Articles about Galaxy Note

Little more than three months since the last build, breaking away from the previous Sunday release schedule, the team behind Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) unveiled Jelly Bean MR1 Build 1. The latest build represents the first official release based on Android 4.2, sporting most of the custom distribution's traditional features.

The work on Android 4.2-based builds started from scratch after Google released the latest green droid operating system, a "tough decision" according to the team behind AOKP. At the moment, Jelly Bean MR1 Build 1 delivers most of the previously known features such as widely customizable navigation bar, including buttons, color or widgets to name a few, custom vibrations, LED Control, lockscreen targets, Quiet Hours and advanced sound settings, among others. However, there are some new features included as well.

Continue reading →

After almost three weeks since Samsung announced the Premium Suite upgrade for the Galaxy S III, the South Korean manufacturer officially revealed that the older Galaxy Note is set to receive the same software treatment alongside the coveted Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade.

The previously available leaked ROMs gave away Samsung's plans to introduce Premium Suite functionality as well the first Jelly Bean iteration for the original Galaxy Note, however details were scarce at the time. Users can now expect to take advantage of a number of new features including Multi Window, which allows to view two apps concomitantly or Popup Browser, Note and Video to display a web page, create notes and watch a video while running other apps.

Continue reading →

When Verizon Wireless introduced the Samsung Galaxy Note II, the handset shipped with a fairly restrictive modding setup. It could not be rooted early on and there was also the problem of a tightly locked bootloader, both of which are now sorted out. But after the major obstacles are gone the big red Galaxy Note II Developer Edition surfaces with, you guessed it, an unlocked bootloader. But is it worth it?

The Galaxy Note II Developer Edition comes with the same impressive specifications as the standard version. The smartphone features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core processor backed by 2GB of RAM and a whopping 3,100 mAh battery. The 16GB of internal storage as well as the microSD card slot are carried over, just like Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz running on top. Fairly straightfoward, except the unlocked bootloader.

Continue reading →

Samsung is yet again in the spotlight with a new, potentially dangerous, security flaw. A developer revealed an exploit at kernel level that allows access to the entire physical memory on a number of popular Exynos-based devices, including the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II.

Thankfully, a developer behind the SuperSU rooting tool, came promptly to the rescue and released an app which can be used by affected users to temporarily plug the security hole.

Continue reading →

I had to get a new phone because my pants were too tight.

Either I'm too fat, or I was wearing jeans that were that special degree of skinny obnoxiousness, but I put my Galaxy Nexus in my hip pocket one night and the screen cracked in half. I know this because it made an audible cracking noise as I strode down the street.

Continue reading →

Among the modding community, Android devices from Verizon Wireless are known for limited modding capabilities. Samsung Galaxy Note II is no different, however, its stigma is slowly fading. The handset can run apps with elevated privileges, and now the bootloader can be unlocked as well.

An unlocked bootloader may not appeal to less demanding users, but holds a great deal of importance to enthusiasts that want to install custom Android distributions, third-party recoveries or kernels. But in order to get even a whiff of all the goodies, Galaxy Note II users first have to install a new Partition Information Table and a custom ROM. Afterwards an exploit must be run in order to install the PIT file (again) and flash the insecure (unlocked) bootloader as well as the new recovery.

Continue reading →

Little more than three months ago, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note II, running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. Shortly afterwards Google issued a minor update to its OS, Android 4.1.2, and starting today you can get it for Samsung’s popular green droid device.

On Nexus-branded hardware, Android 4.1.2 only delivered minor changes. For the Galaxy Note II, however, Samsung has apparently introduced more significant benefits. The most noteworthy features include a higher number of notification toggles, swipe gestures using the built-in keyboard, a new lockscreen effect and a customizable notification panel.

Continue reading →

Little more than six months into the Galaxy S III's lifespan, Samsung has announced a software upgrade for the popular Android smartphone. Dubbed Premium Suite, it delivers a number of new features borrowed from the Galaxy S III's bigger brother, the Galaxy Note II.

Some of the most noteworthy improvements include Multi Window, which lets users view two apps concurrently, Page Buddy, for contextual actions (like opening the music player after headphones are plugged in), and Best Face and Low Light Shot, that allow users to select the best out of five pictures, and improve photography under bad lighting, respectively.

