The tablet market is already for a long time cannot divide Samsung and Apple between them. It is a well-known fact that all the world's manufacturers of this product began to look up to the "fruit" competitor as soon as he released the first iPod. Since then, many have been trying to get closer to the ideal. Best of all, this is obtained from the Korean corporation Samsung. Their persistence in creating the perfect and popular tablet is amazing. The company has been repeatedly accused of excessive similarity of tablets to the above-mentioned American ones. But the Koreans did not stop working in this direction. They changed the design, improved the filling and tried to balance the quality-price ratio. The result of such experiments was SamsungGalaxyTab2 (10.1).

Tab10.1 was created in the image and likeness of the 1st iPod. The release of the second apple "tablet" made us change our views on the concept. GalaxyTab2 (10.1) has changed its face, got a couple of new elements (speakers, memory card slot) and got a new chipset. Now in more detail about the changes in the tablet in the review.

Appearance, ergonomics and control

In the appearance of the reviewed model, there are some bright details that distinguish it from Apple products. The first thing that catches your eye is a thin metallic-colored glossy edging around the entire perimeter of the front side. Also, stereo speakers appeared on the side ends, which were covered with a functional perforated metal mesh. Rear end tablet is made of matte gray plastic.

Regarding ergonomic indicators, in particular, dimensions. The 2nd Tab 256x175x9.7mm weighs 588g. For reference, its predecessor was 1.1mm thinner and weighed 23g less. The increase in parameters was due to the appearance of two microphones on the front. The front of the tablet is equipped with a front camera and a light sensor, which is responsible for adjusting the backlight of the screen.The power button, volume control, microSD hole, mini-jack and SIM card slot are located on the top edge. On the bottom there is a microphone and a wide branded Samsung connector. There is a camera on the back of Tab.

Assembly and practicality deserve "5": there are no squeaks and gaps, and the special surface does not retain your fingerprints, is resistant to dirt and does not slip out of your hands at all (even very wet ones).

Screen

The display has a diagonal of 10.1 ”(in the metric system - 217x127 mm). The resolution is exactly the same as more early version- 1280x800 pixels, the density is 150 ppi. The display is capable of distinguishing about 16 million shades, and the PLS (Plane to Line Switching) -LCD matrix taken as the basis helps it. This option is a modification of the IPS-matrix. capacitive hypersensitive touch screen simultaneously able to respond to 10 touches. It is also resistant to mechanical damage thanks to the sealed glass protection. The corners are well viewed, only occasionally does the tilted display give a purple tint. The brightness of the backlight is adjustable by the user.

autonomy

battery samsung galaxy Tab 2 10.1 lithium polymer type. Its capacity is 7000 mAh. According to the manufacturer's instructions, this should be enough for 10 hours of average load and 2,000 hours of standby time. According to reviews about Galaxy Tab 2 figures are close to the truth. The most intense load can wear out the tablet in an average of 6.5 hours. network adapter The device can be charged in 3-4 hours. It is quite logical that the manufacturer did not provide for recharging via the USB port. The power saving mode has three items (on the processor, screen and background color).

Provided memory

The device was allocated 1 GB for operation. random access memory(of which only 400 MB are free). Internal storage is 16 GB, in use - 4.6 GB. It is possible to increase the volume using a memory card up to 32 GB.

cameras

In the reviewed model, there are 2 types of cameras - the main one at 3.2 MP and the front one for video conferencing. It is noteworthy that the predecessor was equipped with a much more powerful 2 MP front camera, and the rear had autofocus and LED backlight.

But even such changes in technical parameters did not negatively affect the quality of images that have a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels. The depth of shades, sharpness, color reproduction and balance are more than acceptable. Video footage is recorded at 720p resolution.

Filling and performance

Changes in design compared to those that took place inside the device, just flowers. The traditional systems-on-a-chip NVIDIA Tegra 2 were abandoned, replacing them with an American product from Texas Instruments. New fourth-generation OMAP 4430 chipset with 45nm process technology and CPU instruction set - ARMv7. To help him graphics accelerator type PowerVR SGX540. The Cortex-A9 processor has 2 cores, each clocked at 1 GHz. This set is more progressive than the Tab10.1. Tab 2 (10.1) demonstrates extraordinary abilities: it supports powerful games, does not slow down or freeze.

