The Galaxy Note smartphone series is noteworthy for being considered the first commercially successful examples of "phablets"—a class of smartphones with large screens that are intended to straddle the functionality of a traditional tablet with that of a phone, and having helped accelerate the trend of bigger screened smartphones becoming the norm around the mid 2010s. Samsung sold over 50 million Galaxy Note devices between September 2011 and October 2013. 10 million units of the Galaxy Note 3 have been sold within its first 2 months, 30 million were of the Note II, while the original Galaxy Note sold around 10 million units worldwide.
In August 2021, TM Roh, Samsung's president and Head of Mobile Communications, announced that no new Galaxy Note device would be unveiled at their 2021 launch event, which would instead focus on new foldable phones. "Instead of unveiling a new Galaxy Note this time around, we will further broaden beloved Note features to more Samsung Galaxy devices," he added.[2]
Samsung announced the original Galaxy Note at IFA Berlin in 2011. While some media outlets questioned the viability of the device due to its 5.3-inch screen (which, at the time, was considered extremely large for a phone), the Note received positive reception for its stylus functionality, the speed of its 1.4GHz dual-core processor, and the advantages of such a large screen size. Like the Galaxy S2 from earlier that year, the camera has eight megapixels and can film in Full HD, 1080p, and the device features Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL to HDMI).[3][4]
The Galaxy Note was a commercial success: released October 2011, Samsung announced in September 2011, that the Galaxy Note had sold 1 million units in two months. In February 2012, Samsung debuted a Note version with LTE support, and by August 2012, the Note had sold 10 million units worldwide.[5][6]
On 29 August 2012, at IFA Berlin, Samsung unveiled a successor to the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Note II. The new model, released September 2012, featured improvements to the original Note's hardware (with a quad-core processor and a larger 5.5 inches (140mm) display, a revised stylus that can reveal Air View tooltips through hovering, and an upgraded digitizer with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity for more precise pen input, a new hardware design based on that of the Galaxy S III), along with new features such as pen gestures, split-screen multitasking, Air View (which allows previews of content to be displayed by hovering the pen above the screen), and other new features also introduced by the S III.[7]
On 4 September 2013, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 3, which introduced a more "premium" design with a plastic leather backing, and a 5.7 inch (145mm) 1080p display, 3GB of RAM, new 4K video recording capabilities at 30 frames per second (up to 5 minutes per video; availability varies per region), 1080p at twice the framerate (60fps "smooth motion" option), a USB 3.0 connector, an infrared transmitter for use as remote control, a third microphone for noise cancellation, multi-windowing, and expanded stylus pen functionality.[8][9][10] Unlike its predecessor, it is not equipped with an FM radio. The speaker is placed at the bottom,[11] while placed on the rear side on the Note 1, 2 and 4.
The Note 3 is the only Galaxy Note device to be equipped with thermometer and hygrometer sensors and Air View support for both stylus and fingers, of which the latter is achieved with an additional self-capacitive[12]touch screen layer. It also had additional voice commands, including "Dismiss" and "Snooze" for the alarm, and "Answer" and "Decline" for calls.
In January 2014, Samsung for the first time released a "downgraded" version of the Note 3, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo. It features the S-Pen stylus, 8 MP camera, 5.5" Super AMOLED HD 720p display, 16GB storage, 2GB RAM as well as some of the Note 3's software features (e.g. screen zoom).
For the first time, it has a Samsung Exynos Hexa 5260 (6 core) processor with a quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex A7 CPU and a dual-core 1.7GHz Cortex A15 CPU with support for HMP and a Mali-T624 GPU.
The Note 3 Neo lacks both 4K (2160p) and slow motion (720p@120fps) video recording and can record 1080p at only up to 30 frames per second.
