Andre Yoskowitz
29 Aug 2012 19:26
As expected, Samsung has shown off the impressive Galaxy Note II today, with specs that should make even the pickiest consumers happy.
The new device runs on Android 4.1, has a 5.5-inch screen, a new 16:9 aspect ratio meaning 1280x720 resolution.
Additionally, despite having a larger screen, the Note II is actually thinner than its predecessor, at 9.4mm. The new S Pen is longer, and also thicker than last year's, but with a more ergonomic grip.
Under the hood, the phone is powered by a quad-core 1.6GHz processor and 2GB RAM. The device has an 8MP LED rear camera and a 1.9MP front-side camera, a microSD slot, MHL, NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and Glonass, Wi-Fi Direct, 21 Mbps HSPA+ or 4G LTE support.
The real kicker is a massive 3100 mAh battery.
On the software side, the S Pen brings a new feature called Air View, which lets you see previews of emails, galleries, and videos when you hover the S Pen over them. If you pull out the Pen during a phone call, the S Note app will automatically open, allowing you to take notes if need be. Outlining, cropping and simple tasks like copy/paste are now easier, as well.
Screen Recorder will let you record full sequences of actions, not just a single screenshot. Idea Visualizer is another cool feature, automatically drawing images of the words you write in the phone.
The phone launches globally in October (price unknown) and then "later in 2012" for the U.S.