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Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 tackles a day at the office

A commute, meetings and endless notes. We put Samsung's latest Note 7 phone for power users through a long day at the office.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Jessica Dolcourt
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Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 good enough to replace your laptop in the office? Spend a day with me to see for yourself.

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A phone won't replace your laptop for everything. It's much more comfortable to type this on my 13-inch computer than a 5.7-inch phone, for example. But there are some benefits, and a few drawbacks.

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The S Pen won't work with every app. You'll have to play Pokemon Go with your fingers. Otherwise, the stylus helps keep the screen fingersmudge-free.

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I like to get a jump on email before getting to my desk.

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Illustrating ideas with a sketch made collaborating easy. You can erase the sheet in a flash, or share notes with others for later reference.

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A water-resistant coating makes lunchtime handwashing and dishwashing carefree.

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The 5.7-inch screen is big, but a quick call while running an afternoon errand break didn't feel too ridiculous.

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Especially when using the Note 7's Edge display to call up address book shortcuts.

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In some situations, using my thumbs to scroll was faster and more convenient, like while waiting in a quick-moving line.

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As a phone for everyday life, I could do everything I wanted, like launching the app to pay for my questionable caffeine habits.

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The stylus genuinely made it easier to edit some Google Docs from the comfort of a couch, which gave me a nice break from the desk.

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And the S Pen fits naturally in the hand the way an ordinary pen would, only smaller.

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Speaking of the pen, CNET's art director, who has some serious talents, very quickly sketched a cartoon using the Note 7's drawing app.

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Back at the desk, a wireless charging pad tops up the phone, because why not?

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Even though there's plenty of battery life left, intense use like streaming music, videos and GPS directions can quickly sap what's left.

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Alternatively, you can plug in the USB-C type charger, which is cool because it's reversible, so you won't have to inspect it to decide which way is "up".

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During another break, I took the Note 7 to the lobby to catch up on CNET news. The magnifying lens helped keep me from squinting.

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Deciding to do some folder maintenance, I was able to quickly add apps with a tap, rather than through drag-and-drop.

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You can adjust the S Pen controls at any time in the Settings menu.

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And if you ever find the need, you can translate among 70 languages using the S Pen -- and Google Translate.

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I really love jotting a note when the screen is off, then pinning it to the lock screen. Read my full review to see how the feature could be better.

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I played around with the iris scanner. It was fast, but I didn't always want to peer into the front-facing camera to get into the phone.

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Fingerprint unlocking felt more natural, but that could also be because I'm more used to it.

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Regardless, you'll have a backup pin or pattern if the primary unlock method fails a few times.

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After hours, some coworkers ended the day at the local watering hole. Photo filters helped me quickly take this photo on the way to the bar -- this is new for Samsung phones.

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Filters and modes offer presets that made these fries look delicious. We definitely made some people jealous.

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Like Samsung's other "7" phones, the S7 and S7 Edge, the Note 7 here takes great low-light shots with its 12-megapixel camera.

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It takes nice selfies with the 5-megapixel front-facing camera, too. If it's too dark, you can set the screen to flash to brighten the scene. It'd be cool if you could choose mellower flash colors, too.

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Time to head home! And use the Note for texting and skimming social networks.

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Make sure you read my full Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review to see if you should buy this phone.

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