The Samsung Galaxy Note is an Android smartphone/tablet computer hybrid that was introduced in October 2011. It has attracted attention because of its 5.3-inch screen size – between that of conventional smartphones, and larger tablets – and because of its included stylus
Unfortunately, I struggle with a couple of things that frustrate me with this phone and might push me to exchange it when the Samsung Galaxy S III ships later this month. I’d hate to lose the screen size, but the items below will tempt me if the S III masters these issues.
Camera Failures
The camera app, compared to my iPhone 4S, makes it hard to get great shots. It’s slow and I can’t tap to focus. On an iPhone you tap the screen where you want the camera to focus. It also meters the exposure for that point. Other camera apps let you tap one spot for focus and a second spot for metering. Without Ice Cream Sandwich, this doesn’t seem possible on the Note. I’ve looked for replacements that will let me tap to focus and/or meter a shot, but all of them say they need ICS for that feature to work.
When I hit the shutter button, the phone lags about half a second behind before taking the shot. It kills me. I lose great shots that I could get on the iPhone 4S. I take a lot of pictures with my phone, so this irritates me. If you’re a Note user and found a way around these weaknesses with GingerBread, please let me know.
Battery Life
I’m not going to complain too loudly about the poor battery life on this phone, but I will complain softly. I never had to plug my iPhone into a power source as often as I do my Note. The Note’s large display and real 4G LTE connectivity use battery life fast.
If I keep this phone, I’ll get a higher capacity battery eventually. I’m taking a trip next week and that will really test the phone since I won’t be near a power outlet for hours during the day. I may need to get an external battery backup to carry.
The Samsung Galaxy Note is an Android smartphone/tablet computer hybrid that was introduced in October 2011. It has attracted attention because of its 5.3-inch screen size – between that of conventional smartphones, and larger tablets – and because of its included stylus
Unfortunately, I struggle with a couple of things that frustrate me with this phone and might push me to exchange it when the Samsung Galaxy S III ships later this month. I’d hate to lose the screen size, but the items below will tempt me if the S III masters these issues.
Camera Failures
The camera app, compared to my iPhone 4S, makes it hard to get great shots. It’s slow and I can’t tap to focus. On an iPhone you tap the screen where you want the camera to focus. It also meters the exposure for that point. Other camera apps let you tap one spot for focus and a second spot for metering. Without Ice Cream Sandwich, this doesn’t seem possible on the Note. I’ve looked for replacements that will let me tap to focus and/or meter a shot, but all of them say they need ICS for that feature to work.
When I hit the shutter button, the phone lags about half a second behind before taking the shot. It kills me. I lose great shots that I could get on the iPhone 4S. I take a lot of pictures with my phone, so this irritates me. If you’re a Note user and found a way around these weaknesses with GingerBread, please let me know.
Battery Life
I’m not going to complain too loudly about the poor battery life on this phone, but I will complain softly. I never had to plug my iPhone into a power source as often as I do my Note. The Note’s large display and real 4G LTE connectivity use battery life fast.
If I keep this phone, I’ll get a higher capacity battery eventually. I’m taking a trip next week and that will really test the phone since I won’t be near a power outlet for hours during the day. I may need to get an external battery backup to carry.
Cooool
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