Samsung Electronics launched its new Galaxy Note tablet in three major markets yesterday, hoping a stylus-type pen and splitscreen function will stand the new device apart from rival Apple’s iPad.

The company, facing claims that it copied the design and some features of Apple’s iPad and iPhone, said the Galaxy Note 10.1 would be a “game changer” from rival tablets, on which users usually only view one application at a time.

The device can have two apps active on a split-screen, while an S-Pen seeks to solve tablet and smartphones’ sometimes clunky keyboard and input functions by allowing users to write and sketch on the screen.

Analysts, however, were sceptical of its ability to make inroads into Apple’s huge lead in the tablet market given plans to price it at $499 for 16GB of memory and wifi-only – the same as the iPad.

– (Reuters)