Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 official: Tegra 2, Honeycomb, dual cameras Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 official: Tegra 2, Honeycomb, dual cameras Reviews

 

 

According to the influential US techblog Engadget, the approaching Galaxy Tab 10.1 – the thin one, not the Vodafone version with a V – just might be the first true iPad 2 competitors. Geez, it's been a long weekend of almost incessant Galaxy Tab II teasing, but the time has come: Samsung's finally release the official details of its 10.1-inch, Android Honeycomb tablet to the world.

Samsung has set out to make waves this year, with their Samsung Galaxy S2 getting the same rave reviews, even from Engadget that called it ‘the best smartphone, period’. Contrary to the leaks, the tablet is called the Galaxy Tab 10.1 grabbing its moniker from the screen size, obviously and like the rest of the upcoming Android 3.0 tablets it's powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, will be available with 16GB or 32GB of storage, and has a front-facing 2 megapixel camera as well as a 8 megapixel imager around back.

Obviously, the heart and soul of the tablet is its 1280 x 800-resolution 10.1-inch TFT display, and while it's not super AMOLED or Super AMOLED Plus quality, it looked quite bright at a mixture of angles. We'd venture to say that Samsung's using a similar panel as in the original Tab here, which is certainly a good thing. Tipping the scales to just 1.23 pounds (or 599 grams), the 0.4-inch thick tablet felt noticeably trimmer than the 1.5-pound iPad and even the 1.6-pound Motorola Xoom. Sure, the Tab 10.1 is primarily made out of plastic rather than some sort of metal, but it still felt rather rigid.

The Tab 10.1 runs stock Android 3.0 or Honeycomb. Nope, no Touch Wiz or custom Samsung tablet apps here, and according to Samsung it will stay that way it is, in their words, a "Google Experience" device. Surrounding the tablet you'll find a SIM slot, 3.5mm jack, and Samsung's proprietary charging cable. Sadly, there’s no USB or HDMI port. The rear 8 megapixel cam has a LED flash and can capture 1080p video, while the 2 megapixel lens centered on the top bezel should suffice for those Google Talk Video calls.