This part Samsung review Galaxy S8 + is dedicated to screen and battery tests. How successful is the Infinity Display in terms of color reproduction, brightness, readability in the sun? How long will it work Samsung Galaxy S8 + from one charge at different modes use?
Samsung Galaxy S8 +: screen
The Galaxy S8 + has a beautiful, resonant and memorable name Infinity Display. An endless display extends from edge to edge. The side bezels are missing, and the top and bottom are so small that they even had to remove the Samsung logo, which so annoyed many fans of the brand.
You probably know the passport details of the Galaxy S8 + screen, but according to the laws of the genre, they need to be voiced. Diagonal 6.2 inches at QHD + resolution gives pixel density in the area 530 ppi... The panel is, of course, Super Amoled, which guarantees maximum black depth and excellent contrast.
We'll get to the tests later, for now let's say a few words about the resolution and aspect ratio of the Galaxy S8 + screen. The default resolution is not QHD + but 2220 x 1080 pixels, that is, FHD +. This permission is used for Android and all applications. You can manually set a lower resolution 1480 x 720... Whether it is necessary to do this is another question ... in battery tests, lowering the resolution did not extend the battery's life.
Galaxy S8 + aspect ratio (18.5: 9) is a topic for a separate discussion, therefore, within the framework of this article, we will voice the main points. It will not be difficult to adapt applications and games to the new resolution, there will be no problems here. But media content is more difficult to redo, like the photos that it takes Galaxy camera S8 +. When watching videos and photos, you cannot avoid the appearance of black bars.
Galaxy S8 + screen does not support Dolby Vision, but does HDR10, which guarantees maximum saturation, realism and vividness of the image. According to display experts DisplayMate, Infinity Display can reproduce more colors (142%) than the standard sRGB color space can accommodate. The S8's screen received the highest A + rating from DisplayMate and is ideal for viewing HDR content.
The problem is that there is little HDR content, and what is available is only available in UHD packages (on Netflix, for example) and requires 4K screen resolution, which the Galaxy S8 + cannot boast of. However, the lack of HDR content is unlikely to be a weighty argument against the Korean flagship, so we will not focus on this.
At the sub-pixel level, the Galaxy S8 + uses a Diamond Pixel layout. Its peculiarity is that the elements responsible for displaying blue, red and green (sRGB) colors differ in size and shape. The largest sub-pixel is blue, followed by red, and green is the smallest. The shape is also different: the blue and red sub-pixels are made in the form of a diamond, the green one is in the form of an oval.
This layout allows you to achieve maximum image brightness and avoid artifacts when drawing small details, in particular, straight and diagonal lines. In terms of color reproduction, the Galaxy S8 + has an excellent display: an average color accuracy ratio of 3, a maximum of 5.6. DeltaE is less than that of direct competitors; despite the saturation of colors traditional for the Amoled matrix, it conveys colors better than LCD panels installed in almost all flagships in spring 2017.
Samsung Galaxy S8 +: display tests
They said about good color rendition, and the brightness of the image is also in full order. When testing the Galaxy S8 + screen in DisplayMate labs, it was able to achieve a brightness of 1020 nits. GSMArena experts were able to squeeze a fantastic 870 nits out of the S8 + display. True, space brightness indicators are achieved only in specific conditions, in particular, when only a small white rectangle is highlighted on a black screen.
V real life the brightness of the Galaxy S8 + screen will be lower: 442 nits in standard mode and 647 nits at automatic settings to the maximum. Since the Amoled matrix allows you to get, in fact, absolutely black, the contrast of the display is infinitely high level, which once again justifies its name - Infinity Display.
| Black cd / m2 | Brightness, cd / m2 | Contrast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S8 + | 0.00 | 442 | ~ |
| Galaxy S8 + (max auto) | 0.00 | 647 | ~ |
| Galaxy S7 | 0.00 | 391 | ~ |
| Galaxy S7 (max auto) | 0.00 | 563 | ~ |
| Galaxy S7 edge | 0.00 | 392 | ~ |
| Galaxy S7 edge (max auto) | 0.00 | 610 | ~ |
| Lg g6 | 0.228 | 468 | 2053 |
| LG G6 (max auto) | 0.277 | 564 | 2036 |
| HTC U Ultra | 0.539 | 428 | 794 |
| HTC U Ultra (max auto) | 0.564 | 507 | 899 |
| Xperia XZs | 0.461 | 564 | 1223 |
| Huawei P10 Plus | 0.335 | 547 | 1633 |
| Huawei p10 | 0.416 | 592 | 1423 |
| iPhone 7 Plus | 0.41 | 573 | 1398 |
| iPhone 7 Plus (max auto) | 0.50 | 681 | 1362 |
The readability of the Galaxy S8 + display in the sun, as predicted, is beyond praise. The best on the market so far! In terms of readability in the sun, the S8 + outstripped its predecessors and confidently came out on top in the current table of ranks. Next came the S6 + and S7 edge. Samsung's closest competitor, the OnePlus 3T, is 400 points behind, although it also has a Samsung Amoled display.
