After a long series of post-MWC changes, Samsung has finally readied its long-awaited flagship Galaxy Note 10.1 Android tablet and officially announced its global availability. The release schedule is set to start immediately with the United States, United Kingdom, Korea, and Germany, followed by other markets "starting in August." The initial release includes only the Wi-Fi only and the 3G/HSPA+-enabled variants, with the LTE flavor coming later this year.

Note: The press release is a little ambiguous on whether the "starting in August" bit refers to the four aforementioned countries or the following global availability, but we're inclined to side with the latter. The quote is: "GALAXY Note 10.1 is available in Korea, Germany, the US and the UK while it will gradually roll-out to other global markets starting in August."

Since we played with the Note 10.1 and its S Pen at MWC, it has gained a stylus slot (what was Samsung thinking not including it in the first place?), a bump to 2GB of RAM to match the Galaxy S III, and a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor. Just like the Galaxy S III, the Note 10.1 will come in 16/32/64GB internal storage options with an expandable microSD slot for up to additional 64 gigs. The Note 10.1's 1280x800 screen resolution will not be breaking any records, considering both ASUS and Acer have already come out with higher-than-1080p tablets of their own earlier this year.

On the software side, the Note 10.1 includes:

  • TouchWiz (of course) with L!ve Panel and Samsung Apps
  • The famous Smart Stay eye detection feature first found in the Galaxy S III
  • Shape and Formula Match
  • AllShare Play and Cast
  • Music, Game, Learning, Readers, Videos, and Media Hubs (availability varies across locations - more info in the press release below)
  • "multiscreen" support for a small number of built-in apps. They are:
    • Polaris Office
    • S Note
    • Video Player
    • Gallery
    • Email

  • Pop Up Play

If you're a developer just joining us, you can download and play around with the full Note 10.1 system dump right over here.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 (8.9mm) is slightly thicker than the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 (8.6mm), most likely due to the need for the S Pen storage slot. The rest of the specs are available below.

Curiously, Samsung was mum on pricing of the Galaxy Note 10.1 variants. Our guess is that at least the U.S. pricing structure will be announced at the August 15th press conference in New York City.

CNET Asia got a chance to preview the Note 10.1 and posted its impressions here.

Launch Video

Pictures

Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 Specs

Network

  • HSPA+21-Mbps (HSDPA 21Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps)
  • Quad Band 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

Processor

  • 1.4 GHz quad-core processor

Display

  • 255.8mm (10.1”) WXGA(1280x800) LCD + Digitizer

OS

  • Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Camera

  • Main(Rear): 5 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash
  • Sub(Front): 1.9 Megapixel VT Camera

Video

  • Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, WMV9, VP8
  • Format: 3GP(MP4), WMV(ASF), AVI, FLV, MKV, WebM
  • Full HD(1080p) Playback & HD Recording

Audio

  • Codec: MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, ACC＋, eAAC＋, AMR(NB,WB), MIDI, WAV, AC-3, Flac
  • Music Player with SoundAlive
  • 3.5mm Ear Jack

S Pen Optimized Features

  • S Pen Experience (S Note, S Planner, My Story) - (more S Pen optimized apps are available via Samsung Apps)
  • Multiscreen
  • Adobe® Photoshop® Touch
  • Shape Match, Formula Match
  • Polaris Office

Sharing Features

  • Samsung AllShare Play / Samsung AllShare Cast
  • Samsung Kies /Samsung Kies Air

Content Features & Services

  • Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve Panel
  • Samsung Apps
  • Samsung Hub
    • Music Hub / Game Hub
    • Learning Hub / Readers Hub / Video Hub / Media Hub (US only) (Availability of Learning Hub and Video Hub are limited by market. Readers Hub will be available to download from Samsung Apps later this year)

  • Samsung S Suggest
  • Samsung ChatOn mobile communication service
  • Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude
  • Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies
  • Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk,
  • Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads

Enterprise Solutions

  • Exchange ActiveSync
  • On-Device Encryption
  • Cisco VPN (Virtual Private Network)
  • Juniper Junos Pulse VPN

GPS

  • A-GPS(3G version)
  • S-GPS(WiFi version)
  • Glonass

Connectivity

  • Bluetooth technology v 4.0 (Apt-X Codec support)
  • USB 2.0 Host
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Channel Bonding
  • mHL, 3.5mm, IR LED(Smart Remote: Universal Remote Control)

Sensor

  • Accelerometer
  • Digital compass
  • Light
  • Gyroscope

Memory

  • 2GB (RAM)
  • 16/32/64GB User memory
  • microSD (up to 64GB)

Dimension

  • 262 x 180 x 8.9 mm, 600g (3G), 597g (WiFi)

Battery

  • Standard battery, Li-ion 7,000mAh

Press Release

Samsung Inspires a Culture of Active Content Creation, Productivity, and Learning

August 6, 2012

Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 becomes available globally starting in August

SEOUL, August 6, 2012 - Samsung announced today the launch of GALAXY Note 10.1, an extension of the GALAXY Note category. GALAXY Note 10.1 is outfitted with the functionality and precision of a pen and paper on a 10.1-inch large display, providing endless possibilities to elevate a user’s creativity, productivity and learning abilities. Featuring an intuitive user experience and armed with a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2GB RAM for enhanced performance, GALAXY Note 10.1 is designed to simplify idea capture, information access, and multi-tasking, making each easier and faster. GALAXY Note 10.1 allows users to express their ideas naturally and efficiently.