On 3 September 2014, at IFA Berlin, Samsung unveiled a successor to the Galaxy Note 3, the Galaxy Note 4. The new model, released on 3 September 2014, introduced a new design with a plastic leather backing and metal frame, a 5.7-inch (145mm) QHD display, a 16MP camera with then new Optical Image Stabilization, 15 Watts of fast charging using Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, revised multi-windowing,[13] an improved S-Pen stylus, an upgraded digitizer with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity and expanded functionality, fingerprint scanner, and other features taken from the Galaxy S5. However, Samsung Air View is only usable with the S-Pen, while it was usable with both fingers and stylus on the Galaxy Note 3.
The Galaxy Note 4 is uniquely equipped with an ultraviolet ray sensor, and the last Samsung flagship phone to be equipped with a user-replaceable battery.[14]
Alongside the Galaxy Note 4, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Note Edge, which features a display with a curved portion that wraps around the right bezel of the device. The curved area can be used as a sidebar to display news and information tickers, application shortcuts, and other tools.[15][16]
The curved right side screen area extends the resolution of the display from 1440×2560 to 1600×2560.
The Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge are the last in the Note series to use micro-SIM cards. Later models in the series use nano-SIM cards.[17]
The Galaxy Note 5 was announced on 13 August 2015. It is based upon the specifications, hardware and exterior design of the Galaxy S6, including its metal frame and glass backing, but with a larger 5.7-inch 1440p display, Exynos 7 Octa 7420 system-on-chip, as well as a new spring-loaded stylus slot. As with the S6 and unlike previous Note models, the Note 5 does not offer a user-replaceable battery or expandable storage. Other removed features include support for Mobile High-Definition Link, a third microphone, and an infrared transmitter.[18][19][20][21] The new "Screen off memo" feature allows the phone to be awoken directly to a note screen when the stylus is removed,[18] and the camera app allows public and private livestreaming directly to YouTube.[18]
The Galaxy Note 7 was announced during a press event in New York City on 2 August 2016. It is largely based on the hardware of the Galaxy S7, inheriting its processor, camera, and the restoration of IP68 water resistance and expandable storage, but with a larger 5.7-inch 1440p display. It is also Samsung's first device to feature a USB-C connector and the first water-protected device of the Galaxy Note series, having a water-protected stylus too.
The Galaxy Note 7's display is curved across the sides of the device, and its stylus features higher degrees of pressure sensitivity (4096) and a finer tip.[22][23] Samsung branded the device as the Note 7 rather than the Note 6 in order to synchronize its branding with the earlier flagship of the same year, the Samsung Galaxy S7 series.[24]
Upon release, the Galaxy Note series earned criticism by a technology journalist of Android Police, criticizing that since 2015's Galaxy Note 5, not much except a stylus sets the Galaxy Note series flagship apart from the Galaxy S series flagship released earlier in the same year, like it did with the first four generations of Galaxy Note devices.[25]
The Galaxy Note 7 was afflicted by repeated manufacturing problems with their internal batteries, which led to incidents in which they overheated and combusted.[26][27] After replacement models experienced similar incidents, the Note 7 was officially discontinued on 11 October 2016, and nearly all units were recalled globally.[28][29]
After the recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Samsung released the Note Fan Edition (FE) as a refurbished Note 7 in selected countries on 7 July 2017. Although having an identical form factor, the Fan Edition comes with a smaller battery of only 3200 mAh rather than the original Note 7 which is 3500 mAh due to safety reasons.[30]
Improved changes of the Galaxy Note Fan Edition include Android Nougat with Samsung Experience 8.1 UI, Bixby virtual assistant (excluding Voice), a "Fan Edition" marking on the back and a Clear View Cover case.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was announced on 23 August 2017. It features a 6.3" 1440pSuper AMOLEDInfinity Display, a 3300 mAh battery, Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 support, Snapdragon835/Exynos 8895 processor (depending on location), an iris scanner, IP68 dust and water resistance, a new dual-lens camera setup with a telephoto lens and support for Samsung DeX. [31]
On 27 June 2018, Samsung sent out invitations for the next "Unpacked" event, showing a yellow S Pen image. The Galaxy Note 9 was subsequently announced on 9 August 2018 and became available starting on 24 August 2018.[32][33]
