First look: Samsung Galaxy Note 510

Last week, Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 510 for India during a function in Hyderabad on the occasion of the Samsung Forum 2013.

We got a chance to get our hands on this 8 inch tablet as well, and here is an account of our experience with the tablet.
While some call the new 7.9 inch tablet an Apple iPad Mini killer, one can also say that this tablet is an attempt by Samsung to fill the gap between the 5+ inch and the 10.1 inch devices that are already present in the market. Samsung itself has several products ranging from 5-10 inch screen sizes.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 510 will hit the market in a few more weeks. Samsung is still in the process of finalising the price of the Note 510 in India, but it is likely to cost under Rs 30,000.

The design of the Galaxy Note 510 is inspired from the Samsung Galaxy Tab 310, which is one of the popular 7 inch tablets in Indian right now.

The colour scheme and design aspects are similar as well; so differentiating between the two seems difficult.

The Galaxy Note 510 has an 8 inch TFT LCD display featuring 1280 x 800 pixel resolution at 189 ppi pixel density. The bigger size and right amount of pixel density makes visuals as detailed without any signs of pixilation.

The device looks great and feels great in the hand too. The curved edges and slim profile make this device easy to hold.

The Power/Standby key as well as the volume rocker keys have been placed on the side of the device for easy single hand access, yet it is not possible to operate this device with one hand.

The Galaxy Note, along with the upgraded Samsung Touch Wiz user interface, is very easy to operate and most of its important functions are already added to the home screen right out of the box. Users can easily tweak the settings as per their need.

The operating system has been optimized in relation to the hardware as well for offering maximum performance and usability.

The Galaxy Note 510 has a 1.6 GHz quad core application processor based on ARM Cortex A9 architecture and 2 GB RAM. Along with that the tablet will come with 16/32 GB of internal storage options.

Besides, the Note 510 will have an additional 64 GB expandable memory slot for micro SD cards. The Galaxy Note 510 features a 5 megapixel rear camera, which is capable of recording HD videos; while the 1.3 megapixel front camera can be used for video chatting.

The Android tablet is well-armed as far as connectivity options are concerned with WiFi, HSPA+ and even Bluetooth 4.0 features. Voice calling facility is also available but holding an 8 inch device next to the ear would definitely look weird.

The included S-Pen, however, surely is a boon as it increases the utility multifold and Samsung has incorporated hardware keys in the Note 510, which can be tapped using the S-Pen stylus as well.

The Galaxy Note 510 surely looks good on all fronts, but how well it performs in real life can be determined only when we use it for a longer time. We will come out with a full-fledged review of the tablet soon, so stay tuned.