Samsung galaxy note 10.1 comparison. Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

The Samsung Galaxy Note phone, released a year ago, became the first successful Android device with pen input. And the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, which only recently reached Ukraine, is an attempt to transfer the success of the Galaxy Note to the tablet segment. But how successful will this “test of pen” be?

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Appearance and design

Externally, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is almost identical to the popular Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet. It is also entirely made of plastic (white or gray) with a silver edging, which hides two front-facing speakers. Overall, the quality of materials and build, in my opinion, does not correspond to the price level of the tablet - both the iPad and the Apple Transformer Prime/Infinity boast much more impressive cases.

On the top edge of the tablet there is a power button, a volume rocker, a microSD card slot, an infrared transmitter window, a headphone output and a SIM card slot. In my opinion, the location of the headphone jack can be called downright unfortunate - it would be better to place it in the corner of the tablet.

There is nothing on the bottom edge of the Galaxy Note 10.1 except for the Samsung Dock connector and the microphone hole.

Screen

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is equipped with exactly the same screen as the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. This high-quality PLS matrix with a diagonal of 10.1 inches has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. It is characterized by pleasant soft color rendition and wide viewing angles. When set to maximum brightness, the screen remains readable in the sun.

Software and functionality

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has its own TouchWiz shell installed on top of the Android 4.0.4 operating system, and many of the standard programs (for example, the calendar) are replaced with their own versions. In addition to programs for working with the S Pen (which will be discussed below), the tablet is pre-installed with a file manager, Samsung ChatON messenger (analogous to WhatsApp) and the Polaris Office office suite. We can’t help but mention the Smart Remote program, which allows you to use the Note 10.1 as a remote control for almost any equipment in the house. The remote control codes are downloaded from the Internet.

An interesting point: the stock video player allows you to place the video in a small window on top of your desktop or other programs. This feature is called Pop-Up Play. That is, you can, for example, work in a text editor and at the same time watch TV series with one eye.

S Pen and multi-window

Like the Galaxy Note/Note II smartphones, the Note 10.1 tablet is equipped with a pressure-sensitive S Pen (1024 levels of pressure recognition) using Wacom technology.

The pen itself is relatively small in size and, like the tablet itself, is made of plastic. The prototypes shown in February at MWC 2012 did not have a pen compartment in the body, but this deficiency was eliminated in commercial samples of the tablet. When you remove the pen from the compartment, the tablet automatically displays a sidebar on the screen with applications that support pen input - unfortunately, you cannot edit these shortcuts, but you can specify an application that will launch automatically when you remove the pen.

Galaxy Note 10.1 supports handwriting recognition. The recognition really works and even understands the Russian language quite well, but I personally still manage to type noticeably faster on the virtual keyboard.

To work with the pen, the tablet comes pre-installed with several applications, the main one of which is, of course, S Note. This program allows you to create notes that combine a large number of different elements (including text, graphics, pictures, video and sound). The new version of S Note provides different templates for different types of notes - from plain text to meeting minutes, diary entry or travel report. Notes can be grouped into folders.

There is also formula recognition here, as in the updated version of S Note for the Galaxy Note smartphone.

In dual-screen mode (which will be discussed in more detail a little later), the stylus allows you to take a screenshot of a web page or photo from the gallery, cut out a piece of any shape from it and drag it into a note.

Another pre-installed application that artists and other people who work with graphics will appreciate is Photoshop Touch. This is a greatly simplified version of the “big” Photoshop, which, however, allows you to fully edit images. PS Touch is one of the few programs that can recognize pressure when using the S Pen.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 is the first Android device to be able to display two apps on the screen at once in a kind of multi-window (more precisely, dual-window) mode. Unfortunately, only Samsung’s own applications can work in this mode, and not all of them, but only the browser, S Note, gallery, email client (but not standard Gmail), video player and the Polaris Office office suite.

Another disadvantage of this “two-window” implementation is the slow switching between simultaneously running programs. Let’s say that if you have a browser and an office suite running at the same time, then when you move from one application to another, it will begin to respond to user actions not instantly, but after 1-2 seconds.

Performance and autonomy

Unlike the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, the Note 10.1 is equipped with a fast 4-core Exynos 4 Quad processor clocked at 1.4 GHz and Mali-400MP graphics, as well as 2 GB of RAM. Due to this, it is the fastest Android tablet in the world at the moment, as confirmed by the results of synthetic tests. In real life, when switching between desktops, there is sometimes stuttering (if there are a lot of widgets on them), otherwise the tablet is very fast. An update to Android 4.1 should potentially make it even faster.

Bottom line

Without a doubt, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is one of the top Android tablets in terms of performance today. Combine that with the unique S Pen and you've got one of the best-looking Android tablets on the market. The disadvantages include the screen (the resolution of 1280x800 pixels is noticeably inferior to FullHD in the ASUS Transformer Infinity, not to mention the iPad with a Retina display) and the body materials (again, ASUS and Apple are ahead in this parameter). At the same time, the price of the Note 10.1 is exactly the same as an iPad with a Retina screen, so the attractiveness of a Samsung tablet in the eyes of a buyer depends primarily on how much a particular buyer needs a stylus.

