Galaxy Note Tips & Tricks

S Pen

Install S Note app and Extension pack on Galaxy Note 10

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S Note appYou can install S Note app and the Extension pack on Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ to fully utilize the S  Pen.

Although Samsung favors the Samsung Notes app, S Note app has a few clear advantages, especially for those who need to take notes in meeting rooms or lecture theaters.

This S Note guide explains the features of S Note app, the difference between the S Note app and Samsung Notes app, and shows you how to install S Note app and the extension pack on Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+.

This guide also applies to Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9.  Older Galaxy Note devices have more options in the extension pack.

What’s S Note app?

An outstanding phone requires both the top-notch hardware and some flagship apps.

S Note was the flagship app on Galaxy Note devices. It demonstrates the productivity that S Pen can bring on a relatively large screen.

After the Marshmallow update for Galaxy Note 5, Samsung shifted focus to the general-purpose Samsung Notes app and stopped the active development of S Note app.

But Samsung has NOT abandoned the S Note app, although it has not been pre-installed since Galaxy Note 8. So, you cannot find the S Note app on Galaxy Note 8, 9, and 10.

Basically, S Note is a note-taking app.  But it is a very unique note-taking app.

The noteworthy features of the S Note app include:

  1. It supports multimedia files.  You can embed pictures, audios, and videos into the note.
  2. It supports paginations. You can organize one note into various pages.
  3. It supports collections. You can organize notes into collections (like books, or book chapters).
  4. It supports rich text. You can format the text like in Microsoft Word.
  5. It supports tags.
  6. It has a built-in illustration art library. You can insert any of the illustrations (and shapes) into a note.
  7. It supports S Pen.
  8. It supports pressure levels with S Pen.
  9. It supports shape recognition (and conversion). The S Note app can convert your dawing
  10. It supports
…

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Galaxy Note 10 Layout

The layout of Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+

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Galaxy Note 10 LayoutYou need to know Galaxy Note 10 layout if you want to use Galaxy Note 10 or Galaxy Note 10+ effectively.

With some new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+,  like zoom-in microphone, in-display fingerprint reader, the new Side key (power button),  even a seasoned Galaxy Note owner may get a bit confused on some parts of the Galaxy Note 10.

This Galaxy Note 10 guide details the layout of both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. All parts, ports, and buttons (keys) and their usage are explained as well.

Although the size of Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are substantially different, the layout of the two phones is almost identical except one missing rear camera on Galaxy Note 10. So, in this post, after highlighting this difference, we will not differ Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+.

What are the differences between the layout of Galaxy Note 10 and the layout of Galaxy Note 10+

As explained in this guide, there are some differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. For example, Galaxy Note 10 is smaller. There is no micro SD card support on Galaxy Note 10. The screen resolution of Galaxy Note 10 is only up to 1080p.

But if you check the outside of the two phones, you may notice the main difference (actually the only difference except the dimensions and weight) is the rear camera module.

As shown below, Galaxy Note 10 has one additional camera. Samsung labeled it as DepthVision camera, which includes a camera lens and an infrared sensor.

galaxy note 10 camera vs galaxy note 10+ camera

Galaxy Note 10 layout explained

As shown in the illustration below, from the front view of Galaxy Note 10, you can find:

1. Touch screen

More than 90% of the front of t Galaxy Note 10 is occupied by the dynamic OLED screen.

Please note, in most regions, a plastic screen protector was pasted on the screen because most tempered glass screen protectors do NOT work with the in-display fingerprint sensor.

2. Edge screen on Galaxy Note 10 layout

Edge screen is NOT …

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Unbox Galaxy Note 10: What are included in Galaxy Note 10 Box?

Understand contents in Galaxy Note 10 Box

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Unbox Galaxy Note 10: What are included in Galaxy Note 10 Box?When unboxing Galaxy Note 10 or Galaxy Note 10+, you need to understand contents in the Galaxy Note 10 box.

This post explains the 11 items in the Galaxy Note 10 box and their usage so that you can get the full benefits of the purchase.

