Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review (2014 Edition)

When I was in high school, I fantasized about leaving my numerous spiral bound notebooks behind in favor of a handheld digital drawing board. That technology didn’t arrive in the form of the iPad until after I finished college, but that didn’t stop me from buying one the weekend it was released, along with that weird rubbery case and a $30 stylus. I used the stylus maybe three times, and it wasn’t at all like taking notes in my notebook — it was more like drawing on a tiny white board with a thick marker. Using my finger wasn’t nearly as precise, but it was just so much easier.

Last year’s Galaxy Note 10.1 promised to finally bring all the stylus power of Samsung’s Note smartphones to a big-screen tablet, but its upsides were utterly defeated by the device’s crippling performance issues. Now Samsung is back with a new and improved 10.1 that aims to win over my pen-and-paper-loving heart. On paper, it seems like the Note 10.1 is the perfect combination: industry-leading specs coupled with the new S Pen, the world’s highest-tech #2 pencil.

A new-look Note

Samsung’s devices are usually made of an uncomfortably smooth plastic, and look almost like the same device just at different sizes. The new Note 10.1, though, has shaken off a few of the bad design habits that plagued previous devices. The result is a tablet that’s much more mature than anything Samsung’s made yet.

Samsung has finally gotten over its addiction to slimy plastic bodies, instead giving the new Note 10.1 a faux-leather design that also graces the new Note 3. The textured backing is a big improvement for the Note 3 and works even better on the larger 10.1 — it felt good and secure in my hands. The little fake stitches along the border take the imitation leather look a tad too far, but it’s still a vast improvement over the cheap feel of the Tab 10.1.