Samsung Galaxy Note II (Verizon)
Phone Scoop Review
Dec 6, 2012 by Eric M. Zeman
Verizon's version of Samsung's behemoth impresses with good call quality, excellent LTE 4G performance, and exceptional battery life. This Android superphone has a lot going for it. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
New Samsung Fan!!
I was not a Samsung fan for many years. I always thought they had great gadgets and innovative ideas like the first flip one with a 3.2mp camera that the top spun to make it like a 35mm camera. Had the first talk to text I had used etc. but it sucked as a phone as did others I tried. After having everything from Blackberries to HTC Incredible, Droids including my last phone the Bionic. I bought my wife the Samsung GSIII July 10th when it was released for Verizon. Surprisingly she was super happy with it? I was skeptical. Used it and really liked the screen and call quality etc. So I heard about the Note 2. I thought at the time it may be too big but when I saw the AT&T version on display I found it to be thin and fit in my pocket and actually felt better and lighter than my Bionic with the extended battery! So I researched and researched. I decided to try it........I am really glad I did! Being a phone junkie this phone truly is amazing. I was also skeptical about the S Pen but it far exceeded my expectations. It makes browsing forums and other sites much easier. The display is 1st rate. Even clearer than the GSIII. No extended battery on this phone like I have always had on other phones. Even in 4G all day with heavy usage including lots of talk, browsing, YouTube, Netflix etc. battery is still at least half charged. I am very impressed with battery life. Love the feature that the display will stay on as long as you are looking at it. Has a face detection that keeps the display on as long as you are looking at the phone. Another one of the many many features that stand out is the keyboard. It is very user friendly and nicely spaced. I can type really fast and it has a dedicated # row across the top. Honestly I can't find any faults with this phone! I have many friends with Iphone and I am soooooo glad I didn't go that route after having this phone! Hope this review helps.
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Wow!
Bravo Samsung & Verizon, even though VzW has some very nice devices currently being offered, this one to date wins the race by far. Lightning fast speed, great resolution, battery is fantastic so far, with many other new options still to discover. Suggestion, get the matching back flip-over Samsung made cover. With the outer cover closed, a person can still talk through it. Something easy, yet clever. Good luck to the other new owners. For the others thinking about buying this great phone you will not be sorry!!
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amazingly perfect
Went from palm treo to motorola droid to droid x to droind bionic. And now to the grand daddy of them all.
No need for tablet any longer, the 5.5" screen is perfectly sized to be my 1 device.
One hand operation is still easy.
Fits into pockets and is lighter than the bionic with extended life battery.
The larger screen enables letters and numbers simultaneously on the keyboard.
The battery life got me through a whole day without charging, heavy use too.
Lighning face internet side by side with bionic.
I have not found any bugs yet.
Instant data and wifi connect.
Man sized phone might not fit into ladies pockets or dudes that wear skinny jeans.
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It does EVERYTHING! .. almost.
No phone can be compared to this device, its not even close. Sorry you misinformed Apple lemmings, your iphone 5 barely compares to older android models, its not in this league.
And yes, I have a few apple paper weights since ive moved to the cutting edge of technology with Samsung.
Comparisons to top end computers & tablets would be more ideal.
My only issues with the Samsung Note 2 is the auto correction on the keyboard doesn't auto fix anything so I find myself going back often correcting errors myself & lack of call options, 3 way calling or even answering call waiting without hanging up on both calls. Seriously, I thought basic calling options might be a given, but not with Samsung devices.
These 2 issues are the only reason I didn't rate this device 5 stars.
Battery life is a MAJOR draw to love this phone, 10 hr workdays with moderate- heavy use and its still over 50% most days - light - moderate use will last close to 2 days. No exaggeration.
You will be very happy with the Note 2, without question.
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Better Than I Expected
Pros:
Large clear display
Very impressive battery life
Pretty fast and responsive
Speaker phone is loud and clear
Earpiece volume is above average
Cons:
Speech to text doesn't work using bluetooth headset. I've tried the Blue Ant Q2 and the LG HS7000. I called VZW tech support. They called Samsung support who said that speech to text using bluetooth is only supported using a Samsung bluetooth headset. Hmmm. Bummer.
Predictive text entry is not as smooth or accurate as using my iPhone 4S. I type "Im" and it enters "Im" instead of "I'm". I didn't know that "Im" is a word??
