Samsung Galaxy Note: 5.3", 1200x800 SuperAMOLED, S-PEN stylus, 2500mAh attery... *phew*

So why choose the Nexus over the Note or vice versa?

I would say if you don't have a tablet already and are thinking of getting one but can't decide which then the note is the perfect device existing in the middle with a stylus as well.

If however you already have a tablet or you don't want a tablet them get a Nexus as it is phone size despite having the second largest screen of any phone at 4.65 inches (the HTC Titan is 4.7 inches) and it has a 'retina' display resolution of 316 ppi plus of course it has ice cream sandwich which looks awesome.

The negatives for the Nexus is no one really is sure how easy it will be to get one or when exactly it will be available. Samsung has said November 17th which is next Thursday but phones4u will be getting it sooner as an exclusive although it hasn't arrived yet they have huge displays up in store. Other retailers are showing 21st November and even December availability so it's unclear how much stock there is however right now it's equally tricky to get a a Note unless you purchase is SIM free.

Personally as a gadget lover I Want both and I plan on getting both but it's looking lik I'll have to get the Note SIM free as its not on O2 currently so we will see.
 
spinstorm said:
So why choose the Nexus over the Note or vice versa?

I would say if you don't have a tablet already and are thinking of getting one but can't decide which then the note is the perfect device existing in the middle with a stylus as well.

If however you already have a tablet or you don't want a tablet them get a Nexus as it is phone size despite having the second largest screen of any phone at 4.65 inches (the HTC Titan is 4.7 inches) and it has a 'retina' display resolution of 316 ppi plus of course it has ice cream sandwich which looks awesome.

The negatives for the Nexus is no one really is sure how easy it will be to get one or when exactly it will be available. Samsung has said November 17th which is next Thursday but phones4u will be getting it sooner as an exclusive although it hasn't arrived yet they have huge displays up in store. Other retailers are showing 21st November and even December availability so it's unclear how much stock there is however right now it's equally tricky to get a a Note unless you purchase is SIM free.

Personally as a gadget lover I Want both and I plan on getting both but it's looking lik I'll have to get the Note SIM free as its not on O2 currently so we will see.
Click to expand...

Few more negatives putting me off are that it has no sd card slot, a less powerful gpu than the s2, and a slower cpu than the note. It has ICS but i dont really get the hype or missed something watching the video as it didnt seem to have much in the way of improvements over the old android just a couple new features u will likely never use like beam? :/

Whats got people excited about ICS, again not sarcasm i likely am missing something obvious lol :) N note is due to get ICS in a few months?
 
jubei said:
Whats got people excited about ICS, again not sarcasm i likely am missing something obvious lol :) N note is due to get ICS in a few months?
Click to expand...

Optimised browser, likely to be the fastest on the market. Will also sync with google chrome bookmarks, can auto set to load in desktop mode, incognito mode. Save pages for offline browsing.

New camera app which has been needed for some time really, useful stuff like panorama feature.

All the google apps have a got a big refresh, Gmail - faster to use, Google music, Google+, Calendar etc...

Widgets are now scrollable like they are in Honeycomb, which means more detail can be accessed on your home page without opening the widget. Widgets are also resizeable.

Launcher allows you to configure which 4 things you want on every screen.

Built in mobile data tracking, you can set limits and warnings for your monthly data limit. You can then also view in detail which apps have been eating your data and restrict how much they use.

Battery life should be optimised in ICS.

Roboto text I guess.

Probably forgotten some other stuff but that's all I could remember.
 
For me, the slower CPU speed and lesser GPU were part of the reasons why I went for the note over the Nexus but the main reasons were the screen size/resolution (1280x800 for the Note versus 1280x720 for the Nexus) and the Micro SD slot on the Galaxy note. Specs wise at least, I was holding off on deciding until ICS was confirmed for the note, and made my mind up on the Note as the phone I was going to get.
 
Shimmy said:
Optimised browser, likely to be the fastest on the market. Will also sync with google chrome bookmarks, can auto set to load in desktop mode, incognito mode. Save pages for offline browsing.

New camera app which has been needed for some time really, useful stuff like panorama feature.

