Galaxy Note

[Aegean]

This Christmas I was lucky enough to get a Galaxy Note from Santa. Well actually it's from my wife, but its a great tool for me as a developer.

In the last while I've built some sites that are required to be tablet / iPhone / Android etc compatable, and this device lets me check for all these and more. I can do mobile browsing, full web browsing, app integration & testing, code debugging and a load of other things. Plus I now have it fully integrated with my email, google maps, its a fully functioning GPS (with the help of another android app) and it has loads of functions I probably wouldn't use.

The camera is great, full HD video, full voice recognition and generally really handy for me living here in Greece with all my customers in the UK. I have it running on my Orange UK plan.

The most impressive thing is the screen, 5.3" and the blackest blacks I've ever seen on a screen. Sadly for my wife she had to give me the receipt "just in case", so £600 including 32GB micro SD card.

The only downside - the embedded smartpen is destined to go walkies...other than that I love it.

Excuse the slightly blurry picture which was taken with my 5 year old (and now rubbish) regular digital camera.

 

[ELIFE-MZ]

I was tempted but it looks a tad silly when making phone calls. Sort of dinner plate stuck to your ear

 

[Aegean]

To be frank it isn't really a problem, I know its larger than a normal "phone" but that isn't an issue for me, it functions well and it works just fine. You are right to say its larger though, but its useable.

 

[GreyWing]

Not sure if you go on the net a lot with it but something that is taking on a bit of a cult following in Glasgow is this Giff Gaff

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-facebook-goodybag

I don't know too much about it, but unlimited data ( I couldn't get that with my recent deal). But I'm going to get a table or something similar and put one of these into it.

I have only had a quick read so not sure if there is a catch but people cancelling normal phones left right and centre apparently up north.

 

[aZooZa]

I definitely fancy one. Hard to drop the iPhone 4 with its screen resolution though

 

[wb]

Not sure if you go on the net a lot with it but something that is taking on a bit of a cult following in Glasgow is this Giff Gaff

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-facebook-goodybag

I don't know too much about it, but unlimited data ( I couldn't get that with my recent deal). But I'm going to get a table or something similar and put one of these into it.

I have only had a quick read so not sure if there is a catch but people cancelling normal phones left right and centre apparently up north.

Giff Gaff is great, will be switching over to them when my contract is up. Runs on the O2 network and have already got some friends onto them with no problems in signal/call quality/data speeds.

The packages for tablets and dongles aren't unlimited though unfortunately:

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags#data

 

[Aegean]

Well I do go online with it, but mainly with wifi. When I first got it I didn't realise the default settings were to constantly ping your email, etc via data roaming, so I chewed up a fair bit of credit at first. I've changed that now so it only checks my email when I tell it to. If you are going to get one I'd check your data allowance or change the settings like I did.

Screen-wise its the best Ive ever seen and brilliant for watching movies, which is a real godsend on the plane. I dragged 8 films from my laptop to the microSD card on it and they played perfectly.

Yesterday I downloaded a GPS system that doesn't need a constant data-link like Google Maps does, so the maps are stored on your device and as long as it receives data from the sats it works great.

Overall I'm very pleased with it and for me this cross-over between a phone and a tablet really works. For me a lot of modern mobiles are too small anyway and before now I've never had any real need for one.

To top it all off, a few days ago I bought I leather case, screen protector and a car charger for only £5.90 on Ebay in the UK, which I thought was brilliant value, with only 45p postage to here in Greece!

Not sure if you go on the net a lot with it but something that is taking on a bit of a cult following in Glasgow is this Giff Gaff

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-facebook-goodybag

I don't know too much about it, but unlimited data ( I couldn't get that with my recent deal). But I'm going to get a table or something similar and put one of these into it.

I have only had a quick read so not sure if there is a catch but people cancelling normal phones left right and centre apparently up north.

 

[BREWSTERS]

Well I do go online with it, but mainly with wifi. When I first got it I didn't realise the default settings were to constantly ping your email, etc via data roaming, so I chewed up a fair bit of credit at first. I've changed that now so it only checks my email when I tell it to. If you are going to get one I'd check your data allowance or change the settings like I did.

Screen-wise its the best Ive ever seen and brilliant for watching movies, which is a real godsend on the plane. I dragged 8 films from my laptop to the microSD card on it and they played perfectly.

Yesterday I downloaded a GPS system that doesn't need a constant data-link like Google Maps does, so the maps are stored on your device and as long as it receives data from the sats it works great.

Overall I'm very pleased with it and for me this cross-over between a phone and a tablet really works. For me a lot of modern mobiles are too small anyway and before now I've never had any real need for one.

To top it all off, a few days ago I bought I leather case, screen protector and a car charger for only £5.90 on Ebay in the UK, which I thought was brilliant value, with only 45p postage to here in Greece!

Are we witnessing a man falling in love with a device - even buying it gifts

 

[Aegean]

lol, fair point, I'm a big kid with a new toy.

Are we witnessing a man falling in love with a device - even buying it gifts

 

[monaghan]

The unlimited data does apply only to non-tethered devices, by my reading if you have a phone based tablet, this is a smartphone so would qualify for unlimited data.

Feel free to order a GiffGaff SIM via my affiliate link (GiffGaff SIM), they give us both a £5 credit

You could probably get away with occasional limited tethered use, but I'd not push your luck.

The free GG to GG calls are useful, we have all the family on GG now, the number porting is quite painless and my credit last a long time as most of my outbound calls are to the family.

The only negative thing I noticed was that data can be very slow in more remote areas I'd previously had good data rates on a Vodafone.

 

[Skinner]

If you don't know Giff Gaff runs on O2 so rock solid network.

O2 however tell me unlimited is actually 1gb after which they either slow you down or cut you off.

O2 also by their own admission can't tell the difference between a modern tablet data and using your phone as a modem

p.s. I have a Dell Streak which was a comp from Dell after screwing up my Alienware Order