Mythbusting the GNote

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Xaddict

Senior Member
May 15, 2009
507
39
Sydney
There seem to be many myths about the Galaxy Note across the internet.
This thread is dedicated to debunked myths, so we don't have to reinvent the wheel when we discover that the Note doesn't have Gorilla Glass or such concerns.

Perhaps the one that amuses / annoys me the most is that the Note was designed specifically for women, as it fits nicely in a purse, but is too big to put in a pocket.

Others,
It's too big to fit in your pocket.
People will think you're a fool holding such a big phone to your ear.
The screen isn't gorilla Glass, (it's only alkali aluminosilicate).
The Pentile screen is inferior(even though it looks gorgeous).
There are masses of Notes with defective screens.
Call quality is poor on all Note phones.
Banding shows on the screen(for every image).
A lot of these myths arise on phone review sites.
I say, hold on before making judgements about the note based on dodgy info.
 
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Xaddict

Senior Member
May 15, 2009
507
39
Sydney
Myth 1 The Note doesn't have a screen with Gorilla Glass

Although true literally, the type of screen glass is still not known.
However, this review undoes some of the bollocks around this issue:
Samsung Galaxy Nexus uses some type of "fortified glass", after all
Although not about the Note, does anyone seriously think Samsung would skimp on a feature like this?
More on the subject at Android Forums

After a week of owning this phone, the screen on my Note is as pristine as day one. I have yet to get a cover for it.
 
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nbass668

Senior Member
Jan 25, 2007
71
7
Can anyone contact corning and confirm if the note using gorilla? Almost all reviews I read swear its gorilla but Samsung website doesn't mention it... they didn't mention it for the s2 as well the only source is the corning website but the list is not updated.
 

bamboo12

Senior Member
Aug 2, 2010
259
25
Call quality is poor.

A lot of these myths arise on phone review sites.
I say, hold on before making judgements about the note based on dodgy info.

i'll confirm the poor call quality for my galaxy note, probably more to do with software than hardware

my problem is the other person i talk to can barely hear what i'm saying, i've tested it with fring to record my own voice and confirm that i can barely hear the recording

i've upgrade to 2.3.6, the call quality is a bit better but still pretty crap, unlike the galaxy s2, the galaxy note's audio can not be configured with * # * # 197328640 #*#*

so it's not all myths
 
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Souai

Senior Member
Jun 28, 2011
489
100
Adelaide
call quality is fine here. are you using a case that doesnt have a hole for the microphone in the bottom? or do you have any gunk or dust in your microphone?

fits in my pocket just fine, although it does feel odd hold it to my ear. microphone isnt positioned too well for when you hold it to your ear from my experience, but doesnt seem to affect call quality for me.

with this pixel density, you wont notice the weakness of the pentile display unless you look really really close (ie. with magnifying glass). if you use it the way youre meant to use it (with it in your hand and your head more than 20cm away from it), its actually a pretty good display.
 
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ankydu

Senior Member
May 16, 2010
384
44
Can anyone contact corning and confirm if the note using gorilla? Almost all reviews I read swear its gorilla but Samsung website doesn't mention it... they didn't mention it for the s2 as well the only source is the corning website but the list is not updated.

I did mail corning about this and all they replied was this:

Corning® Gorilla® Glass is featured on hundreds of the world’s coolest smart phones, tablets, and PCs and now the new Sony Bravia TV.

Because of our agreements with customers, we cannot identify all the devices that feature Corning® Gorilla® Glass, so we encourage you to contact the manufacturer of your device. If you would like to know which devices do use Gorilla Glass or learn more about our exciting new product, you can visit our website at www.CorningGorillaGlass.com.

Thank you for your interest in Corning® Gorilla® Glass.

Regards,
Matt



Sent from my GT-I5801 using XDA App
 
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Unsinkable II

Senior Member
Nov 13, 2011
69
10
The biggest myth is that it's too big and you'll look like a tool making calls on it.

I got used to the size immediately. If anything, it made my regular 3.5" and 4" smartphones look silly with their eeny weeny screens.
 
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abergon

Member
Jan 13, 2011
7
2
Thanks for this thread. I have had the Galaxy Note for a few days now and:

- it is large, but it isn't that big. In any case , it does not feel bulky and fits easily in a shirt pocket or in a trousers' pocket;
- the screen is excellent, and at the end of the day, I do not worry much about the technology used. At my age, I have presbyopia, and I can read easily on the Note without reading glasses and without straining my eyes. This for me is the most valid test;
- I do not have any problems with call quality, whether on calls with my operator or using Skype;
- this device is FAST, compared to all comparable devices I have been in contact with.

In conclusion, it replaces my previous smartphone, a Nokia N900 (that one WAS bulky); my tablet (a Nook Color); my GPS (an old Garmin that lost its way a bit too easily) and possibly my netbook when I am on short travel and do not plan a lot of report-writing.

Not so bad, isn't it?
 
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Jobiza

Senior Member
Oct 21, 2010
452
68
OnePlus 8T
Thanks for this thread. I have had the Galaxy Note for a few days now and:

- it is large, but it isn't that big. In any case , it does not feel bulky and fits easily in a shirt pocket or in a trousers' pocket;
- the screen is excellent, and at the end of the day, I do not worry much about the technology used. At my age, I have presbyopia, and I can read easily on the Note without reading glasses and without straining my eyes. This for me is the most valid test;
- I do not have any problems with call quality, whether on calls with my operator or using Skype;
- this device is FAST, compared to all comparable devices I have been in contact with.

In conclusion, it replaces my previous smartphone, a Nokia N900 (that one WAS bulky); my tablet (a Nook Color); my GPS (an old Garmin that lost its way a bit too easily) and possibly my netbook when I am on short travel and do not plan a lot of report-writing.

Not so bad, isn't it?

Thumbs up man for making the change from Nokia to Samsung Android! You'll have plenty of things to celebrate even years after first touch to the device! I'm still finding new and awesome features of Android, (as former Symbian owner...)... Like i have i9000 and had it 13months now and i still have the most awesome experience when i changed to MIUI, feels like almost brandnew quadcore phone. :-D

Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
 

paulshields

Senior Member
Nov 17, 2006
383
54
Liverpool
There seem to be many myths about the Galaxy Note across the internet.
This thread is dedicated to debunked myths, so we don't have to reinvent the wheel when we discover that the Note doesn't have Gorilla Glass or such concerns.

Perhaps the one that amuses / annoys me the most is that the Note was designed specifically for women, as it fits nicely in a purse, but is too big to put in a pocket.

Others,
It's too big to fit in your pocket.
People will think you're a fool holding such a big phone to your ear.
The screen isn't gorilla Glass, (it's only alkali aluminosilicate).
The Pentile screen is inferior(even though it looks gorgeous).
There are masses of Notes with defective screens.
Call quality is poor.

A lot of these myths arise on phone review sites.
I say, hold on before making judgements about the note based on dodgy info.

Generally, I agree - but it's the same with any new device. Lots of anecdotal evidence and complaints when it's launched then things settle down. Personally I've not found any show stoppers with the Note. The display is generally gorgeous, size is not an issue, and performance is good. It wasn't so long ago that PDA's were all the rage (and prompted the likes of this very site to come into existence). When I first visted this site I was using this beast (HTC Wizard):

94%7c4a27c0%7c45e2_2590-2.jpg
.

I think it's great that Samsung has brought back some of that PDA functionality in a form factor that's actually very compact and light.
 

Souai

Senior Member
Jun 28, 2011
489
100
Adelaide
theres one particular thing that impresses me with the galaxy note and its something that i havent been able to do properly on any of my previous phones.

and that is, my galaxy note seems to have no issues running a 720p video encoded at 60fps with the xvid codec. its sync'd perfectly with no dropped frames as well which is bloody awesome!

my old dual core computer couldnt even play this video at 60fps without stuttering, even with gpu acceleration. so samsung have definitely done something right.
 

abergon

Member
Jan 13, 2011
7
2
Thanks Jobiza. For the record, since you mentioned Symbian, the Nokia N900 wasn't running Symbian, but Maemo, a Debian-based Linux variant (that was the whole point of the N900 of course).
 

Xaddict

Senior Member
May 15, 2009
507
39
Sydney
Generally, I agree - but it's the same with any new device. Lots of anecdotal evidence and complaints when it's launched then things settle down. Personally I've not found any show stoppers with the Note. The display is generally gorgeous, size is not an issue, and performance is good. It wasn't so long ago that PDA's were all the rage (and prompted the likes of this very site to come into existence). When I first visted this site I was using this beast (HTC Wizard):

I think it's great that Samsung has brought back some of that PDA functionality in a form factor that's actually very compact and light.

Nice. Thanks.
Well said. Most of what makes up an XDA, (Convergent Digital Assistant), is firmware or rom. They are complex and interaction with other systems is also complex. Because they are firmware driven, they can be modified, fixed, upgraded.

I just see that many posts by new people who have been put off by innacurate negative blogging and reviews and my beef is with these bloggers. I saw this before with the HTC HD2. I would like to restore some balance to information about the Note.
 

Xaddict

Senior Member
May 15, 2009
507
39
Sydney
i'll confirm the poor call quality for my galaxy note, probably more to do with software than hardware

my problem is the other person i talk to can barely hear what i'm saying, i've tested it with fring to record my own voice and confirm that i can barely hear the recording

i've upgrade to 2.3.6, the call quality is a bit better but still pretty crap, unlike the galaxy s2, the galaxy note's audio can not be configured with * # * # 197328640 #*#*

so it's not all myths

I don't want to dis your experience of call quality issues on your phone. No doubt they happen, but obviously not all Notes have this issue. I saw this review 2 weeks ago and it was not my experience of the Note. Samsung GALAXY Note Review. I have seem lots of anxious questions by new people who seem concerned about buying a dud phone, hence the thread.
 

Xaddict

Senior Member
May 15, 2009
507
39
Sydney
theres one particular thing that impresses me with the galaxy note and its something that i havent been able to do properly on any of my previous phones.

and that is, my galaxy note seems to have no issues running a 720p video encoded at 60fps with the xvid codec.

Ditto for MKV's at 720p 30.
(Trueblood 4)
Unbelievable picture, no issues.
 

Jobiza

Senior Member
Oct 21, 2010
452
68
OnePlus 8T
Thanks Jobiza. For the record, since you mentioned Symbian, the Nokia N900 wasn't running Symbian, but Maemo, a Debian-based Linux variant (that was the whole point of the N900 of course).

Alright man. Enjoy your Galaxy Note, i'm trying to keep hands off Galaxy Note, would be too early for me to upgrade. :)

Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
 

rdosti

Senior Member
Mar 27, 2008
427
22
Ahmedabad
www.k.care
It's too big to fit in your pocket. - I have used larger phones including the Tab 7 and other interesting devices like the JasJar (o2 Executive) - remember those heavy devices running Win Mobile ??? I believe this device fits just right in my hand and is not large. In fact I think it's large for users who have used smaller phones and tiny devices. The form factor according to me is just right !


People will think you're a fool holding such a big phone to your ear. - This is actually a cool way to show off your phone (if you want) or get attention. If you remember the old Nokia Communicators - they were huge and people who saw it would say - that guy / girl is definitely rich or a business person. I think this phone says exactly that all over again ! This is going to be an elite status phone. Move over Galaxy SII, Move over iPhone 4S, Move over Nexus ICS4 ... Move in with the Note and it's future siblings ;-)


The screen isn't gorilla Glass, (it's only alkali aluminosilicate). - No matter what it is - it's touch, clear and displays fantastic.


The Pentile screen is inferior(even though it looks gorgeous). - I dont agree again (I agree its a myth). It looks and works well in every way.

There are masses of Notes with defective screens. -
Mass of Notes have not been sold yet. Globals sales are just begninning. Let's re-consider this point around Mid December. On a side "Note" - In fact India alone has not even sold many devices since there are delays on the official sale. Only few cities have started selling and others will join the party over the next few weeks/days.

Call quality is poor on all Note phones. - I think the quality and loudness is alright. I believe there are multiple factors including location and signal strength from the towers as well as the technology being used (processes) in order to get the signal to reach and then be processed. It works just fine here. Perhaps its "the way you are holding your phone" :)

A lot of these myths arise on phone review sites. - I have not seen many of those reviews. I bet they are with people who dont even have the device or a prototype and perhaps more from people who just bought a new phone or an iPhone and don't want theirs to go un-noticed! Jealousy will rise !

I say, hold on before making judgements about the note based on dodgy info.

-- I agree and add "BE Free, Get a Note"

PS - I'm shifting from the iPhone 4 to the Note. My three options were - iPhone 4S, Galaxy Tab 7 Plus & Galaxy Note.

[/QUOTE]
 
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outrun86

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2010
86
11
Camera quality

I've read in one of those reviews (don't remember which one), that camera is average in photo and video, and worst than Galaxy S II. Can somebody tell me if is that true? (another myth to break!)
Thanks!
 

