Some time ago in the near past, our mobile phones had small displays that cannot even fit a phone number, a long text message, or a name of a contact. Those days are gone with the newer smartphones with big and bright LCD displays. But don’t you wish sometimes that the screen even gets bigger?

The mobile phone gods might have heard our prayers as Samsung launches the GT-N7000 Galaxy Note. It is thin like the Galaxy S II, really fast, and the HD Super AMOLED 5.3-inch display can make anyone drool. The resolution of 1280×800 pixels is the kind that we only see in laptops before but now you can see and enjoy on your palm. It is actually a good replacement for a notepad and aptly Samsung issues a pen stylus with the Galaxy Note.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Note can be placed in between a smartphone and your table. It is a combo of a massive handset running on Android with a tablet like high resolution screen that can fit in your pocket. You can do a lot with the Galaxy note from doodling, take notes, and of course make phone calls. You can call using the phone’s mic and earpiece or you can opt for a Bluetooth headset (which might make the act look more “normal”).

The design of the Galaxy Note is similar to its sibling the Galaxy S II. The Galaxy Note though is larger at 146.86 mm x 82.95 mm x9.65 mm. It is also heavier at 6.3 ounces. This smartphone also comes with an 8 megapixel camera on the back paired with LED flash. In front, you get a 2 MP camera. It is also capable of recording HD videos at 1080/30x resolution. Internal memory is at 16GB which you can expand to around 32 GB when you use a microSD.

The 5.3 inch screen is really impressive as the colors are very vibrant. A bit of vibrancy is lost though when you look at the screen from the sides. You might notice though a tinge of green though because of the PenTile display. The bigger screen also paves the way for a bigger keyboard which gives you no reason for inaccurate typing.

Software

The Galaxy Note makes use of the Android Gingerbread but the real focus of function will be how the stylus, erm S Pen as Samsung wants to put it, works. The interface works smoothly especially for those who are used to using a stylus. It will be a world of tap, hold, and gestures to capture screen shots, write stuff, and everything else.

You can also grab a sticky pad if you want to make a quick note. There are some preloaded apps plus you can download more from the S Choice store.

Verdict

You will either hate or love the Samsung Galaxy Note. You will either hate it for its big size or love it for its functionality that is very close to a tablet with an excellent display.

People have been saying for awhile now that BlackBerry needed to upgrade their phones if they were going to stay competitive. With the Torch they have done just that. In truth they didn’t just upgrade it as completely overhauled it with a completely new operating system. While there is still room for improvement it does have to be said that the Torch can certainly compete with any other smart phone on the market.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 looks like a BlackBerry. They have a design that they like to stick to and it works for them. The design is clearly intended for the office. The Torch fits easily into your pocket but it is quite a heavy phone.

The screen on the Torch alright but it is clearly not up to the same level as some of its competitors when it comes to color and resolution. The touch screen however is very easy to use although again is lags behind some of its competitors, mainly in terms of speed. You can scroll through it pretty quickly and apps launched fairly fast, it is mainly the zoom feature that isn’t up to speed.

There are onscreen keyboards on the torch but they are not all that easy to use. Fortunately the full QWERTY keyboard is very good. Although even here it isn’t really up to the same standards as other BlackBerry models. The problem is that it is the thinnest keyboard they make so the keys just don’t feel as good. That being said the keys are a good size, they are well placed and typing is fairly comfortable.

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The HTC G2 is the successor to the phone that first brought us the Android operating system. Since then Android has become widely regarded as the best system available. Therefore there was a lot of anticipation when the G2 was brought out. In large part the phone has lived up to all of its hype. There are some very unique design features to this phone and that has helped to enhance the reputation as well. There are few better options available if you are looking for a phone that can run Android.

The HTC G2 is a nice looking phone, the combination of aluminum and plastic gives it an attractive look. It also feels quite comfortable to hold. The big downside however is that this is a very large and very heavy phone compared to its competitors. You can get it into your pocket but not as easily as some other smart phones. The most interesting design feature of the G2 is the hinge for opening it. It has Z-hinge that allows it to open above and over top of the base. It is an interesting design but it does look like the sort of thing that a lot of people are going to break.

