Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Review

In the era “post PC” just begun, the fiercest competitor of Apple is not Microsoft, but Samsung, which paradoxically is also one of its most valuable trading partners (since it provides a huge amount of parts to build iPhone and iPad : talking about 9 billion dollars a year of orders). The situation is even more complicated if we think of each other lawsuits between the two giants in recent weeks. The truth is that the Korean company has gained market thanks to the Galaxy. initially the Galaxy S, the first Android smartphone to be able to compete with the iPhone 3G (or even exceeding it in some fields), then the little 7-inch Galaxy Tab: the first tablet that despite the high price and limitations of an operating system not designed for screens larger than a smartphone, has moved slightly the absolute dominance of iPad. Samsung has manufacturing and commercial policies in very fast and aggressive Apple.So it is true that its products will depreciate more quickly, but it is also true that the house is able to replace them with better models that are worth the money necessary to buy: the case of the beautiful Galaxy S II, which is a super smartphone Apple users also envy the most radical, and obviously the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The ability to react of Samsung is really amazing: you think the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that we are reviewing is the second version of this tablet being marketed by Samsung in less than 3 months.When submitting iPad2, discovered price, weight and size, Samsung executives said humbly to be amazed by the work of Apple, and they did not want to be totally outdone with their flagship product. So they redesigned and put into production a new model that is amazingly lighter and slightly thinner (in practice are the same) a iPad2, and has a bigger battery in the first Tab 10.1 since then renamed 10.1v.

HARDWARE DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

As we said weight and dimensions are even lower than the already sensational iPad2: The Galaxy Tab 10.1 weighs only 565 grams and is very thin: just 8.6 mm. Just about the weight, although a few grams, the Galaxy Tab makes a difference, making it slightly easier to handle and comfortable to use. A tendency to reduce the weight in these devices, which will hopefully be maintained: it is meant to be used without substantially static support, is a feature of fundamental importance for the quality of the experience of use. The network connection is provided by a 3G HSPA + module up to 21 Mb per second, Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1 over the GPS chip for the inevitable. The display is a 10.1-inch LCD panel resolution of 1280×800 pixels (a density of about 146 pixels per inch), the quality is excellent, by definition, colors and viewing angles. We noticed some phenomenon of light bleeding around the edges, but it shows only when the device is completely black screen.Certainly the problem is much less clear than many iPad2 seen on the first wave, many users probably do not even notice it.

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS

The design differs radically from that futuristic-chic iPad2 and its anodized aluminum body. The materials are all plastic, a silver frame running along the edges closing the screen, and the back of the tablet, which is also a large area of plastic and shiny white interrupted by a silver border, contains the camera and flash back Led. The end result is very nice and simple, accomplices also very small. Perhaps less elegant and impactful than the Apple tablet, but certainly less prone to scratches on the back. In addition, the plastic has a much better grip than aluminum and has certainly helped reduce the overall weight. Along the top are buttons for power, volume, audio input jacks and access to the phone module to insert the SIM card. On the sides there are two holes for the speakers, while the bottom is the only gateway to data, which also allows the device to reload. The bad news is that this is not an input usb or mini usb, but a Samsung proprietary format.

The most observant of our readers will be surprised: the compatibility with the USB ports (both normal and mini) and the presence of an SD reader or even an HDMI output, is one of the advantages that usually the tablet with Android OS are compared with iPad.Samsung in this case, perhaps because of space or to save, was unwilling or able to take advantage of these advanced features, leaving a little ‘disoriented. And ‘especially the use of a proprietary connector to make us turn up our noses: Samsung in this case a copy of Apple’s most odious trade policies, to sell and produce exclusively (at least the first time) this device to external devices.

CAMERAS

The two cameras, one front (1.2 megapixels) and rear (3 megapixels) are of good quality.In particular the rear produces pictures defined, without too many tricks, and is fully usable in situations of “emergency.” Footage recorded at 720p are perhaps the best aspect of the photographic form. The good results in this field marks the only point in favor of the hardware than iPad 2, whose cameras are nothing short of despicable quality. In any case, beyond a few photos or video situation “desperate” is not very simple to use a tablet for this purpose, also the use for which it is to think of the video.