Sun Contrast Ratio
At the end of the conversation about the S8 + display (which, in fact, can be continued indefinitely), let's say that minimum brightness was 3.30 nits... In the evening and at night, the S8 + screen will not blind you, working with the phone is quite comfortable.
The Galaxy S8 + has four display modes. Cinema Mode is tailored for films, Photo - for viewing and working with photos. There are also Basic and Adaptive modes. For daily work with the phone, it is better to choose the latter. In adaptive mode, the Galaxy S8 + analyzes what is shown on the display and improves the picture based on it.
Samsung Galaxy S8 +: battery, battery life
Today it is customary to criticize phones for low battery life, and you can't say that criticism is not the case. Many smartphones, even astronomically expensive ones, barely make it into the evening. When the screen is active, the battery is discharged in 7-9 hours. It is generally better to keep silent about games - it's good if the battery lasts for 3-4 hours. So, Galaxy S8 + and in this component bypassed competitors - over time autonomous work it has a complete order, at least as for a phone with a diagonal of 6.2 inches.
Tests Galaxy battery S8 + showed that with the screen on 3500 mAh lasts for 12-16 hours of operation... When working on the Internet, the operating time is less (12 hours), which is explained by the additional load on the modem. When watching a video, the figure, frankly, is impressive - not every smart with a diagonal of 5.0-5.2 inches can work for 16 hours. You can't expect such a high autonomy from large phones ...
| Galaxy S8 + (Exynos 8895) | |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3500 mAh |
| Fast charging | Quick Charge 2.0 |
| Wireless charger | Supported |
| Autonomy rating | 88 hours |
| Autonomy with AOD | 58 hours |
| Calls | 23:43 |
| Internet | 12:16 |
| Video | 16:03 |
Overall rating of autonomy at Always-On-Display disabled was 88 hours. This means that if you watch a video for 1 hour during the day, communicate in 3G networks for 1 hour and surf the Internet for another hour, Galaxy battery S8 + will last more than three days. Of course, in real life, the battery life will be shorter, as dozens of applications running in the background also consume battery.
When the Always-On-Display function is enabled, the autonomy rating is reduced to 55 hours, which, in principle, is normal. According to the developers, AOD consumes about 1% of the battery per hour, so reducing the battery life of the Galaxy S8 + on a single charge is an inevitable price to pay for the convenience that this option provides.
By good tradition, the Samsung Galaxy S8 + supports wireless charging. The Exynos 8895 version of the smartphone supports QC 2.0 and adaptive fast charging(Adaptive Fast Charging). The Galaxy can be charged from zero to 100% in an hour and a half. Considering the battery capacity of the S8 +, it's not bad overall.
This concludes this part. great view Galaxy S8 +. If you find inaccuracies or errors in the material, please write in the comments, we will correct it.
A live photo has appeared on the network, confirming the unusual resolution of the upcoming flagship smartphone, which has not yet been officially presented. The photo was published by a Chinese source under the nickname Ice universe on his Twitter account.
The photo shows a screen with settings that allow you to adjust the resolution from HD + (1480 x 720 pixels) and Full HD + (2220 x 1080 pixels) to WQHD + (2960 x 1440 pixels). This resolution is due to the more elongated than usual display.
The ability to "play" with the resolution allows you to find a balance between image quality and battery life. Apparently, the default setting will be Full HD + (2220 x 1080 pixels), and the user will be able to adjust it through the settings menu.
According to earlier leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will come in two versions - with a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch display. Both AMOLED screens will be curved and will be able to recognize pressure like the 3D Touch function of the iPhone 6s and 7. The proprietary home button with a fingerprint scanner, which has become one of the distinguishing features Galaxy line, removed from the front panel and moved to the back surface.
The main camera received a matrix with a resolution of 12 megapixels, and the front one - 8 megapixels, both with an aperture of f / 1.7. Next to the selfie camera is another sensor for scanning the iris of the eye, like the infamous Galaxy Note 7. Another feature should be voice assistant called Bixby, capable of recognizing complex commands and compound instructions and triggered by a dedicated button on the edge of the smartphone.
The hardware basis will be Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895, 4 or 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of built-in UFS 2.1 flash memory, expandable with microSD cards up to 256 GB. The battery will receive a capacity of 3250 mAh in the younger model and 3600 mAh in the older model, there is a possibility of fast wireless charging... Protection against water is provided.
The work is carried out under the control of the Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system. 4G LTE, dual band Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11ac / b / g / n), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC are supported, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB port Type-C.
