Owned the Galaxy Note since November 2011. The display is easily a 10 - nothing comes close in a phone - and yes I mean phone. I went from iPhone to Milestone to Galaxy S to Galaxy S2 to Galaxy Note. This easily works as my phone and size is only a matter of opinion. Mine is in my suit jacket during the day and in my jeans (even Levis 511 Skinny) in the evenings. Regarding holding up the phone to the face...seriously...I don't care what anyone thinks, and in the 10 days I've ridden the subway, I've seen 5 other Galaxy Notes. Playing with an iPad on the train is dorkier than calling with this phone, considering it is no larger that my hand stradling the corners diagonally.

I might also add, the only comments I've had are positive like: "Wow that display is awesome," and "That's what I'm talking about" and when a guy standing in the subway said I provided him with entertainment on our 15 minute ride when he watched me play AirAttack HD.

I also own a 10.1" and 7" tablet and with this resolution, I find the other tablets just to frickin' big - especially 10.1." On the other hand, when I use my girlfriend's Galaxy S2 or try out the new 4.3" phones in the shops I think, pfff...these things are tiny. So, in contrast to the Verge review, I find the Note the best of both worlds. A phone with big awesome display and a tablet that is more manageable to use and fits in a pocket.

I also happen to be a proponent of Samsung's customization of Android (TouchWiz) since their Codec support, Camera App, Photo/Video Editing, Clock App, Swype, etc. are all superior to stock Android. One point regarding "sephiap's" review: You can change the pen settings and recognition time. It's under Keyboard>Keypad>Handwriting Settings

Other users may disagree, butI thought I would just share my experience.