[Galaxy Tab 7.7 General] Jade Eyed Wolf:
GT-P6800 vs GT-N7000: FIGHT!!!

Since I currently have both devices, I'll give you my take on them in their own right. Bear in mind, this is my own personal review based on my own experiences with each. So whichever one I favour in the end is really just my own opinion; your experiences may favour a different opinion, and as such, it's really down to the individual as to which one is ultimately better for you. That said, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Note are absolutely fantastic devices, and I love them both.

By now, most of us know that these devices are very similar on the inside, so I'm going to break this down by their differences instead. Mainly I'm going to focus on the most obvious differences like screen, battery, camera, form factor, and x-factor (like things which can't really be put on a spec sheet).

So let's begin!

Screen:

Let me just start this section by saying that both screens are absolutely

gorgeous!

Both have a 1280x800 resolution but that's about where the similarities end. The Note features Samsung's HD SAMOLED display technology vs the 7.7's HD SAMOLED Plus technology. Now, there's a lot of hoo-ha going on about the inferiority of the PenTile subpixel arrangement that the Note uses, and that it would have been just that much better had it been the same kind of RGB subpixel matrix used in the Galaxy S2 (and the 7.7 for that matter!). To this is say in the most respectful manner possible, QUIT YOUR MOANING!!! It makes complete sense as to why Samsung chose to use the PenTile pixel arrangement with the Note due to its smaller size; you can achieve a higher resolution with fewer subpixels. If Samsung had gone with an RGB arrangement instead, with today's current technology, either the screen would have had to have been bigger, or the resolution lower (maybe qHD or something). On top of that, I actually kinda like the way that the PenTile display seems to dither and/or anti-alias images. So oblique angles appear sharper and less pixelated. Text on the Note is crisp and easy to read, even without having to zoom in. On top of that, since PenTile uses more green subpixels than either red or blue, and since human eyes are more sensitive to green, the Note's display appears to be noticeably brighter than the 7.7

Now for the 7.7's display, and oh what a great display this is! If you've ever seen or used the SAMOLED Plus displays found on the Galaxy S2 or other Samsung products using the same technology, you'll feel right at home with the 7.7; it's the same exact thing, only bigger and more of it! What's not to like? Not much really. The only thing I find worth noting when comparing the 7.7's display to the Note, apart from the difference in the subpixel design which I have already talked about, is the brightness. The 7.7 doesn't really appear to be as bright as one might expect. However, what the 7.7 lacks in brightness, it more than makes up for in colour accuracy. The 7.7 reproduces colours which are warmer and more natural looking than what you might see on the Note. Even when I compared my 7.7 to my 8.9 side by side, the 7.7 wasn't as bright as the IPS panel in that device, though there was no competition with the 7.7's contrast levels or colour reproduction. All in all, the 7.7's screen is absolutely brilliant. Its refinement means that it focuses on being the best it can be in all areas rather than having to exaggerate one strength in order to distract the user from any would-be downfalls.

EDGE: Draw.

At the end of the day, both screens are winners because they are best suited to the respective sizes of the devices they're on, which leads me to the next category.

Form factor:

Which do you prefer: A small, slim, lightweight tablet that can double as your phone? Or do you prefer a jumbo sized phone which packs the power and versatility of being able to play the role of a tablet?

This one really comes down to the individual and their lifestyle, so it's very hard to remain objective here.

As a phone, the Note is massive. Once I had become used to the sheer size of it, my old Galaxy S2 felt utterly tiny in my hand for comparison. It's a really strange feeling which you have to experience yourself in order to fully understand. Having said that though, once you get used to it, it feels just like any other smartphone, only better. As someone with pretty big hands, having the extra real estate makes texting a breeze. Viewing web pages is also a much more pleasant experience than on any smartphone I have ever used, period. As large as the Note is for a phone, it was surprisingly pocketable. I rarely had an issue where it didn't comfortably slip right into my everyday trousers or jeans without a fuss. Finally, I never found it to be as awkward as I had expected when it came to the times I had to hold it up to my ear to take the occasional phone call either. I was half expecting to look like a fool holding something so massive as the Note up to my head, but it's really not an issue. It felt obvious to me that Samsung took a lot of care into making sure that the Note would push, but not exceed, the boundaries of what is the best and most comfortable fit for everyday people in most situations, and that's what makes it great.

On the other hand, the 7.7 feels amazing! When I first picked it up out of the box, I was almost startled by how thin and light it is! If Samsung had announced that the 7.7 could double as your razor blade, and you could effectively use it to shave, I could totally see that being a real possibility. Yeah, it's like that. Perhaps it's a good thing that the 7.7 is encased in lovely brushed aluminium to weight it down lest I'd be worried that it would simply float away in a light breeze. For me, the 7.7 hits the sweet spot as a tablet. I have owned both the original Galaxy Tab as well as the 8.9. With the original, I loved how portable it was, but the screen size and resolution left me wanting just a little bit more. For a while I had the 8.9, but compared to the original, it felt just a little too cumbersome and unwieldy for me. With the 7.7, I think Samsung has finally cracked it! It's just big enough that I can still have a full tablet experience, yet it's still just small enough that I can very easily slip it into a vest or coat pocket, with no ill effect. It's nice not having to carry it around in a separate man-purse. Absolutely brilliant! I will say however, that holding it up to your head to take the occasional phone call does look quite ridiculous... However, this embarrassment can easily be avoided by using either the included earphones or bluetooth. Problem solved. I should mention that I have a Samsung HM5000 on its way, so we'll see how that changes or improves the overall experience. Overall though, the 7.7 is still fantastic as both tablet and phone.

EDGE: Draw.

Again, this all comes down to the individual, so in an effort to remain objective on a very subjective category, I can't really award an edge to either device.

