Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 and how it's great for almost anything

Written by B Johnson January 21, 2015
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014
If there is a tablet that I would happily recommend to people, then it's definitely Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014. Well, what's not to like from this tablet? It has almost anything you could ever dream of. Here's I'll show you why it is awesome!
Hi guys, welcome back!

In the past few years, Samsung with its GALAXY Note series has been doing really impressive around the smartphone market.

In fact, thanks to its gigantic display and amazing S-Pen, this Note series manages to create its own market – popularly known as phablet market.

(Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 Specs Comparison)

In 2014 – to be more specific, around the end of 2013 -, Samsung is back again with its GALAXY Note tablet.

Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 is divided in 2 different models – the LTE and the WiFi-only variants, which is not so surprising because many tablets out there most consist in 2 models – LTE and WiFI-only.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014

However, on these 2 Samsung GALAXY Note tablets, this manufacturer decides to cram 2 different types of processors – Snapdragon 800 processor for the LTE variant, while the WiFi-only version receives Samsung’s homemade 5 Octa Exynos 5420 processor, which has 8 set of core CPU but in big.LITTLE architecture (which we’ll get more on that later).

This is the reason why today, i’m really interested to bring up these 2 different models of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 into my next comparison review (which you’re reading right now).

I think it would be interesting to see how they fare against each other especially when it comes to overall performance because both of these tablets are powered by different processors and GPUs as well.

And that also includes the gaming performance of these devices, which i’m also interested to explore in this review.

However, in this comparison review, i probably will not compare these 2 devices on the sectors of screen, camera, stylus, design, software, UI and overall specs, simply because they both share the same exact specs one to another, with the exception of processors and GPUs of course.

But i’ll put more focus of the comparison only on the gaming performance and battery life because the use of different processors will surely impact to these 2 elements.

Well, if you’re also interested as i am, to find out more about these 2 devices, including their gaming performance, then here you go, my comparison review between Samsung GALAXY Note LTE and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014.

Introduction

Given that these 2 Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 tablets are actually the same exact devices, so i think the comparison of both models should be focused more on the performance and other things related to the use of 2 different processors and GPUs, like battery life or smoothness of UI.

However, the decision of Samsung to cram 2 different chipsets into the LTE and WiFi-only variants of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 tablets actually have strong impact to each tablet.

And that’s because their processors – Snapdragon 800 and Samsung 5 Octa Exynos 5420 processors – do really have difference in performance.

I’ve actually already seen how these 2 models perform in some reviews on YouTube, including theVerge.

The interesting part of the comparison on these 2 tablets is, in terms of performance, the LTE model of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 – which only uses quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor – is surprisingly more superior than the WiFi-only model that comes with Samsung 5 Octa Exynos 5420 processor – which has 8 cores of CPU.

As 2 same exact tablets, of course between Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 LTE and the WiFi-only models, there’s not much to write home about in the whole aspect of these 2 devices especially because they both share the same exact spec sheet.

So these 2 tablets have the same design, material, build quality, screen, camera, software, UI, battery capacity, RAM and many more.

Even so, these 2 tablets definitely deserve to be flagship devices from Samsung because their overall specs are really high-end and in fact, much better than the iPad Air – especially on the screen and camera.

But the questions remain, with all of the high-class hardware specs and goodies found on their software, not to mention their amazing S-Pen stylus, which one between Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 LTE model and WiFi-only model that is a better gaming tablet?

Which one between these 2 devices that is more superior in terms of performance?

Is it worth to pick up the LTE model instead of WiFi-only variant?

Design

As far as the design goes, i think it’s pretty obvious that Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition tablet is hugely inspired by the phablet variant - Samsung GALAXY Note 3.

And that can be clearly seen from its rear-cover. Similar just like Samsung GALAXY Note 3, the larger Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 also has those 3 “fake elements” – from the faux leather, fake metal trim all over the bezels and of course, the fake stitching. And Samsung does the same thing with the larger model.

In my opinion, i think Samsung has done a great job on the design of this tablet, including the phablet of course.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 (LTE) vs (WiFi-only)

I mean, through this device, it shows that Samsung doesn’t try to duplicate any other devices anymore – especially iPhone or iPad – and really wants to create its own identity for its new-gen GALAXY devices.

