Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Review: Verdict after 1 Month of Usage

The T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 released just over two months ago here in the United States, and after having spent over a month with the phablet, it's safe to say that Samsung and T-Mobile have delivered one of the best Android experiences to date.

Before we begin, I must preface the review by saying I will not be focusing on the technical nitty gritty and how many feet the phone can be dropped without cracking. Instead, this is meant to focus on the aspects of a phone a casual, everyday user would be most interested in.

The Galaxy Note 2 is the sequel to the original Galaxy Note, which launched in 2011. The success of the original Galaxy Note proved that there are a lot of consumers who like bigger screens, prompting Samsung to pump the Galaxy Note 2 full of high-end technology and enlarge the Galaxy Note 2's display to 5.5 inches. Does it work? Let's find out.

**Note: The T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 used for this review was the white 16GB variant, model SGH-T889.

Tech Specs

The T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is currently one of the most powerful handsets available for purchase in the U.S. wireless market. Samsung and T-Mobile have taken advantage of the handset's massive size to cram as much high-end technology in there as they could. Right out of the box, the Galaxy Note 2 comes with a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, and 2GB RAM. The Galaxy Note 2 also houses a 3,100mAh battery that not only charges fast, but can last up to a day even with frequent use.

The T-Mobile Galaxy Note comes with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean pre-installed and the S Pen, an electronic stylus that will be discussed later in the review.

The rear-facing camera on the Galaxy Note 2 shoots pictures at 8 megapixels and 1080p video. The front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera can record up to 720p video. Samsung claims the camera has zero shutter lag, and while the Galaxy Note 2 won't replace your point-and-shoot for those artistic shots, I found the camera quite capable of delivering eye-pleasing photos.

A picture taken with the Galaxy Note 2:

Design and Usability

Without a doubt, the elephant in this room is the Galaxy Note 2's size. A 5.5-inch display is no joke, and even among an Android smartphone market with larger and larger screen sizes, the Galaxy Note 2 still stands out as one of the biggest and most powerful (until 2013 that is). Personally, I found the size a little too big for my taste. The phone fit fine in most of my pockets, and it never felt so big that it was clunky, but there's no denying that it's a little strange to be holding up a Galaxy Note 2 to the ears. Some apps require a bit of finger movement, and I found myself having to use two hands more often than note. I'd prefer to save that for tablets, and utilize a smartphone that I can easily use with one hand. But remember that everyone's hands are different sizes, so give one a test drive before making up your mind.

Despite the Galaxy Note 2's large size, however, the handset certainly doesn't feel heavy at all, weighing in at 6.3 ounces. The display held up well to daily use, collecting no visible scratches in over a month of daily use, and the polycarbonate chassis showed no noticeable dents, although it does tend to ding up when dropped on rough surfaces such as concrete.

The Galaxy Note 2 comes with a standard headphone jack, a volume button on the left side, and a power button on the right side. The home button is located at the bottom with a settings touch-button to the left of it and a back button to the right. All in all, a standard Android smartphone layout.

If you can grow accustomed to the physical layout of the Galaxy Note 2, there's plenty of goodies underneath. Android Jelly Bean means users have access to Google Now, a Siri-like voice assistant that can give you the morning weather and the time it will take to commute to work. Project Butter means that Android looks smoother than ever thanks to increased frame rates and system optimization. Samsung has loaded its TouchWiz interface onto the Galaxy Note 2, but even so, there's a notable performance improvement over Ice Cream Sandwich.

Learn more about Jelly Bean from Google.

Another nice thing is that while there's plenty of bloatware pre-loaded on the Galaxy Note 2, It's not in-your-face annoying, and T-Mobile has even taken the liberty of adding a Wi-Fi calling service.

The Google Play Store gives the Galaxy Note 2 access to hundreds of thousands of apps. While not as robust or properly patrolled as Apple's App Store, Google Play still houses must-haves like Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, and of course, Angry Birds.

Multi-Window

One of the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2's most exciting feature, however, was only recently released. T-Mobile rolled out an update that gave the Galaxy Note 2 Multi-Window, a feature that allows for two apps to run simultaneously. Each app eats up half the screen (luckily we have plenty of real estate to work with) and means you can read your emails while watching a Youtube video. Definitely handy, and there's been plenty of times I found mysef wishing my iPhone 5 had the same ability.

S Pen

The Galaxy Note 2 isn't the first smartphone to utilize a digital pen, but it certainly seems to be the only one that has gotten it right. The S Pen is housed in a neat little slot to the right of the charger port on the bottom. S Pen functions are automatically activated when the stylus is pulled out of its sheath, making it quick and easy to use. The S Pen's accuracy and sturdy feel make this the most pleasant digital stylus I've ever used. By hovering the S Pen over files activates the AirView function, which opens up files and apps for easy previewing.

Samsung has included some S Pen-specific apps, but none of them feel full-fledged. Instead, they all seem a lot like novelties, and lack any real depth to them. It would be nice to see Samsung, or even more third-party developers produce S Pen-specific apps that really bring something unique to the table. Samsung said it would like the Galaxy Note 2 to be looked at as a small digital notepad, but it's clear this phablet is capable of much more.

Network

The Galaxy Note 2 performed well enough on T-Mobile's network to receive calls from just about anywhere in New York City (barring subways of course). Bear in mind that T-Mobile won't launch its LTE network until 2013, so the Galaxy Note 2 currently runs on T-Mobile's 4G network. It has been confirmed that the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 contains an LTE chip, and there's a good chance it will work on the network next year. Still, T-Mobile's coverage is not as encompassing as Verizon or AT&T, and its LTE network will be far behind even after its launch. T-Mobile's recent acquisition of MetroPCS, however, should help start reversing that.

Conclusion

So is the Galaxy Note 2 a great phone? Yes. Is it powerful and fun enough to use to be relevant for a while? Yes. Is it for everybody? No. Once again, the phone lacks almost nothing in the technical department, yet it's the size that will end up being the main issue. I didn't mind it, but I couldn't help but feel that I would opt for something smaller, even the 4.8-inch Galaxy S3. The S Pen is a great draw, but until it receives more dedicated support, I would find it hard to base buying the Galaxy Note 2 on a stylus.

The T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 doesn't come cheap, costing $369.99 with a two-year contract and $649.99 contract free in the colors Marble White and Titanium Gray. T-Mobile has announced that they will be scrapping contracts and subsidies, so this pricing scheme will be changing in 2013.

As with all devices, head out to your local brick-and-mortar and give one a feel with your hands. If the shoe fits, it's really hard to go wrong with this one.