Samsung Galaxy Tab (Sprint)
The good: Samsung's 7-inch
Android tablet is a serious contender to the Apple iPad, boasting two
cameras, Flash compatibility, and a more convenient size.
The bad:
The Tab behaves more like a super-sized Android phone than a Netbook
alternative. The Android OS and its apps aren't yet optimized for the
larger screen. Buying a Tab demands a two-year contract and a commitment
to monthly charges.
The bottom line: The
Galaxy Tab is a beautiful product with features that will make iPad
owners envious, but its in-between size and contract ties hold it back
from broad appeal.
Review:
Since
the arrival of the Apple iPad in April of 2010, we've seen a handful of
competitors step up with inexpensive tablet alternatives in all shapes
and sizes. With the Galaxy Tab, Samsung has created a true peer of the
iPad--an uncompromising product that stakes out new territory in terms
of both design and features.
Unlike the 9.7-inch iPad and its
Apple iOS software, the Tab's screen measures 7 inches diagonally and
runs Google's Android 2.2 operating system. Sprint's version of the Tab
goes on sale November 14, priced at $399 with a two-year ...
Expand full review
Since
the arrival of the Apple iPad in April of 2010, we've seen a handful of
competitors step up with inexpensive tablet alternatives in all shapes
and sizes. With the Galaxy Tab, Samsung has created a true peer of the
iPad--an uncompromising product that stakes out new territory in terms
of both design and features.
Unlike the 9.7-inch iPad and its
Apple iOS software, the Tab's screen measures 7 inches diagonally and
runs Google's Android 2.2 operating system. Sprint's version of the Tab
goes on sale November 14, priced at $399 with a two-year contract and a
monthly data plan. Data plans come in two flavors: a $29 plan with a 2GB
cap, and a $59 plan with a 5GB cap. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T
will all have similar versions of the Tab, though pricing and
availability may vary.
Design Tablets are only as
good as their screens, and the Tab's screen is a glossy beauty with the
strength of a beast, thanks to a protective layer of Corning Gorilla
glass. The LCD underneath it is a crisp 1,024x600-pixel resolution,
which is on par with the iPad, but since the screen is about half the
size, the pixel density is much tighter. The screen uses a capacitive,
multitouch technology that can match the iPad in both response time and
usefulness. Not once did we catch ourselves cursing at it--at least, not
in the same threatening tone as we used with the
Dell Streak or
Archos 7 Home Tablet.
Above the screen you have a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, perfect
for video chat with the included Qik app. Across the bottom you have the
typical Android-style buttons for menu, home, back, and search. There's
a standard headphone jack on the top, volume and power buttons on the
side, along with a microSD card slot. For this model from Sprint, a 16GB
card came installed. Samsung's dock connector and a pair of built-in
speakers are located on the bottom edge. The dock connector works with
the included USB adapter and power brick, but can also be used for
accessories, such as a keyboard dock or video output adapter.
On
the back of the Tab you'll see a smooth white plastic back and a more
impressive 3-megapixel camera with an integrated flash. The camera can
capture video at a maximum resolution of 720x480 pixels at 30 frames per
second.
Overall, the Tab, at 7.5 inches tall by 4.7 inches wide
by 0.5 inch thick, has a solid, paperback book feel that can be
comfortably grasped in one hand. Unlike the Apple iPad, we never felt
that we needed to set the Tab on our lap or cross our legs just to use
it comfortably. For better or worse, it operates and behaves just like a
giant Android smartphone, requiring little-to-no learning curve to
navigate menus, type e-mails, or browse the Web.
Features Before we get into the nitty gritty of what the Tab
has to offer, let's state for the record that the two best features of
the Tab are the least complicated to understand. First off, you have the
size--which is smaller, lighter, and more convenient than the iPad.
Second, there's the full, undiluted Android 2.2 experience, complete
with third-party apps, and the official Google Market for all the latest
and greatest apps. We've seen other Android tablets this same size--but
none running Android 2.2 with Marketplace support. Similarly, we've
seen tablets like the Dell Streak that offer the Android Market, but the
size is cramped and the OS isn't yet up to 2.2. Currently, only the
Galaxy Tab hits this "just right" Goldilocks zone among Android
tablets--and that's what makes it exciting.
When you unlock the
Tab's touch screen, you'll find a familiar home screen with a floating
Google search bar, dock icons for e-mail, Web browser, and a drawer for
apps. Hold the Tab in either portrait or landscape view and the built-in
accelerometer sensor will reorient the screen automatically. By
default, the Tab includes three main home screens, which you can jump
between by flicking left or right. Beyond the core apps in the dock
(mail, Web, drawer), the first of the three home screens comes
preinstalled with apps for Market, Messaging, Sprint Zone (a web link
for relevant Sprint and Tab news), Contacts, Free Games (crippled
Gameloft demos you'd do well to skip), Gallery, Amazon Kindle, and
Samsung's video download portal, Media Hub. Aside from the Kindle app,
these are all the same home screen apps you'd find on Samsung's
Epic 4G smartphone.
You have to dig a little deeper to appreciate the work Samsung did to
differentiate the Tab experience from its line of premium Android
smartphones. Spend some time in the app drawer, and you'll find that
seemingly benign apps like Contacts, Calendar, and Memo have all been
optimized by Samsung for the larger screen, using split-screen views and
nested tabs to take advantage of the added screen real estate.
Most Android apps, unfortunately, aren't yet designed for the larger
screens of tablets. It's a complaint you'll hear echoed in all of our
Android tablet reviews so far. With all the extra room, some apps
stretch unnaturally to fill the space (Pandora), while others appear
like large print versions of their original smartphone incarnations.
Until Google commits to the tablet form and offers developers and
consumers a way to distinguish tablet-optimized apps from smartphone
apps, this is going to be a recurring headache for everyone.
smart phone 
2.1 Platform
can be
challenging, we'll save you some time by offering our favorite 
models here. 
(U.S. Cellular) 
to date.
is easily Sprint's best 
and one of today's top
(Verizon Wireless)
is a multimedia powerhouse with features the other 
is one of the carrier's top 
smartphones, offering an excellent QWERTY keyboard, speed, and
plenty of features.