The smartphones are housed in glass cases and will be available in seven colors, including gold, silver, glossy and matte black, blue, purple and pink.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is set to be announced on March 29 in New York at the Unpacked event. It was previously expected to start accepting pre-orders on April 10, and sales start on April 21, 2017, but recently there were rumors about the postponement of the release in retail until April 28. The European Samsung Galaxy S8 will cost 799 euros, the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 899 euros. Thus, the new flagships will be 100 euros more expensive than last year's Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
With the appearance in the Samsung portfolio of an unusual mobile device that combines the capabilities of both a tablet and a smartphone - a kind of overgrown smartphone called Galaxy Note, many jokes were born, walking along its unusually large dimensions for an ordinary smartphone. For example, one of the nicknames of this hybrid sounds like "ceiling" - from the symbiosis of the words "tablet" and "smartphone". Enough time has passed since then, passions have gradually subsided, incredibly successful sales figures around the world have proven the absolute viability of this smartphone tablet, and among people interested in mobile technology, perhaps, there is now a person who has not even heard of such a device. like Samsung Galaxy Note. Meanwhile, now this name has acquired a slightly different meaning: with the recent appearance of the ten-inch Galaxy Note 10.1, as well as with the release of the second version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphone itself, this name began to denote a line or, more precisely, a category of devices bearing a common subtitled Galaxy Note. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2, of course, took the place of the flagship in this category. That is, Samsung still has two flagships - Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S 3, which replaced Galaxy Note and Galaxy S 2, respectively.
Today we will devote our review to the second incarnation of a super smart phone called Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (model GT-N7100). Those wishing to get acquainted with the ten-inch modification of the device called Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, also released quite recently, we once again refer to the review of this device.
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Samsung Galaxy Note | Samsung Galaxy S 3 | Samsung Galaxy S 2 | |
| Screen (size in inches, type of matrix, resolution) | 5.55 ″, Super AMOLED HD, 1280 × 720, 265 ppi | 5,3 ″, Super AMOLED HD, 1280 × 800, 285 ppi | 4.8 ″ Super AMOLED HD PenTile, 1280 × 720, 306 ppi | 4.27 ″, Super AMOLED Plus, 800 × 480, 218 ppi |
| SoC | Samsung Exynos 4412 @ 1.6 GHz (4 cores, ARM Cortex-A9) | Samsung Exynos 4210 @ 1.4 GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9) | Samsung Exynos 4412 @ 1.4 GHz (4 cores, ARM Cortex-A9) | Samsung Exynos 4210 @ 1.2 GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9) |
| RAM | 2 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | microSD | microSD |
| Operating system | Google android 4.1 | Google Android 4.0 | Google Android 2.3, update to Android 4.0 | |
| SIM format * | Micro-SIM | Mini-SIM | Micro-SIM | Mini-SIM |
| Battery | removable, 3100 mAh | removable, 2500 mAh | removable, 2100 mAh | removable, 1650 mAh |
| Cameras | rear (8 Mp; video - 1080p), front (1.9 Mp) | rear (8 Mp; video - 1080p), front (1.9 Mp) | rear (8 Mp; video - 1080p), front | |
| Dimensions and weight | 151 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm, 180 g | 146.8 x 82.9 x 9.6 mm, 178 grams | 137 x 71 x 8.6 mm, 133 g | 125.3 x 66 x 8.5mm, 116g |
| average price | $168 () | $128 () | $164 () | $103 () |
* the most common formats of SIM-cards we will soon consider in a separate article, but here we will just point out that Mini-SIM is what is commonly called a "regular SIM"
Specifications
- SoC Exynos 4412, 1.6 GHz, four cores
- GPU Mali-400 MP
- Operating room Android system 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
- Touch display Super AMOLED HD, 5,55 ″, 720 × 1280, capacitive, multitouch
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, inner memory 16/32/64 GB
- Slot for microSD cards up to 64 GB
- HSPA + 21 Mbps
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n
- GPS / Glonass
- NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, MHL
- Cameras 8 Mp and 1.9 Mp, LED flash
- Working with the electronic S Pen
- Li-ion battery 3100 mAh
- Dimensions 80.5 x 151.1 x 9.4 mm
- Weight 180 g
Appearance and usability
Positioning Samsung models Galaxy Note 2, everything is crystal clear: unlike the pioneer, who had to prove his right to a place in the sun, device number two will never have to fight for anything - a great ancestor did everything for him. At the time of the release of the original Samsung Galaxy Note, it was one of the first serial smartphones of such a huge size, and it, of course, was greeted by the public rather skeptically: "Who needs such a" shovel "?!" However, time has shown that the "shovel" was needed just by very many. This is confirmed not only by the incredible sales figures of the first Galaxy Note, but also by the many newly announced top-end smartphones from other manufacturers, which are close in size to the Korean monster. Why not? The manufacturers' hands are now untied, the dimensions are released - the buyer voted with a wallet for the maximum (read: any) size. So the main task of the new Galaxy Note is just to be no worse than the progenitor. And if it turns out to be faster, more beautiful and better, then the buyer will be provided for him. Whether the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 coped with the task before it, we will now find out.
