Samsung has added another interesting option to its lineup with the all-new Samsung Galaxy Note I717, and on paper it looks like a device that wants to be your daily driver. Announced in 2012, January. Released 2012, January, it arrives at a time when the competition is as tight as ever.
Design & Display
Up front there is a 5.3 inches, 81.4 cm 2 (~66.8% screen-to-body ratio) screen, pushing a resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~285 ppi density), and in real-world use it looks bright, crisp and easy on the eyes. It is not trying to reinvent the wheel with its design, but it does look the part. You can pick it up in a few finishes, including Carbon Blue.
Performance & Software
Under the hood you will find the Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon S3, paired with 1GB of RAM. That combination should handle day-to-day multitasking and most games without breaking a sweat. It runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), TouchWiz UI out of the box, so the software experience feels current.
Camera
The camera setup is one of the talking points here, with a 8 MP sensor doing the heavy lifting. Point-and-shoot results are reliable, and that is exactly what most buyers want.
Battery
Keeping the lights on is a Removable Li-Ion 2500 mAh battery cell, and that is a healthy number that keeps range anxiety at bay.
Our Opinion
So, what do we actually make of the Samsung Galaxy Note I717? Samsung has clearly gone for substance over gimmicks here, and we respect that approach. It gets the basics right, offering a dependable main camera, a crisp display, which is exactly what most buyers are really after. If your priority is a phone that just works, day in and day out, then this one deserves a spot on your shortlist. You could nitpick a few things, as you can with any phone in this bracket. Overall though, the Samsung Galaxy Note I717 is easy to recommend to the right buyer. If you have used this device or are planning to pick one up, do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
