Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Reworked and Revitalized
We managed to get a quick sneak preview of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, the big brother to its 5.3-inch smartphone sibling. Has it changed since its first appearance at MWC 2012? Based on what we saw, the answer is a resounding yes and thankfully, for the better!
Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Reworked and Revitalized
We first got our hands on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 earlier in February this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and it's been a long six-month wait since with no launch details announced for the tablet. At a press event in US in April, we finally got some answers so as to why the device was delayed: a Samsung spokesperson revealed that the product would be revised, in both hardware and software. But that's all they had to tease us with unfortunately - no launch date or specific details were given.
A month later in May, leaked photos and information gave us more details on what would be newly included on the revised Galaxy Note 10.1, including a S-Pen, a dedicated S-Pen slot and a more powerful quad-core Exynos processor. Photos also showed some slight design changes, a welcoming addition since it previously looked too much like the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.
So what exactly is new on the revitalized Galaxy Note 10.1? The above-mentioned features touch just a tip of the iceberg. Hardware improvements aside, the real meat is in its enhanced software. Of course, the S Pen and S Note technologies are likewise featured heavily on the reworked device, albeit with new features like the side-by-side multitasking 'Multiscreen' function, new S Note templates and productivity tools like Shape Match, Formula Match and Text Recognition. To add on, these are just some of the key differentiations from its Galaxy Note smartphone sibling, of which the S Note technology first made its debut. The new tablet will also feature access to the Samsung Learning Hub service, which will include educational content like eTextbooks, video lectures and relevant software from its recently introduced suite of edu-tainment applications. Aside from sharing the same quad-core Exynos processor as its popular Galaxy S III cousin, it will also come with features like Pop-up Play, All Share Play and Smart Stay, but more on those later on.
It is important to note that Samsung wants us to remember that the key proposition behind the new Galaxy Note 10.1 remains the same, that is to "simplify idea capture, information access, and multi-tasking". Without further ado, let's take a quick look at its improvements and what it has to offer:
The old unreleased Galaxy Note 10.1(left) vs. the new version (right) that will retail in the channels really soon.
Important Features | Highlights of unreleasedSamsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (MWC)/ Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (New) | |
Operating System |
|
|
Processor |
|
|
Memory |
|
|
Display |
|
|
Camera |
|
|
Battery |
|
|
Dimensions / Weight |
|
|
On the Hardware Side of Things
The new Galaxy Note 10.1 gets a slight facelift, with speaker grilles featured more prominently in the front. Edges still remain rounded but noticeably, the metallic trimming around the device has been slightly thickened.
Important ports and buttons are tucked at the top, just like how they are on the older Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Like its predecessors,the MicroSD and SIM card slots both come with small protective hatches that are easy to remove. Noticeably, there's the addition of infrared connectivity.
A single charging port sits at the bottom of the device. But that's not the only thing there though...
Tucked out of sight at the bottom to the extreme right, the S Pen slot is almost indiscernible when seen from the top. We had no problems taking the S Pen out of its hiding place but we did face some difficulties in putting it back. The white version will come with a white pen instead of a black one; during the hands-on session, the black stylus was used to show the difference between the two shades of colors available.
The button on the S Pen comes with two main functions - one, users can tap the screen twice while pressing the S Pen button for quick S Note access and two, users can screencap while long-pressing the button on your desired page/home screen.
The new Galaxy Note 10.1 gets a slight bump in the camera department, up from 3-megapixel to a 5-megapixel sensor for its rear camera. The front-facing camera gets upped to 1.9-megapixel from 0.31-megapixel (VGA).
Of course, we had to reserve the obligatory iPad comparison shots towards the end. Pictured on the right is the new iPad with the Retina display. Off the bat, the Galaxy Note 10.1 loses out in screen resolution but emerges on top in other aspects. For one, it is significantly lighter (600g) than its Apple counterpart (652g) due to the former's predominantly plastic body. It is also slightly shorter but wider than the new iPad.
It is hard to see from these shots but the Galaxy Note 10.1 is just a tad thinner (8.9 mm) than the new iPad (9.4 mm).
There aren't any major physical changes made to the Galaxy Note 10.1, aside from a slightly larger and heavier body and the inclusion of an IR emitter/receiver and a S Pen slot. These are thankfully subtly hidden on the tablet so we have no complaints here. As mentioned earlier, the device feels light in our hands due to its predominantly plastic body. As much as we would have preferred a sturdier and more protective outer shell, the added weight would have been a turn-off for Galaxy Note 10.1's targeted user group. Otherwise, the handling experience was pretty positive. On the other hand, we observed that while the glossy back cover has been retained on the remodeled Galaxy Note 10.1, it thankfully doesn't showcase fingerprint marks as prominently as its black counterpart did at MWC.
