Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is a fantastic device. It hits the sweet spot between the budget tablets and the iPad. It has features and specifications that are value for money, and it is an better overall performer than the Sony Tablet S and the Motorola Xoom. The only disappointment comes with the display, which could have had a better resolution and the fact that the Google Play store isn't well populated with tablet specific apps. If you are in the market to spend Rs. 20,000 on a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 should definitely be on your list.

7-inch display with 1024 x 600 resolution, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16 GB storage, 3G capability with standard SIM card, 3.15MP rear camera & VGA video call camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Android 4.0.3

Ever since the launch of the iPad we have seen a slew of tablets that have tried to take on the big Apple and quite frankly, failed miserably at it. It was with the launch of Google’s Honeycomb OS that Android tablets showed some potential and with the launch of Android 4.0 ICS, Android tablets finally started to make sense.

We have also begun to see some budget tablets hit the streets that boat of decent hardware under the hood and an attractive price point of around Rs. 10,000.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is priced at the Rs. 20,000 mark which means that it offers features specifications and a build that goes beyond the budget devices and is aimed at the audience that doesn't want to drop a lot of cash on the iPad.

But does the device make a place for itself in the tablet market or are you better off aspiring for an iPad?

Design and Build

One look at the device and it has the build of a typical 7-inch tablet. It feels way better than any budget tablet that we have seen but doesn't have the classy feel of the iPad. The rear of the Galaxy Tab 2 has a grey plastic matte finish which is nice. It gives the device an elegant finish while making it a resistive to dust and fingerprints. The front of the device has the 7-inch display, which is glossy, and a fingerprint magnet.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is really slim measuring in at 10.5mm thin and is relatively light at 344 grams. It fells really sturdy in ones hands. Considering its size, the device fells very comfortable in both landscape as well as portrait mode.

The device comes in three variants of internal storage – 8GB / 16GB / 32GB. The review unit we received has 16GB of internal storage. The memory of the device is expandable via microSD card up to 32GB. The microSD card slot rests to the left of the device along with a SIM card slot. Both the SIM card and the microSD card slots rests under a flap, which is easy to access and keeps the cards safe.

The right of the device has the volume rocker as well as the on/off/sleep/wake button. The bottom of the device has a proprietary dock connector, something that looks very reminiscent of the iPhone/iPad dock connector. The top of the device has the headphones jack. The rear houses the 3.15MP snapper without a flash and the front of the device ahs a VGA camera for video calling.

At the bottom of the tablet to the right and the left of the dock connector rest the two speakers.

The downside to the connectivity options is that Samsung has gone the Apple way with a proprietary dock connector. This isn’t a bad thing, but we have seen budget tablets from Zyncand iBerry that offer HDMI-out straight out of the box. 

Features and specifications

From the moment you switch on the device, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 runs on Google Android 4.0 ICS skinned with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. With TouchWiz, Samsung brings with it a bunch of preloaded apps such as PolarisOffice, Samsung Apps, eBuddy XMS, TuneIn Radio, Chat On and more. Samsung All share app comes preloaded on the device. The app enables uses to share multimedia content with the Galaxy Tab and a DLNA enabled TV.

At the bottom of the screen on the left, you have touch sensitive buttons representing back, home, task manager for easy killing of apps and freeing memory and a nifty button used to take screen shots.

Under the hood, the device is powered by a dual core 1GHz processor, has 1GB of RAM and comes with 3 variants of internal storage – 8GB/16GB/32GB. The review unit we received boasts of 16GB of internal storage. Other specifications include 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, gyroscope, accelerometer and digital compass. The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is 7-inches and has a resolution of 1024 x 600. This resolution seems a little disappointing as we have seen devices that boast of a resolution of 1280x 800.

Overall the device is quite well loaded with features. If you are used to the Android powered Samsung smartphones, you will fell tight at home here. If you are looking for a raw Android experience you will have to look elsewhere as every aspect of the interface than can be customized has been customized by Samsung with TouchWiz. If you want a raw Android experience, on a 7-inch device, you will have to take a look at the Google Nexus 7.