5 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1:

• high performance;
• loud high-quality speakers;
• possibility of use as a remote control;
• S Pen with 1024 pressure recognition;
• convenient S Note application.

1 reason not to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1:

• low screen resolution compared to direct competitors.

Rumors about the Galaxy Note 10.1 have been circulating for a long time. We even had a “First Look” of a pre-release sample. A lot of time has passed since then, and Samsung has significantly modernized this tablet. By the way, the company does not call the Galaxy Note 10.1 a tablet: “Galaxy Note is Galaxy Note.” But if in the case of the regular Note this statement is justified, then for the Galaxy Note 10.1 it is not true. It's a tablet, whatever you call it. Its positioning is quite simple - this is a top solution for users who need a high-quality, powerful and functional tablet, as well as for those who need programs that support working with the S Pen for work. This model stands above the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

Equipment

• Tablet,
• S Pen,
• USB cable for connecting to PC,
• power unit,
• headset with remote control

This is one of the few tablets that comes with a high-quality earbud headset. The same model is used in the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note. The headset has a button to receive a call and a volume rocker; double pressing the receive button switches to the next track, triple pressing to the previous one. The headphones fit well in the ears and do not cause discomfort; they are comfortable to use.

The charger is “assembled”. A USB cable is connected to the power supply, and a tablet is connected to the cable. The disadvantage of this solution is obvious - due to the fact that only one cable is included, if you need to connect to a PC, you will have to pull it out of the charger.

Appearance, materials, control elements

Due to numerous lawsuits with Apple, Samsung began to think more carefully about the design of its models. It's safe to say that the Galaxy Note 10.1 doesn't look like an iPad.

Let's start from the front side. Above the screen are the front camera and light sensor, and on the sides are two stereo speakers. Samsung has finally decided to place the speakers in the front rather than on the sides. They have a good volume reserve, you can comfortably watch a movie in places with average noise levels. The sound is spacious, this is clearly noticeable in games, for example in Asphalt 7.

At the top end there is a power button, a volume rocker (both are made in the same style as on the Galaxy S3), slots for a SIM card and microSD card, an infrared port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. I don’t think the decision to place the headphone jack on top is the most successful; it’s still more convenient when it’s on the side. But the power button is installed where it should be - on top, I stipulate this separately, because now it is fashionable to place the power button on the right or left, which is at least inconvenient. The button and rocker have a soft press and an average stroke, there are no problems with them.

Its own connector for connecting to a PC and charger can be seen from below.

On the back there is a peephole for the rear 5 MP camera and a flash.

The main material used in the tablet is plastic. I tested the white version of the tablet, and it felt like the same plastic was used here as in the white Galaxy S3. It is glossy, but fingerprints are almost invisible. A gray tablet will also be on sale.

There are no complaints about the assembly. All parts fit tightly together, Galaxy Note 10.1 creates the impression of a monolithic tablet, without backlash, creaks or cracks.

Screen

Galaxy Note 10.1 has a 10.1” screen with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The display is covered with Gorilla Glass. The matrix type is PLS, let me remind you that this is Samsung’s own development, designed to compete with the IPS matrix. Features of PLS ​​matrices are soft natural colors and high viewing angles. The picture is not distorted even with strong deviation. The maximum brightness level is comfortable for watching videos on public transport, the minimum is enough for reading books in the dark. The screen fades in the sun, but the information remains readable.

As usual, Samsung has added several additional settings for the screen. For example, you can choose from several modes to display colors. In my opinion, this setting is unnecessary, since it is intended to level out acidic colors in SuperAMOLED matrices, while PLS has no problems with high contrast, so there is no need to change the color gamut here. In any case, this setting is there and it works. In addition, there is Intelligent Standby technology - the screen remains on as long as you look at it. It works using the front camera.

The tablet has a light sensor, it works correctly, in most cases the brightness level is set to a comfortable level, but sometimes you want to tweak it a little in the settings. However, this can be easily done using the slider located in the expanded status bar.

The surface of the display gets dirty, fingerprints are clearly visible when the screen is turned off.

I liked the screen in Note 10.1; it has a lot of brightness, nice colors and high viewing angles. Also, it feels like an oleophobic coating is used here, it’s very convenient to run your finger over it. However, it is important to remember that Samsung is one of the leaders among companies producing various displays, and many users (including me) expected that this model would have a SuperAMOLED Plus matrix with Full HD resolution, because all competitors had already begun to present their models with this resolution (New iPad, Asus TF700, Acer A701). But, apparently, Samsung decided to save such screens for the future, which is strange, because Note 10.1 is the flagship device for the second half of 2012. And yet, despite the relatively low resolution for a flagship tablet, I wouldn’t dare call the screen on the Note 10.1 bad or of poor quality.

Comparison with Acer A701 (Note 10.1 on top)

Dimensions

Note 10.1 has the usual dimensions for such a diagonal. The model is thinner than the Acer A701 and Asus TF700, but heavier than the latter.

• Galaxy Note 10.1- Dimensions: 262x180x8.9 mm, weight 600 grams
• Acer A701- Dimensions 260x175x11 mm, weight 685 grams
• Asus TF700- Dimensions 263x181x9 mm, weight 586 grams

Autonomous operation

The tablet has a lithium-ion non-removable battery with a capacity of 7000 mAh.