And that’s good because not only will this prevent Apple from suing Samsung in the court, but it will also make people – especially in tech world – appreciate what Samsung brings to the market.

Back to Top

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 (LTE) Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (WiFi)
Released October 2013
S Pen stylus
10.1 inch Super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2560 x 1600 pixels, (~299 ppi pixel density)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 CPU (LTE model)
Adreno 330 (LTE model) GPU
3 GB RAM
Android OS, v4.3 (Jelly Bean) Samsung TouchWiz UI
microSD Card slot for up to 64 GB
16/32/64 GB Internal storage
8 MP rear-facing camera, LED flash
2 MP front-facing camera
Micro-SIM
Non-removable Li-Po 8220 mAh battery
Stand-by: for up to 2230 hours
Talk time (multimedia): for up to 49 hours (3G)
Music play: for up to  98 hours
    Released October 2013
    S Pen stylus
    10.1 inch Super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2560 x 1600 pixels, (~299 ppi pixel density)
    Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 Exynos 5 Octa 5420 Chipset    
    Mali-T628 MP6 GPU   
    3 GB RAM
    Android OS 4.3 Jelly Bean
    Samsung TouchWiz UI
    microSD card slot for up to 64 GB
    16/32/64 GB Internal storage 
    8 MP rear-facing camera, LED flash
    2 MP front-facing camera
    Bluetooth v4.0
    Non-removable Li-Po 8220 mAh battery
    Music play: for up to Up to 2230 h Stand-by
    Music play: for up to Up to 10 h (multimedia) (2G) / Up to 49 h (3G) Talk time
    Music play: for up to 98 hours

    As mentioned above, given that these 2 tablets are actually the same exact devices, then their overall specs will certainly be exactly the same, of course with the exception of their processors and GPUs.

    So no wonder if both Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 LTE and WiFi-only models are equipped with the same 10.1-inch display sporting 2.5K (2560x1600 pixels) resolution, 3GB of RAM, 8MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, microSD card slot for up to 64GB, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI, a non-removable 8220mAh battery and a bunch of other similar features.

    Of course, the only thing that sets them apart is their processors – along with GPUs as well.

    The LTE Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 is taking the Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon 800 processor, while the WiFi-only variant is getting Samsung 5 Octa Exynos 5420 octa-core processor.

    However, the use of these 2 different processors actually have huge impact between these 2 devices, especially in performance.

    But even so, they are equally powerful and with their high-grade specs, both Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 tablets definitely deserve to sit along the iPad Air on tablet market.

    Screen

    Both Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 tablets come with the same 10.1-inch Super Clear LCD display sporting the 2560x1600 pixel resolution – or known as 2.5K display.

    This is actually the current highest screen resolution around the tablet market, even than the “Retina Display” of iPads (2048x1536 pixels).

    So when it comes to sharpness, there’s no doubt that these 2 tablets are really superior even than most of other 10-inch rivals on today’s tablet market.

    And given Samsung’s years of experience in the developments of its own screen and technology, then the display quality of these tablets is no doubt top notch.

    The screen looks insanely sharp, the colors are popping out, text looks really crisp and readable even from far distance, and pretty much everything on the screen looks really gorgeous.

    User Interface

    On Samsung GALAXY Note series, Samsung always puts focus mostly on the experience of its S-Pen stylus, compared to other GALAXY devices with no stylus.

    And this company still continues the same thing on Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014.

    Just like the phablet model, Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 tablet also comes with the same TouchWiz UI that has been well-optimized especially for its S-Pen experience.

    So there will be a lot of features and task that are focused mostly for the writing experience with the S-Pen.

    But the good thing is, Samsung crams a huge 3GB of RAM inside this tablet in order to provide much bigger space for all the features and goodies found on TouchWiz UI.

    Not to mention, there are some improvements made by Samsung on the multitasking experience on this device.

    For example is, there one side navigation (which can be activated from the side bezels into the screen) and this navigation allows users to open some pre-loaded apps at the same time split-screen mode.

    Back to Top
    As i mentioned above, given that the LTE and WiFi-only models of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 are equipped with 2 different processors and GPUs, then the overall performance of these 2 devices will be slightly different one to another.

    The LTE model of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is armed with Qualcomm’s flagship processor in 2013 – Snapdragon 800 quad-ore processor clocked at 2.3GHz per core -.

