Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note review

A close-up look at the 5.4-inch phone-tablet hybrid

Samsung has shown off the Galaxy Note at IFA 2011, a huge 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED handset which comes complete with a stylus called the S Pen.
We grabbed some time with it on the show floor just after Samsung's press conference took place.
The Galaxy Note has a 1.4GHz ARM-based dual-core processor inside, though we have to be honest and say that while some apps were snappy, there was a bit of lag when dropping into things like the web browser. That surprised us as we'd assume the units we saw on the stand were shipping models. And it's doubly surprising given the Note's speedy processor.

The 5.3-inch screen is WXGA resolution (1,280x800) and, as we've come to expect from Samsung's OLED screens, everything is super bright and colours stand out brilliantly - even though it is the largest such display ever fitted to a mobile device. More on how video looks a bit later.
The cited 180 degree viewing angle is indeed in evidence - well, maybe not quite 180, but pretty darn close.
The Samsung Galaxy Note screen delivers 285ppi - the iPhone 4 delivers 326ppi according to Apple. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S2 delivers 218ppi, and the older Galaxy S 233ppi..

The Galaxy Note comes running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and boasts an 8MP camera with LED flash on the rear and a 2MP snapper up front (which you can see above). The Note can record Full 1080p HD video as well as stills and is fast and responsive at taking snaps.
In the hand, the handset (if you can call it that) feels like a huge slab. But it really is thin, like the Galaxy S2 - though it's slightly thicker at 9.65mm.