Samsung
Galaxy Note for Japanese Dictionaries
updated October 6, 2014
skip to: Good
deal on Galaxy Note in Japan ・ How to set it
up
Latest News--October 6, 2014: When I have time I'll put all this together
with the info below, but here's the latest. The Note series is
still the best Android for a Japanese dictionary by far. The
upcoming Note Flex may be a cheaper option to the latest Note 4, as
are older versions of the Note; the upcoming LG G3 Stylus will
probably also be just as good and a bit cheaper than the Note 4.
The larger Note tablets are also great. The big change in my recommendation
is that there's now a better Japanese handwriting input app: Swype
(yes, that Swype). The handwriting input has gotten much better in
the last year, and it's now much better than Mazec. Mazec still has
the problem of requiring you to write the left and right halves of
kanji on top of each other to prevent it from interpreting the two
halves as two separate kanji next to each other. It's unnatural and
annoying. Swype has no such problem and works beautifully, even for
complex kanji. It also seems tolerant of a small degree of error
(not as forgiving as the JLT Axims, but enough so that you can
almost always find what you want on the first attempt). In fact,
Swype works so well that it's even reasonably good with just a big
fat fingertip on any larger-screened (5"+) Android--though it does
work much better on a phone with a precise stylus, like the Note
(and presumably the LG G3 Stylus). Also, EBPocket, the dictionary
app I recommend below, has finally gained all of the features found
in the old Windows Mobile version--it's no longer inferior to the
version made 10 years ago for an obsolete OS. Combined with the precise
input of the Note and the convenience of Swype, it offers the best
Japanese dictionary set-up you can put on a modern smart phone.
Addendum--August
22, 2013: Great news--haven't had time
to fully fold it into the info below, just copied in from JLT news. I've
been recommending the Samsung Galaxy Note
series for folks who want a great Japanese dictionary on a smartphone or
tablet (in the Note series, there's a big phone, a medium tablet, and a
full-sized tablet). Not quite as good as the Axim, but close enough for
most users and far and away the best phone and tablets for a Japanese
dictionary due to the combination of the Notes' precise stylus input and
the excellent handwriting recognition app 7Notes with Mazec. The one
drawback is that font that shows up in the handwriting app, the default
Android system font, shows the Chinese versions of characters that exist
in both languages, and they often like quite different from the Japanese
versions. When I first looked into it, the only way to change the system
font was by rooting (="hacking") the phone or tablet, which a lot of
users find quite difficult and intimidating (or buying it from a
Japanese phone company so it already had a good Japanese font). However,
reports are that Samsung devices now let you change the system font
right from the settings, without rooting, and there's also an app, iFont,
specifically for Samsung devices that will let you change the system
font easily and safely, without rooting. So the major hurdle for setting
up a great dictionary system on a current phone or tablet is gone--as
long as that phone or tablet is part of the Samsung Galaxy Note series
___________________________________________
I've figured out the Galaxy Note and
Galaxy Note II and confirmed that these are, indeed, fantastic
Japanese dictionary platforms, second only to the JLT Axims (but
pretty close). Because the Galaxy Note has a
screen technology different from anything else on the market, it can
handle both finger gestures (for convenience) and fine-tipped stylus
input (for precise writing). As important as the hardware, the
software driving the handwriting recognition is also miles ahead of
anything else for Android or anything for iOS--it doesn't depend on
stroke order as much, recognizing even characters drawn in completely
the wrong order (for complex characters--for simple ones you still
have to draw it properly to find it, more so than with the Axim) and
with mistakes--omitted strokes, extra strokes, strokes in slightly
wrong places (though it's not as fault tolerant as the Axim, where you
can simply draw in a random squiggle to fill in part of a character
you can't see properly [on fax, too small, etc.]). Moreover, unlike
anything that will be available for the iPhone, this works as a
regular input method and can directly input text in any app (Apple
doesn't allow apps to mimic the built-in components like that, so with
Japanese handwriting apps on the iPhone and iPad you have to use one
program to write the characters, then copy and paste them into the
dictionary program to look up a word, web browser to do a search, mail
program to write mail, etc., and because that's an Apple rule, no new
app is going to come along and change that).
