CARRIER: Verizon, Sprint,
T-Mobile, US Cellular and AT
RATING:
PRICE:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1-inches Full
Review
Running Android Honeycomb (also known as Android 3.0), the Samsung’s
Galaxy Tab 10.1 joins Samsung's arsenal of Android devices. The larger size of 10.1 inches is really nice and it handles reading
newspapers and magazines and taking notes much better then the 7-inch
tablet.
The Tab 10.1 is powered by Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and
runs the vanilla version of Honeycomb. The Galaxy Tab resembles a super-sized version of its parent
company’s smartphones. It runs a version of the Android 3.0 operating system which is the
first version of Android designed for tablets, and has the ability to run existing Android phone
apps.
The Honeycomb operating system is really good, its closer to Windows XP operating system in terms of the
look and feel, with a very responsive, finger-friendly touch interface. Unlike many other Android based
tablets, it can connect and download apps from the Android Marketplace. As the largest and most
comprehensive source for apps, any Android device without this ability is seriously
disadvantaged.
It is the freedom that comes with the open-source Android platform that really
setsthe Galaxy apart as a viable alternative to the iPad. Instead
of tightly regimented control from Apple regarding all aspects of what the device can do, Android users are
relatively free to do what they want. The Galaxy offers quite a few hardware advantages to take advantage of
this freedom. There are front and rear-facing cameras to enable photo taking and video conferencing. It has
a removable micro SD card slot to enable expanded storage capabilities. Finally, the Galaxy supports Adobe’s
Flash protocol, which means many streaming-video sites not available to iPad users can be accessed on the
Galaxy.
Adding to it’s freedom is the fact that users are not
beholden to a single 3G carrier. All three major US cellular companies feature a version of the Galaxy.
Unlike the iPad, which is at the mercy of AT&T. That being said, there is one glaring omission, and that
is a WiFi only version for those who don’t need 3G connectivity and don’t want to pay higher costs or be
beholden to a long-term contract.
FACTOID
If you would like to have the freedom to choose your carrier then Samsung Galaxy
Tab would be a good choice because they allow you to do so. You can choose between
Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and AT&T. Other tablets are tied to a
certain carrier.
There is also some doubt about Google’s willingness to
extensively develop the Android operating system for tablets. Right now, there aren’t nearly as many apps
optimized for tablets on the Android Marketplace as the massive amount available on Apple’s App Store.
However, if Samsung and other manufacturers start making headway against Apple, it’s very likely that Google
will make a harder push.
For people out there that are looking for a viable alternative to the iPad,
and Apple, the Galaxy is the obvious choice. While it doesn’t enjoy the streamlined experience that is
provided by Apple’s top down management of both software and hardware, the Galaxy is very promising in that
it has more usable features than the iPad.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - PROS AND CONS
PROS:
It is slim and lightweight (21 ounces vs 26 ounces
for the iPad)
Excellent screen
quality
Stereo speakers(dual surround speakers)
HD recording & full HD
playback
3.0-megapixel rear -facing camera & 2.0-megapixel
front-facing camera
Android 3.1, Honeycomb
platform
1Hz Dual Core
Processor
Google Mobile Services (Google Books, G-talk video
chat, Gmail, Google calendar, Google Maps for Mobile)
Flash support for web browsing (you can browse any
Flash website)
A-GPS (Google Maps
navigation)
Really fast Wi-Fi
3G wireless
Great battery life (about 9-10 hours)
Swype keyboard is excellent(so much better for a touch screen)
Being able to use a bluetooth mouse (AND SEE A MOUSE CURSOR) and keyboard is great
to make it more like a laptop (if needed)
Movies look phenomenal and because the screen is scaled like a tv ...it is perfect
for this
Google Talk with Video works excellent
Widgets are very useful
CONS:
The keyboard responds
somewhat slowly to typing (there is a delay between typing and text appearing on screen using some features
like the browser)
Currently there are
not as many Apps for the Android market as there are for the iPad, but slowly it will catch
up
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - Video
Reviews
Where can you find the best deals on Samsung Galaxy Tab
10.1-inch?
Amazon usually has the best prices for
tablets.
Samsung Galaxy Tab
10.1-inchTechnical Details
OS
Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb)
Display
10.1” WXGA 1280x800
Processor
1GHz Dual Core application processor
Camera
Main(Rear) : 3.0-Mega Pixel Camera AF with LED
Flash Front : 2.0-Mega Pixel Camera
Video
Format : MPEG4/H263/H264,Divx/Xvid
Playback : 1080p Full HD Video @ 30fps
This video features the new tablet from Motorola - Motorola XOOM. It is one of the first
tablets to run Google's Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). Click here to see a full review of Motorola XOOM.
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