Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet launches on Thursday in the United States, Britain and South Korea. How much? $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only.

The Galaxy 10.1 is named after its screen size, which is slightly larger than the 9.7-inch iPad, and has impressed with a split-screen feature that allows users to have two apps active side-by-side. The split screen can be useful when taking notes while watching a video or surfing the Internet.

Galaxy Note 10.1 is a larger version of Samsung Smartphone Galaxy Note which has sold more than 10 million units since its October launch.

The Note 10.1 runs through ICS Android 4.0.4 and a quad-core processor with 1.4 GHz clock speed. It brags a 5 megapixel rear camera and 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera, which also detects the user’s eye movements to prevent the device from going into standby mode (just like in the Galaxy S3).

A key feature of the Galaxy Note 10.1 was a sophisticated “S Pen“. The S Pen can help differentiate the Galaxy Note 10.1 from the iPad, something that may seize the attention of professional artists, educators and businesses. There are some 30 applications for sketching and note taking as well as Adobe Photoshop Touch and games where S Pen comes in handier than touching the screen.

The 32 GB model will sell for $549, versus iPad’s $599.

Here’s the Galaxy Note 10.1 Specs

• Size: 262 x 180 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 597g (Wi-Fi)
• Processor: Samsung Exynos 4 Quad 1.4GHz, Mali-400MP GPU
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB/32GB/64GB, expandable via microSD by up to 64GB
• Display: 10.1-inch 1280×800 dual-digitizer
• Cameras: 5MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, 1.9MP front camera
• Video: full HD (1080p) playback
• GPS: A-GPS, S-GPS, Glonass
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4, USB 2.0 host, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, MHL, Infrared, (HSPA+/LTE)
• Sensors: Accelerometer, compass, light, gyroscope
• Battery: 7100mAh

The Galaxy Note 10.1 also comes with some unique software features:

• S Pen Experience (S Note, S Planner, My Story)
• Multiscreen – split the screen in two, and run apps in parallel
• Adobe Photoshop Touch
• Shape Match, Formula Match
• Samsung AllShare Play, AllShare Cast
• Samsung Apps
• Samsung Hubs – Music, Video, Game, Readers, Media (depending on market)

And to inspire you more, check out the official Galaxy 10.1 introductory video. – Taragis! it’s awesome!

So, what’s up guys? Are you interested in this new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1?

[images courtesy of cnet & the verge]