I got excited about
this after playing with the Docomo version of the Galaxy Note in a
shop, but didn't know it was possible with non-Docomo notes (every
wireless data company sets their phones up a little
differently--Docomo is the ATT of Japan, for my American readers).
So now I've done some digging and here's the dope: Docomo put
excellent handwriting recognition on the Galaxy Note by
commissioning a utility from an app maker that previously had some
less than mediocre Japanese input apps I tried earlier this year.
With Docomo's money, they were able to to do it right . It works
beautifully and it's completely integrated as a regular input
method--you can use it to enter text directly into any other app.
And the company that made the utility has now released it as an app,
7notes
with Mazec, that you can install on any Android phone or
tablet--but for best results, you should put it on a Galaxy Note or
other device with an active stylus (not one of those fat eraser-like
things they sell for regular phones--those are useless; you need one
with a special screen designed to work with a stylus). It's the best
thing app out there for Android on a regular phone or tablet,
although on a regular phone it's still less than ideal--with a big
fat fingertip, entering complex kanji in the box on a small phone
screen--and even on my big 10.1 inch Galaxy Tab--takes a lot more
attention than on the Axims, and it often takes several attempts.
However, with the stylus on the Galaxy Note, it's quick, easy, and
accurate. You have to write the left and right parts of characters
practically on top of each other to avoid it interpreting them as
two separate kanjis, but you get used to that quickly. And it's as
tolerant of incorrect stroke order and almost as tolerant of other
mistakes as the handriting recognition on the the Axim. If you plan
to use the handwriting entry all the time, you probably won't be
happy with a regular Android phone and certainly not with an iPhone,
but you'll love the Galazy Note. With this app, Android is now
ahead--way ahead--of Apple for Japanese use. The best app for iPhone
doesn't work quite as well, depends more on stroke order, and can't
enter text directly into other programs (meaning you have to cut and
paste to use it to look up a word in a dictionary--Apple actually
bans apps from working as regular input methods, so that's not going
to change soon). So even a regular Android phone is far better. But
add in the quick, accurate stylus input of the Note, and Apple isn't
even in the same ballpark anymore--they're not even in the same
state as the ballbark.
Oh, and because
it's an Android device you can set the interface language to be in
English or (almost) any other language of your choice.
One other useful
note: The specs for the original Galaxy Note say it can use up to a
32 GB microSDHC card. It can actually also use the new microSDXC
cards. I found much confirmation on the web that it can use the 64GB
UHS microSDXC cards, and indeed I'm using a SanDisk 64 GB card right
now with no problem. It's likely it will be able to use 128 GB
larger microSDXC cards when they become available, but I won't know
for sure until such cards come out and people start trying them, and
reporting the results online.
There are a couple of drawbacks of the Galaxy Note
compared to the JLT Axim-based Complete System:
- This may be solved--see note at top of page. The default Asian font in non-Japanese Android devices is
biased toward Chinese--as a common example, the 曜 [you] in 曜日[youbi]
is a good example--in standard Japanese the top right part is ヨヨ
(looks like two katakana yo characters), but
in Chinese it looks a lot like the character for feather or wing,羽
[hane].
A lot of Japanese
characters actually do have parts that are supposed to look like 羽
instead of ヨヨ, so 曜 written that way looks like it quite plausibly
could be a completely different kanji--for quite a while I thought it
wasn't finding the right kanji.. So you'll have to change the system
font to one biased toward Japanese--and doing that requires rooting
your phone or tablet (no offense, but if you don't already know what
"rooting an Android" means, please
look at this before deciding to do it--for many it's no big
deal, but it can be a very big deal for the less computer-saavy).