I watched video from the tablet at maximum brightness for about two hours and played Asphalt 7 for another hour, in this mode the Note 10.1 lasted 3 days.

In video viewing mode at maximum brightness and volume (headphones were used), the tablet lasted more than 6 hours.

In reading mode at 10% brightness for more than 10 hours.

Samsung's proprietary energy-saving technology is also used here: the processor frequency is limited and the screen brightness is changed.

Memory, memory cards

Three modifications of the tablet will be available, with 16, 32 or 64 GB of internal memory. In the version with 16 GB of memory, 11.3 GB is available to the user, the rest of the space is reserved for system operation. MicroSD memory cards up to 64 GB are also supported.

The amount of RAM is 2 GB, after loading about 1.4 GB is free. This is one of the few tablets with such an amount of RAM, at the moment it is not really needed, it is clear that this is “capacity with a reserve”, perhaps in the future it will be in demand.

Performance

This is the first tablet from Samsung to use a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. The same processor is installed in the Galaxy S3. Mali-400 MP is used as a graphics accelerator.

In synthetic tests, Note 10.1 shows excellent results and is in first place in the rankings.

In fact, the model works really fast and does not experience any performance problems. All modern games, for example Asphalt 7, run smoothly. It’s also encouraging that the same new products from Gameloft are available for this model, since the same Tab 2 7.0 had many games that were incompatible with its processor. By the way, apparently, the processor is located in the upper right corner; it is this part that heats up the most under heavy loads. This is an excellent location, because when you hold the tablet in landscape orientation, you don’t feel it heat up at all.

operating system

The model comes pre-installed with Android 4.0.4 and the latest version of the TouchWiz shell on top of it. You can read more about Android 4.0. I’ll tell you about the innovations in TouchWiz below.

The Note 10.1 uses a similar skin to the Galaxy S3, so I'll be referring to it often.

Lock screen. To unlock, you need to swipe your finger across the screen in any direction. The screen unlocks with a beautiful animation of water ripples. There are four shortcuts at the bottom; to open one of them, you need to “swipe” up from the shortcut. In the settings, you can change the shortcuts or remove them altogether, and also add a display of the weather in the current region.

Desktops. Completely identical to those in the Galaxy S3. The grid size is 8x8 icons. Scrolling is smooth in most cases, but when using a large number of branded widgets, stuttering occurs. When scrolling, you can see a beautiful 3D animation.

Status bar. In the center there is a small arrow that brings up shortcuts to certain programs. When you click on the shortcut, a compact program window opens. This solution is used in all the latest tablet models. In addition, the status bar contains the usual button for taking a screenshot; if desired, you can assign another action to it.

Browser. When it opens, the user sees thumbnails of the most visited tabs. Synchronization with Google account is available. There is a built-in reading mode, when enabled, the page is converted into an easy-to-read format. The browser works quickly and is convenient to use.

Keyboard. Let me remind you that Samsung stopped using Swype in its products and began installing its own keyboards. Note 10.1 uses the latest version of this keyboard. It supports swipe typing (like Swype) and a quick pinch to change the keyboard's appearance: you pinch your fingers together and you're offered three layouts: compact, regular, and split. I really liked the split layout; typing text with it is very convenient. The compact version is perfect for those who like to enter text with strokes, in addition, you can place the compact version of the keyboard in any corner of the screen by holding two fingers on it.

Video editor. With this program, you can add several different effects to your videos, such as inserting a frame, changing color shades, adding text to a selected section of the video, and playing background music. The editor is simple but functional.

Applications for watching videos and listening to music have not changed compared to other tablets. You can read their detailed review. The only innovation is a music square that sorts music by mood; let me remind you that the same solution is used in the Galaxy S3.

One of the features of the Note 10.1 is the ability to make calls using the tablet. For this purpose, proprietary applications are preinstalled. The address book is very beautifully made, but the quality of the photographs significantly spoils the picture; here you can only count on an upgrade to Jelly Bean.

Books. There is a separate application installed for purchasing and downloading books, but it is not even optimized for tablets.

Smart Remote. A program for controlling your Smart TV from a tablet (let me remind you that it has an infrared port installed).

Calendar. The S Planner application, familiar to other smartphones and tablets of the company, is also pre-installed.

Dropbox. When you first log into your account, you are given 50 GB of space. However, if you already received space from a Galaxy S3 smartphone, then the additional 50 GB will not give you.

TouchWiz also has several proprietary widgets. Below are screenshots of them.

S Pen

One of the main differences between the Note 10.1 and most tablets is the presence of the S Pen. Let me remind you that in previous samples the pen was not hidden in the tablet. Apparently, after reading a lot of negative reviews about this arrangement, Samsung decided to add a special compartment for it. I approve of this change, but I think the decision to place the handle in the bottom corner is unfortunate. It's not very convenient to take it out. Wacom technology is used to interact with the screen. The screen begins to respond even when the S Pen is still 1-2 mm away from it.

There are several built-in applications for working with the pen.

S Note. Redesigned notes program. Samsung has done a lot of work on this program, it has become very functional. When creating a note, you are offered to choose one of several note templates; I really liked the “recipe” template, it is made beautifully and in an original way.

