http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Sam...XY-Note_id6116

spec's & size make this one of the few things I might actually consider as a N900 replacement - at 5.3" it's probably - just - pocketable, and has a big enough screen to accomodate a virtual k/b without totally obscuring the display.

I like the sound of the built-in stylus & supporting app's too, and the spec's are pretty impressive in general. I wonder what it will cost, and if the operators will sell it as a big phone (i.e. offer it as an upgrade on existing phone contracts) or a small tablet?

EDIT - the 2500mAh removable battery & NFC support are nice too :-)

Is the stylus just for note taking or can it be used, for example, for selecting links in a browser?

no idea - sounds like it's being marked primarily as a note taking aid (comes with "S memo" app for drawing/note-taking) but I *assume* that it is useable as a general capacitive stylus.

As far as I'm able to see it runs Android - so no replacement. The Hardware Keyboard is anyway missing.

As a phone, it flat out does not work for me. 5,3 inches of screen size (bring on the jokes) are ridiculous. I don't want to carry around and try to talk on a service saucer, or cause an updraft that will suck small children and animals in the air every time I pull it quickly out of a pocket. As a PDA/ second device to carry in a backpack though, for notes it could work (I take it that the stylus has wacom-like functionality). I won't get it because I made my mind to buy the N9 and I'm not made of money, but I can see the appeal.

The official samsung video on youtube is quite teasimg; shows also some neat tricks, like freehand selection of images from web and co[y/paste to notes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlgVL...e_gdata_player

I can totally appreciate that it's too big to be the mobile phone for most folks. If you're like me however and take a mobile call about twice a month, but use it heavily for texting, email & browsing/remote access through the day, then its deficiencies as a phone form factor have to be taken on balance. IF (and I do mean IF) it will fit in a jeans pocket without crippling me, THEN I may consider it - for my 2 calls a month, I can always run into a dark alley or crawl under a table before answering to avoid the ridicule :-)

Understood on the lack of k/b Helmouth, I'm loath to give it up too, but there are so few genuine alternatives to the N900 available that I'm starting to consider it as a possibility, and the bigger screen does compensate to an extent.

I'll wait until it's in the shops and can be demo'd - if the salesman & his shoehorn can get the beast into my pocket, we'll take it from there ...

I like and a wireless mac keyboard can be the best companion to make it a mini laptop

unbelievable.... are u based/working in the middle of sahara and fly to cairo once a month??

that is really infrequent man....

Ok, maybe more like 2 per week then - and I was only talking about received calls ... I do make quite a few outgoing calls on my mobile (cos I have the bundled minutes+skype) but I generally make them from home much more than while out & about.

I don't work any more (other than a very small residual consultancy/support gig which is dealt with almost exclusively by email/remote access), and all my friends are either very local (so I see them without the need to call other than in exceptional cases) or far enough away that email/text/social media tend to be the usual way I stay in touch.

I know my calling profile is abnormal - but I'm basically borderline phobic about unneccessary phone conversation, life's too short :-)