All the google apps have a got a big refresh, Gmail - faster to use, Google music, Google+, Calendar etc...

Widgets are now scrollable like they are in Honeycomb, which means more detail can be accessed on your home page without opening the widget. Widgets are also resizeable.

Launcher allows you to configure which 4 things you want on every screen.

Built in mobile data tracking, you can set limits and warnings for your monthly data limit. You can then also view in detail which apps have been eating your data and restrict how much they use.

Battery life should be optimised in ICS.

Roboto text I guess.

Probably forgotten some other stuff but that's all I could remember.
Click to expand...

Damn i missed a lot lol, thanks for that matey explains why people are so interested :)

Guess i better hold off on buying the note until i try both in a shop, i dont get paid til 17th anyway which kinda works out to that end.
 
Couple of other things I just remembered.

The keyboard got a big update, accuracy supposedly much improved.

Speech recognition will now update in real time, whereas atm all phones wait until you have finished speaking, including the iphone. It uses some clever prediction to do this and google servers, so internet connection is needed to update in real time.

Also it has face unlock, probably a bit gimmicky but nice thing to show off I guess. Could class android beam in that category for now :p But will be interesting to see what developers come up with.
 
Yes the Note has a faster processor and better camera than the Nexus but by 0.3Mhz? We could root it and overclock it to 1.5Ghz!

The camera may not be as good but really I'm crazy for the high pixel density.

The Note has 285 whilst the Nexus has 316 ppi which is iPhone 4S matching density (326 on iPhone) add to that the buttonless front and ice cream sandwich makes me want it.

But I also want the note because I can see a situation where the stylus could be awesome.. But this inconsistency on release dates and availability for both phones is a pain in the arse!
 
Shimmy said:
Optimised browser, likely to be the fastest on the market. Will also sync with google chrome bookmarks, can auto set to load in desktop mode, incognito mode. Save pages for offline browsing.

New camera app which has been needed for some time really, useful stuff like panorama feature.

All the google apps have a got a big refresh, Gmail - faster to use, Google music, Google+, Calendar etc...

Widgets are now scrollable like they are in Honeycomb, which means more detail can be accessed on your home page without opening the widget. Widgets are also resizeable.

Launcher allows you to configure which 4 things you want on every screen.

Built in mobile data tracking, you can set limits and warnings for your monthly data limit. You can then also view in detail which apps have been eating your data and restrict how much they use.

Battery life should be optimised in ICS.

Roboto text I guess.

Probably forgotten some other stuff but that's all I could remember.
Click to expand...

all the things you mentioned here are quite small updates - most of which can be done with 3rd party apps.

The greatest thing about 4.0 to me is the fresh new look of the UI / cool webos like gestures for multitasking / can't think of anything else.
 
Shimmy said:
Optimised browser, likely to be the fastest on the market. Will also sync with google chrome bookmarks, can auto set to load in desktop mode, incognito mode. Save pages for offline browsing.

New camera app which has been needed for some time really, useful stuff like panorama feature.

All the google apps have a got a big refresh, Gmail - faster to use, Google music, Google+, Calendar etc...

Widgets are now scrollable like they are in Honeycomb, which means more detail can be accessed on your home page without opening the widget. Widgets are also resizeable.

Launcher allows you to configure which 4 things you want on every screen.

Built in mobile data tracking, you can set limits and warnings for your monthly data limit. You can then also view in detail which apps have been eating your data and restrict how much they use.

Battery life should be optimised in ICS.

Roboto text I guess.

Probably forgotten some other stuff but that's all I could remember.
Click to expand...
The problem is that all of these points are software and
ICS based, and I worry that the internals of the nexus aren't up to scratch for a phone thats going to need to last for the duration of 2012, in a time when more powerful phones are going to recieve the update to ICS anyway.
 
I can't think of anything on Android (present or on the way) that the internals of the Nexus wouldn't be able to handle.

The next wave of phones are going to decimate the Note and Nexus by the look of it (Tegra 3, quad-core) so one of those newer devices is always an upgrade option if you found the Nexus lacking. If you did find the Nexus lacking, the odds are that the Note will be struggling with quad-core related stuff as well.