As for such a "parameter" as beauty, then this question remains open when compared, as always, any question related to subjective assessment remains open. Someone likes it better new Galaxy Note to someone old. But if we digress from the comparison process and look at the appearance of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, abstracting from others modern smartphones of the Korean manufacturer, then we will see the tiles from the bathroom absolutely smoothly turned on all sides. Design as such is not here, no matter what representatives of the marketing department of Samsung may say about it. Everything is cold, calculating, right to the point of nausea, hewn, licked and very boring.
However, if you still start comparing phones with each other, then the differences between the first and second Galaxy Note there are, albeit minimal ones. And I cannot say with certainty that they will be in favor of the second. The main difference lies in the back surfaces: a comfortable, rough to the touch, grooved and therefore perfectly holding the back cover in the hand first Samsung The Galaxy Note has been replaced by a completely smooth, glossy and extremely slippery cover on some devilish whim in the second model. Now Samsung Galaxy Note 2 constantly crawls in the hand, and strives to slip out of both dry and wet palms, and frankly, I don't even want to mention fat and instantly accumulating fingerprints. The cons of slippery glossy surfaces, it would seem, should be obvious to everyone, but not the designers working at Samsung. By the way, they first did the same with the body of their other flagship - the Samsung Galaxy S 3 smartphone. This is where there are practically no differences: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 differs from Samsung Galaxy S 3 only in size - everything else, including the location of all buttons, labels and connectors are almost identical.
Unlike the first Galaxy Note, the second has become a little narrower, but stretched in length. The thickness has practically not changed - a couple of tenths of a millimeter does not count. As well as a couple of grams that distinguish the masses of the devices (180 grams of the newcomer versus 178 for the first Galaxy Note).
The edges have become a little more rounded, the body is a little narrower and thinner, and if it were not for this slippery glossy back cover and slippery metal sides, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 would be a little more comfortable to hold in your hand. But this is only in comparison with the first Note. Compared to standard telephones that the first, that the second still look like unusual overgrown monsters. For example, here's a comparison shot of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 next to the iPhone 4.
For people with normal hand sizes (not basketball players), it is still impossible to talk about real comfort in working with this giant, the device is too large, and women still have to spread their fingers out with a fan to hold it in their hand.
All the elements on the case are located in a familiar way, but the buttons and connectors on the edges have slightly changed their location: the power key on the right and the paired volume rocker on the left have dropped to the center of the sides, and the audio output (3.5 mm), on the contrary, has shifted to the edge of the upper end.
The Micro-USB connector supporting MHL technology (the ability to connect to the HDMI input of a TV or monitor using a special cable not included in the kit) is located strictly in the center of the bottom end, next to one of the two microphones (the second is on the top end).
The front panel is completely covered with protective glass. The prototype that arrived at our editorial office already had a distinct deep scratch on the glass, which was clearly not possible to wipe. It must be assumed that one of the colleagues checked protective glass The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was scratch-resistant, and it gave in.
Otherwise, on the front panel, everything is familiar and standard for modern top-end Samsung smartphones: above the screen there is a nice metal speaker grill and camera and sensor eyes, and under the screen there are three buttons: two touch-sensitive and one mechanical in the middle. At the top there is also a light indicator that notifies of incoming events and modes of charging the device. The indicator glows red when charging, green when the battery is fully charged, and blinking blue notifies of incoming events, such as a missed call or a new SMS message.
The case is completely made of glossy, slippery to the touch, glare in the light and extremely easily soiled plastic - with the exception of the metal rim that encloses the perimeter. But beauty, austerity or high cost, this metal part, unfortunately, outward appearance the device does not add: the bezel is simply smoothly rounded along with the edges of the case and does not at all resemble heavy, serious metal bezels Apple iPhone or the new handsome in the world of smartphones - Sony Xperia V.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 initially went on sale in two colors: Marble White (white marble) and Titanium Gray (gray titanium). Marble is a plain white, and titanium is a mixture of bluish gray with a visible sanding effect, but it still feels smooth and slippery to the touch. We are familiar with both options from the Samsung Galaxy S 3. Obviously, we should expect additional color variants for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 later.
The back cover is made of plastic with a very thin profile, so it bends a lot in the hands. However, it snaps securely onto its many plastic snaps and holds on tightly if not loosened by many removals. The cover hides a slot for a removable battery, as well as slots for Micro-SIM and microSD memory cards. Both slots have spring-loaded gripping mechanisms, which allows you to insert and remove cards with a light push - everything is thought out and convenient for use here.