Anyway, this phone is a keeper. I had HTC DNA for about 7 days and LOVED it except for the 11GB maximum usable memory and the less than adequate non-replaceable battery. So I gave up the stellar display and got the Note II.
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What I Don't Like
Everyone already knows the multiple pros to the Note2, battery life, s-pen, screen, call quality, signal strength, blah, blah, blah etc. It has so many pros it is truly much easier to list what I don't like about the phone.
What I don't like:
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1. The calendar widget sucks. They should have used the calendar widget like the one on the S3
2. No transparent digital clock widget.
3. The ongoing Wi-Fi notification in the pull down shade.
4. Because of the size of the phone, some tasks have to be performed with both hands (even with one-handed operation turned on).
5. Build quality (Samsung's usual plastic - although the feel is growing on me. My Seidio case solves that.
What I do like:
===============
1. Everything else. There will likely never be a phone that meets 100% satisfaction in every aspect; I would say this phone meets 95% of what I require in a device. For that, this phone is 5 stars.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 2-Verizon
Awsome phone Samsung
I just purchased this phone 2 weeks ago and have no regrets, i came from a Motorola razr maxx which is a great phone also, no problems at all, loved that phone, but i have been researching the Samsung galaxy note 2 for a while and finally went to a Verizon store to look at it and test drive it, wow, this phone is far better than the razr maxx.
Pros: The 5.5 inch HD Screen is beautiful
The Samsung processor is fast, unbelievable
The battery life is great, really close to the Razr maxx
This phone does everything, test drive this phone and you will see what it can do. This is my opinion only and i have purchased a lot of android phones with contract and out of pocket expense, this is the best phone by far, this phone is totally amazing, very happy,, finally found a phone i will keep for a long time, I am going to give this phone a solid 5,
Cons: Not on this Samsung galaxy note 2,
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Very happy
I will be keeping this phone for s long time. Response is incredible. Screen is big and bright. I've had it about month. I will update more in time. But for more, this is the best phone I have ever used.
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GREAT PHONE!!!
I just got this phone a few days ago and this phone is great so far!! I had the iphone 5 but i wanted a larger screen and some other options that iphone just doesnt have.. I wanted the option of adding a memory card and also if i need to change out the battery i can now.. The screen is big and vibrant and its really fast..I also cant believe how light the phone for its size!! If i had to complain about anything i guess the only thing i would say is the touch sense is not as smooth and crisp as the iphone but its not enough for me to take away any points..
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Very happy!
This is my first Samsung phone and so far I am very happy with it! A little sorry did not buy it earlier. Previously owned an HTC Thunderbolt for 19 mos which was a good phone but the Note 2 is bigger, better and much more stable. Call quality is excellent and I've not dropped a single call on Verizon. Battery life on this device is exceptional - a huge improvement over the Undervolt. My record so far is 46hrs on 1 charge and my GPS is always on, I use live wallpaper, motion setting is on, and my weather updates once every hour. This device is also relatively lightweight for its size. With a Seidio Active case its 8.3oz, only 0.2oz heavier than my Thunderbolt.
My biggest complaint with the Note 2 is the camera (-0.5 stars). It will take good pictures but I've found the camera settings have to be tweaked to get the best picture quality. Unfortunately the settings auto-default once the camera app is closed. The Thunderbolt camera was also 8.0mp but took better pictures as a point and shoot. My second complaint is about questionable build quality. My phone is set to vibrate for calls and messages. When it does vibrate it resonates a humming plasticy sound. It almost sounds as if something is loose inside the phone. The vibration intensity can be changed on this phone but that does not seem make a difference. Strangely enough it resonates with or without the case.
If you are contemplating buying this overall awesome phone, stop, just do it! You will not be disappointed.
Pros
Very customizable
Loaded with features
Fast and very stable
Works great for: phone, internet device, hotspot, GPS device
Call quality/signal
Big, brilliant display
Battery life
Charges quickly using OEM charger
Lightweight for its size
Cons
Slow to wake from sleep
Excessive Verizon bloatware and splash screen
Screen is too bright in a dark room or at night on lowest manual setting
Camera should be better
Phone sounds cheap when it vibrates
Phone is a little slippery when not in a case
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