Google Nexus 10 vs Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014) Specs Comparison

Written by B Johnson January 27, 2015
Google Nexus 10 vs Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014) - Specs Comparison
Hi guys, welcome back to this site!

Earlier, i just showed you the comparison review between Google Nexus 10 and Tegra-4-powered tablet from Asus – Asus Transformer TF701T.

By looking at their entire spec sheet, it’s pretty obvious that both devices are really well-prepared especially in terms of performance and specs.

(Google Nexus 10 vs Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014) - Specs Comparison)

They both have 2.5K display, super powerful processor and GPU, huge battery capacity and they are also really impressive when it comes to graphical and of course gaming performance.

Anyway, today i’m still interested to keep the momentum going by giving you more of my comparison review that involves the same Google Nexus 10 against other tablet.

However, unlike my previous reviews, this time, the contender that i want to compete head-to-head with Google Nexus 10 is actually coming from the same manufacturer – Samsung, similar just like Nexus 10 tablet that is also manufactured and assembled by Samsung.

Google Nexus 10 vs Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014) benchmarks and gaming performance

The tablet is Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014). The reason why this comparison review could be interesting to see because – besides being made by the same manufacturer -, i believe you also want to know which one of these 2 devices that is worth buying, especially as a gaming tablet.

Well, if you’re interested to know more about the comparison between these 2 tablets and see how they compete against each other in this review, then here you go, my comparison review between Google Nexus 10 and Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014).

Introduction

Google Nexus 10 was actually released in late 2012, to be more specific, it made its first debut at Google’s HQ Mountain View along with its sibling, Google Nexus 4 – i remembered exactly because that was the time when Hurricane Sandy happened in the US.

Despite being an older-gen tablet for today’s standards, Google Nexus 10 amazingly comes with the specs that 2 years ahead of its competition. I mean, in late 2012, when many tablet manufacturers were actually still struggling to even jump to 1080p bandwagon.

But Samsung impressively showed it to the world that this company was more advanced than most of its rivals, even Apple.

The display of Google Nexus 10 is actually the thing that still really impresses me a lot. It’s just amazing to see an older-gen tablet but it already had a display that even most of competitors were still struggling to catch up with, even until now.

In fact, i’m still impressed with this device, especially with its entire spec sheet.

Similar just like Google Nexus 10, Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is also equipped with the same resolution 2.5K display.

However, this note-taking device is using Super Clear LCD panel, instead of Nexus sibling that comes with Super PLS panel.

The great thing is, the screen of Google Nexus 10 already looks really gorgeous and insanely sharp – as seen on many reviews including Marques Brownlee and Chris (from oode).

In terms of performance, especially graphical performance, Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 looks more promising because it’s equipped with the latest and greatest Snapdragon 800 processor along with Adreno 330 GPU, which are one of the best hardware package even in today’s standards.

However, Google Nexus 10 is also quite impressive on the same department, especially given the fact that this device was released 2 years before Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 came out.

It comes with Samsung Exynos 5250 processor as well as Mali-T604 MP GPU.

But the questions remain. With all of the high-grade specs and powerful performance found on both 2 devices,

Which one between Google Nexus 10 and Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 that deserves to be the best gaming tablet in this comparison review?

Which one that is a better device in the whole aspect?

Is it worth it to buy any of these tablets, especially for playing 3D heavy games?

Well, hopefully we’re about to find out more about the answers of these questions at the end of this review. So be sure to stick around!

Design

As far as the design goes, each of these 2 tablets use entirely different looking design – despite being manufactured by the same company.

So if Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is more prominent with its sharp looking corners and fake metal trim all over the bezels, plus the faux leather and fake stitching on its rear cover, then Google Nexus 10 is on the other side of the road.

This is not so surprising because on Google Nexus 10, Google is also involved significantly with the design concept of this device.

Google Nexus 10
Google Nexus 10
Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (LTE) vs (WiFi-only)
Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (LTE) vs (WiFi-only)
But even so, i still like the design of both tablets. I mean, Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 may have a more serious ‘accent’ on its design, while Google Nexus 10 is more on the ‘fun’ side with its fully rectangular looking design.

I also love the ‘fake’ elements found on Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 – from fake metal trim around the bezels, faux leather and fake stitching on its rear-cover.

They actually really make this device look more serious and professional compared to the previous-gen GALAXY devices – which mostly are really prominent with their fully-round-shaped design.

