We're not claiming sole blame here, but we'd like to believe that Samsung read our reconsider of last year's Note 10.1, and perceived our annoyance. At least, Samsung perceived someone's accusations -- the 2014 edition locations numerous of those issues. Where the initial sensed bargain, its replacement really examines the part of a $550 device. For starters, it sheds the chrome bezel that before adorned each edge of the tablet, so the new slate, which assesses at 243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9 mm (9.57 x 6.75 x 0.31 in.), is shorter, narrower and narrower. Not only does this make the 2014 version gaze sleeker; the lack of big chrome lips means the front is furthermore less diverting -- a nice consideration that lets us focus on that attractive brandish. Additionally, at 19.05 ounces (535g), the tablet is lighter than the first Note 10.1 and the Nexus 10, which tilt the levels at 21.16 ounces (600g) and 21.27 ounces (603g), respectively. This, blended with its general size, makes this model much simpler to handle.
Samsung furthermore supplemented a feel of elegance to the back of the device by swapping out the standard glossy plastic back, the company's go-to construct material for at smallest the last two years. Here instead, we have a supple, textured "leather-like" material that's intended to resemble a leather book cover. joyously, it does a good job masking fingerprints, and it makes for a sturdier grab too. (We also like that the cowhide" extends over the back uninterrupted; on the first edition, the back cover was broken up by a band of chrome along the top.) And if you're inquisitive about our use of shock quotes, Samsung verified that the back cover is really comprised of polycarbonate. Still, it feels better-made than most of Samsung's previous tablets. We did, although, find one curious exclusion that made us less certain of its durability: there were some locations beside the center of the tablet's back that had a bit of give, as if those localities had air pouches below the cover.
If you've read our treatment of the Galaxy Note 3, you'll notice a allotment of likenesses between it and the new Note 10.1. This is typical for Samsung, a business that likes to crank out some distinct apparatus all bearing the identical general conceive. Last year's contoured, "inspired by environment" aesthetic isn't anywhere to be glimpsed on the new Note lineup. Rather, Samsung is taking the skeuomorphic path this time around: the chrome edges characteristic ridges that, we've been told, are presumed to mimic a shut publication, and a lone line of stitching borders the fake-leather back. Just like on the Note 3, the stitching is merely there for adornment. Obviously, this isn't surprising -- manufacturers normally don't stitch teleteleteletelephones together -- but this feels a little over the peak, if you inquire us.
The front of the Note 10.1 portions the identical capacitive and personal button placement as the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. This setup, which sits at the base under the display, encompasses the menu button on the left, home in the center and "back" on the right.
The supple keys are now adept of feeling the S Pen (much like on the Note 8.0), which means you no longer have to adapt your grab on the ballpoint every time you want to strike the back or list buttons. A front-facing camera and proximity sensor sit just left-of-center overhead the computer display. And that's it: your explorations for an directed notification light will be fruitless here.
While the 2014 edition holds things uncluttered on the front and back, it's a distinct article on the sides. All four borders have certain thing going on: a power button, capacity rocker and infrared on the peak; a covered microSD slot (supporting up to 64GB) on the right; a micro-USB socket on the base; and speaker grilles on both the right and left. Those speakers, by the way, aren't inevitably any larger than most, but they're some of the loudest we've tested; regardless of which room in the house I was in, I could easily discover the music blaring. We already cited the occurrence of a micro-USB dock, which for most tablets is really quite benchmark. But granted the Note 10.1's extensive likenesses to the Note 3, which launched at the identical time, it seems strange that it didn't get the identical USB 3.0 attachment as the teletelephone.
We aren't deploring about the lack of the unsightly connector, but it doesn't make much sense for the two devices to share so numerous other commonalities and dynamically select not to stick to a standard port.
The Note 10.1 sports a beautiful WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) TFT LCD section, which is precisely the tenacity bump we liked to see in last year's unit (that one had a much lower-res 1,280 x 800 panel, if you'll recall). It's so much of an improvement, in detail, that you'll be hard-pressed to find any thing better in a 10.1-inch tablet. It's the same size and resolution as the Nexus 10, whereas the Note boasts more usable space since it lacks virtual navigation buttons. Even better, it boasts more-saturated (yet still natural) colors, along with superb viewing twists.
