Samsung Galaxy Tab review

At best a BMW

Apple's products are a bit shinier than the competition but really, the fawning they receive is hardly deserved. Inside they are roughly the same parts but without any multi tasking and without an expansion slots. Apple's presentation may be better, but why is a tech site so willing to go weak at the knees for such simple tricks?

By windywoo on 2 Nov 2010

BMW

It's not about being shinier: it's about working together seamlessly. That's where Apple wins and, so far, Android slates fail.

By TimDanton on 2 Nov 2010

Ipad currently wins

Have to say in my view the ipad currently wins, same as the iphone does in the phone market. Trust me im no apple fan boy i use windows through and through, absolutly hate mac's.

The reason in the tablets case for me is that android need a good slate with around a 10" screen that comes in at £250-300 with android 3.0 on thats actually optimised for a tablet pc.

I really wish google had folled the same path as apple when it comes to just making a single device and releasing a new product each year. At least then i could guarantee that i would receieve the firmware updates, which if im correct you either recieve them miles after the release date or not at all :O. I can also guarantee that any apps i buy will be optimised for my device as currenly there is only 1 ipad on the market.

In the end though i believe google will have the best devices due to the openess. I mean leaving flash out of the iphone and tablet pc is just pure ignorence by jobs. All his arguments just done stand out with flash 10.1 released. I mean if he hates it that bad why cant he just put an on/off switch for it in settings?? He has to learn that the user decides what they need on their device not him :@!!

By martinburman on 2 Nov 2010

Right now these look a mess…Given time they may give Apple a run. But Apple rumours already have iPad 2 well into development. And then Apple also manage to make everything tech look gorgeously organic.

By Glovepuppet on 2 Nov 2010

Is this a PC Pro review or MavUser?

"to be a rival to Apple's groundbreaking device"

The iPhone was groundbreaking, the iPad is simply a hyperthyrodic version of it. With no phone. Or camera. How is that groundbreaking?

"It also lacks the vibrancy of an AMOLED screen"

Had it been fitted with an AMOLED screen this particular reviewer would doubtless be complaining that colours were TOO saturated and vibrant.

"but it also isn't really a living-room tablet"

Well no, the iPad is fun but I wouldn't want to lug one around all day.


"and is a great example of what can be done with a high-quality colour screen"

Try reading eBooks for hours on end on that backlit screen and see how your eyes feel at the end of it.


"We suspect the Samsung Galaxy Tab will be the best of the Android tablets"

I assume you mean "so far". There are plenty of new models due in 2011.

"so it's no surprise to see extras such as a 3-megapixel camera"

It's nearly 2011 and you think a camera is still an "extra"?

"In this particular market, they're the Fords, Vauxhalls and Peugeots to the Apple's Porsche"

(c) Apple Marketing Department, dictated but not read.

Porsche's are rare and uber expensive. Apple products are priced on the high side but there's plenty of chavs around with an iPhone. How many chavs own a Porsche?

"It would be easy to be soft on the Galaxy Tab"

No chance of that in this review.

By Lacrobat on 3 Nov 2010

Our in-depth look at the first - and likely the best - of the 7in Android-based tablets

That's it? from now until Doomsday, this will be the best that the non-Steve Job inspired universe can produce?

By Lacrobat on 3 Nov 2010

Wait another year!

If there is one overriding conclusion I would draw from this review it's -wait another year. There is no doubt that Android has a problem with lack of standardisation and deployment -however it is open. Apple's answer is a totally locked down environment which offers consistency by denying choice.
Re Lacrobat's silly comments -only a fool would say that the iPad was not revolutionary -otherwise why the rush to copy it! Similarly to say that Apple devices aren't PCs is wrong. The magazine is PCPro not Windows Pro.
I think the jury is out on whether tablets should have cameras (other than front facing for Skype-like apps). An iPad with a camera would just seem stupid in use.
I have a perfectly good camera in my phone, but accessing the web or watching video on any 3.x" device is just a pain.

By milliganp on 3 Nov 2010

How much?!

If it was around £300, it would sell like hot cakes. Now it's just a flop.

