MOBILE

Which Compact Tablet Should You Buy

10/1/2013 11:03:00 AM

It isn’t just phones that make up the Galaxy range, Samsung also offers a wide variety of high-quality tablets. Here’s our pick of the best compact Galaxy versions.

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Design & build

The entire device uses a unibody plastic chassis to hide its innards. It doesn’t have a premium feel to it and it’s ridiculously finger print friendly, although the curved edges are a nice touch.

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Display

For its size, the 1,024 x 600 resolution on the Tab 2 7.0 does a decent job at highlighting colors and making text readable. The 170ppi means you’ll come across some jagged edges occasionally.

Power & performance

One of the clear benefits of having a smaller tablet, is that you can usually rely on a fairly nippy device, and with the 1H2 dual-core processor, the Tab 2 7.0 handles most tasks well.

Features

All the standard tablet features are included on the Tab 2 7.0, alongside a slightly altered version of TouchWiz in TouchWiz UX. It also runs Jelly Bean in its tablet optimized form.

Ecosystem & apps

There’s a plethora of Google apps on the Tab 2 7.0 straight out of the box, with access also available to both Google Play and a selection of mini apps for everyday tasks.

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 specifications

·         OS Version: Android 4.1

·         Processor: Dual-core 1GHz

·         Graphics: PowerVR SGX540

·         RAM: 1GB RAM

·         Camera: 3.15-megapixel

·         Weight: 345g

·         Resolution: 600 x 1,024

·         Pixel density: 170ppi

·         Best for: Portability

·         Worst for: Build Quality

Galaxy Note 8.0

Design & build

What really makes the Note 8.0 stand out from the crowd of other Galaxy tablets is just how curved each side of it is. It feels good in hand and the inclusion of the S Pen port is a nice addition.

Display

Samsung has done a good job at bringing a quality screen to the Note 8.0. Although the TFT touchscreen might seem a little basic to some, the 189ppi pixel density makes things look crisp.

Galaxy Note 8.0

Galaxy Note 8.0

Power & performance

After prolonged use of the Note 8.0, you can really begin to appreciate the power of the tablet, partly in thanks to the 1.6GHz quad-core processor and also the 2GB of RAM running in the background.

Features

The most noticeable feature of the Note 8.0 is the accompanying S Pen which can be used in conjunction with a variety of the standard Samsung apps that come with the Note 8.0.

Ecosystem & apps

As well as the usual selection of Google and Samsung apps, the Note 8.0 comes pre-loaded with the full Polaris Office suite, as well as a great organization tool called Awesome Note.

Galaxy Note 8.0 specifications

·         OS Version: Android 4.1.2

·         Processor: Quad-core 1.6GHz

·         Graphics: Mali-400MP

·         RAM: 2GB

·         Camera: Five-megapixel

·         Weight: 338g

·         Resolution: 800 x 1,280

·         Pixel density: 189ppi

·         Best for: Editing documents

·         Worst for: Standout features

Galaxy Tab 8.9

Design & build

Despite its size, the Tab 8.9 feels light when carrying it, but this is also aided by its remarkable thinness. There’s the usual plastic chassis, but a nice metallic plate across the back.

Galaxy Tab 8.9

Galaxy Tab 8.9

Display

The smaller screen of the Tab 8.9 includes a crisp 800 x 1,280 resolution that has a pixel density of 170ppi. There are still plenty of jagged edges around, but it isn’t that noticeable.

Power & performance

Being one of the oldest of the Galaxy tablets certainly doesn’t help the Tab 8.9 in this department. The 1.0GHz dual-core processor is pretty slow for a tablet of its size.

Features

Multi-tasking is a massive part of what makes the Tab 8.9 a truly unique tablet. The variety of mini apps included on the Tab 8.9 can be moved around to provide a more accessible app drawer.

Ecosystem & apps

Although there isn’t much to really make the Tab 8.9 stand out from the crowd, it does include a variety of Samsung Hubs which are suited to it, with Social Hub being a particular highlight.

Galaxy Tab 8.9 specifications

·         OS Version: Android 3.0

·         Processor: Dual-core 1.0GHz

·         Graphics: Mali-400MP

·         RAM: 1GB

·         Camera: Eight-megapixel

·         Weight: 453g

·         Resolution: 800 x 1,280

·         Pixel density: 170ppi

·         Best for: Multi-Tasking

·         Worst for: Demanding Apps

Other  
 
Top 10
Review : Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Review : Canon EF11-24mm f/4L USM
Review : Creative Sound Blaster Roar 2
Review : Philips Fidelio M2L
Review : Alienware 17 - Dell's Alienware laptops
Review Smartwatch : Wellograph
Review : Xiaomi Redmi 2
Extending LINQ to Objects : Writing a Single Element Operator (part 2) - Building the RandomElement Operator
Extending LINQ to Objects : Writing a Single Element Operator (part 1) - Building Our Own Last Operator
3 Tips for Maintaining Your Cell Phone Battery (part 2) - Discharge Smart, Use Smart
REVIEW
- First look: Apple Watch

- 3 Tips for Maintaining Your Cell Phone Battery (part 1)

- 3 Tips for Maintaining Your Cell Phone Battery (part 2)
VIDEO TUTORIAL
- How to create your first Swimlane Diagram or Cross-Functional Flowchart Diagram by using Microsoft Visio 2010 (Part 1)

- How to create your first Swimlane Diagram or Cross-Functional Flowchart Diagram by using Microsoft Visio 2010 (Part 2)

- How to create your first Swimlane Diagram or Cross-Functional Flowchart Diagram by using Microsoft Visio 2010 (Part 3)
Popular Tags
Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft OneNote Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft Visio Microsoft Word Active Directory Biztalk Exchange Server Microsoft LynC Server Microsoft Dynamic Sharepoint Sql Server Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2012 Windows 7 Windows 8 Adobe Indesign Adobe Flash Professional Dreamweaver Adobe Illustrator Adobe After Effects Adobe Photoshop Adobe Fireworks Adobe Flash Catalyst Corel Painter X CorelDRAW X5 CorelDraw 10 QuarkXPress 8 windows Phone 7 windows Phone 8