Right now, the Galaxy Note 2 is one of the best Android phones available on the market. We included it in our best Android phones for the month of January and the device has been widely adopted by consumers around the world with Samsung reporting over five million devices sold since it first launched late in 2012. And while that is no where close to the 30 million Galaxy S3 units that have sold around the world, it's clear that the Galaxy Note is here to stay.
And stay it will, well into 2013, as the device not only features powerful hardware but also comes equipped with one of the latest versions of Android software right out of the box. That means though that it will have to compete against the many flagship devices that have already been rumored for launch at some point in 2013.
The HTC M7 is the device that is rumored to be replacing the HTC One X, and HTC One X+, as the Chinese company's big name device. And fortunately, details about HTC's next big smartphone have emerged ahead of its official debut. Both will be two of the big name phones of 2013, so how do they stack up against each other?
Here, we take a look at the how the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 matches up versus the rumored HTC M7 in terms of features, launch date, release date, and more.
When Samsung launched the original Galaxy Note, the device was quickly dubbed a 'phablet' due to its size and its capabilities, both of which make it part smartphone and part tablet. Whatever the name, the Galaxy Note 2 is a massive smartphone and one that has a footprint that is bigger than any other smartphone we've reviewed.
It measures in at 151 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm which is absolutely massive for a smartphone. It weighs like one too checking in with a weight of 180 grams. By comparison, the iPhone 5 weighs a measly 112 grams. Translation: The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a monstrosity and for many, it’s awkward to hold with one hand. To offer an idea of just how big the Galaxy Note 2 is, take a look at it next to the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini in the photo below.
The Galaxy Note 2 is made of polycarbonate material, similar to the Galaxy S3, that makes it durable and easy to hold. It's design is also extremely similar to that of the Galaxy S3 which employs nice curves and a home button at the bottom for easier navigation. Keep in mind, the Verizon Galaxy Note 2 model has a Verizon-branded home button which is different than any of the others.
While exact measurements of the HTC M7 are unknown, it will almost assuredly be much smaller than the Galaxy Note 2. One reason is that the display is rumored to be much smaller than the Galaxy Note 2′s. HTC made is a point to release thin phones last year, at least thinner than its previous models, and we expect that the HTC M7 could be the slimmest HTC device yet.
Currently, the only little tidbit about the HTC M7 design that has surfaced is the possibility of a aluminum unibody design, similar to the HTC One X, which could mean another device with a non-removable battery and without a microSD card slot, two features that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 does have.
The biggest reason why the footprint of the Galaxy Note 2 is so big is due to its monster display. The Galaxy Note 2 sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display, a display that dwarfs just about every smartphone on the market.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 display features solid 1280 x 720 HD resolution with 267 pixels per inch which translates into quality photos and text. As for video, the 16:9 aspect ratio will allow users to view widescreen content without wide black bars.
