Probing the stars and planets of
Samsung's latest Tab
This voyage into the Samsung GALAXY Tab 2
10.1 has been a long awaited one. We've journeyed far and deep into the various
other Samsung GALAXY Tabs, but the 10.1 is undoubtedly the largest, and
therefore undoubtedly the most promising. We're more than ready to send our own
Curiosity probes to do the probing.
Probing
the stars and planets of Samsung's latest Tab
Design-wise, the Tab 2 10.1 looks very much
different from its predecessor; subtleties that build up into a whole, diverse
look. The most noticeable traits are the two speakers that sit like ears on
both sides of the bezel. Plastic silver takes up most the casing, as opposed to
its more rubbery predecessor. Overall, the build quality is solid; it feels
tough, holds lightly and is slim enough for a snug fit into our bags.
The 10.1-inch screen is not a
disappointment. There's much to love about its 1920 x 800 display, which not
only manages good colour reproduction, but also provides crisp and bright
images. The aforementioned ear-speakers also display loudly and clearly, which
pretty much makes for a fine multimedia device. With expandable memory via
microSD plus SIM card support, this is as featureful as it gets.
The Tab 2 10.1 supports Android 4.0 right
out of the box, which is a great thing. The TouchWiz Ul is layered over it,
which surprisingly doesn't drastically alter much of the user experience. The
1GHz dual-core processor won't be winning the strength contest medal, but it's
sufficient to run the tablet smoothly enough.
Playing games, browsing the web and
watching videos all work with minimal hitches here.
So where does the limits of the Tab 2 10.1
ends? Here, unfortunately. That is, to paraphrase, the Tab 2 10.1 doesn't
exactly offer much more than a solid tablet experience. The Samsung-exclusive
apps and features are welcoming, surely, but there's little here that shoots
for the stars. Still, we can attest to solid battery life. The camera, unfortunately,
isn't so well, taking grainy and washed-out pics.
The
silver casing looks good and feels tough, and the device is pretty portable.
Conclude
The Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 10.1 offers a
solid Android tablet experience, boosted by its solid build, great display and
audio, and good performances. It's not a tablet to shake the universe, but as a
GALAXY, it's certainly the largest in heart and offer.
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Info
Price: $490
Website: www.samsung.com
Pros
Bright, crisp display, Good performance, Loud audio, Android 4.0
Cons
Camera could be better
Specifications
·
Operating System: Android
4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
·
Processor: 1GHz
Dual-Core processor
·
Frequency: HSDPA 2100
/1900 / 900 EDGE / GPRS / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
·
Screen: 10.1-inch WXGA
TFT at 1920 x 800 resolutions
·
Connectivity: Bluetooth,
USB2.0, Wi-Fi, microSD, 3.5mm audio
·
Others: 3.0-megapixels
camera (rear), VGA (front)
·
Dimensions: 256.6 x
175.3 x 9.7 mm
·
Weight: 588g
Ratings
·
Performance: 4/5
·
Features: 4/5
·
Design: 4/5
·
Value: 4/5
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