The Note 9 is a largely refined version of the Note 8. The biggest change from the Note 8 was the addition of Bluetooth functionality to the S-Pen, allowing a user to control the camera, YouTube videos and slideshows remotely.[34]
Internally, the Note 9 uses the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 processor, with either 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, or 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, and a 4000 mAh battery.[35]
The Note 9 uses the same camera hardware seen on Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, with a dual camera setup, a 12MP wide-angle sensor with f/1.5 and f/2.4 dual aperture and a 12MP telephoto sensor with the f/2.4 aperture for Bokeh effects at the back, along with an 8MP selfie camera.[36]
On 1 July 2019, Samsung announced that it would hold its second Unpacked event of the year on 7 August at 16:00 Eastern in Brooklyn's Barclays Center. The Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ were unveiled at the show.[37][38]
The Note 10 marked the first time Samsung offered a Plus model of its Note, with the Note 10 offering a 6.3-inch 1080p display Infinity-O Display and 3400 mAh battery, and the Note 10+ offering a 6.8-inch 1440p display with a 4300 mAh battery. The Note 10 has non-expandable 256GB storage, while the Note 10+ has expandable 256/512GB storage via microSD. Both phones added several new features from the Samsung Galaxy S10, including in-display fingerprint scanners, Wireless Powershare (enabling the phone to be used to wirelessly charge other Qi-compatible devices), and triple camera arrays consisting of a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens and 12MP wide angle and telephoto lenses. Both variants also saw the power button consolidated with the Bixby button on the left side of the phone, with the button now being reprogrammable to be used as a power button or to activate Bixby, and eliminated the headphone jack.
Also introduced with the Note 10 variants were 25 watts Super Fast Charging (with the Note 10+ also being capable of 45 watt Super Fast Charging 2.0), marking the first charging rate increase since the 2014 Galaxy Note 4.[39][40]
Galaxy Note 10 Lite
On 3 January 2020, Samsung announced alongside the Galaxy S10 Lite, the upcoming release of the Note 10 Lite.[41] The Note 10 Lite's main points of interest were that it reintroduced design elements and features had not been used the flagship Note devices in a few generations, such as an entirely flat display (last seen on the Note 5), the reintroduction of the headphone jack (last seen on the Note 9), and the inclusion of an FM radio. Internally, the Note 10 Lite had the older chipset, processor, and GPU from the Exynos version of the Note 9, while incorporating newer features such as the triple cameras seen in the rest of the Note 10 series. In order to position itself, much as the Note 3 Neo had done, as a more affordable Note device, the pricing was much more comparable to midrange handsets of the time at under half the price of the Note 10+ and lesser than the Note 10.
Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra at a virtual Unpacked Event on 5 August 2020. Both came in variants with and without 5G connectivity.
Like the Note 10 line, Note 20 has lesser specifications to justify a relatively lower price point, while the Note 20 Ultra is positioned as a high-end premium device. In this case, the Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch display, 120 Hz refresh rate, 4,500 mAh battery, and expandable storage. The Note 20 lacks several key features of the Note 20 Ultra, including the high refresh rate, microSD storage expansion and "periscope" zoom lens. Both phones have triple camera setups similar to the S20 line, with the Note 20 using two 12 MP wide and ultrawide sensors and a 64 MP telephoto sensor, and the Note 20 Ultra using a 108 MP wide sensor and two 12 MP telephoto and ultrawide sensors.[42] On both models, the buttons and S-Pen have switched places from their positions on the Note 10, with the power and volume buttons now being on the right side of the phone, and the S-Pen dock now moved to the left side of the USB-C port.
This is the last phone launched under the Note series, before Samsung decided to add support for S-Pen in the Galaxy S series, beginning with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, launched in February 2022, features a built-in S-Pen.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is an 8-inch Android-based tablet computer produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. It belongs to the second generation of the Samsung Galaxy Note series tablets, which also includes a 10.1-inch model, the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.
