(Engadget) – For a while there, companies like Palm and Microsoft insisted that the mark of a serious smartphone was the ability to write on it with a stylus. The industry seemingly changed its mind with the advent of capacitive touchscreens, and the stylus became something to scoff at, a holdover from antiquated operating systems like Windows Mobile and Palm OS.
But then there’s Samsung, which has been trying for years now to keep the idea alive with several versions of the Galaxy Note, a phablet that never quite felt or looked as nice as it should. Well, those days are over. The new Note 5 is the best big phone Samsung has made yet, and it just might make a believer out of a few naysayers.
SUMMARY
Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has never been for everyone, but the Note 5 just might change some minds. It’s the smallest, most comfortable version of the phablet to date, and thoughtful software tweaks make the S Pen feel way less gimmicky. A great screen and first-rate performance are icing on the proverbial cake, but some people will still feel burned by the lack of expandable memory, a bigger 128GB option or a removable battery.