Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 2

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_sold_5_million_galaxy_note_ii_units_in_just_two_months-news-5121.php
Samsung sold 5 million Galaxy Note II units in just two months
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I've got the Note 1, and love it - I have big hands, big pockets and bad eyesight.

Have to agree that TouchWiz needs to be slimmed down - I loaded CM and it was smoother and faster.
The standard ROM (4.0.4) has the MTN APN set to an MTN proxy which slowed down Internet access.
I removed the proxy and all good (I guess MTN's proxy just too busy).
 
I have an S3 and after seeing the Note2 it looks too big :/....
Personally I don't think it should be a phone, although it's an amazing device!
 
One great phone.
When using it for a few days the Iphone and S3 look and feel like toys.
 
Having had the Galaxy Note 2 for 2 months now, all I can say to your so-called reviewer - just stop and get another job. This article not a review, but an opinion piece by an clearly clueless person.

1. The way you described the audio sounds like you expected a mini hifi. The Note 2 has the best non-headphone audio I have heard in a while, and professional testers with professional testing equipment agree. The Note 2 rate along the iPhone 5 for audio quality(not my opinion - tested fact - gsmarena and this link http://www.head-fi.org/t/625054/samsung-galaxy-note-2, audiophiles rank it just below the Iphone 4S, quite an achievement). I use my phones speakerphone facility a lot in business and the Note 2 is the loudest, clearest I ever had.
2. Not a well crafted phone - Jesus , you stupid arseholes keep coming up with that BS because of the plastic. Guess what, having had the so called inferior plastic phones for 4 years plus - they are not f..ing inferior. My old Galaxy S2 have 7 major dents as the only evidence of falls above 0.8 meters onto concrete and tar. The so-called superior Iphone 4 had a major problem with falls, the Iphone 5 fixed that, but at the cost of highly visible wear and tear on its anodized aluminium. If they used polycarbonate the note would have required a wheelbarrow to lug around(evidence the Nokia 920). From an engineering viewpoint the note is made from the right material, and it feels solid. Plastic has stopped being cheap and inferior a long time ago, we are not in the eighties anymore - wake up.
3. Touchwiz - Let me guess. You have read previous reviews of Touchwiz and felt you had to say something like bloated and abysmal. On the Galaxy S2 I changed my UI. On the Note I haven't really felt the need yet. It's not the best out there by far, but it has improved quite a bit from previous versions, and the bloated and abysmal comment point to a lazy review based on old opinions of Galaxy Touchwiz.

The note 2 is not perfect by a long shot, but the points made in this review does not reflect reality. Poor, poor review MyBB.
 
I place a lot more stock in peoples opinions who actually own the phone than a review. In this case it seems the reviewer is so far off the mark on many points. Seems like everybody who owns one has a satisfaction level that ranges from very happy to over the moon happy with this phone.
 
HBee said:
I place a lot more stock in peoples opinions who actually own the phone than a review. In this case it seems the reviewer is so far off the mark on many points. Seems like everybody who owns one has a satisfaction level that ranges from very happy to over the moon happy with this phone.
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That would be me
 
a part of me wishes they named the stylus the Pen S instead.......
 
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This reviewer is clearly an Apple user. Not well informed at all. Leave the testing to the experts. Visit GSMArena.com for a true review.
 
The S3 is pretty much identical to the Note 2 except smaller...S3 is by no means a toy, being the best selling smartphone of the year
Wag said:
One great phone.
When using it for a few days the Iphone and S3 look and feel like toys.
Click to expand...
 
Gathu said:
Having had the Galaxy Note 2 for 2 months now, all I can say to your so-called reviewer - just stop and get another job. This article not a review, but an opinion piece by an clearly clueless person.

1. The way you described the audio sounds like you expected a mini hifi. The Note 2 has the best non-headphone audio I have heard in a while, and professional testers with professional testing equipment agree. The Note 2 rate along the iPhone 5 for audio quality(not my opinion - tested fact - gsmarena and this link http://www.head-fi.org/t/625054/samsung-galaxy-note-2, audiophiles rank it just below the Iphone 4S, quite an achievement). I use my phones speakerphone facility a lot in business and the Note 2 is the loudest, clearest I ever had.
2. Not a well crafted phone - Jesus , you stupid arseholes keep coming up with that BS because of the plastic. Guess what, having had the so called inferior plastic phones for 4 years plus - they are not f..ing inferior. My old Galaxy S2 have 7 major dents as the only evidence of falls above 0.8 meters onto concrete and tar. The so-called superior Iphone 4 had a major problem with falls, the Iphone 5 fixed that, but at the cost of highly visible wear and tear on its anodized aluminium. If they used polycarbonate the note would have required a wheelbarrow to lug around(evidence the Nokia 920). From an engineering viewpoint the note is made from the right material, and it feels solid. Plastic has stopped being cheap and inferior a long time ago, we are not in the eighties anymore - wake up.
3. Touchwiz - Let me guess. You have read previous reviews of Touchwiz and felt you had to say something like bloated and abysmal. On the Galaxy S2 I changed my UI. On the Note I haven't really felt the need yet. It's not the best out there by far, but it has improved quite a bit from previous versions, and the bloated and abysmal comment point to a lazy review based on old opinions of Galaxy Touchwiz.

