It could be the best smartphone ... [Update: ICS]

I am advised on a music almost by accident and have it now a little over a month in use. It's my first, private Android smartphone. I was so far satisfied user of a Nokia E71 (Symbian), and more moderately avid user of HTC Desire (company phone).
[UPDATE: after almost 10 months now I have to review some details and a section on ICS supplements]

Three things had so far prevented me from buying an Android smartphone:
1) The battery life; often create the "great" things not even one working day.
2) The price
3) the barely discernible added value compared to my Nokia E71. The latter, in spite of his "mature" age of approximately five years, still good Navi, e-mail and also for emergency times briefly into the net. It keeps doing anyway by 4-7 days without recharging.

The note has these three reasons largely invalidated relatively successful. Thanks to the unbelievable screen that brings even iPad2- and iPhone4S owners in the circle to brood, the fact practically usable pen, the big battery and at least some offers just tolerable price to a receive here in this form has not been seen before and basically almost unrivaled package.

But we come to the details. Thus, it is not too much praise, I would like to start with the points that I feel to be negative. Starting with the worst, then gradually less important. After that I will continue with the positive aspects, and last I'll give some tips can be compensated as disadvantages or even benefits.

NEGATIVE:

- The screen is not scratch-resistant! DESPITE Gorilla glass! I wear more than a year a HTC Desire daily around the company cell phone with me. I have no protective bag and not a film for it and am ("it's not mine") does not just gently handled it. Nevertheless, so far is not to discover on the Gorilla Glass of Desire the slightest Kratzerchen. The music, however, has only one month to use despite proper care and protection bag already several, clearly visible scratches! When operating with the stylus, this disadvantage is doubly hard because even the lightest scratch that easily sweeps a finger, the pen tip is absolutely clearly be felt and affecting its operation considerably!
A protective film is therefore with this device absolute and sad duty, the installation due to the enormous size but extremely difficult.

- The protective "glass" of the camera is made of plastic, completely unprotected, non-exchangeable and non-sunk mounted readily. Each laid on a table, it can scratch. If you use the optional flip cover, then eliminates this problem because the associated new device back fatter but makes the camera even better protection. [UPDATE:] The Flip Cover, however, for its part, prohibits the use in most car holders and does not fit into many mounts.

- The power button can be actuated easily and sits on the side of the phone, just opposite the volume buttons. This is absolutely not ergonomic! Each short press on the power button ends all calls immediately. If you want to draw on an incoming call the device from your pocket or readjust the volume during a call, then pressing when gripping the device too often accidentally hit the switch and terminates the call with it! On top of the note would be ample room for 4 to 5 such controls, without any risk of incorrect operation. FAIL.
[UPDATE: The problem with the terminated call on the power button can be solved! The solution, however, is hidden in the menu tree tiiiiief:
Hauptmenu-> Settings-> Eingabehilfe- answer> Call / -Disconnect> A / ends calls (remove checkmark)

- Too few hardware buttons. The large housing would provide ample room for example a trigger for the camera.

- The launcher (which is the program that is the main screen in Android) can not represent landscape !!? Ironically. For a phone that is specifically promoted as tablet hybrids. Meanwhile, calendar and many other features look best in landscape mode. What the hell have they thinking !? Constantly one turns the unit back and forth. Of course there are many Launcher Market, which compensate for this shortcoming, but it made me still speechless. [UPDATE:] I am using now for months to free GO Launcher available. Landscape is no longer a problem.

- The "Mouse button" on the pen is not be felt and therefore difficult to use. Lack of haptic anchor rolls the Stiftchen when using the fingers baseless times to the right, sometimes to the left. Even after weeks of exercise equipment by finding the Knöpfchens for gambling. Here you need it again, because:

- The pen can not operate the Android-touch buttons on the front. The essential on Android for the operation of all functions Apps "menu" and "Previous" can be used to pin only through gestures in conjunction with pressing the button. But see to the previous point. Does it have to be that way?