If you want to know the Galaxy Note 10 new features, missing features, or check our Galaxy Note 10 review, please follow the links individually. We will not discuss them here.

When checking contents in Galaxy Note 10 box, please bear in mind:

  • The contents in the Galaxy Note 10 box and Galaxy Note 10+ box are identical except the phone.  In this post, Galaxy Note 10 refers to both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+.
  • The contents may vary from regions to regions. In some regions, Samsung may add some promotional items.
  • In some regions, Samsung does not offer a 1-to-1 exchange. You should check the phone and other contents in the box carefully when they handle the box to you.

Also, it is important to read the get started guide in the box before using Galaxy Note 10.

Contents in Galaxy Note 10 Box

In most regions,  besides the get started guide, safety guide, and some leaflets,  the following 11 items are included in the Galaxy Note 10 box, as shown in the picture below.:

  1. The phone.
  2. S Pen
  3. USB-C headset
  4. 25w Wall charger (travel adapter)
  5. USB-C cable
  6. S Pen spare nibs
  7. S Pen nib removal tool (tweezers)
  8. SIM card tray ejection pin
  9. USB connector
  10. Clear back cover
  11. Screen protector (not shown on the picture).

You may check with the salesperson if any of the items are not present.

Galaxy Note 10 Box

Understand the contents in the Galaxy Note 10 box and their usage

Now, let’s go through these 11 items one by one.

1. The phone: the most valuable item in the Galaxy Note 10 box

Of course, the phone (Galaxy Note 1o or Galaxy Note 10+) is the most important item.

By default, the battery level of a new phone is about 50%. So, it is enough …

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How to use the new Galaxy Note 10 S Pen?

Learn to use the new S Pen on Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+

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How to use the new Galaxy Note 10 S Pen?S Pen is the iconic feature of Galaxy Note devices. The new Galaxy Note 10 S Pen now has some fancy features and can be used as a magic wand (lol).

This Galaxy Note 10 S Pen guide explains everything you need to know about the new S Pen: the layout and new features of the S Pen,  how to use S Pen features including Air actions, remote control, Air command, Air View, screen off memo, and how to customize the S Pen settings on Galaxy Note 10.

The S Pen (and S Pen features)  is identical on Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+, although the two phones are quite different as explained in this post.  So, this guide applies to both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. In this post, Galaxy Note 10 refers to both devices.

Layout of the new S Pen on Galaxy Note 10

As shown below, the layout of the new S Pen includes:

  • S Pen release button. You need to push the release button inwards to release the S Pen from the S Pen slot. Please note, you need to put the S Pen back into the slot to charge it.
  • S Pen button. You need to press this button to access some features, for example, remote control, Air command,  and Air view.
  • S Pen tip. The tip is replaceable. In the Galaxy Note 10 box, there is a tool (tweezers) and spare tips. You may refer to this guide on how to replace the S Pen tip (identical to that for Galaxy Note 9 S Pen).
  • S Pen body. The new S Pen used the unibody design. The battery and sensors are sealed inside the S Pen body.

Both the S Pen and Galaxy Note 10 are water-resistant and dust-resistant.

Although the layout of the S Pen is almost identical to that of the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen, there are some new features of this new S Pen.

What are the new features of Galaxy Note 10 S Pen?

Since Galaxy Note …

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Top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should try

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Top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+Although Galaxy Note 10 received a mixed reception, there are many new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you may enjoy.

In this post, I will summarize the top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, which are quite impressive and exciting. They include Samsung DeX for PC, updated video editor, native screen recorder, the new S Pen, 25w/45W Superfast charging, 3D scanner (Galaxy Note 10+ only, not released yet), wireless Powershare, AR doodle, zoom-in mic, and the night camera mode.

The missing features of Galaxy Note 10 can be found here. An overview review of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ was posted here.

In this guide, Galaxy Note 10 refers to both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ unless the special features are on Galaxy Note 10+ only. If this is the case, we will use Note 10+ explicitly. The differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are discussed in this post.

