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Galaxy Nexus vs Galaxy Note: How Big is Too Big?

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You might think the Galaxy Nexus is a big phone, but it’s nothing compared to the Galaxy Note. Introduced at IFA 2011, the Samsung Galaxy Note is an all-in-one device designed to act as both a phone and tablet. Some mobile users already complain that phones with 4″ and up displays are too big to handle, but what happens when we break on through to the 5″ and up form factor?

Our friend Chris Davies of Android Community and Slashgear got a chance to go hands on with both of these Samsung devices and posted the below video. As you can see, the Galaxy Note dwarfs the Galaxy Nexus.

Us geeks might be attracted to such a device- it has an absolutely gorgeous display, some nifty apps and a Wacom digitizer that is accurate. But I can’t imagine too many consumers will be willing to pay a steep premium to lug the Galaxy Note around on a daily basis.

The Samsung Galaxy Note has a 5.3″ AMOLED display that looks fantastic and offers a lot more screen real estate for reading or writing than most smartphones. But the larger display means a larger device. It’s still relatively thin, but you might find it difficult to jam in your front pocket. As with all things in mobile technology there are compromises.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is shaping up to be a hot mover at Verizon here in the United States and at carriers around the world. It features a much more manageable, but still roomy 4.65″ display

I first saw the Galaxy Note at IFA 2011 and wanted one immediately. But the practical side of me knows that it’s just too big to lug around all the time. What do you think? Are bigger displays better or is something in the 4″ to 4.65″ range as big as you’d want your phone’s display to be?

 

20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. Kavin Nguyen

    10/27/2011 at 2:46 pm

    It all depends on the user. There are big people and there are little people. If you can hold the phone securely and effortlessly in your hand, it goes in and out of your pocket hassle-free, and if your comfortable with it then it fits you.

  2. Witcrafter

    10/27/2011 at 4:13 pm

    I have big hands and big pockets. I would definitely consider the Galaxy Note, as a means of having 1 device fill the shoes of two.

  3. La3541

    10/27/2011 at 4:54 pm

    I carry around a 7″ galaxy tab in my pocket now, as well as a 3.5 phone. 5.3″ is definitely not too large for me.

  4. Ctrahan

    10/27/2011 at 6:43 pm

    I currently use a HTC Sensation 4G and really like the 4.3″ display. I purchased this with the intention of having a single device for all my needs. I find it perfect for reading emails and social network and rss feeds,However, the browsing experience is frequently frustrating and I frequently wish I had a slightly bigger display with a full 720p display for browsing and book reading. The bigger battery will make the prolonged daily use feasible. Since I still want a single device for all my mobile needs, I will give the Note a very serious look when it becomes available.

  5. Oonlan

    10/27/2011 at 7:54 pm

    I find i’m carrying around a nook color and hd2 (both cm7) these days. A single device instead sounds goo, but it needs to fitin a shirt pocket.

  6. Rgarrett

    10/27/2011 at 7:57 pm

    I agree with previous posts. It did not feel too big in my hand. I appreciated the extra screen real estate and dropped for a pre-order on the spot. Wonder if the ” complainers” are just trolls or if thie sentiment is just a byproduct of the GottaBeApple slant on things…

  7. Carnaman

    10/27/2011 at 8:07 pm

    I love my 5″ dell streak & hope to get the note as my next phone. Use a bluetooth headset & a custom leather belt case & it’s all good!

  8. Haydenlam

    10/27/2011 at 8:53 pm

    Likewise I am a dell streak 5 user and have preorder the Note. For me the Note is PERFECT, a great ugprade from dell streak 5

    • Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm

      10/28/2011 at 4:36 am

      So, where/how did you pre-order the Note?

    • Anonymous

      10/28/2011 at 6:37 am

      Agree! With a good Blue Tooth head piece the issue is finding a holster, not a pocket. Using a pocket for any smartphone is a recipe for disaster.

  9. boo Jay

    10/27/2011 at 10:30 pm

    Screen size is not an issue.  The screen can be as big as possible for all I care.  My issue is the size of the phone.  If the phone’s too big, that defeats the whole purpose of portability and mobility.

  10. Postal Jim

    10/27/2011 at 11:15 pm

    Wow.  Like both but I really want an external SD. 

  11. Earlyindigo

    10/28/2011 at 5:27 am

    The Samsung Note is exactly what I am looking for and waitnign for!!!!

  12. Intocad

    10/28/2011 at 6:09 am

    Too big!? Come on, I can’t imagine why peeps wouldn’t want one of these things. Tablets are mobile devices last I checked. This will be my next device if it shows up in the USA with the mighty V. I’m so done with Sprint and their false promise of getting 4G for my EVO.

  13. darkmagistric

    10/28/2011 at 6:41 am

    I’m an artist and the Wacom Digitizer is the sole reason I want this. Think of all the “Ipad/Iphone Masterpieces” that people either finger painted or using those horrid capacative stylus’s.

    While the android app department is pretty low in useful Art apps, a wacom pen changes the game completly. Just imagine the kind of art that people will be making on this. Its utterly perfect for on the go-sketching and painting.

  14. Anonymous

    10/28/2011 at 1:53 pm

    If Samsung has a Wacom digitizer in this phone, why don’t they have that in some of their tablets? I’d buy one right now if they did.

  15. Jessikat924

    10/29/2011 at 11:06 pm

    I am entirely pleased with my lovely 5″ Dell Streak. It does all that I need for now. I was looking forward to it’s newer incarnation, but since they discontinued the Streak 5, I can write that off. I have become very enamored of the 5″ display and am saving my money for the Samsung Note when it comes to the US. The form factor fits in my purse perfectly and is ideal for reading books, texting, surfing the net, and fitting in a windshield as a GPS unit. My iphone seems like a toy to me now!

  16. Anonymous

    11/01/2011 at 2:41 am

    I actually made a wooden mock-up of the Note this week end. It fits in all my pockets, though it sticks out from the shirt one where my phone usually go. Also, I saw a GS2… those AMOLED screens are gorgeous (though the Note’s is pentile, not +).
    I’ll wait for a couple of reviews, find one to handle in a shop.. and probably buy it.

  17. Sdf

    11/03/2011 at 7:48 pm

    My Nexus S is perfect. This looks too big.

  18. Guest

    03/01/2012 at 7:09 pm

    I went to Best Buy and compared the Galaxy Nexus with the Galaxy Note – compared with an iPhone, Nexus is OK, Stratosphere is nice, and Note is a beast.  I would buy the note because, I would mostly use it as a media player.

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