The stylus is traditionally located at the bottom of the rear panel, which is securely held in its slot and is easy to remove. The electronic pen has undergone significant changes: it not only became thicker, but also received an uneven quadrangular section with one rounded side. Due to this, the handle does not scroll in the fingers and in its own slot, having only one possible variant inserts. On the widest edge there is a button that is responsible for additional functions that can be customized to suit your own needs. For example, while drawing, you can call the "eraser" by pressing the button, erase the unnecessary and, releasing the button, continue drawing further. The handle has a spring-loaded tip, so the degree of pressure is paramount here. According to the company representatives, the number of registered pressure levels has increased 8 times and reaches 1024 gradations. The operation of the electronic pen with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 screen is based on Wacom's patented technology, which cannot but command respect.
Screen
The display in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is made using Super AMOLED technology with all the ensuing consequences: large viewing angles, a good margin of brightness, but an implausible color reproduction from excessively contrasting acid shades. However, the company took care of solving this problem and introduced the option to manually select the screen mode in the settings section. You can't see this in the screenshot, but if you choose, say, the natural screen mode, then the colors become faded, and the picture becomes difficult to distinguish from the displayed one, for example, by an IPS-matrix.
 |
 |
PenTile technology is here, in contrast to screen Samsung Galaxy S 3 does not apply. However, due to the larger area with the same resolution, the density of points in the new product compared to the Samsung Galaxy S 3 screen turned out to be much less (265 versus 306 ppi). So if you put these two smartphones next to each other, then the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S 3, even in spite of the PenTile, looks more advantageous: the picture is a little sharper, and the edges small print and the elements are slightly sharper. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 screen does not have such a "printing" effect.
In numbers, the physical parameters of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 screen are as follows: dimensions - 69 × 118 mm, diagonal - 141 mm (5.55 inches), resolution - 1280 × 720 pixels, pixel density is 265 dpi. Compared to the first Note, the screen size has hardly changed (the difference is only a few millimeters), but it has become more elongated in height. The aspect ratio here is 16: 9, while the screen has first note the ratio was 16:10.
The screen is quite responsive, can be controlled by multi-touch gestures and is equipped with a proximity sensor that locks the display when brought to your ear. The margin of brightness is not excessive: a comfortable level is the maximum brightness. There is a possibility of both manual and automatic adjustment of the brightness level, but I did not like at all how the automatic machine works. In some situations, the screen became too dark, so I had to resort to manual brightness control, set it to almost the maximum level and no longer touch it. Factory protective film like u Sony smartphones, here on the screen, unfortunately, no.
 |
 |
Detailed screen examination using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the sections "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his conclusion.
The smartphone screen is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface and, judging by the reflection of bright light sources in it, has a weak anti-glare filter. There is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen, so fingerprints do not appear as quickly as in the case of ordinary glass, but are removed more easily.
With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 222 cd / m², and the minimum was 16 cd / m². The automatic brightness control by the light sensor works: in complete darkness, the brightness decreases to at least 16 cd / m2 (acceptable), in an office environment, the brightness is set at 74 cd / m2 (normal), in a very bright environment it rises to 122 cd / m2 ( could be increased to the maximum). In this case, the brightness of the screen changes automatically both upward and downward. In general, the work of automatic brightness control should be recognized as adequate (and fast - adjustment starts somewhere in 3 seconds after changing the illumination level). Luminance modulation is present. The graph below shows the dependence of brightness on time at various values of the brightness setting:
It can be seen that at maximum brightness the modulation has a high duty cycle, and at medium and minimum brightness the modulation has a high frequency (232 Hz) and a lower amplitude - as a result, hardly anyone will be able to notice the screen flickering. Formally, the brightness is not very high, but in terms of reflective properties this screen is very different from ordinary LCD screens, as a result, even with a bright daylight everything is clearly visible on the screen - well, at least it is discernible. There is also a second mode of automatic brightness adjustment depending on the type of displayed image - for bright images, where there is a lot of light, the brightness is slightly reduced, for dark images, it is slightly increased. As an example, let's give the dependence of brightness on time when switching from 25% (by numerical RGB value) shade of gray to 75% with automatic brightness control off and on:
The value of this adjustment is in some energy savings. This smartphone uses an HD Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix based on organic light-emitting diodes. This leads to special properties: the screen has very good viewing angles, and the black color is so black that the contrast parameter is simply not applicable in this case. The uniformity of the white field is very good when viewed from a perpendicular view. The switching of the state of the matrix elements is actually performed instantly, so the response time can be equated to zero. True, the transitions between shades in some cases have a step with a delay of about 17 ms, but this fact is not of fundamental importance. In the display properties settings, you can choose one of four profiles - Dynamic, Standard, Natural and Film. As you can see from the data below, the color rendition of these profiles differs. So, the gamma curve of the Dynamic profile has an S-shaped character, while in the case of other profiles it is close to a power function with an exponent of 2.29-2.31 (which is not very different from the standard value of 2.2):
In the shadows, the blockage, if any, is insignificant, since the shade with an RGB value of 8,8,8 already differs in brightness from black. The color gamut in the case of the Dynamic and Standard profiles is very wide:
When choosing the Natural and Film profiles, the coverage is almost compressed to the sRGB borders:
The spectra confirm this. Spectrum for Dynamic and Standard profiles:
Spectrum for Natural and Film profiles:
The best balance in color temperature is achieved with the Film profile, with the selection of other profiles, whites and grayscale become colder, the color temperature rises on average:
The deviation from the spectrum of an absolutely black body (delta E) is on average less than 10, which in this case is very good (the dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not have of great importance, and the measurement error at low brightness is large):
In general, the screen deserves a very high rating, especially the good match to the sRGB coverage achieved when choosing the Natural and Film profiles.
