MAMBA TECH: SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE

Samsung has just launched its innovative new Galaxy Note, which has been described as a cross between a tablet and smartphone.

Samsung says that the Galaxy Note is a new category of product; “a hybrid device that combines core on-the-go benefits of various mobile devices while maintaining smartphone portability, to create a whole new user experience.”

The Galaxy Note has a 5.3” display which is the largest, highest quality display available in any phone. It features the world’s first and the largest 5.3” HD Super AMOLED display, an expansive high-resolution screen that provides an immersive viewing experience.

This ensures excellent viewing experience for video, photo, document and web on the go with deep blacks and bright colours. The screen also offers a 180 degree viewing angle, allowing contents to be shared comfortably.

Samsung has taken an unusual and expected step in bringing back the stylus, so popular in the nineties. But it argues that this is something that makes perfect sense for the Galaxy Note.

Called the S Pen, it works with the Galaxy Note’s full touch screen and can be used for accurate sketching and artwork. It will also apparently learn to ‘understand’ your writing to convert it to text.

Samsung says that the S Pen functionality has been deeply integrated into the Galaxy Note’s native applications to provide a richer interactive experience and that users will benefit from increased accuracy and control when editing or personalising captured videos or photographs.

Users will be able to draw and send handwritten images and notes via text message, email, and Samsung’s ChatON communication service (much like WhatsApp).

The Galaxy Note features S Memo, a multimedia application designed to record all forms of user-created content. Pictures, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes or drawings can all be captured via a single application and converted to a ‘memo’, to be edited, annotated and shared as desired.

A one-step screen-capture function also allows users to instantly capture any screen; captured images can also be freely and accurately annotated using the S Pen before being filed or shared.

“We examined the fundamental elements of mobile culture, entertainment and communication to bring together the best experiences in a single, elegant device,” says Paulo Ferreira, Head of Mobile Product and Business Solutions at Samsung.

“The artistic freedom of a paper notebook is coupled with the benefits of Samsung’s smartphone technology and services, allowing users to create, edit and share with more style than ever before,” Ferreira added.

Running on Gingerbread, or Android 2.3, the 1.4GHz dual-core processor ensures the device is extremely fast and a smooth user interface means seamless usability.
Lightning fast network speeds are enabled through the HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Wi-Fi Direct connection.

The Galaxy Note comes with Google Mobile Services which allows you to have access to services including Gmail, Google Talk and Google Search to name a few. With access to Google Maps, the Galaxy Note offers users the ability to use turn by turn navigation through Google Maps in South Africa – ideal for a person on the move.

“We are excited about the Galaxy Note as we believe that this product truly meets the needs of a variety of consumers locally. The next evolution of mobile technology is here and is changing the mobile space for the better,” said Ferreira.

The Galaxy Note is an interesting and exciting new release that will test consumers’ interest in owning a product that brings together the smartphone and the tablet. It’s future, and perhaps the future of this new category, remains to be seen. A gimmick or groundbreaker?

The Samsung Galaxy Note will be available locally in 16GB at a recommended retail price of between R 8,499 and R 8,999.