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Google Nexus 10 (Samsung)Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014)
10.1 inch Super PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
2560 x 1600 pixels (~299 ppi pixel density)
Android OS 4.2 Jelly Bean (upgradable to v4.4.2 KitKat)
a Dual-core Exynos 5250 1.7 GHz Cortex-A15
2 GB RAM
Mali-T604 GPU
No MicroSD card slot
16/32 GB Internal storage
5 MP rear-facing camera with LED flash
1.9 MP front-facing camera
No Radio
GPS
No Java
NFC
Bluetooth
Infrared Yes
Non-removable Li-Po 9000 mAh battery
    Released October 2013
    Micro-SIM
    * S Pen stylus
    10.1 inch Super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2560 x 1600 pixels, (~299 ppi pixel density)
    + (LTE model) Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 CPU
    + (LTE model) Adreno 330 GPU
    - (3G/WiFi) Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 Exynos 5 Octa 5420 Chipset    
    - (3G/WiFi) Mali-T628 MP6 GPU    
    3 GB RAM
    Android OS, v4.3 Jelly Bean - Samsung TouchWiz UI
    8 MP rear-facing camera, LED flash
    2 MP front-facing camera
    microSD Card slot for up to 64 GB
    16/32/64 GB Internal storage
    GPRS, Wi-Fi 802.11

    GPS, Bluetooth, USB, Infrared port. Java. Radio TBD
    Battery Non-removable Li-Po 8220 mAh battery

    Samsung is probably the only smartphone/tablet manufacturers that never disappoints when it comes to hardware specs of their devices – of course the flagship ones.

    In fact, most of today’s Samsung flagship devices really dominate the tablet market with their highest-grade specs, even much higher than the iPads.

    Google Nexus 10 and Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 are no exception.

    Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 comes with a 10.1-inch display sporting the 2.5K resolution (2560x1600 pixels), a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor (Samsung 5 Octa-core processor on WiFi-only model), Adreno 330 GPU (Mali-T628 MP 6 GPU on WiFi-only), 3GB of RAM, 8MP and 2MP cameras back and front with LED flash, microSD card slot for up to 64GB, a huge 8220mAh battery and some other standard features on board.

    It goes the same with Google Nexus 10. It comes with a 10.1-inch Super PLS TFT display sporting the 2560x1600 pixel resolution, a quad-core Samsung Exynos 5250 processor, Mali-T604 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 5MP and 1.9MP cameras back and front, a huge 9000mAh battery and some other standard features.

    However, there's NO microSD card slot found on this device, which actually has been the 'tradition' of all Nexus devices. In fact, it will always be.

    Screen

    When it comes to sharpness, it’s just no brainer that both Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 and Google Nexus 10 are on the same level. And that’s because they both sport the same 2.5K resolution (2560x1600 pixels) on the same 10.1-inch screen size.

    But it’s also worth noting that Google Nexus 10 comes with Super PLS TFT panel, while Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is equipped with more advanced much improved Super Clear LCD panel.

    But even so, both displays of these 2 tablets still look insanely sharp and gorgeous for most of users.

    In fact, according to some review on YouTube (like Chris from oode), the display of Google Nexus 10 is so gorgeous and the colors look really popping out like crazy on the screen, especially when checking out some high resolution photos (like flowers, fruits and many others that have some popping-out colors).

    So if the display of older-gen Google Nexus 10 already looks that gorgeous, then you can totally expect the same thing on Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1.

    In fact, given that its display is now more advanced and much improved Super Clear LCD, then its overall quality is no doubt more superior than the Super PLS display of nexus 10.

    User Interface

    Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is a specialized note tablet. So when it comes to UI, this tablet is of course well-prepared especially to support the S-Pen stylus experience of this device.

    And that means, the TouchWiz UI of this tablet is more well-optimized for its stylus and it has a lot more features and pre-loaded apps.

    But basically, the TouchWiz UI of Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 still works and looks similar with the TouchWiz UI found on regular flagship devices from Samsung.

    This really contradicts with Google Nexus 10. Given Google’s full involvement on its software, then Samsung must be willing to let Google mess up with its TouchWiz and replace it with Google’s standard stock Android UI with no Samsung’s customizations at all.

    However, this actually can be good for this device because by using this stock Android UI, this Google Nexus 10 is able to perform much faster and smoother, plus more efficient with the use of memory/RAM and battery life.

    Back to Top
    Despite being released in 2 different years – late 2012 for Google Nexus 10 and late 2014 for Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1, both of these tablets are really powerful equally for playing games.

    But of course, the Note tablet with the latest-gen processor and GPU is no doubt more superior than Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 especially in terms of graphical performance.

    Even so, with Samsung Eyxnos 5250 quad-core processor, Mali-T604MP GPU and 2GB of RAM found inside Google Nexus 10, you’re still able to play some of the latest and most graphics intense games like Modern Combat 4, Asphalt 8: Airborne, GTA Vice City, Need for Speed Most Wanted, NOVA 3, Dead Trigger 1 or The Dark Knight Rises from Gameloft.