Software part. Applications

The gadget runs on the operating system Android ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) - 4.0.4. There is a traditional Samsung shell design TouchWIZ.

Tablet provides GPS navigation services. Given the presence of a slot for a SIM card, it is worth saying a few words about the ability to make calls and send SMS. For those who have used smartphones of the same company at least once, it will not be difficult at all to figure out the modes of calls and sending messages. For those who did not have such an opportunity, manufacturers have simplified the procedure as much as possible. The keyboard layout for typing is the same as in smartphones. Large numbers for dialing appear when you select the desired mode and turn the tablet along the vertical axis.

Tab 2 contains all the necessary set of applications, which can be expanded using the obligatory Android Market store. By default, you will be able to find transfer services electronic messages, chats, office application, services for storing and viewing videos, photos, music, various assistant applications (calculator, weekly planner, notepad, address book, notes, alarm clock), text, video and photo editors. Google Chrome is installed as the default web browser.

Eventually…

Experts note that the reviewed tablet was a good attempt by Samsung to create a competitive device. But by reducing prices and improving their tablets, the main rivals of the Koreans in the market do not give Tab2 (10.1) a chance to become a leader in its niche. Good stuffing, interesting design and workmanship - that's what you get for the money spent.

The world of seven-inch tablets is not something that shuddered with the entry of Apple into this market, but most likely this event will soon change it. Analysts are trumpeting with might and main about the prospects of the segment, foreshadowing its rapid growth. The age-old rival of the apple company, Samsung, mastered the segment much earlier and released more than one seven-inch tablet into the world. Unlike last year's Galaxy Tab 7.7, the hero of today's review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is neither a flagship nor a prestigious model. Nevertheless, its characteristics are worthy of respect and force those who need an inexpensive tablet that is convenient to carry with them every day to take a closer look at it.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.7.0
Display	7 inch, PLS, 1024x600 dots, capacitive, 10 fingers multi-touch
Dimensions	193.7x122.4x10.5mm
Weight	342 grams
Operating system	Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich
CPU	Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 Dual Core Cortex-A9 1GHz
Graphic arts	PowerVR SGX540
RAM	1GB DDR3
Persistent memory	8 GB + micro SD card support up to 32 GB
Communications	IEEE 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Connectors	mini USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack, card reader
Camera	3 MP, frontal 0.3 MP;
Battery	4000 mAh
Additionally	orientation sensor

Design and connectors

Describing the design of tablets is not easy at all, and the design of Samsung tablets is doubly so. They are too similar to each other. In the pictures, in principle, it is clear that this is a child of its eminent Korean parent, but, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, the case here is traditionally plastic, rather slippery to the touch. The back, fortunately, is not glossy. A few subtle scratches appeared on it even before my intervention in his life. True, I don’t know how long the sample that I got for testing spent in work.

From iPhone 4s

The thickness of 10 and a half millimeters does not allow the tablet to be considered very thin, but it still allows it to fit into the pockets of jackets or jeans (not any, really). Although a book-like device weighing 342 grams, in my opinion, it is more convenient to carry in a bag than in clothes. But such a weight allows you to hold the tablet with one hand for quite a long time.

The top end contains an audio jack, the bottom - a pair of speakers and a charging jack.

On the right are the power off and volume control buttons, but on the left side there is a place for a microSD card reader covered with a plug.

It will definitely be appreciated by those who are looking for an inexpensive tablet with a well-known name on the case and at the same time plan to transfer data frequently (the last phrase contains a warm hello to the Galaxy Nexus and its biggest drawback, the lack of expandable memory). The body plastic is quite simple, but durable: the tablet is assembled well, the parts are fitted to each other, squeaks are not heard when pressed.

Screen

1024x600 pixels is not God knows what resolution by today's standards, but it is much more important that the tablet has a PLS matrix, not a TN one. Let me remind you that PLS is a technology similar to IPS, only manufactured by Samsung. It looks like the viewing angles are good, whatever one may say, everything will be visible. However, in terms of clarity, brightness and contrast, it seemed to me that this screen is inferior to colleagues with IPS middle class. The colors are not calm in an oriental way, somewhat pale, which, for me personally, is preferable to the flashy colors of SuperAmoled.

