For your Consideration, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Tablet
May 9, 2012
When a new Apple iPad goes up for sale, it’s something akin to an international incident. When a new Samsung Android tablet is announced for presale, it’s exciting- but sometimes it can fly under the radar. That’s why we’re here to help keep you up to date: in case you didn’t know, Samsung’s 16GB Galaxy Tab 2 10.1” tablet is available for pre-order via Amazon and other online retailers, and will hit store shelves at your local electronics retailer on May 13th.
While this most recent release of the dual-core, Wi-Fi Galaxy Tab 2 isn’t exactly revolutionary, it is something else we like: cheaper than average. For only $399, you can have 16 gigs of onboard storage (expandable via SD card slot) plus a year’s worth of 50 free gigs storage on Dropbox. What you do with that space is up to you, but we’d bet that you’ll be pushing lots of media through this tablet’s 1080p HD capable 1,280×800 display.
Hardware-wise, not much has changed from the Galaxy Tab to the Galaxy Tab 2, which isn’t an awful thing. It looks almost identical to the previous generation, with the same sturdy plastic backing and smooth black front bezel as the last generation. And while it’s the biggest form factor in Samsung’s tablet lineup, it’s not too hard to hold, considering it’s just as thin as a new iPad while also being a little lighter; the Galaxy Tab 2 is only 1.28 lb vs. the iPad’s 1.44 lb. (If you do need help holding it, we recommend the Vacuum Dock + WhaleTail tablet stand and handle)
Software-wise, change has finally arrived and will be warmly received. Android’s first (and not especially awesome) attempt at a tablet-specific OS, Honeycomb, has been left behind in favor of the unified Ice Cream Sandwich OS revision, aka Android 4.0. While the Android App Market errr, sorry, Play Store (we’re still struggling with that rename) doesn’t have nearly as many tablet-ready apps in it as Apple has available for it’s iPad, Ice Cream Sandwich’s new look and feel take care of a lot of Android’s previous inconsistencies, resulting in a much better experience for all your basic tasks. And now that Android is further through the process of sorting out its operating system schizophrenia, we can expect more apps to start showing up with tablet-ready iterations. Couple that rosy outlook with the very respectable price, and it’s definitely a tablet worth checking out.
Alexei Bochenek is a lifelong tech nerd & film buff based in Los Angeles. When he’s not playing with his phone, it’s because the movie has started. Shhhhh!
