http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/08/samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-review
Preface
It has been more than half a year since I bought this fantastic tablet. It is my first touch screen device and my first android device as well. I decided to choose this tablet over a smartphone (SGS2) for the functionality I'm looking for in a mobile device. Pretty much said, I only have budget for either one to be honest. Even thou many users complained about the tablet, especially it's UI, but the main reason is those people do not know how to appreciate and to use it. I would like to share some personal views and what I usually use my tablet for, instead of a technical review. If you are a hardcore Apple fanboy, then I suggest you stop reading here. (Joking!)
Specification
As usual, I will run down the specification for this Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 3G P7500 before going into detail of it.
Source: tune4mag
Do note that there are few versions of Galaxy Tab 10.1 nowadays. The previous model is the Galaxy Tab 10.1v which is thicker and heavier, with better camera. However this version went through the draw board again after the release of iPad 2. Hence the current version that I own is the thinnest and lightest tablet during that time. Currently there are a few new models introduced by Samsung which include the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) and Galaxy Note 10.1. I believe Samsung still haven't release the successor to the version that I'm owning.
The Selection and Purchase
I have been wanting this tablet since the debut of the SGT 10.1v and the revised version makes it even more appealing. The 7.0" SGT doesn't seem to attract me due to the form factor and the OS used, but ever since the promo video of SGT 10.1v featuring the new honeycomb android 3.0 OS and the Google experience that comes along with it, I finally see the use of it as a mobile computing device.
First of all, the hardware is the main attraction of the device at that time. Being at 8.6mm and 565g, it is easily the sexiest tablet available in the market. Not to mention the form factor and the awesome HD PLS screen that is the best among its class at that time. Adequate camera function and mulitple connectivity options with ample codec support adds on the awesomeness of this tablet. The juiceful 7000mAh battery puts the seal on the deal and made me say "Shut up and take my money!"
There is no where iPad 2 can compete against it in terms of hardware except for the GPU. Furthermore, I dislike the lock down ecosystem of iOS even thou they have better quality apps. Android market at that time doesn't seem to have quality apps when compared to App Store, not to mention for tablet based honeycomb apps. I believe that android developers will slowly come up with quality apps over the time, and now, Google Play (Android Market) has most of the so-called quality apps that App Store has, except for those exclusive apps. Android has been developing very rapidly over the few months and now with ICS, it has never been this awesome before.
iPad 2 is not my choice for the limited functionality of the OS. Everything can only be done through apps and most of the apps aren't free and IMO doesn't worth the price. There are many apps in android that functions the same but comes free. Furthermore the integration with Google services and other applications made it a more practical device to use than iPad 2. The widgets and stock apps are very useful, and the ability to customize is a must for me. iPad 2 is more like a toy for kids to play their game and nothing more.
The screen aspect ratio and orientation fits the need of a mobile entertainment and online device. The 1280 x 800 PLS screen is far better than iPad 2's 1024 x 768 IPS screen. Yes, you may argue that the new iPad has doubled their resolution and named it Retina display, but don't forget who's the one who manufacture the screen for the new iPad... Yes, it's Samsung again. If they can manufacture a high resolution screen for Apple, what makes you think they cant produce one for themselves in their coming tablets? More over with their AMOLED screen technologies is the edge of the industry.
More comments on the user experience will be discussed in the next section and I will skip to the purchase part now.
I have been hunting Samsung Malaysia constantly everyday to update on the launching date for Malaysia ever since the launch in USA. Unfortunately, SME kept delaying the launch of the SGT 10.1 every time and one of the reason is due to the newton ring problem existed in some batches of tablet. Newton ring problem occurs when air bubbles or oil bubble trapped or appears at interface between the glass and the screen due to heat. Frustrated and disappointed, I even emailed Samsung to request for an actual date of the launching.
Finally, SME announced that they will be launching the SGT in the August after the long wait, but the model launched is the 3G version, not the wifi version that I intend to buy. A 3G version is over my budget because I only allocated RM1.5k for the purchase. Besides that, they have no plans to bring in higher capacity models and will have the first launch with Celcom, which means a binding to contract is a must to enjoy early bird discounts. A huge let down because many people, including me wishes to buy the wifi version instead. Other places in the world launch the wifi version first then followed by the 3G version. In Malaysia, it is the other way round. However, fortunately, the early bird offer is not that bad after all. After some calculations, I decided to fork out more budget for a data plan, in thinking that I will be needed mobile internet in the future. This turned out to be a good decision because I do really need the mobile internet to everywhere I go. Because of this, I further delayed my plan to purchase a smartphone because I already have a mobile internet device on the go with me.
The early bird promotion offered by Celcom and Samsung is RM999 for a 3G tablet for the first 300 customers with a condition to subscribe a data plan package worth RM68 monthly for two year. Quite a hefty price to pay for a data plan package but after some calculations, I decided to go for it instead. Besides the RM999 offer, they also have a lucky draw of RM99 for 5 person as well.