#1. Samsung DeX for PC: the best new feature of Galaxy Note 10

Samsung DeX, which was introduced in Galaxy S8 and later available on Galaxy Note 8, Note 9, S9,  S10, and now Note 10,  is probably the most useful innovation bringing Android to a bigger screen, It transforms your phone into an Android desktop when connected to a large screen.

For Galaxy S8 and Note 8, you need to use the DeX station to connect the phone to the external monitor.  The slimmer DeX Pad was introduced with Galaxy S9 and can be used on Galaxy S8 and Note 8 as well. Galaxy Note 9 introduced the DeX cable, and you only need a USB-C to HDMI cable to use DeX with Note 9. This feature was ported to Galaxy S9 after the Android Pie update.  Currently,  Galaxy Note 9,  Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S10 can use any of them (DeX cable, Dex Station, or DeX Pad) to switch to the DeX mode. Galaxy S8 still needs a DeX Station or a DeX Pad to launch Samsung …

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Top 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should know before buying

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Top 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should know before buying

When you decide to upgrade or switch to Galaxy Note 10, you need to know these 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. You may check this page for the top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+.

For the first time, Samsung announced two models of Galaxy Note line-up: Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy Note 10. Galaxy Note 1o+ is a successor of Galaxy Note 9, and Galaxy Note 10 is a stripdown (budget? but still too expensive) version of Galaxy Note 10+.

As pointed in this Galaxy Note 10 review, both Galaxy Note 10 and Note 1o+ are targeted at the mainstream users (mass market), instead of the hardcore Galaxy Note users (niche market). The comparison of Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ was discussed here.

After playing around Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, we summarized the top 10 missing features that matter for traditional Galaxy Note owners.

#1.  Notification LED light: the most annoying missing feature of Galaxy Note 10

When Samsung switched to the punch-hole design on Galaxy S10, they removed the notification LED light.

Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ followed this design and removed the notification LED light. This is the first Galaxy Note device without the notification LED light.

It is obvious Samsung is willing to sacrifice any features and functions if they impact the “look” of the phone.

Do we buy a phone to look or to use in 2019?

Such small convenience features in old Galaxy phones actually are a magnet for many buyers.  Sadly, Samsung will eventually evolve their smartphones into a beautiful brick without any functions.

For example, you now have to check the phone screen to see whether the battery is fully charged or not when charging the Galaxy Note 10 battery.

#2. Capacitive fingerprint reader

Both Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ use an in-display fingerprint reader introduced in Galaxy S10 and S10+.

It sounds great. And of course, it “looks” great (see Galaxy Note 10 layout).

But in reality, it is a step …

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Galaxy Note 10 review: the death of Galaxy Note

Samsung is destroying Galaxy Note with Galaxy Note 10

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Galaxy Note 10 review: the death of Galaxy NoteWith the official announcement of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+), many long-term Galaxy Note owners are disappointed, although there are many BS articles claiming how innovative and how exciting Galaxy Note 10 is. This is a no BS Galaxy Note 10 review from a long-term Galaxy Note owners who owned every Galaxy Note devices.

This Galaxy Note 10 review is an overall review about Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ (the difference between Note 10 and Note 10+ can be found here). The detailed review of the new features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) is posted here. And the detailed review of the missing features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) can be found here.

When the first Galaxy Note was announced in 2011, many are not convinced. They were correct, and they are still correct.

Galaxy Note is for a niche market where owners use two hands (instead of one) and like to use the S Pen to “write” (instead of touch). So, it is not for the mainstream phone users.  The screen size of the 5.3″ Galaxy Note is more than twice (actually 2.23 times, 81.4  vs. 36.5 cm²) of that on the 3.5″ inch mainstream phone (iPhone 4) in 2011.

The growing user community who enjoys the bigger screen helped Samsung lead the industry in adopting a bigger screen in the mainstream phones. Today, most smartphones have a screen larger than 5″.

But the success of Galaxy Note is not just the big screen.

The success of Galaxy Note is due to 1) Big screen, and 2) S Note

The early adopters of Galaxy Note consisted of two groups of buyers:

  1. People who prefer a big screen to read books/website, to play games or videos on the phone.
  2. People who like to write on the big screen with the S Pen.