Camera:

I'll be completely honest here: The 7.7's 3mp shooter can't even touch the 8mp beauty packed into the Note. To say that the 7.7's main camera is adequate, is about the nicest thing I can say for it overall. Though both units can record 720p video (with the Note being able to take it a step further by doing 1080p as well), the pictures and video captured by the 7.7 are very grainy in comparison. Why Samsung chose to forego a better shooter with 7.7 is beyond my understanding. Perhaps size and/or cost restrictions. Who knows?

So, if you take a lot of pictures, and camera quality is a big issue for you, then you're best off going with the Note on this one. However, if a stellar camera is more of a bonus than a selling point for you, the 7.7's shooter is, as I said, adequate. Either way, the Note's camera is the clear winner here.

EDGE: Note.

Battery:

The Note features a whopping 2500mah battery compared to a stellar 5000mah battery found in the 7.7

Though the 7.7's battery is literally twice as powerful as the Note's, it is having to power a much larger screen. Obviously, battery performance all depends on your usage, so your own experience could vary considerably. Having said that, with both devices I rarely had any issues with getting through a whole day of moderate to heavy usage and still having some power to spare. Now this is moderate to heavy usage with the screens both set to full brightness levels mind you. If you take advantage of the built-in power management features and reduce your screen brightness, I have little doubt in my mind that you can very easily go a couple days of moderate usage without having to worry about charging.

In my experience, I would say that both devices are about equal when it comes to battery performance.

EDGE: Draw.

X-Factor:

This is the category to describe what makes each of these devices special in their own way.

For the Note, the obvious x-factor is the s-pen. For some people, this is a huge selling point. Steve Jobs once said that if you're using a stylus, you're doing it wrong. As much as it pains me to admit, I think he was right... to an extent. The fact that there are a plethora of after-market capacitive styli available for use on our modern touch-screen devices is evidence to the fact that a lot of people still want something to hold in their hands as a way of interacting with their equipment. Anyone who has tried to take handwritten notes using their fingers alone knows this truth; the pen was invented for a reason. Fortunately, Samsung had the creative vision to pose the question, "Why not not have the best of both worlds?" Thus the Note was born. It's important to remember that the s-pen is no ordinary stylus. In fact, Samsung prefers not to even call it that, and no wonder! It would be virtually insulting to call the s-pen a mere stylus, because in many ways, it's really much much more. The s-pen isn't actually capacitive at all in fact. Instead, it uses the very same industry leading technology found in Wacom tablets used by many artists today. To have that same technology in the palm of your hand is truly a worthy x-factor for the Note.

For the 7.7, the x-factor is its very own design and build quality. I'm not sure how to accurately put into words just how well built the 7.7 is and, in turn, just how much of a difference that makes for how it feels in your hands. You really have to hold it to fully comprehend what I mean. Every inch of it feels so well thought out and crafted to perfection. The thought of putting it in an after-market case of some sort, or slapping some screen protector on it just feels sacrilegious in some way; kinda like with what George Lucas has done in his Star Wars remakes. Leave it as it is and appreciate it for its own magnificence. It's rare to see Samsung use this level of quality in the materials it chooses for making its devices. In this particular case, the 7.7 has "premium" written all over it. In short, it's a work of art. Well done Samsung!

EDGE: Draw

Other thoughts and conclusion:

It's incredible to realize just how much we are able to do with our mobile devices today compared to 2 years ago, or 5, or 10, etc. The idea of bringing single device with you which could fill the roles of a phone, GPS, media player, camera, laptop, etc. is something that, at one point, seemed nearly impossible. Yet here we are. We have come to a point where we expect and demand that our devices be capable of doing all these things effortlessly, on-demand, on the go, untethered, and unlimited. So, with regard to the Note and the 7.7 (and indeed any mobile device), the question is: how well can these devices live up to our demands and expectations?

For me, the overall winner here is the Galaxy Tab 7.7

Don't get me wrong, I love the Note. It is a fantastic device, and I feel that it really does what few others do: live up to its very own concept. However, for me anyway, it just doesn't quite fit into my lifestyle quite as well at the 7.7 does. The s-pen is a brilliant idea, but for an IT guy with terrible hand writing who doesn't really spend a whole lot of time sketching or doodling, the s-pen x-factor is somewhat lost on me. At the end of the day, with the s-pen safely nestled away, the Note is just a really big Galaxy S2 to me. That's not a bad thing at all by any right, however, I already have a Galaxy S2, and it does what it does very well. Also, despite the virtually identical internals, the 7.7 does feel much snappier, smoother, and generally more responsive. If the Alpha build of CM9 is anything to go by, I'm sure ICS will all change the user experience for the better on the Note. However, as it stands, the overall fluidity of the 7.7 is something that, frankly, puts even the iPad 2 to shame, and that's saying something! Also, as I mentioned earlier, I have the HM-5000 bluetooth handset on order. I suspect when that gets paired up to the 7.7 it will prove to be a deadly combo by merging a full tablet experience with a practical phone experience, all in a nice neat package.

In closing, here's a little food for thought.

I had posted on the Note forum what I think would be the ultimate device for me:

Imagine an upgraded 7.7 that more-or-less keeps the existing form factor but with subtle refinements. Maybe include a better screen and camera. Perhaps include Samsung's upcoming 5 series Exynos chip as well.

Now imagine an upgraded HM-5000 with a sleeker design which includes s-pen technology on one end, a 3.5mm jack on the other end, and maybe a monochrome OLED display in the middle for things like caller-ID, message info, and media playback info.

Now pair those two together...

Holy hell...

Samsung, I hope you're listening!

Hope you've enjoyed this guys! Thanks!