IFA 2011: Samsung Keynote Introduces Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Wave 3
by Jason Inofuentes on September 1, 2011 5:43 AM EST- Posted in
- IFA
- Samsung
- Gingerbread
- Honeycomb
- Android
- Galaxy Tab 7.7
- Galaxy Note
- Wave 3
Samsung Wave 3: More Than A Sideshow
Admittedly, they didn't spend a lot of time talking about their newest flagship Bada phone; but Samsung was unequivocal in their intention to make Bada a serious smartphone OS. Having recently announced Bada 2.0, the Wave 3 serves as a showcase for the operating systems strengths and announced an effort to drive developers towards their platform. Previously Bada was targeted primarily at replacing the operating sytems on the company's lineup of feature phones, and lofty targets have been the norm, as have the failure to meet them (they previously announced expectations to have 7,000 apps on the platform by the end of 2010, and have not yet reached that mark). So, how much of their talk was just home team grandstanding? It's unclear, but we welcome them to do their best in this competitive market.
As for the Wave 3, the 4" Super AMOLED WVGA display comes encased in a brushed aluminum unibody frame and is certainly no slouch in looks. A single core 1.4 GHz processor powers the phone, giving it plenty of power, and TouchWiz is of course lovingly layered atop the base Bada platform. TouchWiz for Android users will recognize the Social Hub and Music Hub apps, and Samsung touts the platforms multitasking abilities. This will likely all be lost on the US, a quick search showed not a single major carrier listing Bada phones amongst their offerings.
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Wrap-Up
Samsung's keynote highlighted the extent to which they have their fingers in nearly every segment of the consumer electronics market. In addition to phones and tablets, Samsung introduced a new television and talked up their Smart TV initiative, a pair of new cameras and the Series 7 laptops that we covered earlier. In each product category they have shown themselves able to provide high quality products and we can't wait to get our hands on them. Unfortunately, waiting is very likely a big part of what we'll be doing. The Galaxy S II was introduced in February, and six months on it's not yet for sale here. So, big stuff is coming our way from Samsung, it just remains to be seen when. Stay tuned throughout the week for further IFA coverage.
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retrospooty - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
Glad to see various options like this for Android phones. I personally wouldnt want a 5.3 inch screen on my phone. Too big to fit comfortably in pocket, but if I were a chick and already carried a purse I would grab one (along with something else)quiksilvr - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
I was actually hoping for a kickstand on it.In fact, how come ALL tablets don't just have a kickstand built into it? Seems to make the most sense.
StormyParis - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
There might be a fashion issue when holding it against my ear.. f*ck the fashion police. They already tried to object to my HD2, and ended up looking very reactionnary) plus I can always use a headset.- the thing still fit in a shirt or front pants pocket
- still works as a phone, fashion police be damned
- it's no heavier than my HD2 (which I find a bit too heavy.. but that's worth it)
- I'm using my phone a lot more as an ereader, mp3 player, RSS reader than as a phone. With the 5.3" screen, I can do all that better, plus maybe start browsing the web, reading comics, and watching videos, all of which I currently do on my tablet or netbook. I might even be able to start doing patch-up Office work, via Google docs or QuickOffice.
- the pen could be a killer app, I was looking for a Pen tablet (Thinkpad Tablet ?). It really depends on how good the hardware and software are though.
To sum it up: I'll get that, instead of the S2 I was angling for, when my contract is up in 2 months. I'm assuming the rest of the phone (battery, camera, sound) will be high-quality too ?
anishannayya - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
Go for the x220T.I have an x210T, and I LOVE it. If you actually need to take handwritten notes, a convertible tablet PC and OneNote are great.
Plus, the IPS screen, Sandy Bridge, and mSATA drive make the x220T an irresistible combination.
ssj4Gogeta - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
He said he already has a tablet and needs a phone replacement.DesktopMan - Friday, September 2, 2011 - link
You got one of the X220 IPS screens that aren't defective? Lucky you...willstay - Tuesday, September 6, 2011 - link
After I got SGS2, there are few days I did not feel need to turn my laptop on at home. With SG-Note, I may not need laptop at all :)akol12 - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
It has been stated elsewhere that the Galaxy Note is powered by the Exynos chipset (http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_77_and_...JasonInofuentes - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
It wasn't in the PR and we haven't heard from Samsung about the SoC so we'll hold off on updating. Thanks for the comment, though!SpartacusMagnus - Sunday, December 25, 2011 - link
There are multiple sources now that show the international model of the Galaxy Note does indeed have the Exynos chipset (as well as a 2500 mAh battery). It is the US versions that Samsung occasionally has to switch to Qualcomm chips due to native support for the radio bands we us use.Indeed the T-Mobile SGSII swapped out its 1.2GHz Exynos for a 1.5GHz Snapdragon and according to rumors, the same will happen to the AT&T version of the Note to support their LTE network. This move is not without precedent as the AT&T SGSII Skyrocket was cannibalized in the same manner. This is unfortunate as the Exynos GPU, as the SGSII review on this site revealed, is much, much more capable than Qualcomm's offerings.
Basically, Samsung sacrifices CPU/GPU performance for hypothetical download speeds to make US carrier's look good. So if you want the REAL Galaxy Note- import it. You'll actually get the ICS update if you import it too- the US variants never do.
And lastly, if a 2500 mAh battery isn't enough for you Mugen made a 4500 mAh replacement, though it's a bit pricey at $109...