At the Mobile World Congress 2012, Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 10.1, as an alternative to the Galaxy Tab 10.1. It has a 10.1-inch display and uses a quad-core 1.4GHz processor and supports the Samsung S-Pen stylus input as seen on the original Galaxy Note phone.
At the 2013 Samsung Unpacked Episode 2 event in Berlin and New York, Samsung announced the successor to the original Galaxy Note 10.1-inch tablet dubbed as the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Like its predecessor, it has a 10.1 inch display and now supports the improved Samsung S-Pen stylus input also seen in the Note III and it copies the design cue of its lower-end sibling the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 which sports the unified Samsung design first used on the Samsung Galaxy S4.
At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung announced the first Pro line of tablets which included a bigger Samsung Galaxy Note Pro tablet with a 12.2 inch display and also comes with the same S-Pen stylus the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is sporting which is the standard on the Note Series. Its design is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition which has the Samsung standard simulated stitched-leather back.
Subsequently, released together with the first regular Tab A 8.0 and 9.7 models in 2015, Samsung released a model of the Tab A 9.7 equipped with an S-Pen stylus making it the first Samsung Galaxy device to be equipped with the Samsung stylus outside the Note series. In 2017 Samsung released another S-Pen device, the Tab S3. On 1 August 2018, Samsung launched the new tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with a new S-Pen. Subsequently, in 2019, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S6 with the S-Pen.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra was announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event on 14 January 2021, alongside the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the first phone in the Galaxy S Series to support the S Pen accessory, albeit sold separately and with limited functionality. It features a 6.8" 1440p "Dynamic AMOLED" curved display with HDR10+ support, "dynamic tone mapping" technology, and a variable 120Hz refresh rate.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra was announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event on 9 February 2022, alongside the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+. Unlike the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Galaxy S22 features an embedded S Pen, with similar functionalities to the Galaxy Note series and with a faster pen latency of 2.8ms.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra was announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event on 1 February 2023, alongside the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+. Similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 Ultra features an embedded S Pen, with similar functionalities to the Galaxy Note series and with a faster pen latency of 2.8ms.
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Comparison
This table is primarily intended to show the differences between the model families of the Galaxy Note series. The list only covers unlocked and international devices.
The Samsung Galaxy Note is an Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. It was unveiled at IFA Berlin 2011 and first released in Germany in late October 2011, with other countries following afterwards. The Galaxy Note was distinguished by its unusually large form factor—later referred to using the term "phablet"—which straddled the size of the average smartphone at the time, and that of a small tablet: it features a 5.3-inch display, and is bundled with a stylus branded as the "S Pen", which can be used to navigate the device's user interface, and write or draw in supported apps.
S Pen (Korean: S펜) is a wireless digital pen stylus designed and developed by Samsung Electronics featuring Wacom's digital pen technology. It is made for use with supported Galaxy mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, as well as selected Samsung Notebook, Samsung Galaxy Book, and Chromebook notebooks. It was first released with the Samsung Galaxy Note series in 2011, becoming a core feature of the Note line of products. The S Pen supports features such as translating text by hovering the pen, and creating animated messages.
A phablet is a mobile device combining or straddling the size formats of smartphones and tablets. The word is a portmanteau of phone and tablet. The term is largely obsolete by the late 2010s, since average smartphone sizes eventually morphed into small tablet sizes, up to 6.9 inches (180 mm), with wider aspect ratios.