For the first group owners, they have got more and more choices over the years because all smartphone manufacturers gradually increased the screen size of their flagship smartphones. So, they are …

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How to change Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib?

Everything about Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib (tip)

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change Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib?Many users are not aware they can try different Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nibs to get different experiences from the S Pen.

The spare S Pen nibs and the tool are often neglected by Galaxy Note device owners. It is a waste for many users who feel the S Pen is too sticky or too slippery.

This S Pen guide explains the different usages of the spare Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nibs and how to change the nib for Galaxy Note 9 S Pen.

Items related to Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib in the Galaxy Note 9 box

Galaxy Note 9 introduced many new features and updated S Pen with Bluetooth support.

In your Galaxy Note 9 box, you may notice the following small plastic bag. Some users may think it is a weird connector for some ancient devices and throw it away.

Do NOT throw it away.

You will need the items inside it when you want to change the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib.

In the plastic bag, you can find:

  1. Tweezers. This is provided as a tool for S Pen nib removal.
  2. Another tiny plastic bag with two (2) pieces of spare Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib (tip).

Prior to Galaxy Note 9, there are 5 pieces of spare S Pen nib. It seems Samsung is less generous on accessories for the more expensive Galaxy Note 9.

 Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib in the Galaxy Note 9 box

When and why you need to change Galaxy Note 9 S Pen nib?

When you use the S Pen on Galaxy Note 9 screen, some users may feel it is too sticky. Some may feel it is too slippery.

Even for the same phone, after you apply a screen protector, you may find it is a bit harder to use the S Pen.

In these cases, you may change the S Pen nib to see whether the performance of the S Pen is better.

Besides, if you are a heavy user of S Pen (e.g., frequently using the S Pen for design or note-taking), the S Pen nib may experience severe …

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How to use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9?

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use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9 allows you to use the new S Pen to control some apps remotely through a Bluetooth connection.

You can even customize the app actions corresponding to the single press (press the S  Pen button once) and double press (press the S Pen button twice).

This Galaxy Note 9 S Pen guide explains how to use and customize S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9.

What is S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9?

The Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is Bluetooth-enabled. And Samsung wants you to use it as a remote control so that you can free your hands from the phone screen.

If you ever used a selfie stick, you may already know the importance of a remote shutter for the selfie stick.

Now, with Galaxy Note 9, you can just press the S Pen button once to take a photo. You can press the button twice to switch between the front and rear camera.

Or when you hook Galaxy Note 9 to a projector to do a presentation (in either screen mirroring or Samsung DeX mode), you can use S Pen as a wireless presenter.

Besides the camera app and PowerPoint app, you can also use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9 to control a few other apps.

There are 3 categories of S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9:

  1. Open app or S Pen function. You can designate one app to be opened when you press the S Pen button (and when you are in Galaxy Note 9 Home screen or Apps screen). You can also choose one S Pen feature (e.g., smart select) if you do not want to open an app.
  2. App actions. You can choose the corresponding operations for single press and double press of the S Pen in supported Samsung and Google apps.
  3. Universal control or master control. You can assign operations for all third-party camera apps and media apps.

In short, S Pen remote control allows you to perform operations in some apps without looking …

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How to use Galaxy Note 9 S Pen?

Everything about the Bluetooth enabled Galaxy Note 9 S Pen

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Everything about the Bluetooth enabled Galaxy Note 9 S PenGalaxy Note 9 S Pen is a productivity and content-creation tool for Galaxy Note 9.  It received a major update since its inception 7 years ago with Bluetooth features.

You can now use Galaxy Note 9 S Pen as a remote control for several apps, in addition to the traditional S Pen features such as air command and screen-off memo.

This Galaxy Note 9 guide explains the new features of this new S  Pen, how to charge Galaxy Note 9 S Pen, and how to check the battery and Bluetooth connection status.

Please note, this guide is for the new S Pen bundled with Galaxy Note 9.  For S Pen with previous generations of Galaxy Note devices (e.g., Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Note 7,  Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note Pro, and Galaxy Note 8.0), please check this page.

Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ have an updated S Pen with gesture support. You may check this guide on how to use the Galaxy Note 10 S Pen.

What’s new in the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen?

S Pen differs Galaxy Note devices from other Android phones and tablets.  Samsung included S Pen in a few Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab A tablets after they stopped making Galaxy Note tablets.

Over the years, Samsung only slightly tweaked the S Pen. From Galaxy Note to Note 4, there were no noticeable changes. Since Galaxy Note 5, a new design with a release spring has been adopted up to now. But it is only a cosmetic, not functional revision.

Galaxy Note 9 S Pen probably can be considered as a new generation of S Pen.

Although the physic design of the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is almost identical to that of Galaxy Note 8 (or Note 5), there are considerable new features introduced in the new S Pen on Galaxy Note 9.

The most significant change in Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is Bluetooth LE support.

So, in addition to all existing S Pen features…

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Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9

Should you upgrade to Galaxy Note 9? Is Galaxy Note 9 a right phone for you?

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Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9Samsung unveiled Galaxy Note 9, the 8th generation of Galaxy Note devices, on August 9 (press release).  You will be able to get one in retail stores on August 24.

As the latest generation of Galaxy Note devices, you should expect some new features of Galaxy Note 9 in this phablet.

This guide will explore the top nine new features of Galaxy Note 9 (compared to Galaxy Note 8) to help you understand the differences and enhancements in Galaxy Note 9.

You may check and download the official Samsung Galaxy Note 9 user manual in your local language to try these features.

#1. Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9: Bluetooth-enabled S Pen

S Pen is one of the signature accessories for all Galaxy Note devices although a few Samsung tablets (e.g., Galaxy Tab S4 and Tab A) started to get S Pen bundled.

But S Pen in Galaxy Note 9 got a significant update: the S Pen is now Bluetooth enabled.

In addition to all existing S Pen features, you can now use the S Pen as a remote control for Galaxy  Note 9: a remote shutter for Galaxy Note 9 camera, a remote control of media player, a presenter for your presentation with Galaxy Note 9, a remote launcher of some apps. You may check this guide on how to use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9.

You do not need to worry about the battery life and charging the battery in the new S Pen. You put the S Pen in the S Pen slot in Galaxy Note 9 for 1 minute; the S Pen will be ready for use up to 30 minutes.

The secret lies on the supercapacitor, not a regular battery, which powers the S Pen. The lifespan of a supercapacitor is also far longer than a standard lithium battery, and therefore you should never need to replace the supercapacitor even if you use Galaxy Note 9 for the next 10 years.

Please check this page on how to use and charge the new Galaxy Note 9 …

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Top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8

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Top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8As the successor of the defunct Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung officially named it as Note8) brings many new features and improvements. These new features of Galaxy Note 8 differentiate Galaxy Note 8 from previous generations of Galaxy Note devices, and also from other Android phones you can buy.

Even compared to this year’s flagship Galaxy S8 which was launched less than 6 months ago, Galaxy Note 8 offers considerable upgrade and new features.

This post summarizes the most notable new features in Galaxy Note 8 you should try. These top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8 are also the important factors that may help you decide whether Galaxy Note 8 is the right phone for you.

You may also check the official Galaxy Note 8 user guide in your own language to know the phone better.

Dual rear cameras

Dual rear camera is not new. Many other Android phone manufacturers like LG and HTC offered dual cameras in their flagship phones for one or two years already. Even some iPhones (for example iPhone 7 Plus) have dual rear cameras.

Samsung added a few useful features to Galaxy Note 8’s dual camera:

  • Optical image stabilization (OIS) for both of the rear cameras. All other vendors offer OIS only in one of the rear cameras.
  • 2x optical zoom, in addition to digital zoom. This is the first Galaxy phones with optical zoom.
  • Live focus. You can blur the background and focus on specific object. Photos taken with live focus can be modified by adjusting the  level of background blur in the future.
  • Dual capture.  When live focus is on, you can take 2 pictures individually with the two cameras.