After selecting a template, you can start typing your note. At the top of the screen is the control panel. Through it you can quickly add a picture or audio recording to a note.

And now the most interesting button with the formula icon. With its help, you can enter handwritten text (the program recognizes it perfectly, I was pleasantly surprised), draw shapes and enter formulas. When you draw shapes, they are automatically aligned.

Formulas. One of the most impressive features of the Note 10.1. You can write a formula by hand, and the tablet recognizes it perfectly. Moreover, it will show you the solution and make a graph if it is a function. Amazing functionality, I don't think many people will need it, but its presence is definitely impressive. By the way, when displaying a solution, the “multiple windows” mode is activated - half the screen is occupied by the notes service, and the other half is the open browser page with the solution.

Below is an example of handwritten text recognition.

Photoshop Touch. To be honest, I did not expect much from this application; I was sure that it was only capable of simple processing. However, the program turned out to be very functional, in addition to the usual background changes, here you can also carefully remove unnecessary elements from photos or edit them.

Game Crayon Physics. Your task is to help the ball roll to the star by drawing a path for it. An amazing game that makes great use of the pen functionality.

There is a button on the handle; if you hold it and simultaneously press the screen, a screenshot will be taken that can be quickly edited. And when you double click on the screen, the notes window will be called up.

The pen is one of the main features of the Galaxy Note 10.1, and Samsung tried to make every effort to reveal its functionality.

Wireless interfaces

Wi-Fi (b/g/n)– the tablet has excellent network reception, where the Galaxy Nexus periodically loses the network, the Note 10.1 shows several bars.

Bluetooth 4.0– the latest version of Bluetooth, characterized by the absence of power consumption in standby mode.

GPS– the tablet determines your location within 15-20 seconds.

GSM module- the model has a slot for a SIM card, so you can use 2G/3G mobile Internet.

IR port- the main functionality of the infrared port is to work with Samsung TVs.

Camera

The tablet has two cameras - a rear 5 MP with autofocus and flash and a front 1.9 MP. The camera interface is the same as in other tablets of the company, Roma described it in detail.

The Note 10.1 shoots quickly, but photos aren't always sharp. That is, it’s perfect for quickly shooting something, but you shouldn’t count on high-quality photos.

Examples of photos taken with the main camera:

The maximum video resolution is 1280x720 pixels. Sample video from Note 10.1 below.

The front camera has a fairly high resolution, but the Note 10.1 is not yet certified for Skype, so when making calls through it the picture quality will be lower than it could be.

Example photo with front camera:

Displaying a picture in Skype

Conclusion

There will be 3 versions of the tablet on sale: 16GB+3G, 32GB+3G and 64GB+3G. There will not be a Wi-Fi-only version for sale. The user will be able to choose between white and gray body colors.

Samsung has done a lot of work on the Note 10.1; it has changed quite a lot compared to the sample we saw earlier: they added a new processor, installed a pen slot, and changed some programs.

I liked the tablet; it stands out from its competitors, primarily, of course, with the pen and programs for it. But personally, I expected at least Full HD resolution from Samsung’s flagship tablet, because all competitors had already presented their solutions with such screens. Apparently, Samsung decided to ignore the race for characteristics and focused on the software part, and I must say, they did a good job.

The cost of the tablet is still being specified, but most likely it will be at the level of its competitors, and the Note 10.1 has three serious competitors:

Acer A701. A flagship tablet from Acer, the main features of which are a screen with FullHD resolution and a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. However, the model itself is thicker and heavier than Note 10.1

Asus TF700. The new flagship of Asus. It also has a screen with Full HD resolution; in addition, it uses an S-IPS matrix, which is superior to PLS in brightness. In addition, unlike the A701, the TF700 has similar weight and dimensions to the Note 10.1. Plus, you can connect a keyboard with an additional battery to it. If the Note 10.1 is priced similarly to the TF700, it won't be able to compete with it on an equal footing.

The New iPad. At the moment, this is the best tablet on the market in terms of the combination of characteristics and additional programs/games. The choice between iPad and Note 10.1 is, rather, a choice of operating system, rather than a choice of tablet; if you are willing to put up with the limitations of iOS, then the iPad is, of course, preferable, and if not, then the Note 10.1, in addition to the open Android OS, has and many other software advantages (same pen).

Pros:

• High quality screen
• nice design,
• IR port,
• working with formulas,
• presence of a pen,
• support for many codecs,
• stereo speakers located on the front side
• 2 GB RAM,
• ability to make calls,
• good headset included.

Cons:

• Low resolution for a flagship tablet,
• collapsible charging,
• inconvenient placement of the 3.5 mm jack

Technical characteristics of Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1:

• Support for communication standards: 3G HSPA 21 Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps; 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• Dimensions: 262x180x8.9 mm
• Weight: 597 g (Wi-Fi version)/600 g (3G version)
• Processor: 1.4 GHz, quad-core
• Platform: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Display: 10.1-inch, resolution 1280x800 pixels, digitizer available
• Main camera: 5 MP with autofocus and LED backlight; Full HD (1080p) video support
• Front camera: 1.9 MP
• Memory: 2 GB RAM, 16/32/64 GB internal, slot for microSD memory cards (up to 64 GB)
• Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0 (with Apt-X codec support), Wi-Fi Direct, mHL, IR diode (for use as a universal remote control), 3, 5 mm audio jack; A-GPS (3G version) or S-GPS (WiFi version), GLONASS
• Battery: Li-Ion, 7000 mAh
• Other: Accelerometer, Electronic compass, Gyroscope, Light sensor

Evgeniy Vildyaev (

How can you surprise a sophisticated and advanced user of portable technology? Big and bright screen? Productivity? Extensive connectivity options with other devices? Long lasting battery? Stylus? A quality camera? No, this won’t surprise us. “We’ve already seen all this!” - you will say and you will be absolutely right. Yes, we saw it. But only separately. And it’s rare to find everything together...

