Samsung Galaxy Note N8000 10.1 - Product Review

[Naked Crook]

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 N8000 Hardware Review Review by Naked Crook - TNO Administrator Anyone who thought I was writing the Halo 4 review...sorry. I am still working on that. Sorry Sniper...you guessed wrong. So, as most of you know, I recently got a Galaxy Note 10.1 for Christmas. I have been playing around with it, and I have done quite a bit with it to date, and I have decided to write a review on it. Now, back in September, I wrote a review on my Galaxy note N7000, my, at the time, new phone, which I still have and still loving. I felt that since The Note N7000 got a review, The N8000 gets a review as well. The Galaxy Note 10.1 N8000, released in August 2012, is Samsung's new Flagship tablet device, and rightfully so; this thing is a beast. The specs on this tablet are above expectations, bringing hardware to the next level of innovation, a level that must be matched by competition very soon for fear of losing potential customers to the Note. Specs Rundown The N7000 and the N8000 The N8000 specs under the microscope N8000 vs the iPad 4 and iPad Mini Rooting and Firmware Multitasking - the future of mobile computing Overall and final thoughts [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]Specs Rundown[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] So, lets talk specs shall we? Much like in my N7000 review, I will list them all here. 10.1 inch Screen Size 2048 MB of RAM (1780 MB useable - the rest is reserved by The Kernel) Quad-Core 1.4 Ghz Exynos ARM processor 16, 32, and 64 GB internal storage (I have the 32 GB) External SDXC card up to 64 GB additional Support for multiple wireless standards including 2G, 3G, HSPA+ (4G), Bluetooth 4.0, Wireless-N 1280 x 800 16:10 screen resolution (720p) Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen Corning Gorilla Glass GPS 5 MP Rear Camera and 2 MP front Camera Rear facing LED flash (can be used as a flashlight) No touch buttons and no Physical buttons. All buttons are digital Upgradeable to 4.1.1 Jellybean (or 4.1.2 if you know what you are doing with Android) 7000 mAh Battery S-Pen IR Blaster Front facing speakers True multitasking If you wish to compare the specs of the N8000 to my N7000, then by all means, here you go. The follow are the MOST RECENT specs of the N7000 5.3 inch Screen Size 1024 MB of RAM (808 MB useable - the rest is reserved by The Kernel) Dual-Core 1.4 Ghz Exynos ARM processor 16 or 32 GB internal storage (I have the 16 GB - 32 GB no longer manufactured) External SDXC card up to 64 GB additional (as of Jellybean) Support for multiple wireless standards including 2G, 3G, HSPA+ (4G), Bluetooth 3.0, Wireless-N Built-in FM Tuner 1280 x 800 16:10 screen resolution (720p) Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen Corning Gorilla Glass GPS 8 MP Rear Camera and 2 MP front Camera Rear facing LED flash (can be used as a flashlight) 2 touch buttons and 1 physical home button Upgradeable to 4.1.2 Jellybean 2500 mAh Battery (Expandable yp to 5000 mAh with separate purchase) S-Pen True multitasking The specs listed in GREEN are specs that have improved with the release of 4.1.2 Jellybean (which both devices are now running all thanks to my cunning and unstoppable genius) [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]The N7000 and the N8000[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] Now, lets talk serious about the specs. As you can see, if you read the specs on both devices, what we have are two devices COMPLIMENTING each other, not OPPOSING each other. What does this mean you ask? Well, it means that I have the glorious privilege of having both the Phablet Note and the Tablet Note. It means I am reviewing this from a pretty unique stand point; the stand point of having two devices working on each others strengths, but two devices not so reliant on the other that they can stand by themselves. To clarify, both the N7000 and the N8000 have their pros and cons over each other, that, when combined, can overcome every shortcoming, but can also stand their own ground against competition. This can be clearly seen by the N7000 having a better camera, but the N8000 having more RAM for better multitasking. When put together, you have two like-devices, working in tangent, to provide the best end user experience. While the N7000 can make your calls and do your business, the N8000 can view your email and browse the web at the same time, to set up those important meetings, get a message to your friends, or check on other information. Both devices can do all of these things by themselves, but it is done better when these two power houses combine their capabilities. This is called SYNERGY, and Samsung devices have this in spades. The concept of Samsung Synergy became very apparent to me once I got my N8000. [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]The N8000 specs under the microscope[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] The N8000 has some very impressive specs. At only 600 grams (1.32 lbs), as opposed to the N7000 178 grams (0.39 lbs), the N8000 is easy to handle and carry around to do the daily business. You can feel the speed of the quad core Exynos and the 2 GB of ram, speed which is only further augmented by Jellybean's project butter. In brief, Project butter is a pre-processing predictive algorithm that pre-renders a task before the user does it, in order to have a smoother transition. Project butter is on both the N7000 