The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Review

Samsung has got its gaze clearly set on rival Apple’s iPad and iPhone, what with its trademark tagline, ‘The Next Big Thing is Already Here’.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 comes on the heels of the successful Galaxy smartphones, and this comes as an Android-based 10-inch tablet whose greatest strength is arguably its fine-tipped stylus that offers a more accurate natural pen-like interaction with documents. Whether you require one or not depends on you, but this is one area the Note 10.1 beats all other tablets hands down.

The Note 10.1 employs stylus technology from industry-giant Wacom that offers precision and pressure-sensitivity, which comes as a welcome relief from the clumsy and blunt-tipped capacitive styluses for the iPad. A bonus perk is that the Note 10.1’s stylus can be interchanged with any Wacom-compatible stylus.

Upon removal of the stylus from the bottom of the Note, a shortcut bar appears from which you can launch several apps including the S Note app. This is one of the preloaded apps and perhaps one of the most useful as it allows you to write notes, doodle and even write down formulas.

Features

You would be excused for confusing the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 with the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, because the two look strikingly similar. Both are 10-inch screen tablets and come in shades of grey or white.

The Note 10.1 runs on an Android platform, Version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Inside is a fast 1.4GHz quad-core processor and an impressive 2GB of RAM. It comes with 16GB storage capacity, with a 32GB model also available. microSD slots allow for an extension of up to 64GB of storage space.

It has a 1.9MP camera (front-facing) that sits above the screen, as well as a 5MP rear camera that rests at the top middle of the tablet. Built-in features include Bluetooth, GPS as well as Wi-Fi direct for photo and file sharing with other compatible devices.

The Note’s top is where the power button is located, along with volume buttons, headphone jack, iR blaster, microSD card and SIM card slot. It has no USB in or HDMI out. You better not lose the sync and charging cable as it only utilizes the proprietary Samsung cable.

A small infrared ‘eye’ is also to be found at the top which is part of the Peel Smart Remote enabling you to use the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 as a remote control for your TV. The bottom edge contains the charger/PC connector slot.

 One downside though is the entire plastic casing that houses the tablet. When compared to the iPad’s sturdy and solid feel, the plastic gives more of a cheap, and perhaps flimsy, feel.

The 10-inch screen comes with a resolution of 1280 x 800, same as the Galaxy Tab 2, but the Note’s is sharper with more vivid colours allowing for crisp motion. The viewing angles can’t be faulted too, unless when placed next to the new iPad.

The stereo speakers (iPad has mono) are distinctively located at the front on both sides, and their location was well-thought out because it is hard to cover them with your hands.

Applications

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 comes preloaded with several apps including the S Note, S Planner, PS Touch, Crayon Physics, Video player, Web browser, Email, Polaris Office, Gallery and others. It employs the Pop Up Play which allows you to watch video while performing other tasks.

The S Note is a pen-based notes app which can also recognize handwriting and supports the keyboard as well. S Planner is sort of a diary app that picks up your Google calendar, PS Touch allows you to draw images from scratch or edit them while Crayon Physics is a pen-based game.

Another innovative feature is the Smart Stay which utilizes the front facing camera to determine whether you’re looking at the screen or not. If you are, the backlight will stay on and will not dim as is the norm with many other devices, and if you are not looking at the screen, it will dim. This feature comes in handy mostly when reading text-heavy docs, websites or even e-books.

Polaris Office has been tweaked to allow for inclusion of handwritten or drawn notes within documents.

You can download a myriad other apps via Samsung’s S Suggest that provides numerous apps suited to the device.

Performance and Battery

The Note 10.1 handles the pop-out video and side-by-side apps with the relative of ease, thanks to the quad-core processor and RAM. Some apps take time to load and finger presses seem a bit sluggish, issues that both defy the specs. This should not dampen your spirit though.

Battery life is commendable and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 should give you about eight to nine hours depending on how you use it.