At the recent Galaxy Note world tour stopover in Jakarta, invited journalists had a first-hand look at the device and its capabilities. Right off the bat, the first major feature of the phone is its unusual size.
With a hefty 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, the Galaxy Note is billed as halfway between a smartphone and a tablet.
With a screen of that size, the Samsung Note allows users to browse the internet and read webpages comfortably, without scrolling. Above all, it functions as a sort of digital notepad, allowing people to jot down their thoughts or doodles.
Samsung Asia president and CEO Gregory Lee said at the launch: “For business users, they can easily open and read emails, check PDF files and make notes on the go, while for younger users, they can write down their stories and share their artwork among friends and family.
“This device gives a creative person the capability to capture and create anytime, anywhere. They can do all this in one mobile device. With this, Samsung is giving consumers a new smartphone user experience.”
In a presentation of the Galaxy Note, Samsung Indonesia mobile phone business director Budi Janto said: “All aspects of portability and functionality were considered. (The screen size) was best for people who wanted to bring their tablet around with them.”
Feel free to create
The Galaxy Note’s other major distinction is the S Pen, essentially a super stylus. While the device is still a touchscreen, the use of the S Pen takes its functions to another level.
Said Budi: “The pen still plays a vital role in our lives, and the S Pen is a bridge between the analogue and digital world.”
The S Pen simulates the workings of a normal pen, allowing for very accurate writing and drawing results. This was demonstrated in a display by Indonesian digital graphic illustrator Teddy Soegiarto, who sketched and coloured an image using the device.
“The S Pen allows users to use a series of apps, including S Memo, where users can take notes while surfing the internet,” Budi said.
“They can capture a screen image, make annotations on it, and send it via email. They can also crop out images and manipulate them any way they want, and even have fun by doodling on photos and videos and sharing them with others.”
Samsung has also been developing more apps that showcase the full capabilities of the S Pen, and an extended software development kit will be available in December.
The Galaxy Note has a super-fast 1.4GHz dual-core processor, runs on the Android 2.3 platform, has an 8MP camera with flash and a choice of 16GB and 32GB internal memory, and can support up to an additional 32GB.
It comes in two colours, dark blue and white, and retails at the recommended retail price of RM2,299. It will also be available through subscription packages under Celcom and DiGi.
New directions
The Galaxy Note also has added mobile security features, thanks to a partnership with Juniper Networks.
According to Samsung Asia mobile phone product manager Luke Lee, “The partnership gives a secure link from corporate to personal data, which is stored on (external) servers. Should anything happen to the phone, users can remotely access the servers and wipe out the information on the phone to protect it.”
While the notion of a phone with a larger screen size and use of a stylus is not new, Samsung is confident that the Galaxy Note is a trailblazer.
According to president and CEO Lee: “The ideas may have been done before, but our research has allowed us to create a device where the users’ needs have been satisfied. The size of the phone works really well, especially when combined with our Super AMOLED screen.”
Asked whether they are concerned that the release of the smartphone-tablet hybrid Galaxy Note would affect sales of the Galaxy S II smartphone or the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Lee said: “When you design new devices, you cannot be afraid to try something new. Also, we’re actually creating a new market segment with this device.”
With a series of roadshows planned to give consumers a hands-on feel of the Galaxy Note, Samsung executives are confident that the public will be attracted to the device, and all its capabilities.
But the Galaxy Note is not Samsung’s only tempting offering. At the launch, guests were also given a first look at the upcoming Galaxy Nexus, another highly-anticipated device that almost stole the thunder from the Galaxy Note.
And no wonder, as it comes equipped with the juicy Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform, and with fun, people-friendly features that include allowing users to unlock the phone by smiling at it; to share photos, video and information just by touching it to another device; and to take panoramic, HD videos and photos.
With these devices, it’s clear that Samsung is playing to win in its premium mobile devices segment. Consumers will just have to wait to see what else Samsung has up its sleeves.
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