Samsung Electronics has today launched the Samsung Galaxy Note mobile device in Kenya. The early morning unveiling event held at the Crowne Plaza, Nairobi attracted a number of technology and business enthusiasts including Dr Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communication, Kenya; Samsung East Africa Deputy MD, Mr Robert Ngeru among others.
“Tablets will be used for teaching through e-Learning programs, the transition in computing continues to simplify how technology is being used and absorbed in the country”, said Dr Ndemo. He added that in the late 1999s, there was a perception in Kenya that the uptake of phones won’t go past 300 mobile users; at the moment Kenyans are slowly shifting from the use of computers to smartphones and tablets.
 

The Galaxy Note is introduced at a time when the Kenyan government plans to run a pilot programme to use smart devices in delivering different public services in the country. “For instance, the use of tablets to improve patient doctor interaction”, says Dr Ndemo.

The device is a hybrid of a phone, tablet and a diary, efficient for CIOs on the go.

During the launch Samsung announced its projection of doubling its mobile phone business in Kenya in 2012, while the projections for smart phone sales are much higher. Already a leading smartphone and tablet vendor in Kenya, Samsung is poised to take over the smart phone and tablet segment with this new announcement of the Galaxy Note.

Speaking during the launch, Samsung East Africa Deputy MD, Mr Robert Ngeru said the firm is working to meet increasing demand from business customers for higher productivity on the go.

“With its large HD Super AMOLED 5.3’’ screen, Galaxy Note is a new category of device that combines the portability of a Smartphone with the expansive viewing experience, multi-tasking, Input versatility (S Pen) and content creation capabilities of a diverse set of mobile devices,” said Mr Ngeru.
Last year, the firm shipped smart phones into the Kenya market valued over US$10million.

The Galaxy Note combines one of the largest HD display, portability and S Pen interface, creating a new type of Smartphone and appeals to a wider range of customers including business professionals, artists, youth, musicians, architects, fashion designers and the like.

“The Galaxy Note builds on the success of the Galaxy SII, the best Smartphone and comes with unique additions such as of the S-Pen, which helps to create and share content,” said Mr Ngeru.

A recent survey by the electronics firm reveals that over 70 percent of consumers want to replicate the pen/paper experience on a mobile device.

“Ability to write, draw, share notes directly on Smartphone increases work and life productivity as well as encourage creativity,” said Mr Ngeru.

The S Pen combined with the large HD display, creates one of the best mobile input experiences. According to Samsung, the S Pen is the most advanced pen input technology featuring an array of functions including pressure sensitivity, preciseness, speed and more.

With the S Pen, one can easily sketch drawings or write notes with increased accuracy and ease. Also, the S Pen functionality is deeply integrated into the Galaxy Note‘s native applications to provide a richer interactive experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Note device will be reviewed in the CIO East Africa lab and published in the March issue, 2012.