Samsung has updated it Galaxy Tab series with new Galaxy Tab 2. The company has launched both 10 inch as well as 7 inch models which nowadays have become the two standard tablet sizes.
So what’s new with these tablets? Well for starters the tablets come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box; also the tabs have dual core processors for better performance. So we got our hands on the Galaxy Tab 2 310 which is the 7 inch version and we managed to get the 16GB Wi-Fi+3G version.
SPECIFICATIONS
- 7 inch WSVGA (1024 x 600) PLS TFT LCD display
- 1GHz Dual Core Processor
- 1GB of RAM
- Quad-band GPRS/EDGE and tri-band 3G with HSPA connectivity
- 8/16/32GB of built-in memory
- MicroSD slot (up to 32GB)
- 3MP rear camera and VGA front camera
- Standard 3.5mm earjack
- 30pin Connector for charging and PC connectivity (Samsungs’s proprietary connector)
- A-GPS and GLONASS
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth v3.0
- Weighs 345g
- Battery 4000 mAh
PACAKGING
The tablet comes with a standard pair of in-ear headphones, a USB data cable with Samsung’s 30 pin connector and a charger.
BODY AND DESIGN
The Galaxy Tab 2 310 or P3100 is thin and light weight and comes in two colors silver/white. We got the silver one to review and the first thing that you’ll notice is the device’s similarity to the previous 7 inch tablets by Samsung. Thought there have been slight modifications to the design but many features have been retained.
Above the display you’ll find a Proximity Sensor, earpiece for calling and the VGA front camera. Since it is running on the latest Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich you won’t find those capacitive android buttons below the display.
On top is the 3.5 mm audio jack. The left side has a microSD slot. Since we got the Wi-Fi + 3g model the device had a slot for inserting the SIM card. On right side of the device are three hardware buttons one lock/power key and 2 volume buttons. Unlike the international versions the device we got, didn’t have an IR port. Samsung’s proprietary connector is located at the bottom of the device along with a microphone to make calls and a pair of speakers.
On the upper left corner of the tablet is a 3.2-megapixel fixed focus camera, but with no flash.
ANDROID AND UI
The Galaxy Tab 2 310 runs on the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but the UI is really disappointing. Being a Samsung device P3100 has the TouchWiz UI which is the same as we have seen on other Samsung devices.
The lock screen is also not that impressive. Being the first tablet running ICS we were expecting a more interesting lock screen.
From the system bar at the bottom of the screen, you can quickly navigate screen, view system information, and more.
1.Return to the previous screen.
2.Return to the Home screen.
3.Open the list of recent applications.
4.Capture an image of the current screen and edit the image; Capture and add an image of the current screen to the clipboard (tap and hold).
5.Open the mini apps panel.
6.View the current time and your device’s status;
7.Open the notifications panel.
The mini apps panel now allows you to change the mini apps and ad more than 6 mini apps to the panel.
Though the TouchWhiz UI is the same as what we saw on Honeycomb it is still much more stable on this device and we didn’t notice issues while using it.
CAMERA
The camera could have been better, 3.2 megapixel with no auto focus and no LED flash is a pretty basic configuration. Because of the absence of a flash the quality of image reduces in dim conditions.
The camera can also record video in 720p which is pretty decent.
MULTIMEDIA
If we talk about audio the device can play MP3, AAC, AMR, FLAC, MID, WMA, WAV, Vorbis without any problems.
It is also capable of playing these video formats MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, and VP8. There is also the ‘All Share’ which allows you to play your media wirelessly on any other device via DLNA.
PERFORMANCE
We didn’t notice any performance issues while performing basic operations though while playing Temple Run we did noticed a minor lag.
It offers Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity which runs pretty good. There isn’t any loss of connectivity and the device maintains a proper connection all the time.
The battery backup is impressive. We were able to run the device for 4 days with low usage and for 1-2 days with high usage.
CONCLUSION
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 is a nice ICS powered, affordable tablet at Rs. 19,990 . The battery backup is impressive and so is its performance. But if you are looking for a tablet with a good camera, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is not that device. Also users previously owning a Samsung’s Honeycomb device might not notice any change in the UI.
However it is still an awesome deal if you are looking for a decent tablet without hurting your pocket.