Full Review: 6.0 Inch Sub $200 Star N9776 Smart Note II

When I decided to do my one month "Android Experiment" I started to nose around the internet looking for a cheapish Android device that could be had for cheap but still give Android a fair shake. I checked Ebay and other places for "big name brands" like Samsung, HTC, etc.. but they were all too much money for too little device. Then I ran across the Star N9776 aka the "Smart Note II" and it was only $172.99 brand new! I decided to go with it over other devices for the six inch screen and the orange color. How is it? Read on and found out.

Specs:

• 1.0Ghz Dual Core Processor
• 512mb of RAM
• 6.0 inch Display
• 854 x 480 pixels
• 8mp rear camera
• 3,600mah Battery
• Android 4.1.1
• Dual Sim

Hardware:

The Good:

• Device is Solid it feels surprisingly solid for such a low cost device
• Textured back makes this huge device easier to hold
• Lock/Unlock power button on the side easy to reach,  on top it would be awful on such a big device
• Orange color combined with Silver trim is makes it a sexy device
• Tapered sides make device feel smaller in hand

The Bad:

• Having only 512Mb of Ram is limiting
• Thicker than some top end smartphone of today
• Charger port is deeper than most if you are not using the mirco USB cable that came with the device you will have to shave some plastic off

The Screen:

The Good:

• It's a six inch screen..Duh
• It's pretty bright and readable in all but the brightest of direct sunlight
• Viewing angles are very good indoors

The Bad:

• If my calculations are correct the screen is 164ppi
• Non-Gorilla Glass screen protector needed

Software:

This device comes running the latest version of  Android when you order it. Mine came with Android 4.1.1 even though it stated I would get Android 4.0.9 when it was ordered.

The Good:

• It comes with latest version of  Android when it ships
• The Launcher pre-installed is very good
• Google Now is included in software

The Bad:

• Pre-installed launcher is a RAM hog and you will probably change it out to save RAM.

Camera:

The camera was one of my biggest worries on such a low cost device as we all know mega pixels do not always equal great pictures. However on this device I was flat out impressed in some cases and pleased in others. Outdoors the colors were true to life and anytime it got "grainy" when zooming it was more the poor ppi of the screen and less the pictures themselves. Indoors under artificial light sometimes it was great, and sometimes so so. Below are a few sample shots.

Odds and Ends:

The Good:

• The speaker on this device is super loud and distorts only at the top end
• The 3600Mah battery is amazing I found myself rarely worrying about where I was going to find a charge
• Phone comes with Flip cover and a second 3600Mah Battery

The Bad:

• I found the GPS takes a while to "latch on" and you will have to download an app like Active GPS to help it along
• This device will not upgrade OS's unless you root it. So most people will be stuck with whatever version it comes with forever...no updates for you.

Bottom Line:

The Smart Note II is a "cheap Chinese knock off"  device  that delivers a lot of product for not a lot of money. That being said there are trade offs to be had for this price tag. (low Ppi, only 512mb of ram, etc..) This means that the graphic heavy games WILL NOT work, you will need to check your carrier bands to see if you will get 3G/4G service and things like that.

That being said if you know what you are getting yourself into and the limitations do not bother you it's great device for those who don't have the $700 to $800 to buy the Samsung Mega line of devices. Still want more info? You can get that, or buy this device here.  As always if you have any questions you can  feel free to send me a tweet or leave them in the comments I will get back to you.