Samsung recently launched the follow up to their Galaxy Tab line of Android-based tablets, the Galaxy Note 10.1. Although the original Galaxy Note's form factor didn’t quite conform to either traditional smartphones or tablets, and some even dubbed it a “phablet”, it has been a huge success for Samsung and has sold millions of units worldwide. With the new Galaxy Note 10.1, not only does Samsung leverage the branding of one of its more popular products, but it’s bringing over some similar technology as well. Along with a few new design queues and software tweaks, the Galaxy Note 10.1 also features Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, which was one of the differentiating features of the original Galaxy Note, along with its funky form factor.

In many ways the Galaxy Note 10.1 is similar to the 10.1” Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 2 that came before it, but a few subtle modifications to the design and support for Samsung’s S-Pen technology help set it apart. Unfortunately, some of the things that enhance the user experience with the Galaxy Note 10.1 have also forced design decisions that detract from the device. Despite a few shortcomings which we’ll cover on the pages ahead, however, Samsung has made some clear and distinct progress with the Galaxy Note 10.1 and have created a tablet with some features that truly stand out in a market flooded with “me too” products.