Dual camera probably is one of the most useful and attractive new features of Galaxy Note 8.

6.3 inch screen

The infinity display may be not the cake for some Note users. But the bigger display is definitely an exciting feature of Galaxy Note 8.

Most Galaxy Note users prefer bigger screen: when the mainstream of the screen was 3.5 inch, we …

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Samsung Galaxy Note Pro: is the super-sized tablet for you?

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In CES 2014, Samsung finally unveiled the largest tablet they ever made: the 12.2″ Galaxy Note Pro.

Galaxy Note ProFor Galaxy Note family, Galaxy Note Pro is a new member, of course, a super-sized member.  Although Galaxy Note series always are proud of their sizes (5.3″, 5.5″, 5.7″, 8″ and 10.1″), some may wonder whether the 12.2″ screen in Galaxy Note Pro is too big.

In this post, I will share with you our comments (not reviews yet) of Galaxy Note Pro.

The official Galaxy Note Pro specs

The official specs of Galaxy Note Pro are really impressive. But this is not surprising, because Samsung always put the best hardware (except camera) on Galaxy Note series.

Just for your information, here are the official specs of Galaxy Note Pro.

  • 12.2-inch Super Clear LCD display with 2560 x 1600 resolution (WQXGA)
  • 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor ( for LTE/WiFi version) or 1.9GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor (3G/WiFi, or WiFi only versions)
  • 3GB of RAM
  • Android 4.4 (KitKat) with TouchWiz and Samsung Knox
  • 32/64GB storage
  • MicroSD support up to 64GB
  • 8-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash
  • 2-megapixel front camera
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO technology
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • USB 3.0
  • GPS and GLONASS
  • Infrared sensor
  • 9500mAh battery
  • Dimension: 295.6 x 204 x 7.95mm
  • Weight: 750g (Wi-Fi version), 753 (3G/LTE version)

Is Galaxy Note Pro the best tablet?

Hardware specs surely put Galaxy Note Pro in the top tier of tablets. But tablet is not just hardware: it is about user experiences.

In addition to hardware specs, Galaxy Note Pro have some distinct advantages over any tablet in the market. So, Galaxy Note Pro may be the best tablet for some users.

1. The 12.2″ screen is perfect for everything

When the 12.2″ tablet was rumored last year, the first reaction of most people was “it is nice but it is simply too big”.

This was actually the identical response of the introduction of Galaxy Note in 2011. In 2012, I wrote a short post to address this concern: Is Galaxy Note really too large? The answer is always: size always …

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Air Command Explained

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samsung_galaxy_note_3Among the new features in Galaxy Note 3, Air Command probably is the most impressive one.  Our beloved S Pen gets a new life in the Note 3.

When you hover the S Pen over the screen and then press the button on the S-Pen, you will immediately get a palette-like menu with five available actions.  The Air Command works like a context menu in most systems.

There are five available actions (or quick commands) in Air Command: Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder, Pen Window.

Although Air Command may have many usages, you may find that it makes note-taking extremely easy, quick and enjoyable.

Action Memo

action_memoAction Memo allows you to write a note in your Note 3. Yes, this is not new. We got this feature since Note 1. What makes Action Memo differ from our old memos is that it can automatically execute a function or convert the handwritten documents or drawings into formatted content.

The functions that Action Memo can execute include:

  • initiating a call with the number or name in the memo;
  • adding  to contacts based on the number and name written in the memo;
  • messaging the number or the name written;
  • sending email to the email address written in the memo;
  • looking up an address on Google Maps with the address in the memo;
  • searching the web;
  • saving a task to a to-do list;

Action Memo simply hooks the static info in the memo with some possible operations. Now you memo is alive!

Scrapbook

scrapbookScrapbook allows users to collect, organize, and track content and information from all sources in one place (Scrapbook).

The contents in the Scrapbook are organized as categories, which are created by you.  When you want to save content or info, you can select any existing category or create a new one.

