The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is another awesome device from Samsung. I would bore you with the specifications and tech jargon as to what makes its hardware a good device but today I will just tell you what I think of it.
Apart from its size, if you intend to use it as your main mobile device, there is not much to fault with the note. The size issue only applies because you would look weird with it next to your ear as you answer a call but that’s why you have earphones, right? The note comes with an 8 inch screen which makes it suitable for a wide range of applications. If you love reading books, journals, newspapers and other materials then this will be the device for you. I was able to enjoy a part of Dan Brown’s Inferno as part of the sample given by Amazon and on reading mode the note is a joy to read with.
The user experience for me is great as the operating system is fast and can handle several applications. Being an Android driven device the range of apps you can download is almost limitless. I did another post listing my favorite though there are so many that have been added to the list.
Another grand feature of the Galaxy note is the stylus that can be used for a wide range of purposes. There are several apps that are stylus driven such as S Note and Paper Artist. If you’re bored from using your fingers just chuck the stylus and use it. J. I also love it for drafting ideas. Being sort of a creative mind sometimes you don’t want your notes and pointer in a logical format. You might want to add the occasional light bulb on an idea you feel to be really awesome and so on. As someone wrote about the Galaxy Note it lives to the adage that the pen is mightier…
The Galaxy Note also takes some awesome photos both on the front and back end cameras which is pretty awesome. I didn’t expect the front end camera to have such clear images and it was truly a pleasant surprise.
For those that love to read, the Note 8 is a wonderful device for such activity. It is not too big which makes it easier to hold in any position. It also has a reading mode which makes reading on the device even easier.
For those that would like to carry the Note 8 around, I would suggest they buy a case for it (Kshs. 2,000 at Fone Express) for the device’s protection.
At the end of the day what set’s the Note apart is the user experience and the stylus. I would definitely recommend this device.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 goes for Kshs. 49,999 at Safaricom, Fone Express and Samsung Branded Shops (prices may vary).
Select specifications
Weight and Size
The Galaxy Note weighs about 338 grams which is not so heavy in my opinion and the it can be held on one had which is good as you can do something else while using the Note – for those who can multitask.
Display
The screen is about 8 inches with a TFT capacitive touchscreen. I love the clarity and the size as I said is really cool for reading.
Sound
The Note comes with a 3.5mm earphone jack and stereo speakers that offer some good sound.
Memory
The note comes with 16GB internal memory with 2GB RAM that allows it to be pretty fast, plus you can add a microSD for more space up to 64 GB.
Camera
The primary camera is about 5MP which is kinda low but it does have some good pic quality and the secondary camera is 1.3MP which I highlighted earlier takes some really good pics. Some of the camera features include Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection and image stabilization. I would have liked it if Samsung had added a flash to the camera as well.
Some extra features include
HTML5 for the browser. This is the language currently being used to create websites especially those that require multimedia support.
There is sadly no radio.
The Note comes with Android v4.1.2 (JellyBean) which a pretty cool OS.
The battery is a non-removable Li-Ion 4600 mAh battery with a pretty good battery life but this depends on what you do with the device as using data apps really drains the battery of smartphones and tabs.