and the N8000. Much like the N7000, The N8000 supports MP3s, which, if you read my N7000 review, is clearly prefered on mobile devices. Android does not need to sync music files, allowing a quick operation to be completed almost instantaneously, as opposed to iOS where syncing 1 song invokes a 3 hour, sometimes non-optional, backup. The N8000 doesx have a catch though, and up to this point, I have been...a bit deceptive. You see, I call it the N8000, but I do not own the N8000. I own the N8010, a variation of the N8000 (created by Samsung) which is deemed a wifi-only tablet. Basically, three versions of this tablet exist The N8000 - International version, Wifi, 3G, LTE, HSPA+ support The N8010 - International version, Wifi support. No 3G, LTE, os HSPA+ support. This is due to hardware being removed. The N8013 - United States variant of the N8010. I guess this one comes with a micro-polymer coating to protect from greesy cheeseburger fingers and a Kevlar case for all those crazy gun owning 'Mericans. I dunno, this is just a guess on my part. Like I said, I own the N8010 ersion, which means I do not have a wireless carrier for mine. However, the N8010 is capable of connection to my phone via a tethered wifi signal, so I can browse the net, from ny N8010, using my phone as an access point. For the record, this is just another way in which the two devices work in a synergistic fashion. With that said the N8000 is a pretty solid device in terms of specs. While the screen resolutuon may be lacking at only 720p, as opposed to other tablets that have 1080p displays, or even the iPad retinat display, the screen still looks very nice. The colors are excellent, and text proves to be very clear while reading. It should be noted that like the N7000, the N8000 family uses what is known as a Wacom touch display to provide the S-Pen functionality. Wacom displays, as of modern standards, are capped at 720p. The iPad, uses a standard capacitive touch screen, which has no support for any advanced stylus features. Pardon the expression, but while I am on the POINT of the stylus, I would like to point out that they are STILL useful and they have a lot of practical uses. Not everyone likes to use their fat, chubby, greasy, cheeseburger scarfing, gun-trigger pulling fingers (looking at you 'Merica). Some people like the precision of a pen. On that NOTE (pardon the expression)...I am Canadian. Do you people have ANY idea how cold it is up here? Without the stylus, I cannot use my phone while wearing gloves. I find use for my stylus in the sense of enabling functionality where none exists. When I wear gloves, my iPhone touch screen is as useless as a diced dick in a can. However, All I have to do is pull out the stylus on my N7000 or N8000, and I am good to go. Let's get productive baby! Another interesting feature is the inclusion of a universal IR Blaster. What is an IR Blaster you ask? An IR Blaster is the same thing you find in your TV remote. Yes...the N8000 has a built in TV remote. We lost the FM Tuner, and we got a universal remote instead. The Universal IR Blaster works with a massive variety of modern HD TVs, converter boxes, digital cable boxes, Blu-Ray and DVD players, and PVRs (or DVRs). The app that is used to invokve the TV functions, also comes with an intuative and smart TV guide which shows you the channel that all your favorite shows are on. The best part is, is that it automatically figures out what region you are in based on the model of your digital box, and fetches all of the programming information. Very easy setup of this app and feature. For me, it took me only 10 minutes to explore the UI, and pair it with my TVs and digital boxes. Just between us...I have had many fun hours going to bars, and turning off the TVs, from the parking lot, while people were watching the game. Yes, the N8000 helps me carry out evil and cruel jokes on drunk people. All in all, the N8000 has a powerful engine under the case, behind that lovely 720p screen, armed with a STILL USEFUL stylus. [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]N8000 vs the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] You all knew it was coming to this. Perhaps you read the table of contents...I dunno. If you didn't, then you SHOULD still of kown this section would be in the review. I hate to say it, but both the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini fall shport in just about every category. Behold: iPad 4 9.7 inch Screen Size 1024 MB of RAM (Unknown amount reserved by the Kernel) Dual-Core 1.4 Ghz A9-Cortex ARM processor 16, 32, and 64 GB internal storage (I have the 32 GB) Support for multiple wireless standards including 2G, 3G, HSPA+ (4G), Bluetooth 4.0, Wireless-N 768 x 1024 4:3 screen resolution Capacitive touchscreen Glass screen (YES...NORMAL GLASS) GPS 5 MP Rear Camera and 2 MP front Camera Rear facing LED flash (can be used as a flashlight) iOS 6 (Cannot be rooted - yet) 11,560 mAh Battery iPad Mini 7.9 inch Screen Size 512 MB of RAM (Unknown amount reserved by the Kernel) Dual-Core 1.0 Ghz A9-Cortex ARM processor 16, 32, and 64 GB internal storage (I have the 32 GB) Support for multiple wireless standards including 2G, 3G, HSPA+ (4G), Bluetooth 4.0, Wireless-N 1536 x 2048 4:3 screen resolution (Extreme Definition - XD) Capacitive touchscreen Glass screen (YES...NORMAL GLASS) GPS 5 MP Rear Camera and 2 MP front Camera Rear facing LED flash (can be used as a flashlight) iOS 6 (Cannot be rooted - yet) Unknown Battery Size So lets look at these