Phriday Phablet Phun

Note: this is not a Packers-related post.

As some of you may know, Franklin and I were each recently given an early Christmas present from the good folks at Verizon – a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note II – with simple instructions to have fun with it. And if there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s having fun with things. Hell, I once turned some recyclables and a broken vacuum into a game of the ring toss (true story). I’m not sure if Verizon had heard about this, but I think they were hoping for some sort of creative execution or another.

Now, the first thing you need to know about the Note II is that this is no ordinary smartphone. It’s way too big to be labeled a phone, and yet it’s smaller than any tablet I know of. It reminds me of that whole “is he a linebacker or D lineman?” argument. Truth be told it’s actually a hybrid that’s been dubbed in some circles as a phablet (or if you prefer the lesser-known and much-much-lamer title, taphone). Check out the size of this bad boy next to an iPhone 4s.

Photo via AndroidAuthority.com

Getting to know this smartphone has been as fun as sampling beer and cheese at the farmer’s market. There’s more available features and functionalities than I'll probably ever get around to so I thought I’d just let you know what I’ve been using it so far.

And that is… videos, games and pictures. OK, I’ve made calls, texted and emailed with no issues but what obviously sets this thing apart is the 5.5-inch vibrant display. For me, that means entertainment. So along with tapiture games where you fling imaginary foul fowl through the air, video streaming late night and at work (sorry, boss), I’ve been watching highlights on Verizon’s NFL Mobile app every week. Simply put, it’s ridiculous. The technical term is “HD Super Amoled Screen” aka Bad. Ass.

All of this wouldn’t be available if the Note II wasn’t supported by Android’s 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, a quad-core processor, a rather impressive battery life and of course, Verizon’s lightning-fast 4G LTE network.

Now, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows with this bad boy. It’s definitely a handful (that’s what she said?). A lot of times you’ll need both hands to operate it effectively (too easy) and I found out the hard way that one should definitely remove it from his/her pocket when sitting down. And while I appreciate the capability of the S pen, to me it still feels unnatural and slightly inaccurate although I haven’t used it a ton.

You can learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Note II here.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Fans program and have been provided with a wireless device and five months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.