Finally the day has come and I have been excited since morning and cant wait to go and line up for the deal. I decided to go to The Curve at 12a.m. for the queue, but a mid night rain delayed my plan to 3a.m. Arriving at the Curve around 3:30a.m., I saw a number of people already there waiting. I have been told that the rain before this interrupted the queue and everyone has adopted a registration system where people who wish to line up will be required to register their name with a guy, which is also a buyer. The reason is because of the rain just now, and everybody have to seek shelter. In order to retain their numbering, they decided to come up with a list so that they can keep their number, while resting around the venue without the need to stand and wait in the queue. A very good idea in fact, glad that someone came out with that idea.
Around 6:30a.m., a person in charge came and called for a queue in order to avoid confusion later. At this hour, around 150 people is here already. Well, you cannot expect a massive crowd similar to launching of apple products but a queue like this is good enough I would say. We were given a number and asked to be back later for the launching. I'm not the lucky one who got the RM99 offer but I'm glad enough to settle down for a RM999 deal anyway. The signing up process is very slow by Celcom staff. People who walked in to buy it from the booth walked away with a tab earlier than us who queue up over night.
Finally after 16 hours being at the Curve, I finally got my tab. Extremely overwhelmed by excitement and can't wait to unbox it. It has been following me ever since to every where.
Real Life Experience
So, let's talk about real life experience on using the tab since that is what matters most. It runs Android Honeycomb 3.1 (currently HC 3.2) at stock, and it was the first tablet to have Honeycomb 3.1 installed right out of the box while other Android tablets are having Android 3.0 at that time.
I'm not going into the debate of iOS vs Android thingy in this entries but will put up some comparisons here and there if I have to state the difference. I will be more likely to talk briefly about the differences between this tablet with other android tablets, be it branded or non-branded.
The close competition of 10.1 android tablets will be between the Galaxy Tab, Motorola PlayBook and Asus Eee Pad Transformer. Where the hardware spec is almost identical, with Galaxy Tab ahead the pack with better screen, battery and form factor, it all boils down to the software part.
Galaxy Tab comes with custom launcher developed by Samsung, which is the TouchWiz 4.0. Many argued that such launcher will slow things down as what they experience with previous TouchWiz versions at older phone model. This TouchWiz 4.0 however, is more polished than previous version and offers more convenience than stock Honeycomb experience such as resizable widgets, mini-app trays that contain some pop up window of some apps. Some short cuts are useful such as the pen memo, calculator and music app which I use often. These apps offer the convenience to use the app on top of yr current app, without the need to exit your current app and switch to it. Other build in apps that comes along such as Polaris Office, Photo Editor and Samsung Hubs comes in useful once awhile but not my everyday app.
One thing I like most about this tablet is the screen. The PLS panel and the HD resolution really make this tablet to stand out compared to other IPS panel LCD screen. While most of the apps are identical among Android platform, then I will just talk about what I used mostly with my tab.
The reason I bought this tablet is to replace my PC for some online purposes like checking social websites and forums. Therefore, I do not need to always be sitting in front of my PC, which is very tiring and at the long run will affect my health. I can now enjoy surfing websites on my sofa or on my bed, without the need to turn on the PC every time I want and then leave it idle when I'm not using, which in turn will consume more electricity and not eco-friendly. I will only use my PC for serious typing work, software editing, downloading or gaming now.
The stock browser reassembles a desktop browser where you can have tabs for different websites and you can just tap on the tabs to switch between websites just like how you did on a desktop web browser. While in phone, these "tabs" will be shown as different page instead.
The second reason will be the Google products that came along with the software, such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and some other apps that is not usable in Malaysia. All these apps have their widgets and also integrations among apps that make it very useful.
Due to the aspect ratio, the screen is perfect for watching video and movie that is in HD aspect ratio, i.e. 16:9 but not really the case for photos and books where mostly are in 3:2 aspect ratio. Nevertheless, browsing and watching video in this aspect ratio is definitely a bliss.
Of course there are pros and cons when you compare this tablet to another tablet such as the Apple iPad 2 and the other android tablets. It's up to the consumer to judge what suits them the most in their needs. Whether they need customisation, integration of apps for easy sharing, the form factor, the user experience, or the purpose of owning a tablet to do serious work or just to play games? There are many different devices available in the market to cater different needs.
There's some complains here and there about the user experience on the tablet, typically on the lag issue. Personally, I would rather to have some lag than having a smooth interface but doesn't meet my need. The lag are mostly due to both hardware and software where fragmentation plays a big role too. However, I do see improvements every time we receive a software update and I guess it will be much better when ICS comes available for us. At the mean time, I could just get away with this lag issue by installing custom roms and freezing unwanted apps.