On a sunny day, the screen is poorly visible, but you can distinguish the letters. Only here it is better to set the brightness to the maximum, and in general it is better to adjust it manually: auto-correction does not always work correctly. Reading or watching movies indoors from a tablet is convenient. Galaxy Tab 2.7.0 responds to touch quite sensitively, understands up to 10 fingers at the same time.

Comparison with iPhone screen 4S

Performance, functionality and software

The tablet has Android 4.0.4 with a proprietary TouchWiz shell, in a version similar to the Samsung Galaxy SIII. For details, we refer the reader to that review, but here we briefly mention that this interface is quite close to pure android, there is a convenient division into applications and widgets. There is a built-in file manager, a simple but convenient "program tracking" widget, which allows you to quickly deal with the eternal Android problem - applications hanging in memory.

I also liked the cute clock widgets with an alarm clock, a note-taking program (though only through the keyboard, without the ability to draw), a rather convenient S Planner organizer and, as always, not the most convenient browser.

There is a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and the "Contacts" item, pulling up information from Google account, and also, in the case of the 3G model, from the phone book.

The control keys here are on-screen, and a button for quick screenshots has been added to the three standards. This is convenient, but is it really necessary for the vast majority of users?

The multimedia capabilities of the tablet are not bad. First, as is always the case with Samsung devices, the Galaxy Tab 2.7.0 supports a variety of audio and video formats. So, you can listen to MP3, OGG, AAC, AMR-NB, WB, WMA, WAV, MID, IMY and, fortunately, FLAC. The sound from the speakers is of medium volume (at the maximum you can watch a movie in a quiet place) and the average level. Of course, not a music lover, but it will do for a tablet. In headphones, it immediately becomes softer and more pleasant, quite clear, at about 80% of the volume, then slightly creaks. True, the sound is flat, there are no special basses here.

A fairly advanced hardware platform - and the Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 chipset with the ARMv7 instruction set and the PowerVR SGX540 graphics accelerator - is installed here - it has an IVA3 multimedia accelerator that encodes and decodes 1080p video in hardware. I launched a FullHD movie in MKV, it played without problems in general, although the picture started to slow down a couple of times. In general, TouchWiz, although pleasant, is not the fastest shell. Sometimes the smoothness of the transition between pages was lost, although I did not observe any critical “brakes”. The tablet shows normal average results both in benchmarks and in games. Say, in Dead Trigger, it is quite possible to play. For toys and everything else, 400 MB of RAM out of a total of 1 GB are available in the device, and the storage capacity in our case was only 8 GB. However, there is an option with 16 GB, and the microSD slot is, fortunately, available.

The tablet found WiFi points quickly enough and did not lose it, but GPS is not always stable: without the Internet, when driving in a car, it sometimes tries to find a location for a very long time.

Camera

The main camera has a resolution of 3 MP, which, of course, is quite small. But her biggest problem is not the number of megapixels, but simple optics, lack of autofocus and flash. More or less decent pictures are obtained only in perfect lighting. However, tablets, even seven-inch ones, are not the most convenient tools for capturing the world around us. Nevertheless, if you really need it, you can take poor pictures, as well as videos in a resolution of 1280x720 pixels at 30 frames per second. The front camera works for video calls. Checked: it works, you can recognize a person, however, if you are not in the twilight of a rainy day.

autonomy

Under normal load (Internet, movies, music, reading - periodically during the day) with a variation in screen brightness from 70 to 100%, the tablet works for about 2.5-3 days without recharging. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 played a FullHD video at maximum screen brightness and sound volume, and turned on WiFi for 4 hours and 23 minutes. Decent performance, although slightly behind the Nexus 7.

