If you are looking for the functionality reviews and such, id suggest you head onto these review sites: Engadget, Techradar, Cnet Asia and if you're looking for tech specs - check out the Samsung Galaxy Note official page.

However my post is to address some nagging usb connectivity questions that ive seen popping about in android forums, twitter and even amongst some off my fb friends. So in this post am gonna show some usb host connection thats available on a non-rooted Samsung Galaxy Note Gingerbread vers. 2.3.5 via Samsung's fancy usb connection thingamajig cable, which is basicly an OTG cable.

The Samsung USB Cable Thingy.

The official name for the cable is the Micro USB to USB Adapter, its a mouthful so im gonna call it the usb thingy. Priced about RM50 here in Malaysia, and from the Samsung webbie its USD20 everywhere else. As you can see, it comes wrapped in cling plastic, anal type people can be rest assured that it'll be safe from scratches or those random chocolate, char siew pau or ice cream stains.


An important detail in the manual says that you have to plug in the USB device FIRST to the cable because it wont work if you try to connect any USB device to the usb thingy while the cable is attached to the Note. Also, only FAT32 devices.


Galaxy Note + USB Thumbdrive

So you've ripped your cd, convert them into mp3s and you want to listen to 'em on the Note. Fairly easy, copy the files onto your thumbdrive, connect the thumbdrive to the usb thingy and then to the Note. Once the "USB connector connected" message appear, you're all set.


So launch the file explorer app, and a new folder called usbStorage will appear. This is where your thumbdrive content is located. So just copy the whole folder or the individual files into the Note and then launch your music player app. and then HEADBANG! wooohohoo


Copying the 88 megs of mp3s into the Note took less than 30 seconds. and copying the same files into an empty thumbdrives took abit longer but no more than 60 seconds. Awesomely impressive.

Did this on a jailbroken iPad, copying in was not a problem, copying out of the device via the camera connectivity kit into a thumbdrive was the issue - took me almost 5 minutes to copy a 2 megs jpg file.Tsk tsk.

Dont forget to unmount the thumbdrive before disconnecting it from the Note. 


 Galaxy Note + Memory Card Reader 

When traveling - seriously, this is where the Note excels. The fact that you can connect a memory card reader and have it read, copy and backup your photos from your camera into the Note means that i am not encumbered by a laptop or a tablet - which also means one less tangled charger and expensive device which you'd get paranoid when you leave it in your room to think about. Since the Note is also a phone, Voila! - one more less stuff to bring around. As evidenced during my Siem Reap and recent Thailand trip, at the end off every day - all my photos were safely backed up in the Note, in a thumbdrive and because im just anal like that, i uploaded a few selected hi-resolution photos onto Picassa too.


Anyways, connect the memory card to the memory card reader - to the usb thingy and then to the Note. Wait till the "USB connector connected" message appear, then launch the file explorer app.



Just like previously, the files in the memory card will be available in the usbStorage folder. Just copy everything out to your preferred folder on the Note and launch your picture gallery app.




Galaxy Note + USB Mouse

Seriously i dont get it why people actually want this functionality. The Galaxy Note is a freakin device with a huge screen, unless you're a rhino having issues scrolling through your twitter timeline or an elephant, yea its pretty hard to tap the screen with your trunk i guess - its as useless as those forks and plates designed for left handed people.

Anyway, just connect the mouse to the usb thingy then to the Note, a mouse cursor would appear on the screen. So left click to select, right click works as a "go back" function and the scroll on the mouse only works on some websites and didnt work on any off the apps i had on the Note.

 
I would assume that there would be no issue connecting the Note with a USB keyboard, but since i dont have one so i didnt get to test it out.