specs...shall we? Of course, I will give credit where credit is due. iPad...I like your screen and I like your battery. That is about it. Those two things are your biggest selling points, and are the only reason you are allowed to have a device, going into 2013, with less tghan 2 GB of RAM. The iPad 4 was obsolete the moment the boots hit the ground. The iPad mini is even worse, only clocking in with 512 MB of RAM? Give me a break. To complete the trifecta...iOS cannot be ROOTED! Terrible, terrible, terrible. [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]Rooting and Firmware[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] Let's talk firmware, shall we? My N8010 came stock with Android 4.0.4 ICS. There was no Jellybean support for the N8010, and there still is no OFFICIAL Jellybean support for it...in CANADA that is. However, The N8000 and N8013 have 4.1.1 Jellybean. You see, the great thing with Android is the options that you have. There are so many options. So many devices. So many different OEMs offering so many different configurations. I guess this is why people are scared of ANdroid...it is too complex. Anyway, I am sure Kairu and Cuban can attest to this, but the other night, I did a force upgrade to Android 4.1.2 (not 4.1.1, but 4.1.2) by using the official leaked version of the 4.1.2 N8000 firmware. Basically, I was able to root my tablet, and trick it into thinking it was the N8000, and that it was time for the 4.1.2 Android update. Which means, my N8010 has all the latest and greatest toys from Android and Samsung, as well as all the best optimizations. This is why I love Android. Droid simply does. If this was an iPad...I would be stuck...nowhere to go, in an OS that does not allow me to root. Thank God for Android. [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]Multitasking - the future of mobile computing[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] You know, most people reading this are thinking "why is multitasking on a tablet or phone so damn important?". The truth is, for as long as we have had tablets and phones, they have been stuck in a rut. They have been stuck in the realm of single processing, single tasking, one thing at a time, being force to do more work than is needed to switch between two tasks. No amount of CPU speed, or RAM will ever fix this. Given the popularity and demand for tablets, compared to laptops, which are currently the king of mobile computing and productivity, the only thing protecting the laptop's crown is the lack of multitasking on tablets. However, with the innovation brought forward by the N8000, and the other Samsung Note devices, laptops, for the first time, are looking at what historians call regicide - the death of the king. Laptops, for the first time ever, are looking at being replaced as the kings of mobile computing. Now, some of you may not care...but I do. As someone who exists and breaths in the computer industry...as someone who, if the industry was a 4-dimensional Cartesian plane, would be located at (0, 0, 0, 0)...this is absolutely...earth shattering. To think I have lived to see the day when Laptops would be de-throned as the mobile kings of productivity...it is humbling. THe N8000 has done more than thrill me as an end-user...it has given me a glimpse into the future of mobile computing. The N8000, and its family, are the single greatest innovators to hit phones and tablets since the launch of the iPhone in 2007. To me, this is excellent news...to know that the mobile industry is going to change in ways we have not seen in years...change for the better, with new innovation, and new technology...thanks, in large part, to the Note family. So what is multitasking on the N8000 like? Well...take a look at the following screenshots. The above screenshot shows me using two seperate web browsers ate once. This allows me to view two web pages side by side. Tis image shows you how I would go about using my gallery and email side by side...if I wanted to batch attach some files to send to people. Now, here I am using S Note and my SMS messenger side by side. The fact is people...THIS is the future of mobile computing...and it is starting now. The N8000 has brought new concepts, new ideas, and new innovation to our lives. These are things that neither Apple, HTC, MotoDroid, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7/8, or the Nexus have the capability to do. This will force innovation in the industry...we will move forward, and mobile technology will begin to evolve...for us. This is more than a neat feature...this is the future! You might think I am over-reacting, but I assure you, this excitement is justified. I always look favorably on innovation...and the N8000 delivers. Forget the specs, forget everything I said above. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is innovating...and that is why this device is amazing. [DIVIDE][/DIVIDE]Overall and final thoughts[DIVIDE][/DIVIDE] In the grand scheme, the N8000 has done it all. It has amazed me, and it has innovated the industry. It has brought new ideas on a powerful platform, and it has set the bar for 2013, and it has set the bar very high. Mark my words, 2013 will be the year of tablet multitasking...TRUE MULTITASKING as we have seen on the N8000 and other note devices. If anyone here is in the market for a tablet...forget the iPad, forget the Nexus...go with a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. You will never be disappointed. The N8000 gets 5 out of 5 Pedobears!