Most people aren't going to be doing things that will even remotely tax the GPU on the Nexus, I assume it will easily play things like Shadowgun with the CF3D mod anyway, but none of the 'mainstream' games are even half as taxing as that.

What I like about ICS is the (hopefully) overall new polished look, Gingerbread looked very similar to earlier versions and was starting to get a bit stale. You shouldn't have to install a mass of ugly and sometimes non-functional widgets to enjoy the main features of your phone. The TouchWiz widgets are okay but a lot of them are ugly.

The curved screen and 'bar of soap' design are what I really like too. Holding the HTC Sensation is so much nicer than holding the Galaxy S II purely due to the bar of soap design aspect of it. It feels smaller, more like a Desire, when it's actually thicker, heavier and basically the same size as the Galaxy S II.

The main worry for me is still the camera. Hopefully it's iPhone 4 quality or better at least.

Are you having second thoughts about the Note now Richdog or are you waiting to try one in person?
 
Robbo said:
I can't think of anything on Android (present or on the way) that the internals of the Nexus wouldn't be able to handle.
Click to expand...

The SGS II with Exynos chip is powerfulk enough to stream 1080p Youtube videos... the Nexus isn't. I'm not saying that makes or breaks a phone by any means but like it or not, the internals of the Nexus are now a little aged, and they were imo purposefully nerfed by Samsung so that it didn't compete directly with their super high-end smartphone line. It is specced to be in line with Ice Cream requirements... little more, little less. It is, besides the screen and OS, a distinctly unspectacular phone.

Are you having second thoughts about the Note now Richdog or are you waiting to try one in person?
Click to expand...

Waiting to try one in person, but as I said before leaning more to a normal sized phone and a separate tablet now. In all liokelihood the Nook Tablet http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-tablet-barnes-noble/1104687969 :)
 
kona786 said:
all the things you mentioned here are quite small updates - most of which can be done with 3rd party apps.

The greatest thing about 4.0 to me is the fresh new look of the UI / cool webos like gestures for multitasking / can't think of anything else.
Click to expand...

Individually yes they're quite small but collectively it's a significant step up imo, especially for all of us on gingerbread/froyo.

Don't know how I managed to forget about the gestures and multi-tasking lol, easily the highlight for me when using webOS and yeah overall ICS just looks much cleaner.

Another thing I forgot about ICS, you'll be able to delete whichever apps you want including network bloat ware. Whereas in the past many Android users will have wanted to root and experiment with new ROMs, it looks like ICS is pretty much spot on.
 
Do we know for a fact that the 1.2GHz dual-core qualcomm can't stream 1080p? And does it really matter?

The thought of that high a resolution and high pixel density on a 4.7 inch screen is more exciting than if the processor is 1.4GHz or 1.2Ghz at least for now...
 
Thanks..!!

Guys,

I just registered here to say thanks for all the chat and info. This has been, in parts, the most useful site to inform my decision as to whether to buy a Galaxy Note.

I have gone with it and ordered from Amazon.de at the all in price of £459, again a tip I got from here. That saving left me enough to also order the flip cover and desktop dock and still come in under the UK price.

I am selling my old iPhone3GS, Blackberry Storm 2, a couple of Nokia's and my Galaxy S to fund it. That still leaves me about £100 short, but I have cancelled my Kindle Fire order which makes up the difference.

My concerns before ordering were:

  1. Size, having seen the videos that it could fit into trouser pockets, this pretty much cured that one. I bought a bluetooth headset last week to see if I would be able to get on with it and it seems to be fine. I can leave the headset switched off and I still have time to switch it on and answer the call before it times out. I also monitored how often I talk on the phone, and it is actually only once or twice a day. I am much more likely to use SMS or email.
  2. NFC or lack thereof, my understanding of NFC payments is that you need to enter a PIN to authorise them. Given this I see no great hardship in just carrying a contactless credit card. While it would have been nice, I guess I can live without it for the 18 months I will use the Note. Besides which, there is nowhere I know where I could currently use it.
  3. Battery life, this is going to be an issue, I currently use the Samsung extended battery back on my S, which gives me a day of heavy use or three days of normal use. I'm guessing this will be the Achilles heel so I had better get used to charging in the car and carrying a charger with me, along with a spare battery for longer flights. I saw a universal International charger with 12V car plug when I was in the US last week, I wish I had bought it now!
  4. Newspaper support, particularly the lack of any reader for the UK Daily Telegraph. This was close to a must have for me and nearly tipped the balance in favour of the Kindle Fire, but I can access the website and I'm sure I will learn to live with it, I might even cancel my subscription on the Kindle if I find I am not using it.