- [UPDATE:] Unfortunately, the pin after about half a year of intensive use showed the first cracks and lost shortly after its chrome finish. Superglue, the loose parts are brought together again and come to a halt the loss of structural integrity, but nice is different.

- Mi-se-ra-ble voice dialing. Does not at first not without Internet, and the recognition of names from the phone book was already my Siemens SX1 better ten years ago. From current Symbian-phones or even iPhones to mention. There is still room for improvement viiel! [UPDATE:] Some apps that do not use the Google voice recognition, can help there. AIVC example, makes it better, I do not, however, otherwise a bit too resource-hungry and playful.

- No NFC. What shoud that? Rigor? The appearing just in the United States successor will probably come with NFC.

- It's big! Making calls with the touch on the ear gets a laughing stock. One-handed operation is hardly possible, if you have no hands as excavator buckets. There will be people who have no special belt bag in continuous use; I can not imagine it: too often I was undecided with the note in his hand, wondering where I can stick it there now to free to get your hands without it ending up in a bag with small items, keys or wallet (see display scratches ).

POSITIVE:

- It's big! The screen is simply the hammer and exceeds by representation and contrast everything I've ever seen - and that's a lot. The display of images and web pages is great (I recommend Dolphin HD) and much of the content really get tablet-like over. The built-in photo editing and video editing get only through the display real sense. The pin functions would not be practicable with less space. As eBook reader ideal (see Tips). [UPDATE:] Many reviews complain about streaking or blurring by the pixel array. Both I can on my device absolutely not discover, even at the somewhat newer unit of a work colleague. Ever have one of my Erachtes in extreme pixel density already use a strong magnifying glass to detect at all pixels.

- Fairly Good speakers. It could be even better, but the HTC Desire has unfortunately shown me that even a great phone, despite the many space may sound extremely besch..eiden. The music makes it better; the sounds and the Spartans conversation in speakerphone sound good. This can also top-class equipment to compete as Navi.

- Very good camera. Many comparative tests see the camera of note as the present [state early 2012] best camera phone on the market. I am of the image quality as well as impressed by the many features of the built-in camera app. From panoramic to Lächelfoto is almost everything here, what you know of upscale compact cameras today so. And the "flash" LED is really lousy light! [UPDATE:] With the ICS have been added a few interesting continuous shooting with the camera and its operation has been further improved. While the panorama feature is good, but unfortunately produced only very low resolution panoramas. Unfortunately, already taken hold in my camera after a few months of often mentioned in Internet reddish in the center. However, it is only in a few shots to detect and can be using a white image and a correction software out count quite easily later.

- The pen is not just a toy! One can very well get used to it and I use it very often now to take notes during a phone call. The handwriting recognition is, in my opinion, however, is not practicable; I returned to an experimental phase to fortunately supplied Swype. [UPDATE:] For the text input I use now the great (but unfortunately expensive) FlexT9 of dictation software manufacturer Dragon. FlexT9 can "Swype" (not quite as good as the original), recognizes capital letters and has (unsurprisingly) the best speech recognition feature that I've ever met. Spoken texts are detected with very high precision and - unlike the Google voice recognition - orthographically properly issued in written form, written not only in small and without punctuation!

- Expandable with Memory Card! This should now be yes, of course, I think. But a look at the Nexus or the oh-so-great phone with the "i": it is probably not. Therefore, extra-special mention! [UPDATE:] Never again without SD slot! Inwzwischen I arrived at 32GB. Dailyme, daily backups and sync important files over the Internet using the volume of good.

- Useful battery life! In normal use, with occasional browsing, Bluetooth, WLAN and GPS mostly in the evening for an hour eBook and so on keeps it very loosely 16-24 hours. If you were to save consistently, then double the runtime should be feasible. That, no other Android device in this performance class.