However I have to agree that Apple is indeed like a Porsche: overpriced, style doesn't change in decades and every owner thinks that there's no better car than Porsche :-)

By Lomskij on 3 Nov 2010

Sales figures in the run up to and after Christmas will settle this particular debate.

By j9chapman on 3 Nov 2010

"Try reading eBooks for hours on end on that backlit screen and see how your eyes feel at the end of it."

I do exactly that - having read a couple of dozen e-books on the iPad's back-lit screen in the last week or so, my eyes have never felt anything less than fine.
People need to actually have tried this sort of thing before spouting off about the supposed effects.

By Throbinevans on 3 Nov 2010

@Throbinevans:

I've tried that and my eyes started hurting in 15 minutes. Not because of the backlight though, but of a very poor resolution - small fonts look blurry to me and adds to eye strain. I don't have this problem when reading from a smartphone or a dedicated eBook reader, so it's a fail from Apple. Even photos on an iPad look blocky, unless you're watching them from 3 feet or more.

By Lomskij on 3 Nov 2010

Android 2.2

Thanks to everyone for their (mostly!) constructive feedback. I've changed the comment about "the best Android tablet" to "the best Android 2.2 tablet", because of course we're hoping that Android 3 will be much superior!

By TimDanton on 3 Nov 2010

@Ljomskij
Very poor resolution? You sure? I'll agree to differ on the text thing - we all have different tolerances I'm sure - FWIW I tend to run with the brightness low and using Sepia background for a more "book-like" hue, saves battery life too.

But blocky photos? Nah. I've just had a look though a stack of photos on the thing and they don't look blocky from 6 inches, let alone 3 foot.

By Throbinevans on 3 Nov 2010

@Throbinevans:
It's poor to me - if I can distinguish separate pixels in text or a photo, it is definitely poor. That's why I've got myself a 5" ebook reader - it has almost twice the pixel density of iPad and text looks similar to printed. New iPhone with over 300 dpi - absolutely brilliant, amazing sharpness.

iPad's resolution is fine for a laptop, i.e. when it sits like 2-3 feet away from you. Holding it in your hands some 12 inches away from your eyes is completely rubbish however. Although videos look good, I have to admit :-)

By Lomskij on 3 Nov 2010

Um, your prejudice is showing

So, you compare the cost of the 3G enabled Galaxy Tab with the non-3G iPad and say the Galaxy Tab is too expensive, duh, well why would that be now? Don't think it has anything to do with the inclusion of 3G in the Galaxy Tab do you? Well, suprise, surprise, the iPad with 3G is, guess what, £599 for 32Gb and £529 for 16Gb - the same as the Galaxy!!!! Didn't see any criticism of the £429 iPad only working within a WiFi hotspot. Really guys, you need to compare like-with-like, basic isn't it?

By ianreid99 on 3 Nov 2010

Prejudice?

Not really Ian - we cover that in the second paragraph of the review.

By TimDanton on 3 Nov 2010

@Lomskij
Oh well, vive la difference and all that. Agreed on the iPhone 4 (in my case iTouch 4G) - very lovely sharpness indeed.

Back to the Galaxy Tab... I think it's good, but could maybe do with a wee bit more 'polish', for want of a better word. I am surprised at the price, however, given that it's going to have cost less to make than an iPad and yet costs, as IanReid99 correctly points out, the same as iPad on a like-for-like basis from the point of view of 3G connectivity- Even taking into account the cameras, it needs to be cheaper.

By Throbinevans on 3 Nov 2010

@TimDanton

No you don't. In the first paragraph you clearly highlight the cost of the Galaxy Tab as being substantially more than the iPad by comparing it with the cost of the non-3G equipped iPad. the second paragraph merely says the £429 iPad doesn't include 3G but don't mention that an equivalent iPad costs exactly the same as the Galaxy Tab. Why do you even bother comparing the cost of the Galaxy Tab with a non-3G iPad? It seems you are deliberately comparing differently equipped devices in order to be able to draw an (unfair) conclusion that the Galaxy Tab is more expensive than the iPad, when in fact it costs exactly the same. And if your opening statement ("Its going to cost how much") applies to the Galaxy Tab it surely must also apply to the iPad?

