Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review: Second time lucky

17 August 2012
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is a tablet like no other but instead of making a big splash it's busy making up for lost time. With its launch pushed back shortly after the unveiling, Samsung's top-of-the-line tablet returns to a market that isn’t...

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • u{E
  • 19 Aug 2012

HTC FLYER didn`t make the tablet with stylus successful. Hope Note will make it. By the way, can Android multi-tasking in split screen get patented. Otherwise, the Fruit company will one day incorporate into iOS and claim they invented it again.

    • D
    • AnonD-4254
    • KFP
    • 19 Aug 2012

    (Accedential Double post, Moderators please delete)

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      • AnonD-54902
      • v0q
      • 19 Aug 2012

      i wonder why GSMArenea didnt include microsoft's Surface on the list.... i think it can be a good rival of the note 10.1!!! they are the same is some ways... they both use a pen...

      but i think they only compare the available product....

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        • AnonD-58127
        • ft4
        • 19 Aug 2012

        ryan, 19 Aug 2012hi to all i had samsung tab 10.1.. spect below compare t... moreactually super AMOLEDs r more power efficient than LCDS except when viewing white pages ..that mainly will be visible when browsing ... other wise watching movies and normal use would save more battery than LCDs ...the reason that there is no SAMOLED here is probably due to unite price ....they are more expensive than LCDs

          • r
          • ryan
          • FcD
          • 19 Aug 2012

          hi to all

          i had samsung tab 10.1.. spect below compare this beast note 10.1...with my opinion...i don't mind with the resolution not amoled. its already perfect for me. if it use amoled it will be power hunger...with pls screen..its good enough for me , as long my tablet can stand long enough during playing games or stand by...i did not plan to play my tablet under shine sunny day....if it amoled i believe some of us will low the brightness to safe-standby- battery power...it no point at all.. it a wise choice for samsung did not make note 10.1 amoled...i had galaxy note and s2...i lower the brightness to 30% to safe battery..but when i'm thinking back what is the point i'm doing it...it super amoled the screen should be bright so more power hunger.... believe me...i will prefer long lasting tablet power compare to super amoled screen

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • YcF
            • 18 Aug 2012

            asus tf700 or ipad 3 or any other media tablets on the market now, paired with 'capacitie' styli with huge knobby head, without being able to palm-reject, just does not compare to GNote10.1 plus its S-Pen with quad-core Exynos.

              • J
              • Jon (Swe)
              • mhB
              • 18 Aug 2012

              "And for all the usefulness of an S-Pen, we would prefer the Transformer Prime TF700T with its high-res screen and optional dock as a viable laptop replacement."

              I would love to read the GSM-arena review of that product.
              High resolution is good, but does that make it more viable as a laptop replacement? Does the resolution offer any apps that are better for productivity?

              The keyboard dock is nice, but then this is more expensive than the Note 10.1 with S-pen.
              And there is or will be a keyboard for the Note 10.1, not as pratical. Maybe there will be a nice third party case with keyboard (wireless or wired), lets hope for that, or that samsung themself will actually make it.

              Dont get me wrong, in todays market the resolution is a big weakness in marketing, and for spec junkies like us.
              But how would the performance be with higher resolution, and what extra does is offer in terms of productivity?

                • J
                • Jon (Swe)
                • mhB
                • 18 Aug 2012

                Mad, 18 Aug 2012Bought one the other day through jr.com, however I can't fi... moreIts pretty much the same situation as with any gadgets.
                Unless there is a previous version, that has acessories that are compatible. I dont know if the adaptors from previous samsung 30-pin tablets work for this.
                But things like bags, cusotm keyboards and such are almost always ontroduced when the product is on the market.
                3rd party acessorie makers seldom have the specs before the product is out.
                And the manufactor of the product it self focuses on getting the product to market as fast as possible, and put an effort in to acessories, when they have done the first step, that is getting the product to the market. Sure they made some prototype acessories way ahead of release, but they can't put the finishing touches until it's certain specs wont change. There has been a lot of last minute changes or cancellations throughout history. Just look at the note 10.1, and its late redesign. Imagine having to scratch a lot of acessories cause they wouldn't fit the new design, that would cost a lot extra.