Sound
Nothing special Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in terms of sound does not stand out. The external speaker is very loud, the sound is saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, but at the maximum volume level the speaker starts to rattle and wheeze. This is noticeable even on the crystal clear Over the horizon melody, traditionally preset in Samsung smartphones... The speaker is also very loud, but the sound does not quite clearly convey the timbre of the voice and shades of speech. That is, the voice of a well-known person does not sound familiar when talking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
 |
 |
The speaker grill is cut into back cover, and due to the fact that the lid is completely flat, the sound is significantly muffled by the surface of the table. Even a lattice twig slightly curved outward does not save the situation. There is another curious feature in the arrangement of the speakers of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, this time we are talking about the auditory dynamics: the body of the phone is so wide that without the appropriate skill you do not immediately get the speaker grill exactly on the auricle - you have to move a little to make the sound go exactly into ear. Exactly the same effect was observed in the case of the first Galaxy Note.
Sound is perceived much better with headphones than with speakers. When playing melodies using a standard player, you can use those software improvements that are not available when playing through an external speaker - for example, 7.1-channel virtual surround sound. However, some of the actions to improve the sound can be taken while the external speaker is working: for example, use the preset values of the built-in equalizer.
 |
 |
FM radio traditionally works only with connected headphones, which play the role of an antenna. Sound, like many other phone functions, can be influenced by special gestures - provided that these functions are enabled in the settings. For example, an incoming call or ringtone can be silenced instantly by turning the phone face down. There are many such “magic” gestures, and a person who has mastered them perfectly will look more like a magician than a mobile phone user.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Camera
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is equipped with two modules digital cameras. Front-camera the resolution of 1.9 megapixels, frankly, does not shine with quality. However, in good daylight, you can also achieve a good self-portrait with its help. The module of the main 8-megapixel camera also does not always behave predictably: in bright light, the frames are very good, with natural colors and good clarity, but as soon as the ambient light conditions change, the quality of the pictures immediately decreases. There may be blurring and blurring, or the white balance may not work at all and the photo will frankly go into blue. Most often, by the way, distortions occur precisely in artificial lighting. You can see all this for yourself by examining the pictures below. We deliberately decided to use the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for sightseeing when traveling overseas in order to test how useful this device can be as a main camera for the average tourist. The results are obvious: the frames with the image of the Christmas tree branches and the De Trevi fountain cast a frank blue, the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican turned out to be too dark, and the photographs of the statues inside the museum premises immediately lost their sharpness and acquired a slightly noticeable blur and whiteness. And the most successful shots were also selected.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
However, there is some good news: in the settings Samsung cameras Galaxy Note 2 now has the ability to manually activate shooting mode for low light conditions. Working this mode very good - in these frames, taken inside St. Peter's Cathedral, all the details were captured much brighter, clearer and clearer than they actually looked. Twilight reigns in the premises of the temple, and this regime literally "pulled" into the light all the smallest details of this rich in numerous details of the interior decoration of the cathedral. Of course, the miracle did not happen, and an attempt to "lift" the light sensitivity of a tiny matrix (up to ISO 800 and above) provides an acceptable result only in photographs of size "for publication in in social networks"- when viewing a full-size frame, only noise completely killing the details is visible. However, in this way, it is possible to get relatively sharp pictures when shooting handheld in the twilight, so the shooting mode for low-light conditions is quite solving its task.
The camera can shoot video in HD-resolution and does it very well. Below you can find several videos of different lengths, shot at a frequency of 30 frames per second. At maximum settings, clips are saved in MP4 (video: MPEG-4 AVC [email protected], audio: AAC 128 kbps, 48.0 kHz, 2 channels, LC) and have a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (16: 9).
