Samsung is undoubtedly on a Galaxy Note launch blitz. With Galaxy Note starting to appear in some European countries, Samsung today announced the launch of the smartphone / tablet combo device for India. We also managed to get some time with the huge device and this is what we think.

This goes without saying that the first and foremost thing you’ll notice is the size. Galaxy Note is big. Its dimensions are 146.85×82.95×9.65mm making it huge by smartphone standards and small for a tablet. Nevertheless, Galaxy Note is a beautifully designed phone (or tablet, whatever you wanna call it) and more importantly, pocketable.

Galaxy Note has a 5.3-inch HD display that sports a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. Unlike Galaxy S II that has a Super AMOLED Plus display, Galaxy Note is equipped with Super AMOLED. But despite Samsung using the ‘last generation’ AMOLED displays, Galaxy Note impresses with the HD resolution. The colors are vibrant and text is crisp, just as they should be.

In addition to the big size, another thing that is peculiar to Galaxy Note is the inclusion of S Pen. S Pen is nothing but the stylus that comes bundled with the device. Samsung is pitching S Pen as a way for users to take handwritten notes, draw, write messages etc and good thing is S Pen delivers on that front. Apps have been nicely integrated to take advantage of the S Pen. Handwriting recognition works well. So does the drawing and sketching. However, the success of the S Pen depends on the availability of apps, which is why Samsung will release the SDK for developers to take advantage of the S Pen input.

Rounding up the specs are Android 2.3.5 OS, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, Wi-Fi, 8MP camera, 2MP front-facing camera, Bluetooth, GPS, variety of multimedia codec support, 16GB internal memory and microSD card slot.

To wrap this up, I would say the first impression was quite good. Galaxy Note is a good device with some meaty hardware. However, its uptake will depend on users comfort level with the size.

There’s no denying that Samsung’s Galaxy S II is one of the best smartphones one could buy. However, with smartphones getting powerful, one thing that has limited its ability is the battery backup. Galaxy S II’s 1650mAh battery is more than enough if you use your phone thriftily but when it comes to using it all day long with a bit of tweeting, email, multimedia and games, Galaxy S II’s battery is a disappointment. Luckily, we’ve got third-party battery manufacturers like Mugen who’ve come up with a 3200mAh battery for Galaxy S II. We’ve been trying it out for a while and this is what we think.

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Read the rest of Review: Mugen 3200mAh Battery for Galaxy S II (I9100) (351 words)

Any gadget looks beautiful when it is used in its original form, without any modification or protection. However, trying to maintain the same sheen on the gadget as it was on day one becomes difficult when the gadget in question is a smartphone that stays in one’s pocket for most of the time, battling with keys and other stuff that would eventually scratch the phone. Also, one needs to protect the priced possession from bumps and falls. Same is the case with Samsung’s power packed Galaxy S II.

Otterbox a known brand for device cases recently came out with a new case for Galaxy S II (I9100) and we’re obliged to try the latest offering. Otterbox case series are differentiated into – Defender (Rugged), Reflex (Adaptive), Commuter (Stylish) and Impact (Durable). The case for Galaxy S II belongs to the Commuter series that not only promises to protect the device but also look aesthetically appealing when covering the smartphone.

Having used an ‘affordable’ (read cheap) case before for Galaxy S II, Otterbox case’s design seemed a welcome change. Otterbox uses two-pronged protection to save your precious Galaxy S II from untoward scratches and bumps. First is the silicone cover that sits nicely on the phone providing a cushion to the phone and second is the rigid polycarbonate case that keeps the silicone tightly in place and also adds grip to the device. Another good thing about the silicone cover is that it plugs all exposed ports like the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and the microUSB port at the bottom. The only thing that remains exposed is understandably, the camera lens and the flash and the loudspeaker at the back.

To sweeten things further, Otterbox also bundles a touchscreen protector. Admittedly, an add-on to the case but screen protector’s quality could’ve been improved. The screen protector seemed flimsy and of low quality.

So is it worth the asking price? A definite yes considering a two-layer protection and also comparing with other competitive cases, not many give the durability and protection as an Otterbox case does.

It is available on Otterbox.com for $35 but you can get the same case for just $18.60 from Amazon.

Product Page [Otterbox]
Product Page [Amazon]

Any product is incomplete with its set of accessories and Samsung’s Galaxy S II is no different. We manage to get our hands on Galaxy S II’s official Desktop Dock, MHL Cable and an HS3000 Bluetooth Stereo Headset. HS3000 Bluetooth Headset.

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Read the rest of Galaxy S II Accessories Review (HS3000 Bluetooth Headset, Desktop Dock and MHL Cable) (626 words)

Samsung really hit a homerun with Galaxy S last year. It struck a chord with consumers that offered a great set of features, looks, performance and also set a benchmark for upcoming Android phones. Needless to say, it raised the bar higher for its successor. Fast forward to this year, we got its successor aptly named, Galaxy S II. With the new version, Samsung upped not only the hardware but also the software that comes with the latest Android OS and TouchWiz UI 4.0. We take an in-depth look to see if it’s really worthy to be called a successor.

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Read the rest of Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) Review (1,610 words)

Samsung had a very good 2010 when it came to Android phones. Samsung rolled out Galaxy S under various editions that set a hardware benchmark for other Android devices but was blemished by one thing – software. The untimely software updates allegedly attributed to Samsung’s TouchWiz UI infuriated many customers who longed for a vanilla Android flavor of the Galaxy S.

Enter the Google fairy! Android OS maker decided to use Samsung’s hardware expertise with their software and thus, Nexus S was born. Using similar innards as Galaxy S, Nexus S not only boasts the vanilla Google OS but also runs Android 2.3 or famously known as the Gingerbread OS.

However, is the developer phone worth the upgrade? We take a look.

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Read the rest of Google Nexus S Review (1,180 words)

Samsung has made a name for themselves when it comes to releasing touchscreen phones at affordable prices. Star and the colorful Corby-range struck a chord with the consumers and now they’ve released the Champ (C3303), with a similar intention. We managed to get our hands on the Champ and this is what we think.

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Read the rest of Samsung Champ (GT-C3303) Review (687 words)

Although Samsung is second largest mobile phone maker, their smartphone market share has a different story to tell. Needless to say, Samsung is serious about gaining on that front too, which is why they’ve introduced Galaxy S. We spent considerable time with the device and this is what we think.

Galaxy S runs on Android and if we go by its specs, it blows most of the current breed of smartphones off its feet.

Some of its distinguishing features are its 1GHz CPU, 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 5MP camera with 720p video recording.

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Read the rest of Samsung Galaxy S (I9000) Review (1,946 words)

If you want me to describe Samsung’s Star in a few words, that would be “a touchscreen phone for the masses.” Today, touchscreen phones are not a novelty as it was used to be a few years back and Samsung is only trying to give a touchscreen experience at an affordable price. We had a chance to test out the device for a few days and here is our verdict.

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Read the rest of Samsung Star (S5230 / S5233) Review (814 words)