Science & Technology

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Samsung goes big with its crossover

By: Michael Oliveira

Posted: 02/6/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Samsung�s Galaxy Note (CP)

TORONTO -- There was a time when mobile phone makers were racing to shrink their models and bragged about shaving mere millimetres from their designs.

Samsung is now going in the other direction.

The South Korean company has been stretching out the screen sizes on recent smartphones and its latest, the Galaxy Note -- which got a big promotional push during the Super Bowl -- is almost cartoonishly huge.

The phone is literally a handful, with a screen measuring in at about 13.4 centimetres diagonally, a hefty 4.5 centimetres larger than Apple's iPhone 4S. The Note is being marketed as a crossover between a tablet and a smartphone, to appeal to those who want the best of both worlds in one device.

"What we're hearing from consumers is, 'You know what? I'm starting to carry too many devices,"' said Paul Brannen, vice-president of mobile for Samsung Canada.

"(The Note) fits in my coat pocket, it fits in my back pocket, so it's the perfect size because it's that blend between a seven-inch tablet and a phone ... it's a perfect combination."

The Note, which packs a 1.4 gigahertz dual-core processor, can shoot video in 1080p high definition and photos with a eight-megapixel camera, comes to Canada on Feb. 14. The phone gets its name from the capabilities of the included S Pen, a stylus that can be used to draw notes on the screen or navigate the device.

Brannen admits some buyers might be skeptical about such a large phone but is convinced North American consumers will take to the Note.

The device has been in the market for about six months overseas and has performed well, Brannen said, with sales approaching about 70 per cent of Samsung's top selling phone.

"If you try to equate that in Canadian terms, in Canada we sell over 10,000 Galaxy S IIs a week across all the Canadian carriers, so if you take 70 per cent you'll have an understanding of where we believe it'll land in the Canadian marketplace."

The Note is based on Google's Android operating system and ships with the Gingerbread version installed. Samsung says it expects Canadian carriers will make the newer Ice Cream Sandwich version available in the first half of the year.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 6, 2012 D1

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