- Movie # 1 (23.7 MB, 1920 × 1080)
- Movie # 2 (35.4 MB, 1920 × 1080)
- Movie # 3 (109 MB, 1920 × 1080)
- Movie # 4 (43.4 MB, 1920 × 1080)
The camera application is rich in settings: you can assign geotags to pictures, enable face and smile detection, play with preset additional effects, and even choose best photo of several in burst mode.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The capabilities of this shell, coupled with the elements of Android itself of the fourth version, provide the user with the widest choice of options for setting up and adjusting literally all elements of the software platform. In general, everything is very familiar from Samsung Galaxy S 3, but there are also differences. This applies, for example, to the ability to control the device with one hand. The fact is that the dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 are too large for the average human hand, so fingers cannot always reach the right place on the screen. To solve this problem, a separate item called "One-handed operation" was even introduced into the settings, in which you can adjust the position of elements such as virtual keyboards, calculator keys or drawings to unlock the device by moving them closer to the left or right edge, depending on on which hand is controlled by the smartphone.
 |
 |
Smart functions such as screen rotation and standby provide additional convenience when operating the device from unusual positions. Smart standby makes the screen stay on while you are looking at it. The principle of implementation is quite obvious, but the inclusion of this function entails the automatic activation of the other - turning on the camera, and this increases the power consumption significantly. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the need to introduce a feature such as automatically rotating the screen to fit your face. As a result, it turned out that this function really liked users who like to use the smartphone in a recumbent position. After all, everyone knows that one has only to lie down with modern telephone on the side, as his screen is immediately automatically translated into a horizontal position, although your head is also in a horizontal position, and the rotation of the screen in this case only interferes. With the introduction of the Smart Rotate feature, this problem is eliminated, but, again, the constant use of the camera entails additional power consumption.
 |
 |
Another curious feature has been added to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but it will appear in future devices of the company - multiview. Have you already noticed the strange semicircle on the left side of the screen? So, by pulling this tab, you can pull out a whole panel with icons of almost all applications installed on the device. Moreover, this can be done at any time and from any open program... The icon is simply dragged from this panel to the main screen and there it expands the launched application. Accordingly, you can also drag out the second icon here - then the contents of both windows will be displayed on the screen at the same time. A very curious feature and, given the productive platform and big screen, quite viable. By moving the strip separating the windows, you can change the aspect ratio of the windows. The screenshot shows a live example: in the lower part you can see a gallery with photos from your vacation, and in the upper window videos from YouTube are played - quite a life situation.
 |
 |
And, of course, one cannot but tell about the new arrangement of everything related to the use of the S Pen. First, as already mentioned, the stylus itself has become much more comfortable to hold in the hand and, accordingly, use. In addition, the number of registered degrees of depression has increased, which makes the artistic possibilities of using the mini-tablet close to reality. You can choose brushes or pencils, their thickness and color of paints, make pencil sketches or draw full-color pictures. This is useful not only for real artists - ordinary people can brighten up their leisure in this way or give children to draw to develop their artistic abilities.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The main pen program (S Note) is, of course, not only a drawing program. The S Note menu already offers a number of templates, but you can start your own document with blank slate... With this application, you can take notes, keep notes, diaries and notes using both drawing and handwriting, which can be immediately recognized and automatically translated into typed text. It is assumed that students will be able to take their notes at lectures, because the program is able to recognize even formulas, graphs and geometric shapes. In any case, it was intended that way. But in practice, unfortunately, it turned out that taking notes in lecture mode is completely inconvenient. Yes, geometric shapes drawn hastily and somehow, after recognition, get perfectly regular shapes. But the quick writing of text, and even more complex formulas, gets an unexpected obstacle in the form of a lag, a delay between the spelling of a word and its recognition. A complex mathematical formula with such a lag is really very difficult to draw quickly and efficiently, without ever making a mistake in drawing small icons and symbols. In a review of the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, which is similar in functionality when working with an electronic pen, we described in detail and showed on video all the difficulties associated with quickly writing, taking notes and drawing complex formulas using the S Pen.
 |
 |
But not only specialized programs for drawing, sketching and taking notes support the handling of the electronic S Pen. When you bring, for example, the tip of a pen to a thumbnail in the gallery, it increases in size, allowing you to get acquainted with the picture in more detail, but without opening it completely. When working with a browser, lines are highlighted with a stylus, and a context window appears in the mail with additional information, such as contact information. Any kind of rewinding, from scrolling long pages in the browser to rewinding videos in the player, is also available with the S Pen. To do this, you don't even need to touch the screen with the stylus - Air View technology allows you to perform this kind of contextual actions at a distance from the screen, while direct pressing will already lead to the full opening of the photo, cutting and copying parts of the image and text, or, for example, navigating link. Very convenient if you get used to it. And given that Samsung provides all the documentation on this technology, developers can independently add support for the S Pen to any scenarios for the operation of their applications.
