| 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. | | "THe leather look isnt perfect, but its much better" | | Dsc_9058-1024 | | At 1.19 pounds, the 10.1 is lighter than both the Nexus 10 and the iPad while still maintaining the nice solid heft of a premium device. The home button location indicates that the Note 10.1 is expressly meant to be held in landscape orientation, but I didn’t mind switching into portrait mode when using the S Pen to write. | | Much smaller bezels around the screen make the Note 10.1 look significantly cleaner than generations past. The speakers have been relocated from the front to the edges of the tablet, too, and they’re quieter for it; the only thing that borders the touch screen is the front-facing camera and the physical Android buttons. I’ve grown to love the physical home button and capacitive menu and back buttons on Samsung’s device, so they’re a welcome addition to the Note 10.1. Samsung finally ditched its proprietary charger in favor of Micro USB, but oddly didn’t use USB 3.0 like with the new Note 3 with a bigger battery to charge and probably more content to move around, the clunky port would be both more useful and less conspicuous on the tablet. |
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