                  • r
                  • rrrr
                  • nsG
                  • 18 Aug 2012

                  Anonymous, 18 Aug 2012i would buy 1080p version in a hardbeat, with matching keyboard. you have asus for that

                    • d
                    • dex
                    • fnI
                    • 18 Aug 2012

                    what is the pressure sensitivity of the s-pen? engadget reports 1024 levels though I had read somewhere else that it's 256

                      • M
                      • Mad
                      • 07h
                      • 18 Aug 2012

                      Bought one the other day through jr.com, however I can't find any stores that have accessories. Why do they do this, ship a new product with no one selling the accessories for the product? Makes me mad. When you do find a store they probably only ordered one or two accessories....

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                        • AnonD-67336
                        • 7Xb
                        • 18 Aug 2012

                        I already own the original Note phoneblet and I've been really interested in the Note 10.1, especially since the larger screen real estate would make better since with the S-pen. Wish I could afford it so I could review it on my blog. Alas, I can only offer my opinions.. http://mobiletechpinoy.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/samsunggalaxy-note-10-1-preview-and-pics/
                        Looks like Samsung hit everything on the head except for the screen resolution. Unfortunately, the screen makes up more than 90% of the front of the damn thing, so it's kind of a big deal.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • U2$
                          • 18 Aug 2012

                          It is amazing that samsung note is trying to match the functionality of a laptop, such as file management, file editing, photoshop and printing, and multiscreen (note all apps though). The pc version of adobe photoshop software alone cost about $145. definite a tablet worth buying, giving a couple of month

                            • T
                            • Tim
                            • y$g
                            • 18 Aug 2012

                            Nice, but I will wait to see what WP8 is all about. I think everyone has to wait, and not buy another device until the strengths and weaknesses of a WP8 netbook replacement device has been fully tested. In fact, if it is as good as has been suggested, it will certainly capture a large part of the "pad" market in a short time when you consider many people have not bought an iPad or Android device because they do not do the job.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • RmC
                              • 18 Aug 2012

                              Screen resolution is the most negative point.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • PvY
                                • 18 Aug 2012

                                i would buy 1080p version in a hardbeat, with matching keyboard.

                                  • J
                                  • Jon (Swe)
                                  • mhB
                                  • 18 Aug 2012

                                  "a niche product for people who have a use for a pen tablet"
                                  If you're getting a tablet, why not get one that can replace your paper notebooks, and give you the advantage of digital organizing, this actually makes the tablet a pretty usefull product.
                                  + it makes calls, pretty usefull, as well, as is sms capability.
                                  Sure the resolution is a bit behind, but how fluid is the competitors really, and how cool do they stay over prolonged use? Seems CPU/GPUs werent ready, the upcoming ARMs are probably capable.
                                  Unfortunately I think Samsung chose to release this tablet, with current chip and resolution now, because of whats coming... Too bad we need to wait even more to get what we really want, too bad, really.

                                    • J
                                    • Jon (Swe)
                                    • mhB
                                    • 18 Aug 2012

                                    About chargers/charger ports.
                                    Sure, propriatary connectors are not as good as standard ones... but don't go thinking that if it has micro-USB you can charge it with any other chargers you got or find cheap at the electronics store.
                                    No, tablet batteries won't charge properly with just USB-standards, it would take very long when the device is off, and when its on, the discharge might even be bigger than the charge, and it wouldnt chare at all.

                                    The industry should come up with some standard charger ports, really.... different size depending on the mAh.

                                    On tablets standard USB-ports and HDMI would be muche preferred over micro-USB with adapters or micro HDMI and such, it's rather limiting. People are not likely to get the adapters needed.
                                    Better make the device thicker at the top, and fit full sized ports. The bulge has other advantages, such as fitting better speakers, cameras, giving better grip and giving it a nice tilt on flat surfaces. This slimness hype works against the tablet as a product in those ways.

                                      • J
                                      • Jon (Swe)
                                      • mhB
                                      • 18 Aug 2012

                                      As it seems, not upping the resolution on the generation of chipsets that are inside might have been a good move, not that ordinary consumers will probably ever see it that way.
                                      And neither will geeks.
                                      But I would say that maybe they should have held it back just a couple of months more, to pack it with exynos 5 and Full HD.
                                      Sure I have 1280x800 on my laptop, and its not that bad really, but in todays market its harder to market a product with lower resolution than its top competitors... and in a creative device like this, there is really use for the extra pixels for image manipulation, graphics, and to make things easier and more comfortable to read, and less zooming all over. For games I actually dont think it makes that much of a difference.

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                                        • AnonD-53748
                                        • sy1
                                        • 18 Aug 2012

                                        veni, 17 Aug 2012Who would buy this thing, Samsung going down.I will.