By ianreid99 on 3 Nov 2010

iHaters gonna hate..

It never ceases to amaze me the vitriol poured over every iProduct that comes out.

You have to wonder what compels them to be so obsessed with a company that has decided to do things their own way and because of that decision, manage to produce hit after hit with well thought-out, well made, polished hardware and software..

They do great products that many many people love. Just because it doesn't suit your needs, doesn't mean it won't suit others.

Don't like it? You have a choice, buy from a competitor. Your trite criticism just end up sounding tired and bitter and contribute nothing to the discussion.

Get over it. Trust me, you'll be much happier for it.

By ihsan on 3 Nov 2010

3G unnecessary

Yes it includes 3G, but, not everyone uses 3G nor even requires 3G. The best selling iPad is the cheapest one, yet the majority of iPads sold are solely used at home where WiFi is becoming a standard fixture in the house. Samsung pricing strategy has already made it a premium Android device rather than a competitive one.

By Duggie on 3 Nov 2010

Mindless Sheep

All you Pro Apple boys are really starting to bust my nuts.

I would pay the amount for this samsung 'pad' because i know that 3 hours after I've purchased it, its rooted, overlocked, customer rom and recovery console for backup/restore and i can do what i want to the device, safely obvioulsy, which makes the device vastly superior in every way in comparison to the iPad, EVERY WAY.

There is nothing that i can think of, in my opinion, that i can do ONLY on the iPad that forces me to go out and buy and quite clearly, no one else can do this yet.

What is the iPad's Unique Selling Point? No Open OS? No Flash (dont even start on the HTML 5 rant) No expandability, No Multi-tasking, RSI after 10 minutes of use because of its weight? 'Just' to big to use out in public without feeling like a complete tool? Really, give me one!

Guys i could go on and on and on and all of you go on and on about Apple being the best, a porche of devices!? They put an expensive exterior on cheap parts, the same parts that one of 6 global manufacturers make which are in most bloody devices.

You are all buying this because, like most middle aged people who own a 'porsche', makes them feel cool when in fact they are already past it and havent got a clue.

Functionality is the key people, it really is that simple. If i want a top of the range device, i'll build one.

If you are happy with the Apple iPad being limited in all its ways as it is, then im happy for you. Sooner or later you people will realise that you arent buying the device because of its 'state of the art features' (Which clearly isnt the case) its for the 'looks' or 'quality', being caught up in the brand, the marketting and the hype.

If this were a clinical diagnosis, you've been brain washed pal!

By FaLlEn on 4 Nov 2010

Tablet computing is here to stay

I am impressed with the passion this balanced review has created.in 2009 tablet computing was still floundering and seen as a dead end product.
I have been using an iPad daily since April and can say it is still great fun to use.
I welcome the Samsung product as competition can only improve these type of devices further.It really is a great new way to interact with computers in a relaxed casual environment.
I feel sure this Christmas whether people buy an iPad or Tab they will have a lot of fun, and surely this is no reason to denigrate either purchaser?

By gharrop on 4 Nov 2010

How much?

If you click on the £529 price at the bottom of the page you get to Amazon with a price of £689.99, rrp £800!

By davids4kes on 4 Nov 2010

Pricing

Yep, looks like Amazon have none left. Play are now selling the 16GB version for £549 - looks like pricing might take a little while to settle down...

By DavidBayon on 4 Nov 2010

You just don't get it..

You just don't get it..

[I would pay the amount..vastly superior in every way in comparison to the iPad, EVERY WAY.]
Fine, customise all you want. That's one of the platform's strong points. But that hardly makes it superior to the iPad in every way.

Most people probably aren't as tech savvy as yourself and probably don't want to have to think about all that. They just want to just get on with actually using the device for what it's for. You know, for it to just work?

[There is nothing that i can think of, in my opinion, that i can do ONLY on the iPad that forces me to go out and buy and quite clearly, no one else can do this yet.]

No one said iPad could do more than the competition (when has it ever been about that???) it's just that it does it in a really focused/slick/intuitive/responsive way.. None of the lag/judderiness apparent on android, none of the interface inconsistencies, none of the battery management..