Continue reading →

Android devices from Verizon Wireless are known among the modding community as fairly restrictive when it comes to rooting or unlocking the bootloader. The Samsung Galaxy Note II, now available at the big red, is no exception, but the controversial smartphone can be modded to run apps using elevated privileges, with plans to unlock the bootloader as well.

The process is fairly simple to carry out and can enrich the software experience by allowing users to perform otherwise restricted tasks, such as disabling carrier-branded apps or making full-system backups. In order to unlock the modding gates on the Galaxy Note II, Odin, the Samsung driver, and a modded stock image with elevated rights enabled must be downloaded. Then "system.img" has to be extracted from the stock image and used in the flashing tool to finally get root up and running. But what about the bootloader?

Continue reading →

A little more than a month ago, Samsung announced the Galaxy Note Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the South Korean market, but didn't give any dates for an international release. So if you are not the type that likes to wait for silly things like official releases, there is now a leaked ROM available for the popular smartphone.

The leaked Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ROM for the Galaxy Note is designed for the international model (codename N7000) and will not work on carrier-specific versions. The build is dated October 9 and delivers Android 4.1.1, build number JRO03C. Users can expect a number of new features under the hood such as Google Now, but based upon some early tests, it's not going to break any speed records. The leaked ROM also comes with S Pen air-view, which displays a cursor under the stylus, and the same lockscreen featured in the newest iterations of TouchWiz.

Continue reading →

The phablet is catching on. Two months ago Samsung announced the Galaxy Note II and in the meantime the South Korean corporation managed to sell three million units in 37 days since its release. That's right, and it barely touched US carriers.

The first iteration of the popular and controversial device sold 5 million units over a five month period. "Sales of Galaxy Note II are growing three times faster than that of the previous Galaxy Note", Samsung says in a statement. The success is rather impressive for what is basically a niche smartphone, with what may be considered limited reach due to its intimidating size. By comparison its smaller brother, the Galaxy S II, sold 20 million units in the first 100 days but, unlike the Note II the former appeals to a larger market audience.

Continue reading →

The Samsung Galaxy Note II launched barely two months ago at IFA and local US carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile already make it available for purchase. Verizon is now in the same boat and is accepting pre-orders for the 5.5-inch "phablet."

The Samsung Galaxy Note II will arrive at the big red sporting 4G LTE connectivity and similar specs to the international model. That means the same 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 1280 by 720 resolution, 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable internal storage and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz running on top of it. On a two-year contract it will cost $299.99 at Verizon Wireless, and is currently available for pre-order in both Marble White and Titanium Gray.

Continue reading →

US wireless carrier T-Mobile announced two weeks ago that the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II will come its way "this fall," and surprise, surprise -- it's available starting today.

Unlike AT&T, that announced the "phablet" alongiside the LG Optimus G a week ago and priced the Galaxy Note II at $299.99 on a two-year contract, T-Mobile will sell the Samsung-made quad-core smartphone in Marble White and Titanium Gray for a marginally higher $369.99 on a new two-year contract, basically $70 more than what the former charges for it.

Continue reading →

Yesterday my colleague Joe Wilcox wrote "AT&T starts LG Optimus G preorders Oct. 16, sales Nov. 2," but today Sprint announced that the LG-made quad-core power-house is coming its way, just like the controversial Samsung Galaxy Note II "phablet".

Unlike the AT&T variant the LG Optimus G will come with a 13MP camera, instead of the 8MP shooter announced yesterday, and it will be available for pre-order from November 1, with sales to start on November 11. On a two-year contract the Qualcomm-powered smartphone will cost $199. Also announced is the Samsung Galaxy Note II, that will be available for purchase on October 25 for $299.99 with a two-year contract.

Continue reading →

U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile on Wednesday announced that it will bring the Samsung Galaxy Note II to its product lineup, but unlike the previous model this one does not have to make due with underpowered hardware compared to its international sibling.

Just like the international model, the T-Mobile variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note II comes with a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display sporting a 1280 by 720 resolution, and is powered by the same 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor and 3100mAh battery with a quoted talk time of up to 15 hours. It will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz, and it will be available in two color options, Titanium Gray and Marble White.

Continue reading →