Samsung is now updating its Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 tablets with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and has also made new stylus functions for these devices available through Samsung Premium Suite.
The update is for the Wi-Fi versions of the devices and finally brings Samsung’s tablets up to date with Jelly Bean, after the company slowly rolled out Android 4.1 to its phones in the fall. Android 4.2, meanwhile, has already begun appearing on some Nexus tablets.
The more intriguing features, however, come from the Samsung Premium Suite, with special attention being paid to the capabilities of the stylus.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 was the first in the company’s line to support a multi-windows feature so that users can run two apps side by side on screen. The feature later trickled through to the Note smartphones and Galaxy S3 phone. Now, Samsung has updated this feature for the Note 10.1 with a cascade view, which lets users freely resize, move and pin selected apps in multiple views, running simultaneously.
Air View is another interesting feature provided in this update; it adds functions to the use of a stylus. For example, users can hover the stylus across the scrubbing bar to preview thumbnails of the video section and then jump to a video. With the camera app, users can hover the stylus over an album to preview all the photos inside.
Air View also works with email – users can hover the stylus over an attachment icon to preview a mail message. With the Web browser, holding the S Pen stylus over the edge of the screen will automatically scroll the user’s content.
Other Premium Suite updates to the Galaxy Note 10.1 are also to do with the S Pen. A new Quick Command feature lets users open frequently used apps by writing command shortcuts by way of either custom or preset stylus strokes. Users can write directly on their emails, send a handwritten note, or sign every email with their signatures. Users can also record their sketching in the S Note app and play it back stroke by stroke.
The Android 4.2 Jelly Bean updates for the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 are available over the air or through Samsung’s Kies software, connected to a PC via USB cable.