 |
 |
With telephone Samsung features Galaxy Note 2 copes with modern smartphones. There is only one radio module, one SIM card. The radio part of the communicator is stable, in this sense the phone is quite reliable. During testing, no freezes or spontaneous reboots / shutdowns were noticed. The interface of the phone application is convenient, the keys, numbers and letters are clearly and large-sized, the dialing of numbers and SMS-messages is quite comfortable (with a discount for the general convenience of such a large screen). However, the problem described above with the inconvenience of getting the speaker directly onto the auricle follows from the large dimensions. But this, obviously, a regular user of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will get used to quickly.
 |
 |
Performance
The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is based on the company's own Exynos 4412 chip, with a central quad-core Cortex A9 (ARMv7) processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. Graphics processing is supported by the Mali-400 MP video accelerator. All of this is served by the largest volume to date. random access memory as much as 2 GB. The storage available to the user to upload their own files is just under 11 GB. Nominally, the system memory in the smartphone is 16 GB, but the remaining amount is used only for the system and pre-installed programs. When a smartphone is connected to a computer, both storages are mounted as independent removable disks (if a memory card is inserted into its slot). In this case, there is a recharge from USB.
 |
 |
The platform is extremely powerful, thanks to which the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is confidently holding the leading position among modern top-end smartphones. The screenshots clearly show the results of tests that we traditionally carry out to compare the performance of modern communicators. These are, of course, synthetic tests, but in real life a productive quad-core platform should not present unpleasant surprises - its power is enough to run any modern games from the app store. Google play, for video playback and even for smooth operation of any application in multi-window mode.
 |
3534 | 5601 |
We traditionally tested the graphics performance in NenaMark2 (v2.4). According to the results of several runs, the Mali-400 MP graphics accelerator in this device showed an excellent result of 58 fps.
The platform has enough processor performance, as well as the graphics coprocessor - the device can easily pull out both HD video and any games from the Google Play Store. By the way, most of the necessary decoders are already preinstalled here in order to play video without conversion, and several games in demo mode. The stock player displays HD video without the slightest delay, but it is very poor in settings and additional functions. But playing movies in an MKV container at 720p using the popular MX Player caused unexpected delays and interruptions. Obviously, this is due to the fact that support for this model has not yet been added to the version of the player in use.
Continuous reading in FBReader in room light at an average brightness level lasted 11 hours, which is a very good indicator for such a large screen. MP3 playback with the screen off lasted more than two days, which can be considered a kind of record among all the mobile devices we tested. Video in MKV container with 720p resolution Samsung Galaxy Note 2 played quietly for 10 hours, even practically without heating. A full charge of the smartphone takes, of course, longer than usual - about 3 hours.
Outcome
To date, the market has not yet appeared a device that is truly capable of competing with such an unusual mobile device like the Samsung Galaxy Note. Neither 7-inch tablets nor the most big smartphones do not fall into the unique niche that this unique hybrid product has occupied. Accordingly, the Korean company can set the cost of this device for now, without being too afraid of dumping from competitors. That is why the price of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is so high at the moment. However, there is always a choice for the buyer. Take, for example, the top smartphones of Samsung itself, several models of which are now on store shelves at the same time. The significantly cheaper Samsung Galaxy S 2 has not yet become morally obsolete enough to be discounted, but it can no longer compete with such new products as the Samsung Galaxy S 3 and Galaxy Note 2. As for the first Note, it is likely to leave the market rather quickly, making room for its successor. Thus, for a person who is planning to buy the most productive smartphone to date, the choice automatically stops at these two top flagships - Samsung Galaxy S 3 and Galaxy Note 2. One officially costs 25 thousand rubles in our country, the other - 30 thousand. The difference in price is not that great, and if you really want to, you can find Galaxy Note 2 for the same 25 thousand from unofficial deliveries. What to choose - everyone decides for himself, and the high price of both devices is not the main factor when choosing. The main thing is size, availability of an electronic pen and ease of use in everyday tasks. Personally, the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is more suitable for me. It is much smaller in size, it is more convenient to use with one hand, it fits better in the hand, it is easier to carry in pockets, and in terms of performance for everyday tasks it is absolutely not inferior to the Galaxy Note 2. However, it never will be able to offer that additional functionality for a smartphone to control the stylus, which is brought to the fore for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners. Having not reached the size of a tablet, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, however, is already ready to offer the owner much more functionality than a simple smartphone. Thus, it turns out that devices that look very similar, provide their owners with different functionality, and this allows them both to coexist peacefully in the market, without overshadowing each other. It's just that everyone has to make their own choice.