Unsinkable II

Senior Member
Nov 13, 2011
69
10
I think the photos look pretty good for a phone (I am a DSLR enthusiast).

Perhaps it's just being able to see them on a 1280x800 AMOLED!
 
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    Hi,
    Here is my 2 cents worth as a Galaxy Note user since end October. The phone is definitely NOT too big. I keep it in the front pocket of my skinny jeans and can just about sit comfortably with it. Holding it next to your ear again does not look out of place. I have used it in public transport a lot and mostly people who notice it will be trying to find out which make/model it is. I think the whole hype of it being too big will soon go away as this is a very usable format. First few days I did find the phone a touch too wide while holding it in one hand, but I have got used to it quickly.

    I have been using it on Orange UK and the call quality is just as good as my galaxy s II. I have not had any problems with it. I am using the KJ4 rom, baseband and kernel. The data connection is more stable than my galaxy s II as that did have the occasional data connectivity problem. The only small issue I have is sometimes there is a 2 seconds lag when opening certain applications if they are not running in the system memory. It is noticeable on opening the Gmail app on my note.

    A lot of the homescreen replacement apps and lockscreens will not run too happy on the note and may cause it to lag (I tried Agile Lock). You best stick with TWLauncher and the default lockscreen. I installed 120 apps on my phone and was messing about with themes etc for about 2 weeks and found it started to slow down. So I took a titanium backup and did a factory reset followed by a titanium backup restore. It it is snappier again now.

    The screen does look more solid than my sII. It doesn't look very prone to scratches but that's just my feeling.

    So in conclusion, I would say the only thing I would want to change on my note is a better ROM which takes care of the small lag issues. But it is a minor issue. If you like to text/email a lot like me, you will find this device answer to all your prayers. I am saving a lot of time every day as my business involves me to reply to emails on the move. There is one more downside, you will not be able to go back to a smaller phone :)
    3
    There seem to be many myths about the Galaxy Note across the internet.
    This thread is dedicated to debunked myths, so we don't have to reinvent the wheel when we discover that the Note doesn't have Gorilla Glass or such concerns.

    Perhaps the one that amuses / annoys me the most is that the Note was designed specifically for women, as it fits nicely in a purse, but is too big to put in a pocket.

    Others,
    It's too big to fit in your pocket.
    People will think you're a fool holding such a big phone to your ear.
    The screen isn't gorilla Glass, (it's only alkali aluminosilicate).
    The Pentile screen is inferior(even though it looks gorgeous).
    There are masses of Notes with defective screens.
    Call quality is poor on all Note phones.
    Banding shows on the screen(for every image).
    A lot of these myths arise on phone review sites.
    I say, hold on before making judgements about the note based on dodgy info.
    2
    Can anyone contact corning and confirm if the note using gorilla? Almost all reviews I read swear its gorilla but Samsung website doesn't mention it... they didn't mention it for the s2 as well the only source is the corning website but the list is not updated.

    I did mail corning about this and all they replied was this:

    Corning® Gorilla® Glass is featured on hundreds of the world’s coolest smart phones, tablets, and PCs and now the new Sony Bravia TV.

    Because of our agreements with customers, we cannot identify all the devices that feature Corning® Gorilla® Glass, so we encourage you to contact the manufacturer of your device. If you would like to know which devices do use Gorilla Glass or learn more about our exciting new product, you can visit our website at www.CorningGorillaGlass.com.

    Thank you for your interest in Corning® Gorilla® Glass.

    Regards,
    Matt



    Sent from my GT-I5801 using XDA App
    2
    I've read in one of those reviews (don't remember which one), that camera is average in photo and video, and worst than Galaxy S II. Can somebody tell me if is that true?
    (another myth to break!)
    Thanks!

    Yes, definitely a myth that the camera is average.
    They are the same camera as in the GSII I believe.
    This is a favourable and accurate review:
    Top-notch 8MP camera with FullHD video capture
    1
    Call quality is poor.

    A lot of these myths arise on phone review sites.
    I say, hold on before making judgements about the note based on dodgy info.

    i'll confirm the poor call quality for my galaxy note, probably more to do with software than hardware

    my problem is the other person i talk to can barely hear what i'm saying, i've tested it with fring to record my own voice and confirm that i can barely hear the recording

    i've upgrade to 2.3.6, the call quality is a bit better but still pretty crap, unlike the galaxy s2, the galaxy note's audio can not be configured with * # * # 197328640 #*#*

    so it's not all myths