You'll have to look online for directions for your exact model number
(e.g., the Galaxy Note from Verizon is a slightly different model than
the one from ATT and from the one I got from NTT Docomo, and even
through they're all the original Galaxy Note with exactly the same
specs the root procedure is a little different for each); before
buying make sure that you can find and that you understand how to use
the instructions for rooting that exact model number (if you can't
figure it out, you may be pretty unhappy with the Galaxy Note as a
dictionary). Once you've rooted your device, just install a
font-changer app and try out some Japanese-capable fonts to see which
one you like best--Arial Unicode is usually a safe choice to start
(and it will also work with Chinese, Korean, etc.). If you buy a
Docomo Galaxy Note, though, that's not a problem--it's already got a
Japanese-friendly font built in (and still handles Chinese, Korean,
and all European languages well). Of course the JLT systems are
perfectly set up for Japanese right out of the box (and also display
Korean, Chinese, all European, and most other languages).
- On non-Docomo Galaxy Notes, where you install the
app instead of having it built in, there's one extra step in changing
between the handwriting entry and regular keyboards, but it takes only
a second longer than normal and is pretty simple. You'll also have to
add another app, ATOK, to get a decent keyboard input method for
Japanese--that's pretty much necessary and ATOK's the best for this.
On Docomo Notes, where the app is built-in, you just tap a button on
the keyboard to change to handwriting mode and of course it includes
several built-in Japanese keyboards. Like all Notes, the Docomo also
includes Chinese and Korean input methods.
- The Galaxy Note is big, much bigger than the Axim
(though also much thinner). It's pocketable for me (6' guy [184 cm]),
but it doesn't disappear in my pocket the way my iPhone and
HTC Inspire 4G do--I wouldn't forget it's there (which is good because
I also worry it's more likely to fall out if I'm not careful standing
up or getting out of a car). Also, because of the size, I don't carry
it when I'm going to be doing something active--it's just a lot more
vulnerable (and in the way) than a smaller phone--so for comfort and
safety I sometimes find myself swapping the SIM card out to my iPhone
or HTC Inspire, and I leave the Note on my desk at school in case I
get lured into a dodgeball or soccer game at recess (I'm a teacher,
not a kid). The Note is comfortable in my hand, though many online
reviewers with smaller hands don't agree. Some men and most women,
though, will want to put the Note in a bag, not a pocket, and you
should also try one out in a store to see how comfortable it is in
your hand. This thing is not really a regular phone--it's halfway
between a phone and a tablet. On the other hand, the reasons for the
size--a big screen and a pretty big battery for all-day use--are
features that may be worth the size for many. Again, before you order
one, go to a store and hold it, use it, and shove it in a pocket if
that's where you want to carry it. Update, August 2013: I stopped
carrying this last winter because it was just too big. If you carry
your phone in a bag, this won't be an issue for you, but I got sick of
feeling like I'd shoved a dinner plate in my front pocket. I went back
to my iPhone 4S--not as good, but I've got my Axim at home and at work
when I need more Japanese dictionary than the iPhone can handle. And
despite the excellent handwriting recognition (90% as good as the old
Axim), the deficiencies in the Android OS and the ones it enforces in
dictionary programs get frustrating if you need to use it intensively,
at least if you're used to how much better the app for my old Axim
works.
- It's expensive. If you're in Japan and are looking
for a new smartphone, than you can get one through Docomo and they'll
subsidize it if you sign a two-year contract (be sure to get the new
model; it's only a slight improvement, but through Docomo the original
model will cost just as much). Of course, if you're locked into a
wireless contract already, it'll cost you money to get out of that
early so you can sign up for the Note, otherwise you'll end up paying
for two phone service contracts at once or paying full retail for the
Note (65,000 yen or more). And if you don't otherwise need or want a
constant internet connection, then you'll end up paying a lot each
month for service you don't use.