Competitors

Obviously, in the budget segment of 7-inch tablets, the Nexus 7 is one of the main leaders, and it is he who is the main competitor of the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. For the same price, the Google/ASUS Nexus 7 has a higher resolution screen and is somewhat faster. However, the lack of support for external media for many becomes a reason not to buy the brainchild of Google and ASUS, as well as sometimes the lack of a 3G module. We got the non-3G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for about $200, while the 3G module adds another hundred to it. However, it has already come out with this same module, let's see how quickly and at what price it will be with us. Also worth mentioning is the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, which is somewhat heavier and larger than standard 7-inch tablets, but has a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, which may be more acceptable to some users than the generally accepted 16:9 standard.

In the dry matter

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 may be good choice for those who are looking for a fairly productive inexpensive 7-inch tablet with a decent screen for surfing, reading and watching videos, for those who need GPS and memory cards, as well as a 3G module. 4 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0:

• Price/quality ratio
• Good performance in games and videos
• Support for a large number of audio and video formats
• Good build

2 reasons not to buy Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0:

• Slowdown in the TouchWiz shell.
• Weak camera.

As we all know, the ruler mobile devices from Samsung has dozens of models. This includes, for example, both smartphones and tablets developed in the Galaxy class.

The device discussed in this article is also included in this category, as evidenced by its name. We're talking about the Tab 2, a seven-inch tablet released back in 2012 that was once one of the strongest devices in the lineup. The article will provide a description of the device, a description of some of its modules, as well as customer reviews.

General information

Today, the device, of course, is outdated - you can judge this at least by the technical description of the device. If at the time of release the tablet could be called a fairly strong player on the market (due to high-quality assembly and fairly advanced equipment), now even in the budget price class there are sometimes more productive versions. Nevertheless, this is the peculiarity of the device - at the time of its release, it was in demand and had relevant technical specifications. In addition to them, we can note the ergonomic, stylish design and high-quality materials from which the body of the model is assembled. And all this - for 15 thousand rubles in the version without a 3G module and for 20 thousand - with one.

However, we will begin to talk about everything in more detail so that you can understand why this device is so good.

Equipment

The device is presented from the moment of purchase in the most classic set. This includes the tablet itself and Charger, which consists of two parts - a USB cable and an adapter for connecting it to the mains. There is no film on the tablet screen, but it is on the adapter. The bundle is meager when compared with Chinese devices, but quite familiar for such famous companies like Samsung.

Design

Outwardly, perhaps, Tab 2 is not much different from some modern devices. This is a gray plastic, painted “under the metal”, smoothed edges, no right angles. For Samsung, this design once formed the basis for further models - just when the company abandoned the “verified” (at that time) copying of Apple devices. Thus, we can say that this is one of the earliest design decisions from the Korean holding. However, due to its prevalence, this unique appearance you can't really name it.

Due to the smooth edges, holding the tablet is quite comfortable. Judging by the placement of the logo on the front bottom of the device, the manufacturer expects to work in a vertical variation, classic for 7-inch tablets.

All navigation is located on the right side of the case - these are sound adjustment buttons and a key for unlocking samsung screen Galaxy Tab 2.

The opposite, left side of the device has holes for a memory card, which allows you to significantly expand the capacity of the device, as well as for a SIM card (in case we are talking about a tablet version with support for 3G networks). These nests are hidden under a special latch, which makes working with them convenient and provides some protection to the functional holes from dust and moisture.

On the bottom of the device, you can see a socket for charging the tablet (which also serves as a connector for connecting to a PC), as well as speakers under a special mesh. They are located in such a way that when working in a horizontal position, the dynamics of the tablet will not be closed.

Screen

Manufacturers installed a PLS-matrix display on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablet. At its core, this is a competitor to IPS screens, which was brought to the market by Samsung. She applies her development to different models, and all have special, soft colors that are somewhat harder to distinguish in sunlight. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that working with the tablet in bright weather will be somewhat problematic - only the maximum brightness will save.

The resolution here is the level of 2012 - it reaches only 1024 by 600 pixels, so count on high density the picture is not worth it (it will be at the level of 170 pixels per inch). But the display works with the multi-touch function, which recognizes up to 10 touches.

Also, if you look at the specifications belonging to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, you will notice the presence of a light sensor. As tests show, it does not work quite accurately, so it is more comfortable (reviews confirm this) to transfer the tablet to manual mode determine the brightness of the screen and set it yourself.

