Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 preview: Starting over

Introduction

Taking a second to think can result in second thoughts. In the Galaxy 10.1 Note's case it resulted in a second pair of CPU cores and double the RAM - a lethal combination, which only a select few of its foes dare stand against.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 official photos

This is in case you are wondering why you're a reading another preview of a tablet that should've been launched a good couple of months ago. Sent back to the drawing board shortly after its official announcement, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 starts fresh after a reboot. And we have no choice but start over.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 at a glance:

• Form factor: Tablet
• Dimensions: 262 x 180 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 600g
• Display: 16M-color 10.1" PLS LCD capacitive touchscreen of WXGA resolution (1280 x 800 pixels)
• OS: Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, TouchWiz UI
• Chipset: 1.4 GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos 4 Quad chipset, 2GB of RAM
• Connectivity: Voice and data connectivity with quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and quad-band (850/900/1900/2100 MHz) UMTS, 21 Mbps HSDPA and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps support, video calls, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Assisted GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 30-pin connector
• Memory: 16/32/64GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
• Camera: 5 MP autofocus camera, LED flash with 720p video recording, 1.9MP front-facing camera
• Battery: 7,000mAh Li-Ion
• Misc: Infrared port, gyro sensor, accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, ambient light sensor, Adobe Flash Player 11 support, DivX/XviD support, TV-out (adapter required), USB host (via an adapter)
• Proprietary 30-pin connector for charging and connectivity

So, the stylus-driven tablet has the same heart as the Galaxy S III beating beneath the 10-inch screen and twice the RAM to run the rich set of apps trouble-free. The Galaxy Note 10.1 doesn't run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean yet, but it comes preloaded with fantastic apps like Adobe's Photoshop Touch and Ideas. Not to mention Samsung's home-brewed S Note, S Memo and S Planner.

All in all, what was simply the artistic twin of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is now a supercharged version that belongs right in the premium class.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 live photos

Now that we know how the Galaxy Note 10.1 has changed on the inside, let's try and spot the differences on the outside.