Currently I have an iPhone 5 on order that will be here today but I'm seriously thinking of going for the Note 2. The battery life on the Note 2 is something I would definitely fall in love with. Also the iPhone hasn't really advanced and I am bored with it so I am seriously thinking of going with the Note 2. There are, however, 3 things that concern me about the note 2.
1.) The size of this thing. I have played with them at stores and even made sure it will fit in my pocket, but I'm not sure this will be practical carrying around all day. Most things I use 2 hands for anyways (Texting, Web Browsing, etc.) even on the tiny 3.5" iPhone 4S screen, which is why I think a bigger screen will be nice.
2.) Samsung is known for having really bad reception on their phones when it comes to CDMA. Their AT&T and T-mobile versions seem to be ok but not their Sprint or Verizon versions. I need a phone i can rely on which is why I really liked the iPhone, it had great reception. This is the biggest concern of mine as of right now because if I return the iPhone 5 and get the Note 2 I will be stuck with the Note 2 and I don't want to be stuck with a phone that gets crappy reception.
3.) Having to deal with insurance if something goes wrong with the phone. With Apple I could purchase Apple Care+ and if anything goes wrong with my phone I take it in to my apple store 30 miles away and it will be fixed or the phone will be replaced with a brand new phone (not refurb). If I go with the Note 2 will I have to pay deductibles on the Asurion insurance for Manufacturer defects and things wrong with the phone or only on accidental damage like dropping it? I used to know all about the insurance thing but I've been out of the loop for a while now.
Ultimately I am just bored with the iPhone and would love to come back to Android but I refuse to get something running ICS so it comes down to keeping the iPhone 5, going for the Note 2 or looking into the Droid DNA which looks to be a better size for my liking but without all the things I like about the Note 2 like battery life and some of the Touch Wiz and S Pen features.
Mix:
I am also carefully considering the GN2.
I am considering alongside the RAZR Maxx HD and the HTC Droid DNA.
Right now it is in the lead but I am waiting to see how the GN2 battery life performs on full time LTE.
Most of the reviews have been great on battery life but they have been on networks with little to no LTE.
There also have been conflicting reports on the specs of the Droid DNA so I am anxiously awaiting tomorrows unveiling to get all of the particulars.
I don't have a phone on order so I have the luxury of waiting a little longer than you.
I may wait until CES in January or the MWC in February to see the latest for spring launches before pulling the trigger.
By that time the 32gb GN2 will probably be available.
My thoughts on your listed GN2 concerns:
1.) Size: that is completely an individual issue but if you read through the GN2 forums hardly anyone has complained about the size.
Most have gotten used to it fairly quickly. The only issue seems to be the "cool factor" of talking with the large phone on your ear.
Many have addressed this issue by using a Bluetooth earpiece or microphone equipped headphones.
2.) Cell radio reception: Again, take a look at the forum reviews. There has been little to no talk of reception issues with the GN2. This includes the CDMA version with Sprint that has been out a while now. We will get a better look, with a larger sample size, when Verizon launches because they will sell a lot more (than Sprint) with a much larger subscriber base. But at this point this does not appear to be a concern.
3.) Insurance: Many on these forums swear by the Best Buy insurance and are waiting for their GN2 availability.
The monthly cost is slightly higher ($11 or $12 vs. $8) than Assurion through Vzw but there is no deductible and replacements are generally new phones as opposed to refurbished.
Right now the GN2 is the largest, most powerful and most feature rich phone available.
I am going to wait until after the new year but "at this point" that is the phone for me.