Samsung is one of the few
manufacturers able to challenge Apple at the top of the tablet market, but its
latest effort doesn’t quite hit the heights of its predecessor. At just $450,
though, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is priced accordingly.
Price: $450
Website: www.pcworld.com
Ratings: 3/5
Samsung
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
You’d be right to think that the Galaxy Tab
2 would build on the specs of its 10.1-inch brother, but you’ll still find a
dual-core CPU, 3.15-megapixel camera and a 7,000mAh battery under the hood.
The Galaxy Tab 2 is slightly more
budget-friendly, and Samsung has saved money with the uninspiring grey plastic
case, VGA front camera and added weight, which makes the tablet feel cheaper in
the hand and less pleasing on the eye.
Although the 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 display
fails to deliver anything new in terms of resolution, it’s still a decent
screen, capable of providing you with respectable playback on your HD movies,
sharp enough graphics for gaming, and detailed enough images, so you can admire
your photos.
Although
the 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 display fails to deliver anything new in terms of
resolution, it’s still a decent screen.
The dual-core Cortex A9 chip runs Android
Ice Cream Sandwich without much fuss, although the Galaxy Tab 210.1 lacks the
fluidity of similarly priced devices with more impressive processors.
We found widgets could take a few seconds
to load and the lock screen wasn’t always responsive when it came to unlocking
the tablet, however apps usually opened within a couple of seconds. Samsung
hasn’t tinkered with the Android OS too much, leaving you with a relatively
pure and easy- to-learn user experience, just as Google intended.
Sadly there’s no 3G version of the Galaxy
Tab 2 10.1, which means on-the-go browsing is out of the question, unless you
can find a Wi-Fi hotspot to hook yourself up to.
Web surfing is not too bad, as long as
you’ve got a strong Wi-Fi connection, and the Galaxy Tab 210.1 can load up
desktop and mobile sites with relative ease. However, the 1GHz processor is
left wanting on some of the more media-heavy sites.
Sound and vision
With that large 10.1-inch display, the
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is built to deliver games and movies, and it does a good job,
with colors bright and clear. And while the speakers either side of the screen
may not look the part, they provide a much better audio experience than ones
found on the rear of tablets.
Playing
safe: The new Tab is a good buy but nothing to get you too excited
We were able to play graphically demanding
games without issue, and while they may have taken an extra second or so to
load, gameplay was smooth and slick, making the Galaxy Tab 210.1 a serious
portable gaming contender. Battery life is a concern with large screened
tablets, but Samsung has made this device last most of the day, with our HD
video streaming playback test notching up over six hours of viewing.
It may lack the prestige of previous
Samsung Tabs but the Galaxy Tab 210.1 is commendable, offering little that’s
new, but enough to provide a decent experience. There are better tablets for
the money, but if you’re looking for a straightforward tablet experience from a
brand you can trust, the Galaxy Tab 210.1 is certainly worth considering.
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Pros
·
Fantastic audio and video output
·
Plus a decent camera
Cons
·
Poor battery life despite the improved power
pack
Dimensions
·
Height: 175.3mm
·
Width: 256.7mm
·
Depth: 9.7mm
·
Screen size: 10.1-inch
·
Weight: 588g
Specification
·
Supplier: www.pcworld.com
·
OS: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
·
Processor: TI OMAP
4430 1GHz
·
RAM: 1GB
·
Storage: 16GB
·
Expansion: microSD
·
Rear camera: 3.15MP
·
Front camera: VGA
·
Screen type: TFT
·
Screen resolution: 1,280x800
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