    Meanwhile, the WiFi-only variant comes with Samsung’s own 5 Octa Exynos 5420 processor inside.

    The weird thing is, despite using an octa-core processor, the WiFi-only model of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 surprisingly is less powerful than the LTE model, which only uses 4 set of CPU cores.

    And that can be seen clearly when these 2 tablet are deployed with some heavy stuff on the screen.

    So according to what i’ve seen on some reviews of these 2 variants, the LTE model performs really fast and smoothly, even when handling some graphics intense tasks.

    On the other hand, the WiFi-only model of Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 surprisingly is pretty laggy especially when opening the news feed app – which comes pre-installed on this device. Even theVerge also has the same opinion regarding this issue.

    It goes the same with the gaming performance of both devices.

    Given their different use of processors and GPUs, then of course the performance of these 2 tablets when playing games will not be on the same page.

    The LTE model is no doubt more superior than the WiFi-only variant.

    So you can expect games like GTA San Andreas, Asphalt 8: Airborne, Modern Combat 5 or Need for Speed Most Wanted to perform really smoothly on this LTE variant, even in full highest graphics.

    However, as for the WiFi-only model, i don’t think this device has the same powerful gaming performance especially when handling much heavier game like GTA San Andreas in full highest graphics (full graphics, visual effects, textures, reflections, shadows, etc).

    But of course, this game will still be playable in medium graphics setting. Meanwhile, for other latest graphics intense games like Modern Combat 4, Asphalt 8: Airborne or NOVA 3, no doubt that these games will run smoothly on this model, even in full graphics.

    So between the LTE and WiFi-only variants of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014, i think it’s quite obvious that the LTE model is more superior in gaming performance than the WiFi-only variant.

    But even so, both tablets are still equally great for playing games. No doubt about that.

    The WiFi-only model may not be as powerful as the LTE variant, but it’s still good for handling games, even the latest graphically demanding ones.

    Cameras

    Alongside Apple, Samsung has also been doing really great job with the camera department of its GALAXY devices, especially the flagship ones.

    And more impressively is, even on the mid-end GALAXY smartphones, the cameras are still pretty decent in quality and sharpness.

    So no wonder if flagship devices like Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 tablet will of course, receive the best treatment from this manufacturer.

    And that’s true because the 8MP rear-facing camera (with LED flash) is really sharp when taking photos or recording videos.

    So if you’re still looking for a great large 10.1-inch tablet that has great camera, there’s no doubt that you will be in great hands with any of these Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 (LTE and WiFi-only).

    Not only is the rear-facing camera of this device able to take some decent quality shots, but the photos/videos taken with this tablet are also worth showing off even on a large HDTV in your house.

    Battery Life

    Inside the LTE and WiFi-only models of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014, this manufacturer crams a huge 8220mAh battery into these devices.

    This battery capacity actually is considered as really huge, even for today’s standards (not the biggest because Samsung GALAXY Nexus 10 and Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 have the biggest 9000mAh battery). So you can expect to see any of these tablets survive all day long, even in heavy use.

    But of course, their battery life bar would drop drastically if you do some heavy intense tasks without resting the screen at all – like watching HD movies in marathon or playing games in the row.

    My Personal Opinions

    So in conclusion, i think between these 2 tablets, i’ve got to go with the LTE model because it’s pretty obvious that this variant is superior in terms of performance, especially for playing games, than the WiFi-only model.

    I’m not saying that the WiFi-only model is not powerful because that’s not true. However, when pitted side-by-side with the LTE variant, then of course this WiFi-only Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is not ‘on the same page’ with the LTE model.

    But even so, both tablets are still equally great in the whole aspect – from display, camera, software, design, features, RAM and many more.

    Not to mention, the S-Pen stylus – as you know already – is probably the best stylus with the best writing experience on the tablet market right now.

    Not only is this S-Pen great for taking simple notes or writing long text, but it’s also really amazing even for creating some beautiful paintings (as seen on many paintings of artists on YouTube, thanks to the S-Pen of this device).

    However, if you ask me which one that has the best performance, then i will definitely pick up the LTE Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014 because it’s just more powerful in terms of performance, especially for gaming.

    These 2 devices may share the same exact spec sheet, but on the sector of performance, the LTE model is the clear winner here.

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