⇡ Technical characteristics declared by the manufacturer

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 system information

⇡ Equipment

Unfortunately, we cannot describe the complete package of the tablet, since the device did not reach our test laboratory in its original box. However, judging by previous Samsung tablets, we can assume that the buyer, along with the gadget itself, will receive headphones (they were also brought to us), a cloth for wiping the screen and, of course, a USB cable, a charger, and a user manual. All that remains is to buy an additional cover, which, most likely (even, perhaps, for sure), will not be included in the kit, and you can live in peace.

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

Front side of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Samsung engineers did not come up with any fundamental innovations when modeling the Galaxy Note 10.1. The tablet is similar to other gadgets of the company, which in turn are somewhat similar to all other “tablets”. The only distinctive feature of the new Note is the stereo speakers located on the front side of the tablet. During everyday work, it is difficult to block them with your hand, no matter how you grab the device. In addition to the speakers, on the front side you can find a light sensor and a 1.9-megapixel front camera.

Back side of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

The back panel of the tablet is made in the classic Samsung style: a small metal cutout that houses the camera eye and flash. Below you can find the necessary device certification marks.

Right side of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Left side of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

The sides of the tablet contain nothing. It is worth noting that they are quite smooth, and thanks to the well-rounded corners, the device lies very nicely in the hands and does not tend to jump out of them.

Bottom end of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Traditionally for Samsung, on the bottom edge of the Galaxy Note 10.1 there is a port for charging the gadget, which can also be used for a USB connection to a computer. In the right corner you can find the S Pen stylus, without which the Note 10.1 would not be a “Note”. We will talk about it in detail below.

Top end of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

The on/off button and volume rocker are located on the top edge of the device. There are also slots for SIM and MicroSD cards, a 3.5 mm audio output and an infrared port, which will also be discussed below.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 leaves a very pleasant feeling. The tablet fits perfectly in the hand and doesn’t weigh too much on it (the weight of the device is less than 600 grams - excellent for a 10.1” tablet). The device is reliably assembled: almost nothing creaks or wobbles, and this is in a non-commercial sample. Among other things, Samsung’s proprietary design has once again proven its right to life - the device looks quite nice.

⇡ Picture

Samsung engineers, apparently, did not chase numbers and simply installed a high-quality ten-inch PLS screen in the new Note. Its resolution is 1280x800 pixels - perhaps optimal for an Android tablet (16:10 aspect ratio). There is no need to increase the battery capacity due to the prohibitively large matrix, and individual pixels are not striking. The pixel density is 149.45 pixels per inch, and the sensor supports up to ten simultaneous clicks.

Screenshot of AnTuTu MultiTouch Tester test results

The maximum brightness of the Galaxy Note 10.1 screen, as shown by our measurements, is 338 cd/m2 - this means that users will have a chance to make out what is happening on the display under the scorching sun. This is true: when working with a tablet on the street on a fine day, of course, you have to squint, but at least you can see something on the display. The screen contrast is 519.5:1. Viewing angles tend to 180 degrees. The colors look bright and rich, although the color gamut is a little short of sRGB.

Galaxy Note 10.1 screen color gamut compared to sRGB space

⇡ Sound

One of the two speakers of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

At the beginning of the article, we already noted the non-standard location of the tablet's speakers - on the sides of the front side. This way the sound travels from them directly to the user - hence the gain in volume. To be honest, volume is the only indicator by which it is logical to judge the speakers of a tablet PC. Well, really, what kind of quality, what kind of detailing of sound can we talk about in the “tweeters” of such a device? There is no noise or wheezing, the volume is very decent - that's all you need.

The tablet comes with in-ear headphones, the sound quality of which is reminiscent of the Sennheiser CS300-II, only with a microphone and buttons to answer calls and increase/decrease volume. They have decent noise reduction, a fairly sensitive microphone and good sound processing (again, there is no wheezing or noise to speak of).

⇡ Performance

A quad-core processor, two gigabytes of RAM - such a set would have been the envy of desktop PCs until recently. Needless to say that the tablet copes with any tasks, practically does not freeze, and shows the highest scores in benchmarks? This is expected, but when you see such speed of work with your own eyes, you come to a state of some kind of childish happiness and euphoria. Here's what the synthetic tests show (let's compare the results with the indicators of the ASUS flagship in the “Performance” mode):

Galaxy Note 10.1 showed amazing results in all disciplines, scoring not a record, but very significant 5434 points in Quadrant, and 12398 in AnTuTu Benchmark. The tablet easily overtook the once leading Asus Transformer Prime. In the BrowserMark test, the device gave an impressive 158,518 points (in the Chrome browser, which will become a system one with the release of the update to Android 4.1), which means that the gadget can instantly cope with the most complex web pages, and the loading speed depends solely on the Internet connection.

