The original Samsung Galaxy Note was a concept that really shouldn't have succeeded; a phone with a finger-stretching 5.3-inch screen by rights should be a laughable spectacle, yet it found a receptive audience and at the time of writing has sold five million units worldwide. Such was its popularity that Samsung has released a successor in double-quick time and true to form has equipped it with an even larger display. We can hear trouser pockets all over the globe groaning with discomfort already.
However, increased screen size isn't the only thing the Galaxy Note 2 brings to the table. It's packing a Exynos 4412 chipset which contains a quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, aided by a roomy 2GB of RAM. There's some fearsome power contained within the imposing frame of this massive mobile, as well as Android 4.1 (also known as Jelly Bean) and a smattering of exclusive Samsung applications which take advantage of the phone's signature S Pen stylus.
There's no escaping it - the Galaxy Note 2, like its forerunner, is gigantic. It straddles the divide between mobile phone and tablet quite awkwardly, never really feeling like it can be classified as either device. The Note 2's immense proportions also make it difficult to cram into all but the most accommodating pockets, and it's more comfortable when riding inside a satchel or handbag. For those who like to travel light, this is likely to present quite an issue.
Samsung's love of glossy plastic remains unchecked and the Galaxy Note 2 is notable for the complete absence of metal surfaces. The shiny trim which runs around the edge of the phone is simply plastic with a faux-metal coating, and the battery cover is a wall of fingerprint-attracting material. Even so, the handset never feels cheap and nasty; it's got a reassuring heft to it, and when the rear cover is snapped into place the device is solid and robust.
Like its predecessor, a fair degree of the Galaxy Note 2's unique functionality revolves around that unique S Pen stylus. It docks in the bottom-right corner of the handset and is utilised in a wide variety of ways - some of which we'll come to later. The new-look S Pen has a flat edge which makes it easier to grip, and a button which allows you to change how the capacitive screen reacts to its touch.
Utilising Electro-Magnetic Resonance (EMR) technology, the stylus is incredibly accurate, even more so than the traditional pressure-based pen you'd encounter on a device like the Nintendo 3DS or the Wii U GamePad. Its most impressive party trick is the fact that it works even when the tip isn't touching the screen - this "floating" state (dubbed "Air View" by Samsung) is used to show additional information about menu selections, similar to rolling your mouse pointer over an image on your PC monitor.
Naturally, whenever you have something which detaches from your handset there's the ever-present danger that you could lose or misplace it - especially when you're on a crowded bus or in a packed bar. Thankfully you can enable a feature which makes the phone emit an audible warning when you walk away without the S Pen docked - whether or not you'll be able to hear this over the din is another matter entirely.
One of the most obvious benefits of that powerful quad-core hardware is performance. Lag and jerkiness have accompanied Android almost from day one, and it's only now that these unfortunate issues are being put to bed. The Galaxy Note 2 is responsive and smooth, challenging the Nexus 4 for sheer user satisfaction. Application loading is lightning fast, the camera boots up in double-quick time and navigating the web is a real joy - something which is accentuated by that large screen, giving an almost tablet-like experience for web addicts.
However, increased screen size isn't the only thing the Galaxy Note 2 brings to the table. It's packing a Exynos 4412 chipset which contains a quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, aided by a roomy 2GB of RAM. There's some fearsome power contained within the imposing frame of this massive mobile, as well as Android 4.1 (also known as Jelly Bean) and a smattering of exclusive Samsung applications which take advantage of the phone's signature S Pen stylus.
There's no escaping it - the Galaxy Note 2, like its forerunner, is gigantic. It straddles the divide between mobile phone and tablet quite awkwardly, never really feeling like it can be classified as either device. The Note 2's immense proportions also make it difficult to cram into all but the most accommodating pockets, and it's more comfortable when riding inside a satchel or handbag. For those who like to travel light, this is likely to present quite an issue.
Samsung's love of glossy plastic remains unchecked and the Galaxy Note 2 is notable for the complete absence of metal surfaces. The shiny trim which runs around the edge of the phone is simply plastic with a faux-metal coating, and the battery cover is a wall of fingerprint-attracting material. Even so, the handset never feels cheap and nasty; it's got a reassuring heft to it, and when the rear cover is snapped into place the device is solid and robust.
Like its predecessor, a fair degree of the Galaxy Note 2's unique functionality revolves around that unique S Pen stylus. It docks in the bottom-right corner of the handset and is utilised in a wide variety of ways - some of which we'll come to later. The new-look S Pen has a flat edge which makes it easier to grip, and a button which allows you to change how the capacitive screen reacts to its touch.
Utilising Electro-Magnetic Resonance (EMR) technology, the stylus is incredibly accurate, even more so than the traditional pressure-based pen you'd encounter on a device like the Nintendo 3DS or the Wii U GamePad. Its most impressive party trick is the fact that it works even when the tip isn't touching the screen - this "floating" state (dubbed "Air View" by Samsung) is used to show additional information about menu selections, similar to rolling your mouse pointer over an image on your PC monitor.
Naturally, whenever you have something which detaches from your handset there's the ever-present danger that you could lose or misplace it - especially when you're on a crowded bus or in a packed bar. Thankfully you can enable a feature which makes the phone emit an audible warning when you walk away without the S Pen docked - whether or not you'll be able to hear this over the din is another matter entirely.
The screen's the star
The 5.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen is larger than the one seen on the previous model, but the overall resolution takes a slight tumble from 800x1280 pixels to 720x1280 pixels. The reason for this resolution reduction - which also brings the pixel density down from 285 to 267 ppi - is that the Galaxy Note 2 boasts a 16:9 aspect ratio screen, making it better suited for watching movies.One of the most obvious benefits of that powerful quad-core hardware is performance. Lag and jerkiness have accompanied Android almost from day one, and it's only now that these unfortunate issues are being put to bed. The Galaxy Note 2 is responsive and smooth, challenging the Nexus 4 for sheer user satisfaction. Application loading is lightning fast, the camera boots up in double-quick time and navigating the web is a real joy - something which is accentuated by that large screen, giving an almost tablet-like experience for web addicts.
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