"Is it a phone? Is it a tablet? It's Galaxy Note!"

So read the quote that kicked off the ad campaign surrounding the original Galaxy Note, the 5.3-inch hybrid device Samsung unveiled last year. Like many Samsung ad slogans, this one was a tad inaccessible, but at least the first two-thirds of it accurately stated the question a lot of us were asking: was the product a smartphone or was it a tablet? And furthermore, what place did it have in the market? What exactly did "it's Galaxy Note" mean?

To the surprise of some -and the delight of Samsung, no doubt- those questions didn't keep the original Galaxy Note from skyrocketing to success. As of August, Samsung had sold 10 million units worldwide, proving that "phablets" did indeed have a place in consumers' hearts and pockets. Before long, the company had single-handedly carved out a new category in mobile computing devices, and went on to expand the Note brand to include devices in other categories as well. A follow-on phablet seemed assured.

The Galaxy Note II is that device. We first got our hands on it at this year's IFA, and we've just wrapped up a solid week of testing our own review unit here in the States. We've editorialized on its hybrid nature, waxed poetic in video demos of its features, and even podcasted at length about this new kid on the phablet block. So, does the new smartphone/tablet live up to the high bar set by its predecessor? Grab your favorite beverage, put your feet up, and watch the full review playlist. less