Samsung Galaxy Note is a surprise hit

Samsung said the next big thing is already here, and it looks like they weren?t kidding.

Way back during the dawn of the smartphone era, PDAs like the Palm Pilot ruled the mobile world. With their resistive monochrome displays and hideaway stylus, Palm?s devices were beloved by productivity geeks the world over. Then, everything changed.

With the arrival of the gorgeous, full color capacitive touchscreens that we?ve come to expect in any high-tech gadget, the stylus appeared to have run its course. For a time, it looked like Nintendo?s potrable gaming systems were about the only place you?d ever see one again.

But the came the Samsung Galaxy Note. Depending on your view, it?s either a giant phone or a diminutive tablet. Either way, the stylus it packs is what Samsung has leaned on to promote the Galaxy Note, and it?s pretty clear that this reincarnated Palm Pilot has struck a chord with consumers: Samsung has reported that they?ve sold more than five million Galaxy Notes since it launched just five months ago.

How does that stack up to the competition? Compared to the iPhone, it?s a drop in the bucket: Apple moved 37 million units during the first quarter of 2012. If you?re comparing the Galaxy Note to tablets, it?s still not in the same league ? more than 10 million units behind the iPad?s 3-month sales total.

It?s not necessarily fair to compare the Galaxy Note to Apple?s devices, though. Samsung is competing against scores of Android smartphones and tablets, and there?s no denying that selling five million on any one device in such a crowded market is a major feat ? especially a device that?s trying to resurrect the stylus.

The Galaxy Note isn?t the only recent device that has tried, either, but it?s certainly the most successful. HTC tried, too,with the 7-inch Flyer tablet, but it just didn?t take off (pardon the pun). Curiously, though, HTC seemed to be on the fence about whether or not the Flyer was really intended for stylus ? since it was mostly sold as an optional accessory.

So what?s the difference this time around? Is it the power of Samsung?s brand? Is 5.3? a more appealing size for a device with a stylus? Maybe it?s those ads Samsung has been running. What?s your take, Sync readers?

[Source: Samsung Tomorrow (translated)]

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