Samsung Galaxy Note II Smartphone Review
Design and Exterior
The Galaxy Note II is a refinement of the original Galaxy Note, with design language borrowed from the popular Galaxy S III. The Note II’s got more rounded corners than the original, along with a metallic, chrome band that runs around the edges of the device.
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The Samsung Galaxy Note II in White. Grey will also be available.
The Galaxy Note II is a refinement of the original Galaxy Note, with design language borrowed from the popular Galaxy S III. The Note II’s got more rounded corners than the original, along with a metallic, chrome band that runs around the edges of the device.
| Samsung Galaxy S 4G | 4.2 ounces |
| Motorola Droid Razr | 4.48 ounces |
| Nexus S | 4.55 ounces |
| HTC One X | 4.58 ounces |
| HTC Droid Incredible | 4.6 ounces |
| Apple iPhone 4 | 4.8 ounces |
| Apple iPhone 4S | 4.9 ounces |
| LG Spectrum | 4.99 ounces |
| Samsung Droid Charge | 5.04 ounces |
| Motorola Droid Razr Maxx | 5.1 ounces |
| Motorola Droid Bionic | 5.57 ounces |
| Motorola Photon 4G | 5.6 ounces |
| HTC EVO 3D | 6 ounces |
| Samsung Galaxy Note II | 6.34 ounces |
Looking at the weight and dimensions for other high-end smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Note II may seem gargantuan by comparison, but it’s really not. Yes, this thing is big—no doubt about it. But it’s only about 1/4" taller and wider than the Galaxy S III, and the weight wasn’t an issue at all. At first glance, the Note II will seem “too big” to most people, but once you use the device for any length of time, size no longer seems to be an issue. The Note II is still easily pocketable and the large screen makes for an excellent user experience in our opinion. There's a reason Samsung has sold millions of the original Note around the world and the device has such a following.
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Samsung Galaxy Note II / Galaxy S III Size Comparison
The Galaxy Note II’s build quality is very good, but there are some quibbles to mention. Because the Note II has a removable battery cover made of a plastic composite material, the back of the device doesn’t feel quite as solid as those on phones that don’t have any removable panels. The chrome band around the device is also easily scratched and feels like a soft plastic, although it does look like metal.
As we’ve mentioned, the front of the device features the front facing camera (1.9MP), notification LED, ear-piece and proximity sensor. At the bottom front are capacitive back and menu buttons, along with a physical home button. The 5.5” screen, however, dominates the front of the device.
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On the back you’ll find the Note II’s 8MP rear camera with LED flash, a small speaker grill, as well as the cutout for the S-Pen. The bottom of the device houses its micro-USB port and main microphone; the top of the device has a 3.5mm headphone jack and the noise cancelling microphone. The right side is bare save for the Note II’s power button and the left side is home only to the volume rocker.