Meanwhile, check out the video review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 below: 

Latest iPad Mini rumours suggest 7.85-inch display

It's been a bit quiet on the iPad Mini front recently as everyone turned their attention to the Google Nexus 7, but with that out of the way here come some more details on Apple's potential pint-sized tab.

According to the latest reports, various analysts and industry sources have confirmed that Apple will indeed launch a smaller version of its popular iPad, with it set to retail in the region of $249-$299 (around £159-£190).

The sources, which spoke to Chinese site MyDrivers, went on to say that the iPad mini will use IGZO display panels from Sharp, which produce a thinner screen thus allowing for a more slender device.

Retina display?

Apparently the IGZO display can support a pixel density of up to 330pi, which means the iPad Mini could well sport a Retina display, on its 7.85-inch screen – a size which the sources also claim to be true.

It's not clear when the iPad Mini will be available, but most rumours point to a release date sometime later this year.

We're not getting too carried away with this particular report, as the questionable sources do not fill us with confidence, but it is another rumour to add to a mill that is rapidly filling up with iPad Mini details.

Unsurprisingly Apple has not provided comment on any iPad Mini rumours, so we will have to wait and see if it does arrive sometime later this year – possibly alongside the iPhone 5.

Google Nexus 7 release date, news and features

Google may be rubbish at keeping secrets - almost everything about the Nexus 7 was leaked before Google unveiled it, and the product page even went live before the keynote began - but it appears to be getting very good at designing tablets: the Nexus 7 is a pretty nifty bit of kit. Time to reach for the credit card? Let's find out.

Google Nexus 7 processor

Inside the Google Nexus 7 is a quad-core Tegra 3 processor packing a 12-core GPU and 1GB of on-board RAM. This, combined with some clever under-the-hood streamlining, means a buttery-smooth performance (pun intended, see below).

What does this mean in real terms? Google was at pains to stress the AWESOME GAMING POWER of a 12-core GPU. The built-in HDMI means you'll be able to connect it to your telly too

The Nexus 7 operating system is Android Jelly Bean

As you'd expect, Google's tablet runs Google's latest operating system: Android 4.1, aka Jelly Bean. It also benefits from the very polished "Project Butter" user interface technology, which is much smoother than previous Androids or Amazon's forked version of the OS, and it's the first Android tablet to ship with Chrome as its default browser.

There's also a big camera improvement, a whole host of browser tweaks and some clever voice recognition upgrades... in short, a lot of worthwhile reasons to check out the first Android Jelly Bean device.

Google Nexus 7 dimensions and specs

The Nexus 7 is 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm. It's considerably lighter than an iPad, and lighter even than a Kindle Fire: at just 340g, the Nexus 7 is the weight of a fairly slim book.

The Nexus 7 display is a seven-inch, 1280x800 IPS display, and you can choose between 8GB and 16GB versions.

There's integrated Wi-Fi but no 3G or 4G, a front-facing camera and a 4,325mAh battery that Google says is good for 8 hours of "active use".

There's also no microSD card slot, so you're limited massively if you're one of those that loves HD movies.

The Nexus 7 tablet includes a microphone, Bluetooth, NFC for Android Beam, an accelerometer, magnetometer, GPS and gyroscope, and the built-in Wi-Fi supports 802.11b, g and n.

Google Nexus 7: media marvel

While the Nexus 7 does apps, of course, the whole thrust of Google's keynote was media consumption: look at the books! Look at the games! Look at the videos! That's the marketing message here and it's clear that this is a massive weapon in Google's attempt to topple the Kindle Fire.

And of course, no keynote is complete without a sly dig at Google's biggest competitor at the moment:

"With the Music Manager, you can easily import your entire iTunes music library* into Google Play", Google says. That asterisk means that it doesn't do DRM, and you're limited to 20,000 songs.

Google Nexus 7 release date and price

For once, we don't have to wait forever to get our hands on some exciting new tech: the Nexus 7 launches in the US, UK and Australia this July. That's, like, days away!

The UK price for the Nexus 7 will be £159 for the 8GB model, and the 16GB one will cost £199. That gives you not just the tablet but £15 of Google Play credit to spend too, and it means that even the priciest model is half an iPad.

Google will also offer a soft cover (but not a Surface-style keyboard one, at least not just now) and an extra charger should you need one.