So the new Samsung Galaxy Note has arrived! There is however two sides to this particular coin, on the one hand it must be Samsung’s most impressive looking phablet yet (using the premium design from the S6 family) and on the other we feel that the device represents another watered down version of the iconic brand once partly know for their non-compromising feature load.
That being said the craziest feature (or should I say accessory) that launched with the Galaxy Note 5 must definitely be the keyboard case selling as a separate add-on. The case is a rigid polycarbonate enclosure snaps onto the back of the phone, providing an anchor point for a removable hockey mask of a thumbpad that looks scavenged from one of Palm‘s old Treo design labs. The keyboard itself is a full QWERTY affair with raised mechanical buttons featuring an asymmetric chiclet design, done up in one of three colors. In addition to the standard 26 alphanumeric keys, the case offers shift, alt and symbol toggles alongside replacements for the phone‘s home/back/multitasking buttons that the case obscures when installed.
The keyboard case drops a complex Bluetooth connection in favor of a mechanical option. The keys make contact with the membrane when pressed, which in turn presses on the display beneath. When not needed, the case pops off and affixes to the back of the phone, restoring the full-size display of the Note 5. The whole package seems a bit rushed though (as with many Samsung features), it does not come with backlit keys and it also obscures the the fingerprint sensor built into the home button. It also kind of ruins the premium design when attached.
We will have to wait and see if the $80 (+- R1000) curiosity will be a hit with the Note customers. Watch out for a review on the Galaxy Note 5 review on the site in the near future.
Source: PocketNow
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