Important Shit:
  • The FAT32 file system is not supported by all digital cameras and other electronic devices. Therefore, before you decide to buy the usb thingy or format a memory card by using the FAT32 file system, verify that the FAT32 file system is supported by the device that you want to use with the memory card.
  • Although its there, written on the manual - only a maximum of 32gigs, it didnt work with my external 250G hard disc
  • When connected directly to a camera, it didnt work. In this case, my Canon G12 and Nikon D40
  • The USB thingy manual says that you can connect the Note to various Samsung laser printers but nobody I know has a Samsung printer lying around that I can test
  • Yea, you bought an expensive iPhone4S and yes these USB connectivity functions are also available on your device. Riighhhtt.
Sorry for the intrusive adf.ly btw. Just trying my hand at these making-money-online thing. Not too sure if it works at all. 

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19 Responses so far.

  1. i eat ios says:

    Thanks for all the info the music USB speed really made me want to buy this

  2. LeSScAkAp says:

    Entertaining yet informative... i bet somewhere in the heart of the african savannah land a rhino n an elephant is offended by your remark... tsk tsk tsk

  3. aku layap kejap tek pk ko simpan gamba lelaki bogel hahahha (rhcp)

  4. You have probably worked this out by now....

    I thought the same about the mouse until I did this:

    The mouse connectivity is for when you output to your HDMI 60 inch TV; at 1280 it looks fantastic and a mouse is actually quite useful...

  5. tareh says:

    turns out the usb thingy also works with a bluetooth mouse. you know the one with the puny USB bluetooth transceiver + mouse. maybe I should try this out HDMI tv AND the mouse. THANKS EMMA!!!

  6. Rasu says:

    USB Host OTG for Samsung Galaxy Note also available for sale in India and its their hot selling products.
    https://www.shopsection.com/item/USB_Host_OTG_for_Galaxy_Note Its just 400 INR and $8 USD. people who bought this, posted their comments how they are using it.

  7. tareh says:

    Cheers man. Glad you enjoyed it

  8. u mean non-rooted galaxy note...jailbreaking are only for ifags

  9. iamg33k says:

    The usb on the note doesn't have enough power to run a portable hard drive but if you connect it with a powered usb or powered external hard drive it will work ;)

  10. Anonymous says:

    Nice Info thanks :)
    CHeck this out...

    http://www.kjell.com/sortiment/telefoni-kommunikation/mobiltelefon-tillbehor/samsung-google/otg-mhl-adaptrar/otg-adapter-p92011

    The store is in Sweden and the Adapter works like a charm for Galaxy Note Mobile phone, just plug it in and attach your USB memory.
    It should even work with external HDD but then needs extra power. (have not tried that yet)
    A small kable is in the package so you can get that extra juice from a adapter or computer.
    and It Works with very "BIG USB Memories" without extra power,"that i have tested with success with a 128 GB USB Memory, and it was no problemo.
    Just make shure your USB memory or HDD is formated in FAT 32.

    The Adapter Only costs 200 SEK that´s not to expensive.

    By the way.... The Galaxy Note accepts the biggest "Mobile Ultra micro sdhc (SDXC) 64GB" from Sandisk, just plug it in, and let the phone format the memory and your up and running.
    Good luck out there...
    High Five, Great Success :)

    "The Dude"

  11. steelew says:

    Thanks for the info. I bought this thingy and it works great! I tried the mouse...perfect! I tried about 8 different thumb drives and they all worked as well.

  12. tareh says:

    whoa, im glad i could be off help mann. cheers!

  13. Anonymous says:

    This is very helpful. Thanks from Thailand

  14. Anonymous says:

    bro, where i can get this accessory?...:-)

  15. Unknown says:

    has anyone tried an external camera? ...particularly a handheald digital microscope, this would be particularly useful at my work.

  16. Anonymous says:

    I have a speaker that use usb cable to charge from sonicgear. can this usb cable use my note a charger and use the speaker on my note?

  17. tareh says:

    Blackened Merlin: if i have a handheld digital microscope lying around id be pleased to help, but hahaha i dont. i dont even have friends who work in the biotech industry

    Anonymous: I dont think it works that way, because i tried plugging my bluetooth headset to the note's usb to charge it but it doesnt work.

  18. Unknown says:

    Looks pretty nice! ;D

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