Battery

As we all know, the problem of autonomy is relevant for many mobile devices, especially those with small screens and overall dimensions. As for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, user reviews speak of it as a fairly autonomous device with a strong enduring battery. At least the technical description talks about a battery capacity of 4000 mAh. Due to the optimized power consumption, the device is able to hold out in the most intensive use mode (playing HD-video with the maximum volume level in the headphones) up to 5 hours. Of course, with a more moderate charge consumption, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablet will be able to please the user with longer work.

We note right away that you won’t be able to replace the battery yourself here - the back cover of the tablet is closed, and holes on the left side of the case are used to work with a SIM card and microSD.

CPU

In terms of performance, there can be no complaints about the device - the tablet, according to the assurances of the owners, works perfectly even under load. Contributes to this declared in Samsung specifications Galaxy Tab 2 processor TI OMAP 4430, with a clock speed of 1 GHz, operating on two cores. The device works with 1 GB of RAM, which, in principle, is enough to perform standard tasks. Although, of course, there are reviews in which people expressed their wishes that the manufacturer increase this figure to at least 2 GB.

As tests show, the web browser of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (to which we dedicated the review) works faster than other tablets with a screen of 7 inches in 2012. The developers have achieved this just due to a more productive stuffing.

Camera

We all understand that using a tablet computer to take pictures and shoot videos is not very convenient. Nevertheless, manufacturers continue to equip their devices with cameras. The same applies to the Galaxy Tab 2.

According to technical specifications, the tablet has a 3-megapixel main camera that allows you to take pictures at a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels. In addition, the video creation function (720p format) is supported. In addition to it, there is also front-camera to create a "selfie"; traditionally it has a lower resolution (only 0.3 megapixels).

According to customer reviews, the pictures on the device are quite acceptable (on the main camera), while we can talk about working with the front camera only in the context of conversations on Skype and other instant messengers.

Operating system

Of course, traditionally the device from the Korean company Samsung runs on Android version 4.0.3. This firmware has been on the device since its release on the market. As for the updates, they probably reached modification 4.2.2, after which the company refused to adapt the following parts operating system. Therefore, you will not see version 5.1 here.

Included with this version of the system is a graphical shell called TouchWiz, which is known for its special design and work logic. It could also be seen on other devices from Samsung, in particular, on the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Multimedia

With support for multimedia files on the tablet, things are going well. It's all about, first of all, the pre-installed software from Samsung, which allows you to recognize most of the currently available formats. Problems such as “video does not turn on on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2” (or audio) are extremely rare. You can fight this by simply installing additional players (for example, MX Player will be the ideal solution for this). This applies in particular to the MKV format. However, if you do not take it into account, then you can work with standard applications - they have all the functionality necessary for this.

Connection

In terms of communication support capabilities, the tablet we are describing is not much different from most gadgets on the market. If you go into the settings presented on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, you will notice that there is Bluetooth support for sending and receiving files, there is WiFi for working with wireless fixed networks, and a GSM module is installed that allows you to call and send messages, like from a phone. In addition, the buyer can choose a configuration that will include a module for 3G - then the device will gain even greater mobility, having the ability to work in networks.

Announced a new tablet Galaxy Tab 2 with a 10.1-inch display in February 2012, and in April it should appear on the shelves of Russian stores. In this review, we will talk about the main characteristics of the device, as well as outline the main differences from the Galaxy Tab 2 with a 7-inch screen.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) has the following height and width - 256.6x175.3 mm, and the thickness of the device is only 9.7 mm. With such impressive dimensions, the weight of the device is only 588 grams, but we note that Samsung products have never been very heavy.

The design of the plastic case is very elegant with unique features. It is worth noting that the tablet is quite comfortable to work with, and the tactile sensations of the body material is very pleasant.

The front surface of the tablet is mainly occupied by the display, and the camera is located on the back side.

Performance and operating system

The Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) is equipped with a TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor running at 1 GHz. RAM is provided 1 GB. Two versions of the tablet computer will be available - this is with built-in memory of 16 GB and 32 GB. Also has a card slot microSD memory, with which you can increase the amount of memory by 32 GB.

