X

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has stylus to spare (pictures)

Samsung parlays its momentum from the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note smartphone into a 10-inch tablet that really offers something new.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Jessica Dolcourt
35147489-5.jpg
1 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 comes to life

Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet was something special from the moment it first popped out from beneath its top-secret coverings at Mobile World Congress last February. It's in this tablet that Samsung's Galaxy Note's S Pen stylus for work and for play meets a form factor that gives it room to run.
35147489-10.jpg
2 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Multitasking

The larger display allows for side-by-side multitaskting, starting with six apps total. In addition, Samsung has partnered with app-makers like Adobe and Polaris Office to make their creative and productivity tools compatible with the S Pen. A quad-core Samsung processor promises to multitask with speed.
35147489-8.jpg
3 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

A closer look at that S Pen

Thanks to its 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity and click-in holster, the Wacom-licensed S Pen is a great tool for the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet.
35147489-7.jpg
4 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

New S Pen design

The Note 10.1's S Pen is larger and more square than its smartphone cousin. Its flat sides resist rolling and the grooved button is designed to avoid accidental presses.
35147489-16.jpg
5 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

S Pen family tree

From top to bottom, there's the original Galaxy Note S Pen, followed by the wand for the Note 10.1 tablet, an aftermarket pen with an "eraser" tip, and the S Pen Holder Kit, which has a wider, more comfortable rubber grip and comes with an extra S Pen to slip inside.
35147489-9.jpg
6 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Camera bump

The Note 10.1 has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with a 1.9-megapixel lens up front. This is a nice bump up from the 3-megapixel camera on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.
35147489-2.jpg
7 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

From port to port

A microSD card takes up to 32GB in external storage, has an infra-red (IR) blaster, and supports a USB connection through an adapter port.
35147489-13.jpg
8 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Colors

You can get the Galaxy Note 10.1 in two colors, deep gray or white, with a silver trim.
35147489-4.jpg
9 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Pricing and availability

There are similarly two storage capacities for the Note 10.1. Buying the 16GB version on August 16 costs you $499.00, but spend $50 more, $549.00, to take home the 32GB model with double the internal storage. RAM will be 2GB for both.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos