Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet was unveiled in New York City Wednesday, putting to rest rumors the device would indeed appear at a scheduled Samsung press event.
The 10.1, the second-generation in the Note tablet series, reportedly combines elements of the Galaxy S3 and the original 5.3-inch Galaxy Note (this Note's got a 10.1-inch LCD screen) while adding its own swagger to the mix - like that throw-back stylus pen, for example.
TechRadar reported Tuesday that industry observers believed the Note 10.1 would make its American debut at the NYC event, so it comes as no great surprise the device went primetime in the U.S.
However, what new information we have tells us the tablet will boast 16GB and 32GB variations, plus microSD support for an extra boost in storage. While all versions will be Wi-Fi for now, 4G LTE options are expected later this year.
Available when?
While the tablet's now on sale in the Big Apple, the rest of the country can get its hands on the tablet Thursday.
Starting at $499 for 16GB and $549 for 32GB, gray and white variants are available.
Expect to see it at BestBuy, Office Depot, Amazon, TigerDirect and H.H. Gregg.
Though currently running on Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung said it'll upgrade to Jelly Bean sometime before 2012 is up. That upgrade, plus its rugged quad-core Exynos processor, could make this tablet at a game changer.
Gareth Beavis, TechRadar's phones and tablets editor, said early on this device has the potential to stake some ground in the tablet landscape.
"It's a very good tablet at the heart of things, one that works well, has tons of content and is actually rather nice to look at as well," he said.
"If the Galaxy Note 10.1 can be positioned as a value add service rather than the reason to buy the tablet at all, then we might actually have an alternative in the tablet world."