The Samsung Galaxy S series is a line of flagship Android smartphone and tablet computer produced by Samsung Electronics. In conjunction with the foldable Galaxy Z series, the lineup serves as Samsung's flagship smartphone lineup.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is an Android phablet smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics as part of the Samsung Galaxy Note series. The Galaxy Note 3 was unveiled on September 4, 2013, with its worldwide release beginning later in the month. Serving as a successor to the Galaxy Note II, the Note 3 was designed to have a lighter, more upscale design than previous iterations of the Galaxy Note series, and to expand upon the stylus and multitasking-oriented functionality in its software—which includes a new pie menu opened through the button on the stylus for quick access to pen-enabled apps, along with pop-up apps and expanded multi-window functionality. It additionally features new sensors, a USB 3.0 port, 3 GB of RAM, and its video camera has been upgraded to 2160p (4K) resolution and doubled framerate of 60 at 1080p, placing it among the earliest smartphones to be equipped with any of these.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is an Android smartphone developed and produced by Samsung Electronics. It was unveiled during a Samsung press conference at IFA Berlin on 3 September 2014 and was released globally in October 2014 as successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Improvements include expanded stylus-related functionality, an optically stabilized rear camera, 1440p quad-HD filming on the front camera, significantly increased charging rate, revised multi-windowing, and fingerprint unlocking. It is the last in the Samsung Galaxy Note series with interchangeable battery. Its subsequent model, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, was unveiled on 13 August 2015.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is an Android-based smartphone designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 13 August 2015, it is the successor to the Galaxy Note 4 and part of the Samsung Galaxy Note series.
The Samsung Galaxy A series is a line of mid-range smartphones and tablets manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of their Galaxy line. The first model in the series was the first-generation Galaxy Alpha, released on 31 October 2014.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an Android-based smartphone phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The successor to the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition and Samsung Galaxy Note 5, it was unveiled on 23 August 2017 and became available on 15 September 2017.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an Android-based phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of the Samsung Galaxy Note series. It was unveiled on 9 August 2018, as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. It is available in six colours.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of the Samsung Galaxy S series. The Galaxy S10 series is the tenth generation of the Samsung Galaxy S, its flagship line of phones next to the Note models, which is also the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy S. Unveiled during the "Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2019" press event held on 20 February 2019, the devices started shipping in certain regions such as Australia and the United States on 6 March 2019, and internationally on 8 March 2019.
One UI is a user interface (UI) developed by Samsung Electronics for its Android devices running Android 9 "Pie" and later. Succeeding Samsung Experience and TouchWiz, it is designed to make using larger smartphones easier and be more visually appealing. To provide more clarity, some elements of the UI are tweaked to match colors that are based on the color of the user's phone. It was announced at Samsung Developer Conference in 2018, and was unveiled in Galaxy Unpacked in February 2019 alongside the Galaxy S10 series, Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Fold.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is a line of Android-based phablets designed, developed, produced, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of the Samsung Galaxy Note series. They were unveiled on 7 August 2019, as the successors to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Details about the phablets were widely leaked in the months leading up to the phablets' announcement.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is a series of Android-based smartphones designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the Galaxy S10 series. The first three smartphones were unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 11 February 2020 while the Fan Edition model was unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 23 September 2020.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra are a series of high-end Android-based phablets designed, developed, produced, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of their Samsung Galaxy Note series, succeeding the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series. The phablets were announced on 5 August 2020 alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Watch 3, Galaxy Buds Live and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 during Samsung's Unpacked Event. It was the final model in the Galaxy Note series, with Samsung beginning to integrate the functionality from the Note series into its S series "Ultra" models, starting with the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a series of high-end Android-based smartphones designed, developed, marketed, and manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. The first three smartphones were unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 14 January 2021, while the Fan Edition model was unveiled at Samsung's CES on 3 January 2022.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is a series of Android-based smartphones designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. Unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 9 February 2022.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a foldable smartphone that is part of the Samsung Galaxy Z series. It was announced at the August 2022 edition of Galaxy Unpacked alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 4. It was released on August 25, 2022. It is the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a foldable smartphone that is part of the Samsung Galaxy Z series. It was announced at the August 2022 edition of Galaxy Unpacked alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It was released on August 26, 2022.
The Samsung Galaxy S23Series, is a series of high-end Android-based smartphones designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of its flagship Galaxy S series. The phones were announced and unveiled on 1 February 2023 at the Galaxy Unpacked in-person event and were released on 17 February 2023. They collectively serve as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S22 series. It was succeeded by the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
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