As for the graphics, there is also complete order here. In the moderately difficult Nenamark 2 test, the tablet rarely dropped FPS from 60 to 58, resulting in an average value of 58.9 - an absolute record. In the most difficult discipline - Basemark 2 Taiji - the gadget showed 36.21 FPS (most tablet PCs have difficulty reaching 25). In general, in terms of both processor and graphics power, the new Laptop is doing well; it can cope with any tablet tasks.

⇡ Battery

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has a battery with a capacity of 7000 mAh (3.7 V). When playing a video non-stop with maximum screen backlight brightness and an active Wi-Fi connection, the tablet began asking for recharging after seven and a half hours - an excellent result. In standby mode, the battery is practically not wasted. That is, with everyday use, the Galaxy Note will definitely last for one and a half, or maybe two days.

⇡ Camera

Galaxy Note 10.1 five-megapixel camera eye and flash

The Galaxy Note 10.1 has two cameras: rear (5 MP) and front (1.9 MP). And even though we categorically do not support taking photos and videos on tablet PCs, the rear (and front, in general, too) camera in the gadget is excellent. Well-exposed photos come out sharp and contrasty. In dark rooms, noise, of course, appears in the frame. To prevent this from happening, there is a flash available that more or less corrects the situation.

Galaxy Note 10.1 camera interface

It should be noted that, as in previous Samsung devices, the Galaxy Note 10.1 has its own camera interface, and not the standard one from the Android OS. Because of this, the user loses digital zoom, but, in our opinion, this thing is so useless that it’s not really a shame. But here you can specify the focus point by clicking on the desired area of ​​the screen - convenient. Creative settings are minimal and similar to those found in the most budget digital cameras of previous years: 12 scenes (portrait, landscape, sports, etc.) and three effects: sepia, black and white photo and negative. Also in the settings you can specify exposure compensation (from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV), white balance and ISO value, but the tablet itself copes well with this, so you can safely set all values ​​to Auto.

As already noted, in good lighting you can’t tamper with the picture: it’s contrasty, detailed, you shouldn’t expect anything more from a tablet.

The picture is presented without editing (with exposure adjustment in the tablet by +1 step), enlarged by clicking

The gadget selects automatic shooting parameters well, and autofocus works very quickly. To prevent the frame from falling into shadows (which happens when you shoot at the midday solstice, which is what we did), the exposure was increased by one stop.

The picture is presented without editing, enlarge by click

The shot was taken against the sun, however, the textures of the city are preserved in detail, without catastrophic darkening.

The picture is presented without editing, enlarge by click

When shooting macro, the tablet slightly blurs the background.

The picture is presented without editing, enlarge by click

The minimum focusing distance is about two centimeters.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 also copes well with video recording. It records it in HD Ready 720p 30fps mp4 format. The one-minute video takes up just over 80 MB of disk space. Below is an example of a recorded video to judge the quality. We think it's more than good for a tablet.

We will say the standard words about the front camera: in good lighting the picture turns out to be “readable” for the interlocutor, in poor lighting it becomes overgrown with noise, so it’s better to communicate in the light.

⇡ S Pen

S Pen "in the house"

The main feature of both the first and second Note is the presence of a proprietary stylus called the S Pen. You can use it to take notes, draw, and just perform common tasks, just communicate with the screen with it, and not with your fingers.

The S Pen is hidden in the lower right corner of the device. When the user removes it, a special panel appears on the screen (see screenshot above) containing applications optimized for the stylus. If you return the S Pen to its place, it will disappear. In addition, the Galaxy Note 10.1 makes sounds when the stylus is disconnected or connected. The pen itself is very pleasant to the touch, and fingers can easily confuse it with a regular pen.

S Pen settings

The stylus settings are comprehensive. The user can disable or enable the use of a kind of cursor when working with the tablet using the S Pen, select the sound of connecting or disconnecting the pen. Also in the settings, you can disable pen auto-detection to save battery (with such a battery life as the Galaxy Note 10.1, the author of the article would not disable this function), and customize the application sidebar.

⇡ Infrared port

Main window of the Smart Remote program

Many companies wanted to build an IR port into their devices, some even did it and journalists received samples of it, but when the devices went on sale, they did not have the coveted port. Therefore, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the first tablet with which you can control all the equipment in your home. Yes, yes, everyone. We tested the performance with a large number of equipment: from TVs to receivers. The gadget confidently turned on, clicked through channels and turned up the volume on all devices that were offered to it. And he did it quite quickly.

Adding a new device to Smart Remote

The process of adding a new device to Smart Remote is very simple: the user is required to select the type of equipment (TV, DVD or Blu-ray player, etc.) and the manufacturer. Next, the tablet will offer to test the functionality of the equipment control and add it to other devices. Execution of commands occurs quickly, without any problems.

⇡ Telephone: it also rings!

