
T-Mobile contract ends 04/11/2012 then I am a free agent :cool:

Went to the T-Mobile upgrade options for Samsung and they are offering me the choice of Samsung Galaxy Mini or Samsung Galaxy S II only on my current plan. Paying £26.47 for 600 mins, 500 texts and unlimited data at the moment so doubt I will see the Note II without upping that spend or paying a chunk up front.

Spoke to an over cheery adviser who said they can't do anything till Monday 15th when they get the handset. Oh well....
 
I'm waiting for my current phone to break. I don't need to get a new one until that happens.
 
Onket said:
I'm waiting for my current phone to break. I don't need to get a new one until that happens.
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I plan to sell mine and use that to pay the first 6 months bills or buy lots of flash accessories for the new toy ;)
 
Each to their own.

I'll get a new one when this one packs up. My last phone had buttons.

<edit> A Sony Ericsson K800i.
 
Just to clarify...
The deal from Three is much better (for me at least) than the Everything Everywhere deal who I am currently with on the Note II but they are a fair way off of 4G?
The UK's fourth biggest network - Three - is set to take over part of EE's 4G spectrum, but is not due to do so until September 2013.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19786041

However, though Three now also has a presence in the 1800MHz band via the two 15MHz blocks it has acquired, it needs Everything Everywhere to fully vacate the two chunks before it can start preparing the infrastructure for 4G services. Under the deal, the seller is not obliged to do that until September 2013. If Everything Everywhere gives permission for Three to take over before that date, then Three could introduce its competing 4G services just a few months after Everything Everywhere's launch. Otherwise, Three's 4G debut is likely to come towards the end of 2013.
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http://www.zdnet.com/uk/three-cleared-to-prepare-for-4g-takeoff-7000002987/
 
Emailed a chap I know at mobiles.co.uk on this and got this reply:

I must advise our deals do change and between us you will find a much better deal just before December.
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:hmm:
 
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