- The best dictionary program for Android, EBPocket,
lacks a few features and is a bit more awkward in use than the version
on the JLT Axim. The lack of a history feature and the back and ahead
buttons that don't work are especially vexing, as it's pretty useful
to be able to go back to something you looked up a minute ago (or
something you jumped from) without starting from scratch. The ability
to save entries to a study list (or cheat sheet of words you'll need
for a doctor's visit or encounter with the bureaucracy) is also pretty
useful, and also missing from the Android version. However, it's still
a fantastic program and its drawbacks are slim if the Galaxy Note is
otherwise appealing to you.
So, if you don't need all the other, non-dictionary
features of the Note, or if you're happy carrying a reasonably-sized
smartphone and a separate dictionary, you're still better off getting a
JLT Axim--it's a quarter to half the price, depending on version and
options, it's much smaller and easier to carry around (a cheap case can
make it practically indestructible), and it's actually still a slightly
better dictionary than the Note.
But if you don't mind the size and want to have one
device that does everything, the Note looks pretty slick! Obviously, the
fact that I'm recommending something that directly competes with the
product I'm selling tells you how good I think the Note is. I'm hoping
enough people will want something less expensive or smaller or want that
last few percentage points of perfection in a Japanese dictionary and
buy one from me. I'm also hoping that anyone who buys the note to use as
a dictionary will buy my JLT version of Eijiro and download the free JLT
dictionaries to make their Note dictionaries even better.
For
people in Japan only: And, whether because of the release of
the Note II or because they didn't sell as many of the original Notes as
envisioned (pretty hard to hold with smaller Japanese hands, I guess),
Docomo has dumped a ton of brand new original Galaxy Notes on the market
(the Docomo model number SC-05D, in white only), so online resellers are
selling these at firesale prices, around 30,000 yen. Check Rakuten if
you're interested. The listings all say these are unlocked, but they
usually aren't--that'll cost me about
1200 yen, so no big deal (you can also take it into any Docomo
shop and they'll do it for you for 3150 yen, if you prefer, and if you
root it there are apps that then claim to be able to unlock it for
free). Also, these are running Android 2.3 but there's a simple free
upgrade to Android 4 ICS (install the
Kies software to your computer, plug in the Note, and then it's
pretty much automatic). According to specs I saw online, the Docomo
version, once unlocked, should work just about anywhere in the world,
though you may only get the very top LTE speeds with Docomo. I'm running
it on my Softbank Japan SIM card and it seems to run a little faster
than my iPhone 4S--when I venture down from the mountains into
civilization I get blazing fast internet speed, though I don't know if
it's actual 4G). On the Docomo version of the Galaxy Note, you can set
the interface language to English, Japanese, or Korean--they've cut out
the dizzying menu of languages available in the western and
international versions.
Setting
up your Galaxy Note as a Japanese dictionary (steps
1, 2 and 3 aren't necessary if you get the Docomo version of the Note):
- Unless you have a Docomo version, you'll have to
change the system font due to the problem mentioned above--it really
can make reading and looking up Japanese quite difficult sometimes.
First Root the Note, then install a font changer app and change the
font. How to root will be different depending on the exact model of
Note you have and what carrier issued it, so you'll have to look on
the web for information for your specific model and carrier (the one
that sold it, not the one you intend to use it with if those are
different). JLT is not responsible for any problems that come up in
rooting, and I can't offer any help in this. Everything after this is
easy.
- Buy and install the 7notes
with Mazec app (apps available from the Google Play store, the
main appstore for Android--the Google Play app is already on your
Note).
- Buy and install ATOK
for Android. It's the best keyboard Japanese input method by
far--a necessity if you're going to use a phone or tablet for
Japanese.
- Buy and install
EBPocket Pro for Android .
- Download the JLT dictionaries and copy the
dictionary folders to the root of your SD card. I highly recommend the
JLT version of Eijiro--it's the biggest Japanese-English and
English-Japanese dictionary made, and the JLT version adds yomigana to
make it far easier to use for non-Japanese. Many other dictionaries are
also available.
- Start EBPocket, and if the dictionaries aren't shown
in the dictionary menu, open the EBpocket Settings menu and tap Reload
All Dictionaries.
Done.