- Excellent GPS receiver, which receives also the Russian Glonass system. Always in a few seconds a fix to the current position, often inside buildings. Particularly important: it uses so little power that I let it mostly turned on, without making me worry about the battery. [UPDATE:] Since the update to ICS the GPS module consumes considerably more power! I let most off it now. Too Bad :-(

- Good housing design. Much plastic reduces weight, but works fast cheap. Samsung has managed the note added get a reasonably-quality haptics despite consistent use of plastics. The very stable protective rim around the screen glass prevents unsightly dents and facilitates the application of (unfortunately much needed) protectors. [UPDATE:] Even after 10 months it is not creaks and has minimal signs of use.

UPDATE: ICS / Android 4.0:

From this update I had expected better. Only the new app "S-touch" I do not like to miss; Everything else is details. The surface has become more much flutschiger so that now even the most complex screen transitions - such as the GO Launcher - run without jerkiness; that was unthinkable with Gingerbread. But even under 3.2.6 could already enjoy with TSF Shell absolutely judder Launcher, if you wanted. Extreme software problems as some other user, I have not even all my Bluetooth devices operate under ICS still readily. But the battery life has - declined considerably since the update - especially in the GPS operation and with active screen. Hoping I had actually to the contrary, so I'm pretty disappointed. Who can afford it, should rather give my opinion to the touch at first on Android 4.

TIPS:

- Protector is mandatory (see above)! The Mumbis are often praised in the net, so I bought it. But I am not completely convinced. My next attempt will take place with Vikuiti films that I've come to appreciate on all possible devices for many years. The latter, however, are quite expensive and difficult to install.

- Buy yourself a GOOD Bluetooth headset! I highly recommend the already-reviewed by me Plantronics Discovery 975, which you hardly feel even after hours of continuous use at the ear and its silver-gray design sits neatly on the appearance of the note. Hardcore business and continuous phone users are happy with the Plantronics Voyager Pro HD.
The "downside" of major central turns into an advantage if you can use the part when speaking of notes and research, held it to his ear dull clap!

- At a belt pouch into my eyes no way. About which is best, bitter discussions are held in forums. A relatively inexpensive and yet reasonably suitable solution are the Suncase bags.

- The Sony LiveView is currently having low and can be a useful accessory for traveling. It is clipped on the jacket and looks at any time all SMS and who is calling without taking the large unit from his pocket. Even the selection of the main contacts is restricted thus possible to pull out without the touch. However, it can also hook, as you can see the reviews. I use it and am reasonably happy. Sony also offers watches with similar functions. [UPDATE:] I got me at a Pebble Kickstarter secured. If that holds only half of what I expect of them, which is a dream combination!

- The camera is very good, but ultimately just yet a cell phone camera. To compensate for the imperfect dynamic range, an app like "HDR Camera +" (quick pictures) or "Pro HDR Camera" recommends (slower but best result).

- Who does not have mega-Flatrate and navigate nevertheless often want who gets with Sygic at affordable rates a good navigation software with impressive image quality on the note.

- Who does not want to use the original Samsung car holder (for example, because the partner also wants to use another phone in the car), it should try with the Exomount of Exogear. Is the net often at overseas suppliers at best and sticks with its Nano-sucker really like hell on almost any reasonably flat surface.

- It is a good eBook reader. You get used to white text on black background, then reading and the battery lasts almost forever. I've been searching for the best eBook reader for grade and in my eyes wins the previously little-known Mantano Reader the race, closely followed by ezPDF.

CONCLUSION:

It is a great device. For the unique combination of utility and design in conjunction with the supplied meaningful, tailored to the pen apps I want to give almost 6 star, minus a half, because even 16-24 hours duration just go so still in my eyes. As can gladly come back for more. The currently available update on Android4 goes here unfortunately tends in the wrong direction. For the lack of scratch resistance of the cover glass but I prefer two star again. Although has now officially announced that it is Gorilla Glass, I can the differences from the DHD simply not explain. Power three and a half star, which is known to not work with Amazon. Rounded they are then just - just so with sorrow and distress, and because I like it - four.