The device operates on the basis of the operating Android systems 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, in which Samsung's proprietary shell - TouchWiz - has been introduced. Based on the characteristics of the processor and RAM, we should expect that working with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will be very productive with real multitasking support.

In addition to the fact that there will be two versions of the device with different amounts of internal memory, there will also be a division of the tablet and support for 3G networks, that is, there will be two versions of the Galaxy Tab 2 - with and without 3G support.

Other communication features include support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, A-GPS and GLONASS modules.

Tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has the usual set of applications: games, audio and video players.

Screen

The device is equipped with a 10.1-inch PLS TFT screen with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. Images on this high-definition screen look colorful, bright and vibrant. So we can consider this tablet as a competitor to The New iPad in terms of display quality.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) has a 3.1-megapixel camera, which is located on the back of the device. The maximum resolution of photos taken with this camera is 2948x1536 pixels. The quality of the photos is quite decent. Soon we will publish an article dedicated entirely to the tablet camera with sample shots.

The camera allows you to record Full HD video at 30 frames per second.

There is also a front-facing VGA camera for video calling.

Battery

The device is equipped with a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 7000 mAh. This figure has grown significantly compared to the tablets of the first Galaxy Tab series.

Main differences betweenSamsungGalaxyTab 2 (10.1) andGalaxyTab 2 (7.0):

	Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1)	Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)
screen diagonal
screen resolution	1280x800 pixels	1024x600 pixels
Li-Ion battery capacity
	256.6×175.3×9.7mm	193.7×122.4×10.5mm

Price

The cost of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) in Russia has not yet been announced, but we have learned the price of the tablet in European countries. So, the estimated price for the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) will be 550 euros for the version without 3G support and 600 euros for the version with 3G networks support.

As of May 25, 2012, the cost of new items has become known. The price for the modification of the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) with 16 GB of memory will be 14,990 rubles (with Wi-Fi support) and 19,990 rubles (with Wi-Fi + 3G support).

TabletSamsungGalaxyTab 2 (10.1) video review:

About a year ago, Samsung introduced its "iPad 2 answer" with new models in the Galaxy lineup. Unlike the Apple tablet, the first "tabs" were offered with two different screen sizes - 8.9 and 10.1 inches. In addition, modifications with diagonals of 7 and 7.7 inches appeared a little later. The models were equipped with different amounts of memory. A year later, it's time to update the line. New items are offered only in two screen sizes - with diagonals of 10.1 or 7 inches. They differ from their predecessors in a lower price, a fixed amount of internal memory (16 GB for all versions) and support for flash memory cards up to 32 GB. In addition, there are changes in the appearance of tablets and innovations in functionality.

The prospects of the Android OS in comparison with iOS as a more "open" platform are beyond doubt, but will Samsung be able to compete with Apple on an equal footing in the struggle for the "tablet" market segment already now? We mentioned a couple of advantages of the new tabs. We will try to go over the rest of the strengths and weaknesses of the tablets in our review.

Appearance

The appearance of the new generation models has undergone minor changes, but they are still present. Speakers appeared on the front surface. They are located on the sides of the screen at the top of the case. The back side of the device is made of gray matte plastic (the previous model had glossy plastic on the back).

Comparing the dimensions, you can see that the new model has become a little thicker and gained 23 grams in weight, apparently due to the speakers. Still, it's easier new iPad 3 by 34 grams.

The build quality raises no objections. Potential buyers of the device, who feared that in order to reduce the price, the manufacturer uses lower-quality case materials or will bring build quality for the sake of cheapness, we will reassure. The model is perfectly assembled from the same materials as its predecessor.

Above the screen on the right is a camera and a light sensor. There is also a camera on the back. The power button, volume control, a slot for a flash memory card, an audio output for headphones and a SIM card slot are located on the top end. At the bottom you will find a microphone and a connector for connecting a charging cable.

Screen

The new model received virtually the same display as its predecessor. Samsung did not please with anything new and revolutionary. Screen resolution with a diagonal of 10.1 inches is 1280x800 pixels, PLS-LCD technology is used, which is one of the varieties of IPS-matrix. Sensor type - traditional, capacitive. There is support for 10 simultaneous gestures. The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass - it will be difficult to scratch it, and this pleases.

