Here is the FoneArena Samsung Galaxy Tab Review. This Android Tablet is one of the first Tablets to pose some serious competition to the Apple iPad in terms of specs. The Galaxy Tab was launched in India for Rs.38000(MRP) and is also available with multiple carriers in USA and Europe.
Box Contents
- Galaxy Tab
- AC Conversion Plug
- Travel Adaptor
- Stereo Ear phones with ear buds
- USB Data Cable(PDMI connector)
- Quick Start Guide.
Hardware Overview
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYp9p9s_GoQ
The hardware is solid and made of plastic. Despite being made of plastic there are no creaking noises when handling the device.It’s actually pretty compact for a tablet . You can even call it a elongated version of the Samsung Galaxy S. The 7 inch screen although crisp seems a bit small compared to iPad. The Tab wont fit in your regular trouser pocket, but might fit in your coat pocket or handbag.
You can check out the comparison with the iPad here
The screen does attract some fingerprints but it’s not something we would complain about.
Swype on the Tab
It was actually nice to use Swype on a 7 inch Display as you don’t want to use your fingers for every letter. Watch the video below for a quick demo.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWwDPI2hBJo
Browser
The browser was pretty fast , thanks to Android 2.2 but once we installed Adobe Flash Player , we noticed a noticeable drop in loading times and performance. Pages loaded fine and the browser supports pinch to zoom.
The browser features a Download manager.
3G Performance
We tested the 3G performance in a area where 3G coverage was sparse and yet the Tab managed to show some decent speeds. The Galaxy Tab was connected to MTNL’s Dolphin 3G Network and we have heard mixed reviews about the service. We shall try to test the performance in BSNL or Tata Docomo soon.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGuyJ0AmemU
Camera
When I first saw the specs of the Galaxy Tab , I had a hearty laugh – how on earth would one click pics with a 7 inch display as a viewfinder.It sounded really funny. But now after using the Tab to click some pics , its actually a cool experience. Watching the object on such a large display actually makes things very exciting. You need to long-press on the onscreen camera button to focus and tap to click. You have some amount of settings which you can play with.
A look at the Camera Settings below
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JGunNCRP1E
Camera Samples (With and Without Flash)
Video Calling
Video calling works only over 3G sadly like in most 3G phones. But we could not test 3rd party apps which allow Video calling. We hope it works over WiFi too.
Apps
Watch the Angry Birds Game in action below
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvfozBZ6m3s
Weather
Books
There is a reading hub which lets you read books, newspapers and magazines.
Newspapers
You get a free trial of the newspaper subscription after which you are charged a hefty 99 pence per issue
The presentation is pretty good and nice to read.
The newspaper collection is pretty huge ranging from Malayala Manorama to The Wall Street Journal but its does not come cheap.
While we were impressed by the Hardware on the Galaxy Tab , the software still needs some work considering the fact that Android 2.2 is not an OS designed with Tablets in mind. Most apps don’t scale very well it looks the same way it would function on the Galaxy S.
We shall be taking a detailed look in part 2 of this review where we shall discuss the Multimedia aspects , Battery life and overall performance.