The keyboard on the G2 is very good; the keys are large and well spaced. You can definitely feel when you are typing with this phone which a lot of people like, others don’t. There is however no number row on the keyboard which can be a negative for some people. There is also an onscreen keyboard available if you prefer that. The display on the G2 is outstanding, one of the best on any smart phone. However the touch screen can be a little finicky, you really need to be accurate with your touches. The trackpad and navigation keys are well designed and work very well.

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Not much more to add — it’s coming!

I’m a blackberry guy myself, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this 9900 Bold. High-end built, great phone, lovely touchscreen. Loves!

The Samsung Galaxy Indulge was designed to be used with carriers that don’t require contracts. As the result of this the price of the phone is pretty high. This can be a bit of a problem since the standard of the phone isn’t really up to the same level as other phones of a similar price. That being said it is by far the best option available that doesn’t come with a contract.

The Samsung Galaxy Indulge is a fairly big phone which can be bit of pain when you have to put it in your pocket. The black color does give it a smooth look however the plastic look and feel may not be for everybody. That being said it does feel quite comfortable in your hand.

The screen on the Indulge is fairly good with a crisp bright image. However it is a step down from the screen on the higher priced Galaxy phones. Nevertheless the screen is very responsive. The Android operating system is well known so people should know what to expect from that. The Hummingbird processor is quite quick as well so that is a definite plus as well.

The navigation buttons are of a good size and there is click when you press them so that you know that you have pressed the key. Some people like that others don’t, I would be in former camp. There is a slide out QWERTY keyboard that is quite large, in fact it might be too large for people with small hands. The keys themselves are little bit of hassle to use because they are fairly flat.

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LG VX8700 is being sold as a cheaper version of the Shine. Like most LG phones it looks great, but it has some design issues that mean that it is not as good a phone as it could be. If you are willing to over look a few issues when it comes to design you may find that the LG VX8700 is a good quality phone.

The LG VX8700 is undeniably a good looking phone, that is one thing that is beyond any dispute. The metal casing gives it the look of being made of steel. It is quite a small phone so if fits comfortably in your pocket, although it is heavier than you would expect from looking at it. The external display of VX8700 is a little bit different than you would expect. Rather than having the rectangular screen that you get on most phones it runs vertically down the center. Another interesting feature is that when the backlight is off you can use it as a mirror for when you want to take pictures of yourself. There are no external music controls which is a pretty big oversight since you have to open the phone every time you want to play music.

The internal display of the VX8700 is outstanding. The colors are great which you can tell just by looking at the wallpapers, clearly designed to show off the quality of the graphics. You can choose from one of two different menu designs although both of them are quite simple and easy to use. The navigation controls are not really the best feature of this phone. They are flush with the surface with textured lines so that you can tell the keys apart. It works fine when you are looking at the keys but you can’t really use them without looking.

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The Nokia E71 is the latest offering from the company. This is a phone that will be quite new to US users since it features a number of features that they haven’t offered on American versions of the phone. Although the price of the phone is expected to pretty steep it clearly offers the quality to justify it. The is a very good chance of success for the E71

The Nokia is one of the best looking phones that you are going to find, it looks great. It is also the thinnest smart phone on the market. It is very lightweight and it fits easily into your pocket. The display is a little on the small side but it does allow you to do your work without any real problems. Resolution is good but it wouldn’t hurt if the screen was a little bit brighter. The keyboard is a little crowded, the keys themselves are a good size but to get them that big they had to be really crammed together. This makes it a little bit hard to type for some people. Just above the keyboard there are four shortcut buttons which really came in handy. The touchpad worked quite well.

The user interface on the E71 is an improvement over previous versions of the phone. From the home screen you have quick access to all of the things that you would need to use on regular basis. There are also separate work and play profiles that you can switch back and forth between with an icon at the top of the screen. That way you can keep your work and your personal stuff separate.

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Just so you know – it’s not all just iPhones!