Note in full Gear

Samsung's new flagship product is the phablet.存倉 The Galaxy Note 3 is a phone blended with a tablet, and the third edition device raises the bar for the phablet sector. Unlike previous announcements for other models - which either went with a line of products running individual or single flagship devices - the Note 3 hit the stage with a smartwatch, Galaxy Gear. The synergy between the Gear and Note 3 splits one mobile device into two. You can interact with your core device, the Note 3, through the Gear on your wrist - such as make and answer calls on the Gear using the inbuilt mic on the watch strap. You can also preview incoming messages and other notifications via the Gear. Smart Relay allows users to view the full content on their screen by simply picking up their Note 3, all this without the hassle of scrolling through the apps all over again. For many simple tasks, you can just use the Gear. Having said that, this device is not designed for doing intensive stuff on such a small screen, despite its good contrast and wide viewing angles. Still, the spotlight falls on the Note 3. "Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is more than just a mobile device. It's part of our life," said Lawrence Chow Man- wing, chief marketing officer of Samsung Hong Kong. The Note 3 does away with the outer plastic cover and now sports a luxuriously soft faux leather version giving it a classy look. Function-wise, it fully utilizes the interactions between the device and the S Pen stylus. Like previous styluses, the button on the S Pen opens up the Menu to access various applications. For instance, you can write a name and a phone number on the screen with the stylus. The contact information is then stored without the need to open up the contact list and typing it again. Of course, you can make a call or send text message immediately after you have written the number on the phablet. Making searches is a lot easier on the Note 3, and your favorit迷你倉 photos, screen caps or website addresses can be marked with the S Pen. The Multi App view is upgraded to enable you to open the same application twice. The Scrap Booker on the Note 3 allows you to add pieces of your screen to a scrapbook. This feature acts just like a little notebook, allowing you to collect, categorize and save information. One interesting addition to the Note 3 is the Pen Window. Irrespective of the apps you are working with, just draw a rectangle to open the Pen Window to perform various tasks with the stylus. For smooth operation of all these features, the Galaxy Note 3 runs on a 1.9 Gigahertz quad-core processor. The 3G version runs on a 1.3GHz quad-core chip. The 4G-LTE version has a more powerful 2.3GHz quad-core processor. Both models have 16GB of internal storage, with a microSDHC slot expandable up to 64GB. The large RAM of 3GB is essential to enable the user to switch between windows and among apps. The display - a 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels - is vibrant with deep contrast and great viewing angles. The phablet's Li-Ion 3,200mAh battery pack is just 100mAh bigger than that of the Note 2. But the processors are designed to economize on the power and provide enough juice for a day or two. Samsung has used the latest technology to cut down the weight of the device from 182 grams in Note 2 to 167 grams for the Note 3. With a bigger screen, the Note 3 - measuring 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 millimeters - is only longer in size without any increase in the width. And at 9.4mm thick, it is slightly thinner than its predecessor. The Gear, measuring 36.8 x 56.6 x 11.1 mm, runs on an 800Mhz processor with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display. The Note 3 (HK$5,998 for the 3G model and HK$6,198 for 4G-LTE connectivity) is available in black or white while the Gear (HK$2,498) comes in black, beige, gray, rose gold, orange and green. tony.liaw@singtaonewscorp.com 自存倉