Viewing angles are quite decent, and only at the maximum tilt the image acquires some purple tint. Brightness is adjusted not only automatically using a light sensor, but also manually. It is impossible to say unequivocally that the Tab is brighter or dimmer than the new iPad. The displays of competing tablets are quite comparable in terms of brightness.

Performance

If the tablet screen remained practically the same, then in the "stuffing" samsung tablet made changes. The company has replaced the previous NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor with the Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 chipset, which is used in devices such as Amazon Kindle Fire, Blackberry Playbook, LG Prada 3.0. There is also a PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip and 1 GB of RAM - almost all modern powerful toys will go with a bang. Compared to the Galaxy Tab 7.7, which stands alone, in terms of performance, the second "tabs" look a little worse, but in a number of indicators they surpass the previous model on NVIDIA Tegra 2, in particular, due to the use of the ARM-Cortex A9 core with a SIMD command processing unit, allowing to increase the performance of the dual-channel LPDDR2 memory controller (as opposed to the single-channel used on NVIDIA Tegra 2).

Battery

The tablet uses a 7000 mAh lithium polymer battery. According to the manufacturer, in standby mode, the device will hold a charge of 2000 hours. In the operating mode, it turned out that the tablet is "enough" for 7 hours of operation with the maximum display brightness and the 3G module turned on. In the mode of occasional use of 3G or Wi-Fi, average screen brightness, watching one movie and a couple of hours of listening to music, the tablet worked for 8 hours. That is, roughly speaking, the battery allows you to actively use the device for one day. Not a bad result, although not outstanding.

The tablet computer is charged only from the network, which is understandable. Charging with a small current from a computer would stretch for a whole day, while from an outlet the device is fully charged in 3.5 hours.

The tablet has a power saving mode that allows you to change the processor and screen settings to reduce power consumption. But as it turned out after a week of testing, using the mode does not give any tangible results, and practically does not increase the operating time on a single charge.

Mobile Internet and Data Transfer

Unlike the first "tab", the new device allows you to make calls, as they say, "out of the box". That is, no additional installation is required. software. The conversation can be carried out both with the help of a wireless headset and without it.

The device works in 2G networks (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 standards), as well as 3G using HSDPA + technology (data transfer rate up to 21 Mbps) and HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mbps).

There is support for Bluetooth 3.0 with support for the extended A2DP profile for transmitting stereo sound, for example, to wireless headphones. And of course, from the tablet you can also access the Internet via Wi-Fi or "distribute" the Internet using this wireless module as a point WiFi access hotspot.

We also mention the presence of a proprietary USB 2.0 connector. It is used only for transferring files from a computer or charging from the network. To connect a USB flash drive, mouse or keyboard, you need to use a special adapter, which you will have to buy separately.

cameras

The device has two cameras. The front camera has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels for video calls and the main one on the back cover is 3.2 megapixels. It doesn't have autofocus or flash. On the previous device, the front camera was equipped with a resolution of 2 megapixels, and the main one had an autofocus function and LED backlight.

And although the performance of the cameras looks worse in comparison with its predecessor, rear camera performed well at work. In good lighting conditions, there is practically no noise in the photo, the automatic white balance works decently. Clarity and color reproduction for a resolution of 2048x1536 (the maximum resolution of the camera) are satisfactory.

The camera interface is intuitive. At the top of the screen on the right is a photo / video switch, as well as activating the shutter and going to the gallery. On the left - front / external camera switch, shooting mode selection, timer, brightness (from -2 to +2), settings. The location of all these icons can be changed.

Videos can be shot in 720p (1280x720) resolution at 30 frames per second.

Interface

The tablet works on Android platform Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3. Of the differences from the interface from previous version Software, Honeycomb 3.2, which was installed on the first "tab", you can select widgets, the size of which the user can change at his discretion (stretch to size), a more "transparent" design of wallpapers and working words (dark colors have been replaced with lighter ones for perception light colors) and an increased number of various S-services (Samsung branded applications).

The tablet has a lot of useful widgets, and not so much. For inexperienced users, let's say that widgets are interfaces that deliver information to the device from some network resource (weather forecast, news feed, mail client), and which displays some brief information (news headlines or notifications about new letters).