Wrap Up
This tablet is definitely an appealing device where it has all what I need in it. The hardware form factor, the user experience, and the functionality are all what I need from a tablet. Well, of course we could always wish for a better hardware but the current one does satisfy my need and I'm glad of my purchase. Even thou the tablet is now overtaken by many other newer models in the market, but there's no doubt this is the best tablet one can get during the time of release. Coming up, I will share some experience of using some of the accessories associated with this tablet for a reference.
Advantages
Slim (8.6mm)
Light (565g)
Classy
Long battery life (7000mAh)
Bright, Vivid screen (PLS panel @ 1280 x 800 with 178° viewing angle)
TouchWiz 4.0 (Widgets and mini apps comes into use once awhile)
Disadvantages
Plastic body
Non-changeable battery
No micro-sd card slot
Mediocre camera
Lack of connectivity
Expensive accessories
So, let's talk about real life experience on using the tab since that is what matters most. It runs Android Honeycomb 3.1 (currently HC 3.2) at stock, and it was the first tablet to have Honeycomb 3.1 installed right out of the box while other Android tablets are having Android 3.0 at that time.
I'm not going into the debate of iOS vs Android thingy in this entries but will put up some comparisons here and there if I have to state the difference. I will be more likely to talk briefly about the differences between this tablet with other android tablets, be it branded or non-branded.
The close competition of 10.1 android tablets will be between the Galaxy Tab, Motorola PlayBook and Asus Eee Pad Transformer. Where the hardware spec is almost identical, with Galaxy Tab ahead the pack with better screen, battery and form factor, it all boils down to the software part.
Galaxy Tab comes with custom launcher developed by Samsung, which is the TouchWiz 4.0. Many argued that such launcher will slow things down as what they experience with previous TouchWiz versions at older phone model. This TouchWiz 4.0 however, is more polished than previous version and offers more convenience than stock Honeycomb experience such as resizable widgets, mini-app trays that contain some pop up window of some apps. Some short cuts are useful such as the pen memo, calculator and music app which I use often. These apps offer the convenience to use the app on top of yr current app, without the need to exit your current app and switch to it. Other build in apps that comes along such as Polaris Office, Photo Editor and Samsung Hubs comes in useful once awhile but not my everyday app.
One thing I like most about this tablet is the screen. The PLS panel and the HD resolution really make this tablet to stand out compared to other IPS panel LCD screen. While most of the apps are identical among Android platform, then I will just talk about what I used mostly with my tab.
The reason I bought this tablet is to replace my PC for some online purposes like checking social websites and forums. Therefore, I do not need to always be sitting in front of my PC, which is very tiring and at the long run will affect my health. I can now enjoy surfing websites on my sofa or on my bed, without the need to turn on the PC every time I want and then leave it idle when I'm not using, which in turn will consume more electricity and not eco-friendly. I will only use my PC for serious typing work, software editing, downloading or gaming now.
The stock browser reassembles a desktop browser where you can have tabs for different websites and you can just tap on the tabs to switch between websites just like how you did on a desktop web browser. While in phone, these "tabs" will be shown as different page instead.
The second reason will be the Google products that came along with the software, such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and some other apps that is not usable in Malaysia. All these apps have their widgets and also integrations among apps that make it very useful.
Due to the aspect ratio, the screen is perfect for watching video and movie that is in HD aspect ratio, i.e. 16:9 but not really the case for photos and books where mostly are in 3:2 aspect ratio. Nevertheless, browsing and watching video in this aspect ratio is definitely a bliss.
Of course there are pros and cons when you compare this tablet to another tablet such as the Apple iPad 2 and the other android tablets. It's up to the consumer to judge what suits them the most in their needs. Whether they need customisation, integration of apps for easy sharing, the form factor, the user experience, or the purpose of owning a tablet to do serious work or just to play games? There are many different devices available in the market to cater different needs.
There's some complains here and there about the user experience on the tablet, typically on the lag issue. Personally, I would rather to have some lag than having a smooth interface but doesn't meet my need. The lag are mostly due to both hardware and software where fragmentation plays a big role too. However, I do see improvements every time we receive a software update and I guess it will be much better when ICS comes available for us. At the mean time, I could just get away with this lag issue by installing custom roms and freezing unwanted apps.
Wrap Up
This tablet is definitely an appealing device where it has all what I need in it. The hardware form factor, the user experience, and the functionality are all what I need from a tablet. Well, of course we could always wish for a better hardware but the current one does satisfy my need and I'm glad of my purchase. Even thou the tablet is now overtaken by many other newer models in the market, but there's no doubt this is the best tablet one can get during the time of release. Coming up, I will share some experience of using some of the accessories associated with this tablet for a reference.
Advantages
Slim (8.6mm)
Light (565g)
Classy
Long battery life (7000mAh)
Bright, Vivid screen (PLS panel @ 1280 x 800 with 178° viewing angle)
TouchWiz 4.0 (Widgets and mini apps comes into use once awhile)
Disadvantages
Plastic body
Non-changeable battery
No micro-sd card slot
Mediocre camera
Lack of connectivity
Expensive accessories
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