SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 2 @ HANDS ON WITH IT!!!!

Now Samsung has given in and called the Note 2 a smartphone,I can dub it the most powerful around.

With a wonderfully vivid 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD screen and meaty innards, there's no doubt that the Note 2 is the top dog when it comes to raw grunt and function.

Add to that the S Pen functionality, which has been given a bunch of new fancy tricks, and you can see why there's a lot to coo over with the new device.

FOR:-

• Great Screen
• Android 4.1
• Superbly Fast

AGAINST:-

• Lightweight Design
• Will be pricely
• Far too big for most

Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 continues to define and develop the class of "phablet" that first blurred the line between phone and tablet and made for a completely new user experience. Yes, it was big (too big for some), but it brought new functionality to the cell phone world. A few weeks ago in Berlin, Samsung unveiled the successor device, the Galaxy Note 2 (officially, Galaxy Note II.) Larger and more powerful, the Note 2 is a stunner in many ways, but it still involves a big adjustment for users.

DESIGN:-

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 looks and feels a lot like a larger Samsung Galaxy S3, with aesthetic trimmings closer to the smartphone flagship than the first Galaxy Note. A host of little design tweaks have been made to bring the Note series to bring in-line with Samsung's 2012 devices.

Its soft key is a little sleeker, and while it its body is still palm-worryingly big, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a little longer and less wide than its predecessor. The result is a phone that looks a bit leaner and less stubby, and is a little comfier to hold.

There's no sugar-coating the truth, though. If you have small hands or wear femur-hugging skinny jeans the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will pose a logistical problem or two, and may have to be consigned to the handbag for transportation.

However, Samsung has made some seriously handy design improvements that minimize the size issues for most people. The buttons along its sides, which control volume and power, have been lowered a little. Those bearing at least mid-sized man-hands will be able to operate the basics without shifting grip. And I couldn't say that about the original Note.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is also a little slimmer and lighter than its forebear. It's 177g in weight and 9.4mm thick. That's a smidge thicker than the 8.6mm of the Samsung Galaxy S3, but this is presumably to enable the phone to pack-in a seriously impressive 3100mAh battery. Excuses for a tiny bit of back fat don't get much better than that.

The basic construction of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is typical Samsung. Its rear is covered with a thin plastic battery cover, and while the sides are metallic in finish, they are made of plastic

Other benefits of using a removable battery cover include being able to remove the battery, and east-to-design custom covers-cum-cases. Samsung includes a second rear with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, one that apes the Pebble Blue finish of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and has an integrated front flap screen protector. 

The cover also hides a microSD slot, letting you upgrade the 16/32/64GB of internal memory both easily and cheaply. You don't have to remove the battery to get access to the memory card slot, either. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a phone that looks less geeky than its predecessor, while keeping the design nods that techies will love. However, these days it doesn't need that many connectors to keep up its tech cred.

There are just two here, a microUSB port on the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack up top. The bottom socket is used for charging, transferring files and to pipe video out using Samsung's MHL-compliant cable. Samsung does not include one in the box, though. What you do get are the USB cable, power adapter and a pair of basic IEM-style earphones with an integrated handsfree kit/remote.

The most important accessory of all, though, is one that slots perfectly into the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - the re-designed S Pen stylus. Unlike the original S Pen, it features a triangular stem design for improved ergonomics, has a select button on one of its sides and has a rubber tip. Its tech specs have been significantly improved too. 

It lives in a little cubby hole at the bottom of the device, and the Note 2 even notifies you with a bleat if you leave without it. This is done using a clever combo of the Wacom digitiser that makes the stylus so clever, and the phone's accelerometer judging when you've walked away with the device.

In terms of the software, you can see S Pen capabilities as a continuum from the first Note to the Note 10.1 tablet to this phone. For instance, the Note 2's S Pen is capable of up to 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, just like the Note tablet's. You'll also recognize the same virtual pointer/cursor on the Galaxy Note 2's screen, which can be used to open drop-down menus and enlarge certain thumbnail images in the galleries, without touching pen point to screen. Samsung calls it Air View.

In addition, there's side-by-side multitasking with certain apps, just like on the Note 10.1, and the capability to open up a memo and take screenshots using a few taps and button presses.

However, Samsung's software jockeys threw in a slew of new tricks, too. Slide out the S Pen and the phone detects the change; it'll show you a special screen with shortcuts it thinks you may want. You can now select text by pressing the button and dragging the S Pen.

CAMERA:-

So far, the Galaxy Note 2 looks like it will carry on Samsung's legacy for high-performing 8-megapixel cameras. i had an opportunity to take a few test shots, and wAS impressed that the photos look just as crisp and colorful on the Galaxy Note 2 as they were on the GS3. Not all pictures will turn out ready for a frame, but that's true with any camera

.

My hopes are high that the Note 2's shooter will match Samsung's best camera yet, and fall in the higher end of the range compared with rival smartphones like the iPhone and the HTC One X/HTC Evo 4G LTE. (There's also the excellent, but impractical, Nokia 808 PureView with its 41-megapixel sensor.)

OUTLOOK:-

Here's what I predict. Yes, the Note 2 will sell, and it'll sell differently in different markets. For instance, in countries where having one device is more popular than having two, its technical specifications and size will make it a bridge device even among those who aren't especially interested in the S Pen extras. The Note 2 is undoubtedly a more polished and powerful smartphone than the original Note, so artists and professionals who are stylus-inclined will also get a leaps-and-bounds upgrade.

Those who are open to a standalone tablet will stick with smaller smartphones, like the very similar Galaxy S3, or perhaps seek out the Galaxy 10.1 tablet instead of this "phablet" crossover.

I have my complaints for a bunch of the same features in the Galaxy Note 10.1 and in the GS3. There are a lot of those features, but do they work seamlessly, and do they fundamentally improve the smartphone experience, or do their rough edges detract from the whole? Samsung is certainly developing this tablet/smartphone category, and even without the experimentation and the kinks to work out, the Note 2 is a type of device that polarizes. Perhaps this new Note can convince us, but I won't know for sure until I get to know the Note 2, and its new tricks, intimately.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION:-

Quick Glance
Style	Full touchscreen
Screen Size (inches)	5.5
Operating System	Android OS
Physical Keyboard	No
Touchscreen	Yes
Features
Style	Full touchscreen
Operating System	Android OS
CPU	1.6 GHz, quad core, ARM Cortex A 9
Screen Size (inches)	5.5
Screen Resolution	720 x 1280
Touchscreen	Yes
Physical Keyboard	No
Height	151.1
Width	80.5
Depth	9.4 mm
Weight	180
Memory Slot	Micro SD up to 32 GB
Camera	8
Front Facing Camera	1.9
Video Camera	1080 p
Camera Flash	1 x LED
Coverage (Band)	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps; LTE 700/2100 MHz, 100 Mbps down, 50 Mbps up
Bluetooth	v 4.0
Radio	Yes, FM Radio
WiFi	Yes
3 G	Yes
Email	Yes
3.5 mm Headphone Jack	Yes
App Store	Yes
Charging/Computer Connection	micro USB
GPS	Yes
Available Colors	White, Brushed metal Grey

COURTESY:- AARUSH