    The last aforementioned game – The Dark Knight Rises actually doesn’t run smoothly on this device when it first came out, but the good news is, Gameloft has already updated this game in order to run smoothly in full graphics on Google Nexus 10 – as seen in the review on YouTube (Chris from oode).

    Meanwhile, Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 as a new-gen tablet with latest-gen processor and GPU, of course will scream a lot in gaming performance.

    However, it’s worth noting that the LTE and WiFi-only variants of these tablets are equipped with 2 different processors and GPUs (Snapdragon 800 + Adreno 330 GPU on LTE model, while Samsung 5 Octa Exynos 5420 octa-core processor).

    And the overall performance of these 2 models is really different significantly – with the LTE variant being the more powerful one.

    So if you want to buy the one with better gaming performance, i recommend you to pick up the LTE model with Snapdragon 800 processor inside.

    Even so, the WiFi-only model is also still powerful for gaming – especially thanks to its more advanced Mali-T628 MP6 GPU, which is way more powerful than the ‘already’ powerful Mali-400 MP2 GPU.

    Basically, with the hardware package found on Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (either LTE or WiFi-only model), you can take absolutely any games on this device – even the latest and most graphically demanding games like Modern Combat 5, Asphalt 8: Airborne or even GTA San Andreas.

    All of these games will not only run smoothly, buy they can also be played in full highest graphics with no lag. But i have doubts the WiFi-only variant is able to run GTA San Andreas smoothly in full highest graphics.

    Between the 2, of course Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 LTE with its latest-gen hardware specs is no-brainer more powerful than Google Nexus 10. And that can be seen on its capability to play even GTA San Andreas in full highest graphics.

    Meanwhile, i have doubts that this same game could run smoothly on Google Nexus 10, especially in full highest graphics.

    Cameras

    Most of Samsung flagship tablets out there are really excellent in terms of camera. Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is no exception.

    Thanks to its 8MP rear-facing camera plus 2MP front-facing shooter, the photo and video quality taken with its cameras are no doubt great and sharp.

    In fact, i think it’s pretty easy to recommend this tablet to you especially if you’re into photography.

    Its cameras – especially the rear one – are capable to take decent quality shots that even still look awesome on a larger HDTV in your house.

    Not to mention, there’s also LED flash on its rear-camera, allowing you to take much better shots in low light condition.

    On the other hand, Google Nexus 10 looks more humble with its 5MP and 1.9MP cameras back and front with LED flash equipped on the back.

    In terms of quality, of course this tablet is just not up to par with Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1, especially given its lower mega pixel count.

    However, this device is still a flagship quality tablet from Samsung. So you can totally count on its camera to take great and sharp photos or videos to you. And thanks to its LED flash, you can also take great shots even in low-light condition.

    Battery Life

    If there is one prominent sector found on both devices, then it’s definitely their battery capacity.

    So Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is powered by an 8220mAh battery inside, while Google Nexus 10 looks more superior with a much larger 9000mAh battery.

    When it comes to battery life, i think it’s pretty obvious that Google Nexus 10 could last much longer especially because it runs stock Android UI without any customizations from Samsung, plus its huge 9000mAh battery capacity.

    However, if you are a power user and will use any of these tablets to do some heavy intense tasks without resting the screen at all – like for watching HD movies in marathon or playing games in the row – then their battery life could easily drop to probably just around 5 to 7 hours, maybe less maybe more.

    This really depends also on some certain factors – like screen brightness, user’s use cycle, existing apps that are running in the background, live wallpaper and many more.

    My Personal Opinions

    So in the final conclusion of this comparison review, i think both tablets are great equally in many ways.

    I mean, in terms of specs, these 2 tablets can be considered as on par, especially on the sectors of display, battery life, features, gaming performance or even design.

    However, there are some parts of Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 that put this device up ahead against Google Nexus 10.

    They are the S-Pen stylus, microSD card slot, cameras and processor/GPU. Not to mention, the gaming performance of Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is also more superior than Google Nexus 10 especially because its processor and GPU are currently the best on the market today.

    But overall, i still think that both Google Nexus 10 and Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 are still really great equally.

    I mean, they both have sharp looking 2.5K display, powerful gaming performance, great cameras, good battery life, fully-featured Android OS and impressive design.

    At the end of the day, the decision to buy any of these tablets will totally come down to your personal preference and needs.

    So if you’re looking for a decent quality note-taking device with sharp display, great camera, solid design, powerful performance and good battery life, then Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 can be such a great choice for you.

    On the other hand, if you’re only looking for a pure media-consumption device with stock Android experience, good quality camera, sharpest 2.5K display, powerful performance, comfortable-to-hold design and good battery life, then Google Nexus 10 can also be an ideal tablet for you.

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