The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 has a wealth of great features built in, and one of the best is its excellent enhanced multi-tasking, with Multi Window and the new S Pen-controlled Pen Window allowing you to be loads more productive every day.
Let's take you through these great features on the Samsung GALAXY Note 3, explaining just what multi-tasking is and how you can get the most out of it.
1. What is multi-tasking?
Multi-tasking is the ability to perform more than one action at the same time – something we've long been used to on our desktop computers, but which is also now increasingly common on our smartphones.
Android smartphones have been able to perform multi-tasking actions, such as running several apps together, for a while and, with the awesome Multi Window feature, Samsung has built on this foundation to provide the best experience around.
As the power in our smartphones increases they are able to perform more and more tasks at the same time, truly making them computers in our pockets.
On the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 you can access the multi-tasking menu by holding down the home key below the screen. This allows you to see a list of the apps which are currently running on the device.
2. How the GALAXY Note 3 takes multi-tasking to the next level
While multi-tasking may not be anything new in the smartphone world, the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 takes things to the next level in a number of ways.
Firstly, the GALAXY Note 3 is the most powerful smartphone in the world, boasting a supremely powerful 2.3 GHz Quad-Core processor and 3GB of RAM.
The 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen is also perfect for multi-tasking, allowing users to have multiple applications visible on the expansive display at the same time.
Finally, the impressive 3,200mAh battery housed inside the Note 3's slender frame means you're able to multi-task for longer without running out of juice.
This raw power, expansive display and superb battery life means the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 is able to cope with more tasks than most phones, making it the perfect multi-tasking tool.
3. The Multi Window tray
While you can still access the stock Android multi-tasking menu on the GALAXY Note 3 by holding down the home button, Samsung has taken things up a level – delivering a more immersive multi-tasking experience.
The Multi Window tray is your first step to enhanced multi-tasking on the GALAXY Note 3 and can be easily accessed by holding down the back touch key just below the screen.
Hold the key down for around a second and you'll notice a little arrow tab appear half way up the display – tap this and a tray pulls out from the side with a column of applications. You can also hide the tab and tray by holding down the same key.
From here you can drag apps from the tray onto the main area of the screen, and the GALAXY Note 3 will allow you to have two open side by side – now that's a true multi-tasking experience!
4. All new Multi Window
Multi Window has been around for a while, making appearances on top Samsung devices such as the GALAXY Note 8.0, GALAXY Note II and GALAXY S4, and it's now been enhanced on the GALAXY Note 3.
Multi Window now allows you to toggle between recently used apps without closing windows or having to open new pages, thanks to the Switch App function.
This makes for a more streamlined multi-tasking experience, and along with the inclusion of Switch Window and Drag and Drop, the GALAXY Note 3 is easily the most complete multi-tasker on the market.
The above-mentioned options can be accessed by tapping the blue circle between the two open windows, bringing up a menu that shows all three options plus an exit key.
5. ChatON and on and on...
Another enhancement within Multi Window is the ability to have the same app open twice.
You can now have two separate ChatON messaging windows open simultaneously, allowing you to speak to two people without having to continuously close and reopen message streams.
It's not just ChatON that benefits from this feature. For example, you can have two browser windows open, allowing you to view two separate websites, and thanks to the generous 5.7-inch screen on the GALAXY Note 3 the pages are still easy to navigate.
6. It's as easy as Drag and Drop
The new Drag and Drop feature within Multi Window on the GALAXY Note 3 makes it really easy to share content between various applications.
To enter Drag and Drop mode you'll need to have two applications side by side on screen, tap the blue dot between them and select the option from the pop-up menu.
You will then be able to move content – such as text or an image – from one window to the other. We found this particularly useful when dragging pictures from our Gallery into emails and text messages.
7. Paired windows are a match made in heaven
If you find yourself using the same combinations of dual windows a lot you can save the set-up to make accessing your preferred layout even quicker in the future.
Once you have your two favourite apps on screen at the same time you'll need to head over to the tray, hit the arrow icon and press "create."
This will then save your selection as a paired window – you can name your pair so it's easy to find – allowing you to access both apps together later on.
8. Fine-tuning Multi Window
As well as creating paired windows, you can further customise Multi Window to give you the best set-up for you, offering a personalised multi-tasking experience.
Firstly you can reorder the applications in the Multi Window tray, so the apps you use most frequently can be dragged to the top of list for easy access.
Secondly if there are some applications you end up not using at all in Multi Window then they can be quickly removed, giving you a clutter-free line up in your tray.
To remove an application from the Multi Window tray all you need to do is tap the arrow at the bottom of the list and hit edit. You can then drag and drop apps in and out of the tray.
Finally you can also dictate on which side of the screen the tray appears – perfect if you tend to hold the GALAXY Note 3 in your right hand as it makes it easy for your thumb to manipulate the Multi Window offering. Just hold down the arrow tab and drag the tray to the other side of the screen.
9. What is Pen Window?
Pen Window is yet another multi-tasking enhancement on the GALAXY Note 3 and it harnesses the power of the S Pen to create a unique user experience.
Using the S Pen, draw a box on screen, select an app to open in it and it will sit on top of whatever you're currently viewing.
The beauty of Pen Window is that you're not just limited to one window – you can draw as many as you want on the screen, while at the same time still being able to control the phone behind them.
Thanks to the impressive power housed inside the Note 3, everything continues to run smoothly, something that will frankly blow your mind while using this cutting-edge smartphone.
10. How to use Pen Window
To get Pen Window working, first of all slide the S Pen out of the GALAXY Note 3 and the Air Command menu will appear on screen.
Tap the Pen Window icon and then draw a box anywhere on the display – it doesn't matter if you're in the middle of doing something in another application, Pen Window works anywhere.
Once you've drawn your box – the size of which is completely up to you – you can select from a range of applications to open in the designated space.
You can then move the Pen Window around the screen, minimise it to the size of an app icon and launch into the full screen version of the application.
Finally, if you find you've drawn the window too big, or too small, you can also resize it on the fly using the S Pen.