We got our hands on Samsung’s latest Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and have been using it for about a week. You can consider this Samsung’s rebuttal to the iPad 2 as it’s a more grown-up version of the original 7inch Galaxy Tab. The new Tab 10.1 offers users a 10.1inch w/ 1280 x 800 resolution, powered by a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, running Android 3.1 OS, 2MP front-facing & 3MP rear-facing cameras w/ LED flash+ 720p HD video capture, accelerometer, stereo speakers, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and a 7000 mAh battery. Now officially available for purchase starting today, let’s see if Samsung can improve on their tablet-making abilities.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is definitely one of the better Android tablets in the market right now. It offers the finger-space that comes with a 10.1inch display minus the weight & bulk the XOOM has with it. The Tab 10.1 is thin and light, like 0.33inch thick and weighs in at 1.24 pounds. This makes a world of a difference when using the Tab for single-handed usage. The rear offers a glossy white back with a brushed metal finish where the camera is and along the borders. Definitely a kudos to Samsung on the look and feel of the Tab 10.1.
On the display side of things, the Tab’s 1280 x 800 resolution screen offers adequate visual support for your mobile entertainment needs. This may be enough for some of you out there but I didn’t find it as crisp as I’d like it to be. Some of the visuals not on a white background had slightly fuzzy edges. Consider this nit-picking but wanted to see do a little bit more since they didn’t offer a Super AMOLED Plus display on a tablet yet. I guess they will hold off until Apple uses Retina Display for the iPad 3.
The dual-core 1GHz processor on the Tab works well enough for everyday. Combined with the 1GB of RAM allowed the Tab to keep up with almost any task. One task that our review unit had some trouble with was Flash videos as it would stutter before getting it going. Situations like this lets you know why Apple did without it on the iPad. We had minor issues with the browser and other apps would crash at times along as well as freeze while completing a task. But we’ll chalk this up to the software not the hardware. The Tab 10.1 is armed with dual stereo speakers located on its sides. While they appear small and inadequate, they definitely perform better that you might expect. They’re still not the loudest and they lack the clarity of the PlayBook’s speakers. They will satisfy any user looking to rock out with their music or enjoy a YouTube video on the go.
The dual cameras on the Tab 10.1 work as well as anticipated. The 2MP front-facing camera makes you look a little less grainy for video-conferencing and self-portraits. The 3MP rear-facing camera offers almost the same quality you got from the original 7inch Galaxy Tab with decent photos on the go. The auto-focus was not as fast as I would like it to be though. It may cause you to miss some photo opportunities. The original version of the Tab 10.1 was slated to be equipped with an 8MP rear-facing camera but downsized it when Apple released the iPad. The video capture feature allows you to record in 720p HD or so the says the specs. The videos I recorded came out slightly grainy but with a tablet this size, I don’t see many people really using the back camera on this when their smartphone can deliver better shots. Check out a few test shots below.
The 7000 mAh battery on-board can provide easily provide a almost a full 7 to 8 hours of heavy, consistent usage. Average/moderate usage can get you almost two days of your experience. In this department, the XOOM seems to best the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with a slightly longer battery life. But it’s not a deal-breaker though.
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| Galaxy Tab 10.1 & BlackBerry PlayBook side-by-side |
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| Thickness comparison with the Tab 10.1 & the PlayBook |