Among other things, the new Note has, at first glance, a rather funny (for a device of this type), but if you think about it, it’s a very useful function. Yes, he can make calls. A ten-inch tablet can be used as a phone. Moreover, you should not try to talk through it as you would through a regular handset. To conduct a dialogue, you can use the speakerphone (speakers) or connect the included headset. In case you run out of money on your phone, this is a very convenient solution. It communicates reliably and is no different from a regular phone. The same thing, by the way, applies to 3G Internet.

⇡ Software

Galaxy Note 10.1 runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwitch operating system with Samsung's proprietary (and so unloved by many) TouchWiz shell. By the way, this very shell behaves very correctly on the device and does not slow down at all (either it has finally been well optimized, or the powerful hardware inside the gadget helps out). The tablet comes pre-installed with a huge number of applications, from branded Samsung Apps, S Note and S Planner to applications from the online services “Kinoafisha”, “Yandex.Weather”, “Yandex.Market” and the portable photo editor PS Touch. For the convenience of the reader, we did not list all the pre-installed programs and games, but simply took a screenshot.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that there are clients of such services as Yota Play, uBank, Dropbox. With games, the situation is a little worse: the user is provided mainly with arcade games: Bejeweled 2, Shaolin Jump, Super Dynamite Fishing and the simple but quite pleasant Crayon Physics. However, as we know, you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, and the user can download everything they need on their own from Google Play.

⇡ Conclusion

At the time of publication of this review, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is one of the most powerful tablets in the world. It copes with absolutely any work, multimedia and gaming tasks, satisfying the requirements of even the most demanding user. We have extremely positive emotions from the gadget. We tried very hard, searched with all our might, but we could not find any shortcomings in it (except that the device’s screen is powerless against bright sunlight, and therefore the picture fades, although it remains legible).

Any disadvantages relate primarily to the operating system, and not to the device itself. So if you love Android, you'll love the tablet. The estimated price for Galaxy Note 10.1 is still unknown, but we think that at the start of sales in Russia it will be no less than 20-25 thousand rubles. They say that they will try to adjust the price to the cost of the iPad in the appropriate configuration.

Galaxy Note 10.1, which has very interesting features and capabilities.

Galaxy Note 10.1 was announced at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Everyone probably remembers the existence of the Galaxy Note smartphone, which has a large 5.3-inch diagonal screen, and many are wondering what is different about the new enlarged model. So, there are practically no differences; the tablet retains all the functions that were provided by the Galaxy Note smartphone, even the S-pen stylus remains. But first things first...

We won’t talk much about the design of the device; it is almost identical to other Android tablets of comparable size from Samsung. The height, width and thickness of the device are 256.7x175.3x8.9 mm, and the weight is 583 grams, which is not much at all.

The body is made of plastic, which allows it to be a very ergonomic tablet computer that is comfortable and pleasant to hold in your hands.

The entire front part is occupied by the display, and on the back there is a camera. In general, minimalism quite typical for Samsung.

The assembly was done well, there are no backlashes or squeaks during operation.

Performance and Software

The tablet computer will be equipped with a 4-core Samsung S5PV310 Exynos 4412 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz and a Mali-400MP graphics accelerator. The device has 2 GB of RAM, which is quite a lot these days. These characteristics will allow you to work without failures and glitches, as well as support multitasking.

The tablet has 16, 32 or 64 GB of permanent memory, depending on the modification. The built-in flash memory can be expanded with microSD cards up to 32 GB.

All features are controlled by the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system together with the Samsung proprietary shell.

Since the Samsung N8000 Galaxy Note 10.1 has extensive capabilities for working with graphics, the software includes an application from Adobe - this is the well-known Photoshop.

It is worth noting that the software package in the tablet is very rich. So there are the following applications: Samsung Apps, Hub, ChatON, Kies air and AllShare Play, as well as Google Mobile Services, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Polaris document editor and many others.

The device also supports Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 3.0 modules and, depending on the modification, 3G networks.

Depending on the modification, the tablet may or may not work in 3G networks.

A video player and music player are installed to play media files.

Screen

The tablet computer has a 10.1-inch display made using PLS TFT technology, which, of course, will have a worse effect on the brightness and richness of colors compared to AMOLED screens. But the display resolution is not bad - 1280x800 pixels. It is also worth noting the high sensitivity of the matrix. Thus, an official representative of Samsung at the presentation of the device emphasized that the screen sensitivity is twice as high as that of other similar devices. This figure was achieved thanks to the increased number of sensors.

And, of course, everyone remembers how the S-pen stylus was used in the Galaxy Note. So, the model with a 10.1-inch screen also has a special matrix that allows you to use the stylus like a pen or pencil.

Camera

This tablet does not provide high parameters related to photo and video parameters. This is how a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash is installed. The photos are of very average quality, which is quite expected from a camera with such resolution.

On the front side there is a 2-megapixel camera for video telephony.

Battery

The device runs on a 7000 mAh lithium-ion battery. This figure is quite typical for tablets of this size.

Price

Cost of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 with support for Wi-Fi and 3G networks and 16 GB of permanent memory – 26,990 rubles, with 32 GB of memory and Wi-Fi + 3G - 29,990 rubles, and with 64 GB of permanent memory and Wi-Fi + 3G - 34,990 rubles.

TabletSamsungGalaxyNote 10.1 video review:

The Samsung Galaxy Note phone, released a year ago, became the first successful Android device with pen input. And the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, which only recently reached Ukraine, is an attempt to transfer the success of the Galaxy Note to the tablet segment. But how successful will this “test of pen” be?