“GALAXY Note 10.1 further demonstrates Samsung’s dedication to delivering products that offer a complete mobile experience for creating personalized and expressive content,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “History has shown that taking notes, capturing ideas immediately, and sketching to realize them is the most personal and natural way to be more productive and creative. The advanced technology and features included in GALAXY Note 10.1 give users the power to produce, create and customize communications.”

GALAXY Note 10.1 incorporates key intuitive features and capabilities such as side-by-side multitasking with the device’s Multiscreen feature on a 10.1-inch large screen; Samsung’s unique S Pen experiences including a variety of S Note templates and productive tools (Shape Match and Formula Match); Learning Hub for accessing educational curricula (Learning Hub is currently available in Korea, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China and Singapore, and will gradually roll-out to other global markets) and Adobe’s premium creative application Photoshop® Touch.

True Multi-Tasking with Multiscreen Feature

With GALAXY Note 10.1’s Multiscreen feature, users can effortlessly utilize two different applications side-by-side simultaneously for true and easy multitasking. Users can view Web pages or videos, or launch other applications while writing or sketching ideas with the S Pen on the other half of the screen. Furthermore, users can freely capture and crop images, and paste them onto the other screen to make personal notes and enhance their creativity, productivity and learning abilities. The Multiscreen feature increases productivity and efficiency while users are enjoying multimedia content. GALAXY Note 10.1 brings a new culture of creation through the user’s own notes, and enables an entirely new experience to improve productivity and enjoyment.

S Pen & S Note for Personalized and Organized Note-taking

Featuring its advanced 6.5mm S Pen, GALAXY Note 10.1 is optimized for the creation of personalized and expressive content in the most natural and intuitive way. The S Pen’s feel and functionality are specifically designed for an optimal experience on the 10.1-inch screen. The S Pen is embedded directly in the device and, when removed, automatically launches specially-optimized applications, including S Note, S Planner, Crayon physics, Adobe® Photoshop® Touch, and Polaris Office. Alternatively, users can easily set their preferred application to be launched instantly. For example, S Note can be launched instantly when a user takes the S Pen out from the device. Users can also tap the screen twice while pressing the S Pen button for quick S Note access via the S Note-dedicated widget, which can be easily moved anywhere on the display, never hindering or obstructing creativity or productivity.

The S Note is a unique tool that gives users the ability to combine notes and sketches with other digital content in ready-to-use templates. The Shape Match and Formula Match features help correct and digitize geometric shapes and solve numeric formulas hand-written with the S Pen. The S Note is also integrated with knowledge search engines so that users can search for content, obtain information, and easily drag and drop content onto S Notes without having to switch between screens. Exclusively pre-loaded on GALAXY Note 10.1, the Adobe® Photoshop® Touch application allows users to professionally edit photos with the ease and precision of the S Pen.

Active Learning Experience

GALAXY Note 10.1 is an ideal learning tool that allows users to take notes directly on an eTextbook while watching lectures, or research the Web while writing an essay at the same time. Samsung’s Learning Hub service is optimized for GALAXY Note 10.1, allowing users to access extensive multimedia educational content for all ages. The content includes eTextbooks, video lectures, interactive coaching and much more, and can be shared with multiple Samsung devices. Furthermore, Learning Hub features a learning management system that provides schedule and performance management tools for users of all age-groups to enjoy learning at their own pace.

In Korea, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China and Singapore, Learning Hub service is available at the time of the launch of GALAXY Note 10.1. Learning Hub will be downloadable via Samsung Apps in more than 20 countries by the end of 2012.

Superior Hardware Performance

GALAXY Note 10.1 is designed with advanced hardware technology, including a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of internal RAM. Seamless multi-tasking, high-standard graphics, and blazing-fast performance without any lag are essential features of GALAXY Note 10.1. The device also includes a 5-megapixel main camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

Several other features have been added to GALAXY Note 10.1 including Smart Stay, which tracks the user’s eyes to ensure that the screen is always on while being looked at, and Pop Up Play, which allows the user to watch a video anywhere on their screen while simultaneously running other tasks. With AllShare® Play, users can share content with a large group in real-time by connecting GALAXY Note 10.1 to Samsung HD TVs, mobile tablets, laptops, and other consumer electronic devices on the same network. With AllShare Group Cast, users can also share and collaborate on documents, presentations, or images without loading the files separately.

GALAXY Note 10.1 comes in three connectivity options: a WiFi-only version, a WiFi-and-3G HSPA-Plus connectivity version at launch, and a WiFi-and-LTE version later this year. GALAXY Note 10.1 is available in Korea, Germany, the US and the UK while it will gradually roll-out to other global markets starting in August.

Source: Samsung