Conventionally speaking, the 30-day Samsung Galaxy Note Challenge should be over. But nine days after abandoning the device, I find myself missing many of the features found on AT&T's 4G LTE tabletphone.
I switched from the Samsung Galaxy Note to the Apple iPhone 4S as a primary device after the challenge ended, but two days in, I realized I needed a larger display. So I migrated yet again to the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. It seemed like the better choice; a much more manageable size, but offered up some of the Note's best features, like 4G LTE connectivity, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, and TouchWiz 4.0 (which has always been one of my favorite Android skins). But darn, that high-resolution display kept calling my name - and believe me, after using the Note for 30 days, the display difference between it and the Skyrocket is noticeable.
During the challenge, I became accustomed to using the S Pen feature on a daily basis, be it for jotting down notes during calls or sending pictures to family and friends. I initially dismissed it as a niche feature, but found myself using it more and more throughout my time with the phone. By my count, I've used the S Pen on over 100 different things - pictures, notes, and the like. Makes it less of a niche and more of a necessity, based on my use.
Will I stick with the Skyrocket until the next challenge series, or will I go back to the Samsung Galaxy Note? Find out in part two!