[What is the iPad's Unique Selling Point?]
Exclusive, best of breed, large screen optimised apps. Thousands of them.. Sure some will make their way to Android eventually, you might have to wait a bit though.. And sure there are Android alternatives, but has it really taken this long for Android to come up with a decent media player? (Winamp) Oh dear..

[Guys i could go on and on and on.]
Please do. The Leica-like build quality, the high quality components and materials (metal's and glass, no cheap plastic here thanks).

[You are all buying this..]
Like those that buy BMW's, appreciate a device that's had a bit more care and attention given to how it might actually be used. With market leading battery tech, best quality big screen, best touchscreen tech, most advanced mobile OS and most comprehensive ecosystem.

[Functionality is the key people..]
No it's not. Usability is key. For all the snazzy, advanced hardware features, wouldn't mean jack if the software is junk (EHEM..N8..HEM). Unfortunately you'll only realise how nasty your UI is once Gingerbread & true tablet optimised variants of Android comes out..

[Sooner or later you people will realise that you arent buying the device because of its 'state of the art features']
Apple use state-of-the-art tech where it matters.. Software and hardware working in unison to give you a silk-like responsive interface, great battery life, well thought out interface, great developer tools and support..

[If this were a clinical diagnosis, you've been brain washed pal!]
And you'd be ignorant.

By ihsan on 4 Nov 2010

Wow

*Tip of the hat to ihsan*

By DavidBayon on 4 Nov 2010

Yet the Creative tab comes in at under £200!!

Ok, it still not to market and won't have Android 2.2 until January, but I can't help think that this should be the price point for 7" Android tabs. Jees, the 10^ creative tab will only be £300!!!

The iPad for me is simply a non stater - the lack of flash support simply kills anything else it can do. This also means I will have to wait for the update to the Creative Tab as well, but I think this will be worth it.

By sinster70 on 4 Nov 2010

I bought one.....

And I paid £499 on PAYG from Vodafone.

I have an HTC desire (which I used as an internet device to accompany a blackberry for phone/mail tool) and in many ways the GalTab seems a larger version. I hate to say it, but the desire seems snappier - especially when browsing. Complex pages are a bit jerky, something that an ipad is not. This is the only time that it is noticeable.

I had intended to buy a wifi only version - but as it's not out yet, I compared to the same price ipad and it seems to offer an awful lot more.

I haven't noticed any nasty stretching of applications from the market place onto the GalTab. It is in no way offering blocky / pixelated scaling like the ipad does when running iphone apps. Maybe Andriod copes with different screen resolutions more flexibly?

In the PCPro review I would question whether marking the GalTAb down against the wifi only ipad is really a fair comparison. In fact, the Galtab is a phone in every way.

I suggest that in comparing the features of the 3G ipad against the GalTab the Tab wins. Why does pcpro give the ipad ***** and the GalTab ****?

After 24 hours so far so good. It's well built, the PC software works - (and its not itunes); swype's pretty cool (much faster than typing - but it is hidden in the settings); it includes 30 days of FT subscription and there are plenty of widgets and apps to use. In every way this is a solid, more portable and pretty usable android alternative to an ipad.

Full marks to Samsung. Does anyone know if android 3 will be ported to it?


And the review from pcpro...

Why so hard on the GalTab? It isnt an ipad. Is smaller, more portable, more open, and its a phone / camera / etc. Similar but different.

Value for money? Well, how much is a new unlocked state of the art smart phone in comparison. It's not ** where the ipad is ****.

The word "luxury" has no place in a review of a phone, pc, tablet etc. Luxury is a bespoke suit, a Bentley not a mass market piece of IT. IT annoys me so much I stopped subscribing to PCPro.

By djw12 on 4 Nov 2010

@ihsan:

[quote]It never ceases to amaze me the vitriol poured over every iProduct that comes out. [/quote]

Exactly! Why Asus / Acer / HP / Lenovo / Panasonic / etc etc don't get this sort of bashing? One word - attitude. No one likes arrogant snobs :-)

By Lomskij on 4 Nov 2010

@Lomskij

The funny thing is that Apple very rarely mention other products and they are not particularly arrogant either. The are just (frustratingly?) good at what they do.