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Appearance and design

Externally, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is almost identical to the popular Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet. It is also entirely made of plastic (white or gray) with a silver edging, which hides two front-facing speakers. Overall, the quality of materials and build, in my opinion, does not correspond to the price level of the tablet - both the iPad and the Apple Transformer Prime/Infinity boast much more impressive cases.

On the top edge of the tablet there is a power button, a volume rocker, a microSD card slot, an infrared transmitter window, a headphone output and a SIM card slot. In my opinion, the location of the headphone jack can be called downright unfortunate - it would be better to place it in the corner of the tablet.

There is nothing on the bottom edge of the Galaxy Note 10.1 except for the Samsung Dock connector and the microphone hole.

Screen

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is equipped with exactly the same screen as the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. This high-quality PLS matrix with a diagonal of 10.1 inches has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. It is characterized by pleasant soft color rendition and wide viewing angles. When set to maximum brightness, the screen remains readable in the sun.

Software and functionality

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has its own TouchWiz shell installed on top of the Android 4.0.4 operating system, and many of the standard programs (for example, the calendar) are replaced with their own versions. In addition to programs for working with the S Pen (which will be discussed below), the tablet is pre-installed with a file manager, Samsung ChatON messenger (analogous to WhatsApp) and the Polaris Office office suite. We can’t help but mention the Smart Remote program, which allows you to use the Note 10.1 as a remote control for almost any equipment in the house. The remote control codes are downloaded from the Internet.

An interesting point: the stock video player allows you to place the video in a small window on top of your desktop or other programs. This feature is called Pop-Up Play. That is, you can, for example, work in a text editor and at the same time watch TV series with one eye.

S Pen and multi-window

Like the Galaxy Note/Note II smartphones, the Note 10.1 tablet is equipped with a pressure-sensitive S Pen (1024 levels of pressure recognition) using Wacom technology.

The pen itself is relatively small in size and, like the tablet itself, is made of plastic. The prototypes shown in February at MWC 2012 did not have a pen compartment in the body, but this deficiency was eliminated in commercial samples of the tablet. When you remove the pen from the compartment, the tablet automatically displays a sidebar on the screen with applications that support pen input - unfortunately, you cannot edit these shortcuts, but you can specify an application that will launch automatically when you remove the pen.

Galaxy Note 10.1 supports handwriting recognition. The recognition really works and even understands the Russian language quite well, but I personally still manage to type noticeably faster on the virtual keyboard.

To work with the pen, the tablet comes pre-installed with several applications, the main one of which is, of course, S Note. This program allows you to create notes that combine a large number of different elements (including text, graphics, pictures, video and sound). The new version of S Note provides different templates for different types of notes - from plain text to meeting minutes, diary entry or travel report. Notes can be grouped into folders.

There is also formula recognition here, as in the updated version of S Note for the Galaxy Note smartphone.

In dual-screen mode (which will be discussed in more detail a little later), the stylus allows you to take a screenshot of a web page or photo from the gallery, cut out a piece of any shape from it and drag it into a note.

Another pre-installed application that artists and other people who work with graphics will appreciate is Photoshop Touch. This is a greatly simplified version of the “big” Photoshop, which, however, allows you to fully edit images. PS Touch is one of the few programs that can recognize pressure when using the S Pen.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 is the first Android device to be able to display two apps on the screen at once in a kind of multi-window (more precisely, dual-window) mode. Unfortunately, only Samsung’s own applications can work in this mode, and not all of them, but only the browser, S Note, gallery, email client (but not standard Gmail), video player and the Polaris Office office suite.

Another disadvantage of this “two-window” implementation is the slow switching between simultaneously running programs. Let’s say that if you have a browser and an office suite running at the same time, then when you move from one application to another, it will begin to respond to user actions not instantly, but after 1-2 seconds.

Performance and autonomy

Unlike the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, the Note 10.1 is equipped with a fast 4-core Exynos 4 Quad processor clocked at 1.4 GHz and Mali-400MP graphics, as well as 2 GB of RAM. Due to this, it is the fastest Android tablet in the world at the moment, as confirmed by the results of synthetic tests. In real life, when switching between desktops, there is sometimes stuttering (if there are a lot of widgets on them), otherwise the tablet is very fast. An update to Android 4.1 should potentially make it even faster.

Bottom line

Without a doubt, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is one of the top Android tablets in terms of performance today. Combine that with the unique S Pen and you've got one of the best-looking Android tablets on the market. The disadvantages include the screen (the resolution of 1280x800 pixels is noticeably inferior to FullHD in the ASUS Transformer Infinity, not to mention the iPad with a Retina display) and the body materials (again, ASUS and Apple are ahead in this parameter). At the same time, the price of the Note 10.1 is exactly the same as an iPad with a Retina screen, so the attractiveness of a Samsung tablet in the eyes of a buyer depends primarily on how much a particular buyer needs a stylus.

5 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1:

• high performance;
• loud high-quality speakers;
• possibility of use as a remote control;
• S Pen with 1024 pressure recognition;
• convenient S Note application.

1 reason not to buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1:

• low screen resolution compared to direct competitors.