The note 2 is not perfect by a long shot, but the points made in this review does not reflect reality. Poor, poor review MyBB.
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The link you posted about the audio quality took me to a forum thread?

The Note 2 feels like a big Galaxy S3, I don't see the point (being an owner of a S3 that is). My biggest gripe in terms of build quality is the fact the screen light bleeds behind the plastic (visible if you look at the phone in a dark room) none of my previous phones have suffered from this issue. Seems like a waste having light going into the housing instead of being restricted to the screen area.
 
I got the Note 2 just over two weeks ago and I am loving it. While the phone is on the large side it is not uncomfortable to use at all. I also have not experienced any squeaking or groaning from the phone's materials at all and consider it to be rather well constructed. The audio output is also in my option far superior to that of the iPhone 4, for example. The S-Pen is cool but I do not find myself using it all that often...mostly when I am too lazy to type since the handwriting recognition is flawless. As for the split screen function...Samsung does not explain this very well and I only recently figured out how to use it, but personally can't see myself using it all the time. It's just a cool thing to show off. Video and photo's are awesome, both viewing and capturing. Lastly, the battery life is superb.

My phone is my mobile office, and working in social media and online marketing I need a device which allows me to work efficiently and with speed...both of which the Note 2 does flawlessly.
 
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/11/samsung-galaxy-note-ii Also not a great review
Although I remember Anandtech were very positive about it.

My biggest problem with Samsung phones (versus say Sony, HTC, Motorola, Apple) is their continued support of Amoled. It's fallen increasingly behind in areas like colour accuracy, brightness and subpixel array (i.e. actual resolution). Every amoled screen that I've looked at has a greenish tint where IPS or SLCD shows whites perfectly well. It makes reading a slog.
 
LinuxMan said:
The S3 is pretty much identical to the Note 2 except smaller...S3 is by no means a toy, being the best selling smartphone of the year
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Second phone is a S3. Not a toy at all. Love the S3. It's just the feeling of the small size when handled after using the Note 2 for a few days. If you used to the size of the Note it's difficult to go back to a smaller phone.
 
Fudzy said:
The link you posted about the audio quality took me to a forum thread?

The Note 2 feels like a big Galaxy S3, I don't see the point (being an owner of a S3 that is). My biggest gripe in terms of build quality is the fact the screen light bleeds behind the plastic (visible if you look at the phone in a dark room) none of my previous phones have suffered from this issue. Seems like a waste having light going into the housing instead of being restricted to the screen area.
Click to expand...

Screen light? What screen light, it's got Super AMOLED.....
 
Ive been using the phone for a week now, after my Note 1 was stolen, and im OVER THE MOON with this device. 7/10 is a RIDICULOUS score for this device- this is hands down the best phone on the market at present.
 
Fudzy said:
The link you posted about the audio quality took me to a forum thread?

The Note 2 feels like a big Galaxy S3, I don't see the point (being an owner of a S3 that is). My biggest gripe in terms of build quality is the fact the screen light bleeds behind the plastic (visible if you look at the phone in a dark room) none of my previous phones have suffered from this issue. Seems like a waste having light going into the housing instead of being restricted to the screen area.
Click to expand...

The link for audio quality is to a forum thread. If you read through the thread randomly, you'll find the guys in there is pretty big audiophiles - they only care about sound quality and not android vs apple, and several have owned the Iphone 4/5 and the Note 2. In their opinion the Note 2's sound quality lies just below the Iphone 4, above the Iphone 5, unlike this 'review' which called it crap. Should count for something, shouldn't it?
 
Awesome device but I'd give my 70 year old mom an iPhone. Note 2 for me!
 
Just wonder if the reviewer could perhaps try to respond to some of the responses to his review as I have seen several review sites do this. It would help to get further clarity on things. Just a thought though.
 
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