I mean they have a bunch of retail shops in the UK- which I guess do well for them and there is not a single tv advert about them saying how great they are etc... I would say that might be a confident approach rather than arrogant.

When iPad was released, they positioned it as a solution to mobile computing- specifically net-books and they showed how the features of that product benefitted the customer.

On that point- I wanted to contrast the opening to each companies Press Releases:

Samsung:

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in mobile technology, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Tab (Model: GT-P1000). Powered by Android Operating System 2.2, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the first of the company’s tablet devices, representing a new category of mobile products for Samsung.

Apple:

Apple® today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds— thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499.

And then I also wanted to compare the first quotation in each press release:

Samsung

Samsung recognizes the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market. There is a new and emerging consumer demand that Samsung can satisfy since mobile is in our DNA. This demand continues to grow and develop as users tap its limitless potential," said JK Shin, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. "The Samsung GALAXY Tab has been designed to enable consumers to maximize their online experience wherever that may be. The Samsung GALAXY Tab is pushing the market in new directions and Samsung believes this is only the beginning of its innovations as pioneers in smart media devices."

Apple

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

You can see just from a couple of paragraphs of Press release a dynamic difference between these two companies. Apple is straight to the point about creating a product where it's users will benefit. Samsung talk about how the thing will make money in a newly created market (funnily enough created in the consumer market by Apple).

I do believe that the reason that there are a lot of haters on PC Pro is due to the fact that Apple is more closed than most.

BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING. Never forget that. These are consumer products going into the hands of consumers NOT Professional based or Business based products going into the hands of people with IT degree's.

Apple makes closed devices so to make the user experience top notch. The notion that it just works is important. Think about when you went to last buy a smartphone. You try it in the shop- if you can't get used to it you leave it. Its as simple as that.

This is the reason Apple are continuously successful- they make things for their users... profit is a bi-product.

By willdamien on 5 Nov 2010

@willdamien:

Different point of view I think. Because the first thing I've noticed in the Apple press releases was an excessive use of words like "revolutionary", "breakthrough", "magical", "unbelievable" etc which makes me cringe.

And for some reason lots of Apple users adopt the same attitude - becoming akin to religious fanatics "Oh Apple, ah Apple!" absolutely dismissing all other products. It's like they truly believe that owning an Apple product makes them somewhat exceptional. Oh well...

By Lomskij on 5 Nov 2010

First you can now buy the galaxy tab for £359.20 from currys or tesco, I got mine only two days ago and taken back to currys after a number of faults with the galaxy tab screen freezes kept losing wifi connection and to be honest I did not like the galaxy tab after these faults,I've got the iPad of which is a really good bit of kit and also got a archos 101 of which I think is a lot better than the galaxy tab but everyone to the own

By Doubledeman on 29 Jan 2011

I love mine after about 4 days with it.

Got it for £289, SIM free (O2 shop). Two friends went in the next day and bought one each after seeing mine. Love it. Fantastic value (6 stars). It is very easy to use if you have spent any time with an Android phone (5 stars). I think that would push the overall rating up to a 5 or 6 star product, wouldn't it? I also have an iPad no I'm not an apple hater or anything; I just wanted something that was smaller, lighter and easier to use out and about. It's faster than an iPad 1, too, which is a bonus.

By scombellack on 19 Apr 2011

Now widely available for £299 (3G) or £299 (Wifi only!)

Sorry for the second post, but I have just read some of the other responses above.

"How Much?" comments can now stop. But now I suppose this Tab has passed its best! If Samsung had sold it for this in the first place, world+dog would be tab users..
Still, this is a brass plate bargain next to the "Commtiva 7", "Advent Vega", etc. available at this price point.

There is also a £299 Wifi Tab available (GT-P1010), but that has a 30% slower CPU/GPU.. I recommend searching out the GT-P1000 for £299 (Asda, O2, PC-World, etc.).

By scombellack on 19 Apr 2011