Samsung Galaxy Note 1 GT-N7000 16GB

Samsung Galaxy Note review: Samsung Galaxy Note

With its huge screen and throwback stylus, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a polarizing smartphone that winks at tablet territory. Those who like their screens XL will find a top-notch device that lets multimedia shine. The S Pen adds some artistic potential, but for some, the phone will just simply be too big. If you ask me, Samsung began marketing its Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T on the wrong foot. It was a smart move anticipating reactions to its oversize 5.3-inch screen when the unlocked version first launched in Europe, but the problem with claiming that the Galaxy Note is a phone-and-tablet hybrid (a "phablet," if you will) is setting the expectation that it will be able to reduce your tablet dependence, or obviate the need for one in the first place. While that might be the case for casual tablet users, or for the tablet-curious, the Galaxy Note is firmly and unquestionably a Galaxy smartphone first. In the meantime, "phablet" has become a (fun, if meaningless) catchphrase for a product for which the manufacturers can't seem to decide which spin will net the most sales.

Samsung Galaxy Note Android phone

The Samsung Galaxy Note is an interesting device that’s been designed as an all-in-one smartphone and tablet. Whether it holds any appeal will depend on you getting your head (and hands) around its mammoth size. If you’re comfortable with the design of the Galaxy Note, you’re left with a phone that has a brilliant display, excellent performance and slick software. With a huge 5.3in touchscreen and an included stylus, you would be forgiven for thinking the Samsung Galaxy Note is a tablet. Samsung, however, is positioning the giant device as an all-in-one smartphone: big enough to function as a tablet, but small enough to be classified as a smartphone. Ultimately, whether the Samsung Galaxy Note is the right phone for you will depend on getting your head (or hands) around its sheer size.