You can scrape part of a web page into your Scrapbook by drawing the area you want to save with the S Pen in Scrapbook mode. The content in your drawing area (based on the top and bottom location of your drawing) will be saved, together with …

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Top 10 expected improvements in Galaxy Note 3

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exynos5Almost certainly, Samsung will announce the Galaxy Note 3 during (before) IFA 2013. Galaxy Note was announced during IFA 2011, Note 2 was in IFA 2012.

There are some leaked images and specifications circulating around. But none of them accurate, because Samsung surely produced several prototypes for evaluation. A few additional prototypes may be just to confuse competitors.

Based on Samsung’s track record in Galaxy S series and Galaxy Note series, it is certain, that Galaxy Note 3 will be an “upgrade” to Galaxy s4, not just an upgrade to Galaxy Note 2. This is the product strategy for Samsung. When S4 was released, there is about one year time for competitors to beat S4 with newer hardware. Note series at least shorten this window to 6 months.

So, what will be seen in Note 3? Here is the top 10 list.

1. Full HD display

Galaxy Note 3 will surely have full HD (1080p) screen. And it will surely be Super AMOLED made by Samsung. Early this year, before Galaxy S4 was announced, there was a rumor that Samsung had problems with full HD on AMOLED.  S4 stopped this rumor.  So, Samsung definitely has no problems to produce full HD AMOLED display in a bigger screen.

Full HD on a 5″ screen like S4 may be a waste. But for a 5.7″-6″ screen, the pixel density (arounfd 370ppi) is human eyes’  limit.  More pixels will be just wasted.

For Galaxy Note 2 users, it is an upgrade from HD 720p to 1080p.

2. Exynos 5 Octa  5420 processor

Exynos 5 Octa 5420 will very likely be used on Galaxy Note 3.  This is an improved  version of Octa 5410 found in Galaxy S4.  The 1.8 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 and 1.3 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 provide 10% more CPU raw power than 5410. But the most significant improvement of 5420 is its GPU. It will pack the latest ARM Mali-T628 MP6 GPU, which provides 130 GFLOPS at 667MHz. The  OCta 5 5410 only has IT PowerVR SGX544MP3, which provides 51.2 GFLOPS.

If we compare this processor …

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Is LG Optimus G Pro an Alternative to Galaxy Note 2?

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galaxy-note2-vs-lg-optimus-g-proIt is not a secret that LG wants to step into the phablet market which is dominated by Samsung’s 5.3″ Galaxy Note and 5.5″ Galaxy Note 2. The 5″ rectangle slab, Optimus Vu, and Vu 2, announced last year, failed miserably to get into this niche market.

So, this year, LG Optimus G Pro was announced during Mobile World Congress 2013. It will be released in selected regions next month. This time LG gambles on the Optimus G branding. Will it be successful?

The eye-catching feature of this phone is its 5.5″ full HD IPS display. So, the targeted competitor of Optimus G Pro is not Galaxy S3 or recently announced Galaxy S4. LG actually wants this phone to be the alternative of Galaxy Note 2.

From the timing of the announcement, it can be easily deduced that  Galaxy Note 2 is the target. By releasing a handset in the middle of Galaxy Note 2 and the coming Note 3, Optimus G Pro can get about 6-month lead in hardware specifications against Note 2.

LG recently started to know how to design a great Android phone after they worked with Google for the Nexus 4. LG then transformed Nexus 4 into Optimus G, which is the most successful Android phone LG ever made.

Design and build quality

From the exterior, Optimus G Pro likes  a sibling of Galaxy Note 2. It is totally different from Optimus Vu or  Optimus G. Physical home button and two capacitive buttons for menu and back are similarly placed like that in  Galaxy Note 2. However, Optimus G Pro has slightly smaller side bezels.

For the back, LG also abandoned  the all-glass design spotted  in Optimus G. Plastic was chosen for Optimus G Pro. The build quality is similar to Note 2.

One thing that some people may like in Optimus G Pro is the Q Button. This is a dedicated button in the left side.  You can configure any  (but only one) app for this button. Of course, you can configure it as a camera button, just like many …

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