My reasons for wanting it:

  1. Convergence, on my trip last week, I carried an iPad, and Kindle and my Galaxy S onto the plane and at one time or another used all three. The iPad to watch a movie, the Kindle to read and the Galaxy S to listen to music. I have pretty much given the iPad to my kids and just borrow it for trips, it really is too big for me to use regularly. Similarly it is too heavy to conveniently use as a book reader, though I do use my Galaxy S for this. While I understand the Note has a much smaller screen, I don't think its going to be too bad for movies, the screen is much better suited to the 16:9 format that most of my movies are in, whereas on the iPad there is always a large amount of black real estate on the screen. I had originally planned on using the Kindle Fire as my convergence device along with buying the S II, but the Note gives me a stab at a truly one box solution. The thing that really put me off the Fire was no upgradable memory. I will probably still take the old Kindle 3G, just put it in the hold for use at bedtime and not carry it with me onto the plane. As I mentioned above, I do have a Telegraph subscription on the Kindle which I will probably keep hold of until there is an alternative.
  2. Note taking, in meetings. I like the idea of taking notes and attaching them to the calendar. Not sure if this will completely replace paper but I will give it a shot. I'd like to see Evernote integration.
  3. Email, or a decent size screen to do email on. I live on SMS and email and I find the iPad too big for this. I like the S, I can hold it in both hands and type with my thumbs, but I have fat fingers, I'm hoping the extra space on the Note will fix this. When travelling, 95% of my PC use is email, so I'm hoping I can leave the PC at home for some trips, with age comes arthritis of the shoulders and these laptops never seem to get any lighter.
Taking everything into consideration I think for me the S pen is going to be the killer app, followed by emails and then movies and music. Voice calls come a long way down the list, most people I know, know that I almost never answer my phone but will reply promptly to SMS and email.

So in conclusion, I've tried the 10" tablet form factor and it is just wrong for me, though my kids love it! The 7" form factor would have worked but this 5.3" form factor may give me the best compromise for everything and mean I only need one device. So instead of carrying a laptop bag, I can put the Note into my pocket or start carrying a man bag!

For me, the Nexus was never an option, it was the Fire and S II or the Note.

Anyway thanks again and so endeth my first and probably only post..!! :)

Hari....
 
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spinstorm said:
Do we know for a fact that the 1.2GHz dual-core qualcomm can't stream 1080p? And does it really matter?

The thought of that high a resolution and high pixel density on a 4.7 inch screen is more exciting than if the processor is 1.4GHz or 1.2Ghz at least for now...
Click to expand...

Multiple hands-on tests confirmed it. Its all down to the individual I guess, but yes it matters to me that a brand new phone cannot match the power of one that was released a year ago, and yet costs significantly more for what is basically a 720p screen, and... well, that's it really.
 
AndyCr15 said:
Does sound a little odd to me. Surely streaming video isn't very intense?

Also, not being able to display 1080p on a 720p screen... surely that's a given no matter what processors you have?
Click to expand...

They're talking about outputting 1080p content to a TV/Monitor? Decoding HD video is one of the most compute heavy tasks a phone or home computer will probably do these days.
 
Prawn67 said:
[*]Note taking, in meetings. I like the idea of taking notes and attaching them to the calendar. Not sure if this will completely replace paper but I will give it a shot. I'd like to see Evernote integration.
Click to expand...

I quite like the idea of scribbling notes down on it too, but my issue is, the built in app is just one page. You can scribble maybe 4 lines of notes and then you have to save and make a new page.

I'm really surprised, I don't see a notepad app that actually works like a notepad, letting me make big long notes. They all seem to be one page, it would be like sitting in a meeting making notes on a pad of post-it notes :(

Also, no leaning on the screen with you hand as you write... makes it a little tricky sometimes.
 
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