Engadget: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) review
There’s an age-old saying: “If a tree falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?” We’re tempted to posit that question to Samsung as it clears room in its crowded product portfolio for yet another Galaxy Tab. One month after announcing it at Mobile World Congress, the outfit’s bringing its 7-inch sequel to the masses. As if Sammy’s Galaxy Tab lineup weren’t already overflowing, this guy comes bearing internals that make it near-identical to the OG Galaxy Tab and 7.0 Plus that have come before it.
A few specs, though, have seen downgrades: the front-facing camera now has VGA resolution, and the dual-core TI OMAP processor powering it is clocked at a lower 1GHz. Still, the 1024 x 600 TFT LCD display remains intact, as does the 3-megapixel rear camera, microSD slot and IR blaster. It’s a puzzling hardware refresh ushering in modest tweaks to a proven design, with the biggest change of all being the move to Ice Cream Sandwich (with TouchWiz, of course). Is that software upgrade alone compelling enough to warrant an entirely new piece of hardware in Samsung’s lineup? Maybe, maybe not. It all comes down to price, and at $250 this WiFi-only tablet could give consumers with Kindle Fire ire something to talk about. Follow past the break to see what we mean.
—————————————————————————–
PCMag: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)
- ProsInexpensive. Ships with Android 4.0. Slim, lightweight, and well-built. Stable and responsive performance.
- ConsAverage, aging components. Screen could be sharper.
- Bottom LineThe Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) may not be a big step forward on the hardware front, but it’s a simple, elegant small-screen tablet that really shows off the polish and power of Google’s latest mobile operating system—for just $250.
Finally—Ice Cream Sandwich has arrived. The 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will be the first tablet from the manufacturer to ship with Google’s latest Android 4.0 mobile operating system right out of the box. Despite the progressive moniker, hardware-wise, the Galaxy Tab 2 is actually a minor step back from Samsung’s last 7-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus ($399, 3.5 stars), making concessions in processor speed. Instead of more powerful components and design improvements, Samsung focused on a well-tuned software experience and an affordable price—just $249.99 (list) for 8GB. The result is a very solid tablet that really shows off the latest Android OS, and is competitive on price with the Amazon Kindle Fire ($199, 4 stars) and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet ($249, 4 stars), and half the price of the class-leading new Apple iPad ($499, 4.5 stars). If you want Ice Cream Sandwich on a small tablet right now, the Galaxy Tab 2 is your best bet.
—————————————————————————–
Mobileburn: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 review – taking on the Kindle Fire
Until Amazon’s Kindle Fire hit the market late last year, no Android-powered tablet had made even the smallest of impacts on the marketplace. With its $199.99 price tag and customized user interface, the Kindle Fire was a real success.
Samsung is now aiming to grab a significant piece of that success by building its own low-cost Android tablet. The catch is that Samsung’s new entry, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, looks anything but low-cost. In fact, it features a much better spec sheet than the Kindle Fire, and uses the same streamlined body design as its more expensive brethren.
With a price of $249.99 for the Wi-Fi-only model, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is an instant best buy. And when you consider that it is one of the few devices on the market to offer Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as its operating system, it’s even more of a steal.
—————————————————————————–
Gottabemobile: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Review – $249 Android Tablet
Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab represents a welcome shift in the company’s attitude toward the tablet market. Most of the Galaxy Tab line aims for premium designs and components, but they come at a premium price. The Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire prove that consumers are willing to settle when the price hits their kink.
Samsung is splitting the difference with the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. This device offers the full tablet experience with the newest Android operating system, Bluetooth, cameras, and a few other extras Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s tablets don’t offer. All for $249.
—————————————————————————–
Computerworld: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) review: A nice price, but where’s the ‘wow’?
Android devices — both smartphones and tablets — are getting increasingly affordable. With its new Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) tablet, which goes on sale on April 22nd for $250, Samsung is obviously hoping to claim its piece of the budget-price pie.
However, while the price is new and noteworthy, there’s not much else about the tablet that’s fresh or exciting.
Don’t get me wrong: The Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) is a perfectly fine device. It has an attractive form and solid performance. The problem is that it seems like a sideways step — or in some ways, a backwards one — from the 7-in. tablets Samsung already has available. And by simply recycling and remixing an existing concept, Samsung has doomed the product to be quickly outpaced.
Incoming search terms:
- samsung galaxy tab 2 7 0
- galaxy tab 2 7 0
- samsung tab 2 7 0
- tab 2 7 0
- galaxy tab 7 0
Also Interested In:
