Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung has answered a question that nobody was asking. Apparently there was a gaping hole in the market between phones and tablet computers. The solution? A really big phone that’s “sort of” also a tablet. Meet the Galaxy Note.

At 5.3″ the Note is about half the size of an iPad. It runs the latest version of Google’s operating system, version 2.3, and packs a serious punch on the hardware front with a dual core, 1.4Ghz processor, 16GB of storage and a camera that can record full high definition video in 1080p.

When I first encountered the Note, it was hate at first sight.

I couldn’t understand who would want this. It’s too big and clumsy to be a phone and too small to be useful as a tablet. When you answer the phone your head disappears from sight and it’s impossible to use this thing with one hand.

In short, the Samsung Note makes you feel like Alice in Wonderland where nothing is quite the size it should be and there are people either laughing or shouting at you all the time.

But then something strange happened. I actually started using the Note. And it grew on me.

The Note is great for reading, which I mostly do with Amazon’s Kindle app – awesome on Android. It’s also brilliant for watching movies. Unlike Apple’s devices, the Note also handled most video formats I threw at it without any conversion required.

The Note includes a pressure-sensitive stylus that can be used to draw or write on the screen. You can also capture screen shots on the device and then annotate using the stylus. With a fine point it’s great for drawing or writing, although I did notice some lag that was somewhat annoying at first.

I also found that it’s a workable solution for replacing your phone and tablet. And 5.3”, it turns out, is big enough for most things. The only thing you’ll miss is a nice, full-sized keyboard like the iPad has.

So if you don’t mind looking like you’re fumbling around with Fisher Price’s My First Phone and you fancy the idea of having one big phone instead of a phone and tablet, then check out the Note. Like Uma Thurman, many people will find the Note unappealing. But others will develop an attraction that they can’t quite define.

Verdict: A very big phone, or very small tablet. You decide.

Complexity: Grows on you, like a soft moss.

Price: R8 500

Also consider: Therapy

Value rating: 6/10