There are a lot of pre-installed Samsung software. These are numerous S-services: a branded application store (Samsung Apps), a game hub (Game Hub), pre-installed games. It is unlikely that they will be of interest to most users, because all of them have much more convenient and popular counterparts. In general, the installation of such programs looks like a clear marketing ploy for the promotion of services - there will be little real benefit to the user.

There is also pre-installed third-party software: Yandex services and a number of useful programs, such as the office application Polaris Office, the application for paying for online services Ubank, as well as a simple video and photo editor.

As we have said, unlike the first "tab", the current model allows you to make calls. Of course, few people will put a 10-inch tablet to their ear, but with the help of a headset, the device may well act as a replacement for a phone, and in some cases it will allow you to get by with only one device, especially since the user-friendly application interface allows the user, among other things, to send SMS . It is possible to use both voice and handwriting input.

In the continuation of the review, we will separately go through the functions that will be most in demand among the user, and their corresponding applications.

Reading books

For reading books, newspapers and magazines, it has already been discovered installed application"Books and Press". The reader integrated into it is developed on the basis of the popular FBReader application.

A set of free books is available that can be downloaded in one click, and in addition, you can purchase works in EPUB, PDF, and other formats by paying for purchases from your SIM card account mobile internet, which you use in your tablet, or SMS messages.

In the "Newspapers" subsection, you can get 7 free issues of the most popular Russian publications as a gift, and then, if you wish, subscribe to them for a fee.

Naturally for reading e-books other programs can be used. A great option among many popular applications is the favorite of many users, Cool Reader, which can be downloaded for free from Google Play. The advantages of the application are a user-friendly interface and support for all the most common e-book formats.

Games

Thanks to the excellent performance, there are no problems in enjoying video games. All toys (including AngryBirds, beloved by Russian deputies) work stably. The entertainment function of the tablet is enhanced by a special Game Hub application.

Samsung calls it "Game Portal". Game Hub allows you to connect to popular games with in social networks and also play 3D HD video games.

Internet browser

The tablet, as usual, has its own browser, which, in comparison with the previous version of the device, has not undergone almost any changes. But he is so good. The set of settings has slightly expanded (there are such items as "Save for offline reading", for example).

The browser is fast, supports tabs, and scales web pages well. There is a function to display the sites you frequently visit (they are visible when you create a new tab).

Mail

The email client looks and works the same as the previous version of the tablet. It is very convenient to attach photos from the camera or screenshots saved in the gallery to emails.

You can configure the client to work with any personal address, not just a Google account. There is a separate application for Gmail.

Youtube

The tablet has handy application quick access to the Youtube video service. Relevant videos are sorted by topics listed on the left side of the screen. There is a convenient search for videos.

Video

A basic video player is installed with support for a decent number of formats. MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, WMV9, VP codecs and 3GP, ASF, AVI, MP4, WMV, FLV, MKV, WebM video formats are supported.

According to user reviews, not all formats are played without problems (there is video, but there is no sound, the video slows down), but the standard player plays movies in AVI, MP4, FLV and 3GP perfectly. Therefore, if you watch videos in the most popular extensions, it is quite possible to get by with the basic player. Fastidious users can choose an alternative to the pre-installed player, since there are a great many of them.

Movies are selected with the ability to preview the video, by lists or by folders (the default is to view the "Video" folder).

Music

Pleases and standard music player. Suggested various modes playback, sorting and selection of music tracks.

Navigation

The device has a GPS navigator. Several applications "Addresses", "Maps", "Locator", "Navigator" are installed, which work with the help of GPS.

Keyboard
The keyboard is used in many applications, the layout is comfortable and has not changed much compared to the previous version of the device.

On each of the keys with symbols, a long press calls up the full catalog of symbols. Available separate button with a smiley, which can also be held to call the full set of smileys.

Settings

The settings are made in almost the same way as in the iPad. And this is a plus, since the Apple design looks like the most convenient option for a section like this. The only difference from the previous version of the Galaxy Tab is that the settings are divided into subsections "Network", "Device", "Personal" and "System". Previously, they were displayed as a simple long list. Our opinion, with subsections it has become visually more convenient.