[Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) General] BarryH_GEG:
GSMArena and Anandtech do detailed and standardized testing on the devices they review.

AnandTech

The 2014 Edition features a 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 Super LCD display. Looking at the subpixel structure of the panel we get an idea for exactly what Super LCD means: RB,GW.

Instead of a standard RGB stripe we get a combination of red, green, blue and white subpixels for each pixel. The white subpixel helps increase light throughput, an obvious problem with these ultra high resolution displays. The downside is that you get a lower subpixel density than a traditional RGB stripe. At these ultra high pixel densities however, the theory is that you wouldn’t notice the difference - hopefully making the power savings by having better light transmission, particularly when displaying lots of white (e.g. web pages), worth it.

In practice the display looks pretty good, although a carefully trained eye will be able to recognize that this isn’t a standard RGB stripe. I quickly realized something was different about the display, something I later verified when looking at the subpixel structure.

Color accuracy is pretty decent on the Note 10.1’s display. As always I’m reporting color data using Samsung’s Movie mode, which remains the most accurate setting of those offered. Grayscale performance is excellent, but our GMB and saturations tests put the Note 10.1 on par with the original Nexus 7. It’s definitely a better calibrated display than any other Samsung Galaxy Note tablet we’ve reviewed. Not quite on par with the new Nexus 7, but getting very close.

And tons of actual display performance measurements and comparisons to other devices can be found here...

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7378/samsung-galaxy-note-101-2014-edition-review/3​

GSMArena - Review

The 10.1" Super Clear LCD now has four times the resolution of the original Galaxy Note 10.1 at 2560 x 1600 pixels. This adds up to 299ppi, which is the highest available on a tablet at this screen size. In fact, the iPad's Retina has long been outstripped by no other than Samsung themselves with the Nexus 10. The screen of the latter could actually have been used on the 2014 Edition Note 10.1, but Samsung claim they're different.

Numbers aside, the image quality is excellent. Viewing angles are very good and blacks look reasonably deep. The outdoor visibility has been greatly improved too. We ran our usual display tests on the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 and here are the results:

Link to performance measurements...

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_101_2014-review-1003p2.php​

GSMArena - N10.1-14 vs. iPad Air

While the high pixel density makes it impossible to see individual pixels, the pixels on the iPad Air screen and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 screen are quite different when viewed under a microscope. The iPad has a standard RGB matrix, while the Galaxy tablet has an RGBW matrix, which should in theory improve brightness.

The results show the reality is quite the opposite, however, the iPad Air is brighter than the Note 10.1 2014 and has better contrast across the brightness range. Black levels go from equal at full blast, to noticeably better for the iPad as the brightness goes down.

Viewing angles are excellent for both tablets and color reproduction is very pleasing. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 has a slight edge here with the proprietary Screen mode option. It gives you three options to adjust the color profile of the screen (it changes saturation and white balance), plus an automatic mode, which adjusts the screen based on the current image or video.

It's not as flexible as the Nokia Lumia color profile, which has not one but two sliders - one for saturation and another for white balance - but it's better than nothing. Apple uses multiple suppliers for its screens, so getting a warm or a cold screen is a matter of luck.

Winner: Tie. Widescreen has conquered everything from phones through tablets and laptops all the way to large TVs, so most content targets that aspect. The higher pixel density (even with the unusual matrix) and the adjustable screen modes are enough to put the Note 10.1 in pole position. The Apple iPad Air however has a slightly brighter screen with a better contrast, plus the 4:3 aspect ratio is good for text, so it's up to personal preference here.

Detailed performance results...

http://www.gsmarena.com/ipad_air_vs_galaxy_note_101_2014-review-1016p3.php​

So I have no idea what you've stumbled upon but the fact that the two most meticulous review sites rate the N10.1-14 highly both objectively and subjectively without once mentioning the word "gamma" in two dozen tests they performed would lead me to believe it, in isolation, isn't that impactful. Otherwise the impact of what you're describing surely would have affected the brightness, contrast, gray scale, and color accuracy tests they performed at multiple brightness levels. If you're displeased hopefully you're still within your return window. I personally love the N10.1-14's display.