For those who like some variety in their choices, they will be pleased to hear that the the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be coming in two shades of colors, Black and White. We only managed to get our hands on the white version, but we have been told that the new black variant will be of a lighter shade than the one shown at MWC.
Of course, the evaluation of a gadget shouldn't be based on its physique and hardware specs alone; the direction of the company's implementation, the user experience and specialized software are important factors to look at as well. What are you waiting for? Click on the next page to find out!
Note-taking Made Easy
Tablets are usually made for on-the-go multimedia, such as watching videos, playing games and the occasional web surfing. The Samsung Note 10.1 however, like its namesake, specializes in providing users with easy editing and note-taking options. The improvements on the new Galaxy Note 10.1 are clearly made to further enhance this experience, as you will see in detail below.
S Pen Stylus
On removing the S Pen from the tablet, a pop-up toolbar intuitively emerges with relevant note-taking shortcuts. If you prefer for, say, the PS Touch app to open immediately, that can be easily configured by selecting the edit icon at the bottom of the bar. Alternatively, navigate your way to Settings.
Yep, that's right. There's a section under Settings dedicated to the S Pen, including actions to take after detaching the pen. From what we saw, these options include opening S Note, S Planner, Crayon physics, PS Touch and Polaris Office. Do note that only one app can be mapped to this action; for multiple shortcuts, you can select the Shortcuts toolbar as an option (see previous picture).
S Note Productivity Tools & More
The S Pen is of course, incomplete without Samsung's S Note app. There's a lot of unique note-taking features that users can take advantage of and that includes Formula Match, Shape Match and Multiscreen. To add on, the tablet will come pre-installed with a free copy of Adobe Touch, an app that costs almost S$14 on Google Play. Here's a quick video of the software highlights on the new Galaxy Note 10.1.
The S Note gives users the ability to combine notes and sketches with other digital content in ready-to-use templates.
Select from three unique Productivity Tools (as seen on the floating toolbox) - Formula Match, Shape Match and Text Recognition. Formula Match identifies the formula you have written down on your tablet and allows you to search it on the web. Shape Match automatically converts your ugly hand-drawn geometric shapes into accurate digital representations. Lastly, the Text Recognition digitizes your handwritten text.
The Text Recognition feature can analyze handwritten text in other languages. Specific regions will have specific language packs; in this case, Singapore comes with support for the SEA region and can't be added with language packs for different regions. The support for Japanese is not finalized yet but is said to come soon.
With a simple pinch gesture on the keyboard, users can easily switch from three different keyboards, the regular QWERTY, floating and split. The floating keyboard is especially useful if you are working in Multiscreen.
Long press on the floating keyboard to move it around on the screen. With the S Note opened on the right and a web browser on the left, the Galaxy Note 10.1 provides a cohesive note-taking experience.
Overall, the experience on the Galaxy Note 10.1 was fluid and seamless - all thanks to its quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM (yes, you read that right). The pen to paper experience is very closely emulated on the Note 10.1 and the screen responds smoothly to the S Pen. Previously at MWC, we found it to be slightly laggy, not just in terms of screen responsiveness but also in navigation. The learning curve is admittedly rather steep for users new to S Note but once you get used to it, there is much the tablet can do for the note-taking enthusiast or the average student/businessman.
While we wanted to get our hands on Learning Hub to give users a rough idea of what to expect, the app wasn't finalized on the prototype model that we were testing out. Not to worry though, it would be available on the device when it's officially launched.
What's in Store?
There's no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 will make its appearance soon in Singapore, given that its alleged official unveiling in New York on August 15th and the fact that it will be available in global markets including Korea, Germany, the US and the UK starting in August. However, no details are available at the moment, with regards to local date of availability or pricing. We reckon that it would come with a price tag of S$800 to 900, one that is similar to its 10.1-inch sibling, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.
Unfortunately, the device will only come with Android 4.0 - Samsung cannot comment on when or whether an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update would come to the Galaxy Note 10.1. Unlike Apple, who is planning to bring Siri to the new iPad in its iOS 6 update, Samsung cannot confirm at the moment whether S Voice, an S III exclusive, would make its way on the Galaxy Note 10.1. Likewise, Samsung cannot quite comment on whether the new S Note features would be brought to the Galaxy Note smartphone.
Of course, there are certain details that we know of, including the fact that the it would come in three connectivity options: WiFi-only and the WiFi-and-3G HSPA-Plus connectivity versions will be available at launch, while the WiFi-and-LTE version would be released later this year (availability in Singapore will be confirmed at a later date). The 16GB edition will be available at launch first; 32GB/64GB capacities will follow based on Samsung's evaluation on local demand. Official accessories such as docking stations, cases and spare styluses will make its way here as well, be it at launch or later.
Well, that's it for now. But keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming full review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 at HardwareZone.
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.