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| Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review |
We snatched a hands-on look at a pre-production sample of Samsung’s stylus-friendly tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1, back in February. Now, the finished article has arrived at PC Pro’s offices, and there have been quite a few design tweaks along the way.
The biggest change is the physical design.
Where the version we originally saw looked similar to the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Note 10.1 has evolved into something rather different. Our review unit came in a gleaming gloss white, with a silver trim running around the edge, and while there’s no sign of any metal, the plastic body doesn’t feel cheap in the slightest. This is a strong, sturdy feeling tablet
And where the pre-production model had nowhere to stash its stylus,
Samsung’s managed to squeeze it into the Note 10.1’s body. A flash of
silver on the tablet’s bottom edge reveals its location, and it slots
home with a delicate click as it locks into place. The stylus has shrunk
from the previous pen-sized one, but feels none the worse for it, with
its squared-off edges and rounded corners sitting nicely in the hand.
Android 4 is the OS of choice, but Samsung’s done a serious amount of
tweaking to Google’s OS – principally to make it a little more
stylus-friendly but partly just because they can. The custom lock screen
is just for show – it ripples with a brush of the finger (or stylus) –
but brush past that and you’re faced with Samsung’s Video, Game and
Music Hubs. We’re also pleased to find Adobe’s Photoshop Touch installed
as standard.
Minor tweaks, such as the ever-present screenshot icon and quick
launch row of applications, pay testament to the Galaxy Note 10.1’s
greater focus on productivity.
Far more interesting, however, is the Note 10.1’s Multiscreen mode.
This finally makes it possible to multi-task on Android; splitting the
screen down the middle, and allowing you to run certain apps
side-by-side. The only apps that work in Multiscreen mode are Polaris
Office, Samsung’s S Note software, Video player, Gallery, Email and the
browser, but it’s a nice idea nonetheless.
Such multi-tasking feats require some pretty serious hardware behind the
scenes, but Samsung’s got that covered. An ARM v7-based quad-core chip
runs at 1.4GHz, and the Galaxy Note 10.1’s multi-tasking prowess sees
2GB of memory included as standard, as well as 16GB of storage. There’s
little lacking elsewhere, either: out front there’s a 1.9-megapixel
camera for video calls, and to the rear there’s a 5-megapixel camera.
Even better, 3G support has made the grade.
The screen is typically excellent, too. It can’t match the latest
Full HD tablets for sheer pixel count, but the super-wide viewing angles
and eye-popping colours easily make amends, and it’s pretty darn
bright.
With the 3G-equipped Galaxy Note 10.1 available for pre-order for
around £435 inc VAT, this little tablet has promise. You’ll have to wait
for our full review to see if it justifies that price.
| read more | $655.00 |
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