The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a cheeky rival to the iPad 2, now available in the UK.
Apple’s attempt to erase the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from the history books is a compelling reason to take a long hard look at this upstart tablet. See also: New iPad review.
Since Apple created the iPad, there have been numerous attempts by jealous competitors to emulate Apple’s innovation. Yet it’s the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that’s most conspicuously fired up the Apple legal artillery to remove a product from sale. But why Samsung, why this tablet? A recap of recent history may suggest why. See also Samsung Galaxy Nexus review
Before the iPad launched in April 2010, just 18 short months ago, the instant-on fingertip-controlled tablet PC did not exist. A successful smartphone based on the concept, on the other hand, had been around for three years.
In a June 2010 interview, Steve Jobs revealed that Apple’s R&D team devised the tablet first, then shrank it down to telephone proportions, to make the iPhone the debut release. But Apple already had long experience of handheld computing, making one of the very first PDAs, the Newton, from 1993.
(There had been tablets before, of course, but they were rightly slated for being of little practical use. Microsoft tried to press its hardware allies into service to build the Windows tablet after its 2001 developer conference.
The results were fat, heavy, short-lived on battery, and needed a stylus to press into their murky, dull screens. Crippling them more than their chunky hardware was an operating system unsuited for the job.
Nevertheless these slabs were rolled out to businesses indoctrinated into wanting Windows everywhere. Ultimately, the effort petered out, and PC makers lost interest. The necessary screen and battery technology did not exist, while the very promoter of the concept didn’t get the fact that its desktop OS was entirely unsuited to the tablet space.)
Sincere flattery?
A few months from the release and ensuing meteoric success of the iPad, other tech giants hastily tried to copy the product. From a standing start, suddenly everyone thought they knew how to make a tablet. Samsung was one of the first to release a copycat tablet six months later.
Except, Samsung’s original Galaxy Tab was more like the unholy offspring of iPhone and iPad. Its 7in screen and telephone operating system created a Dom Jolly affair that, while a country light year behind either Apple product, was still about the best that any other technology brand could muster.
First it made limited amounts of what’s now called the Galaxy Tab 10.1V, an 11mm-thick tablet with 8Mp camera. Realising it must try harder, Samsung went away and oiled its photocopier.
So now, in August of 2011, it has the one true Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Where the original 7in Tab was a chunky slab with plastic screen and matching creaky back, the Tab 10.1 is ultra-slim and has a glass front.
Where every Google-sponsored tablet to date has found room for memory card slots and USB sockets – as much to appease techheads who say they can’t live without such expansion – the Tab 10.1 follows Apple's lead, and has none. And in place of high-gloss plastic casework, Tab 10.1 has satin-finished detailing: if only cod-metallic plastic.
In short, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is about as close as you can get to an iPad 2, short of handing £399 to Apple. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 curiously costs £399 but runs, instead of Apple iOS, Google’s presently closed-source Honeycomb Android software.
In the UK, the Dixons Stores Group (DSG) comprising PC World, Dixons and Currys has exclusive retail rights for the moment, and is matching Apple UK’s prices, spec for spec.
That includes other versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 too, such as with 32GB storage and 3G modem, the latter still pending release.
Handling of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 feels good in the hands. In its bid to outdo Apple, the Tab’s been craftily designed to be even lighter and thinner than iPad 2 – but by spookily narrow margins: Samsung knows the importance of waving superlative specs under the eyes of undiscriminating consumers.
Where iPad 2 now weighs a comfortable-to-handle 597g on our digital scales, Samsung’s reprise of plastic for the case rear – now in softer rubber finish – has meant it can shed a few grammes from the blueprint’s weight, to 559g.
In real terms, that 38g is impossible to detect when judging the pair by hand. In fact, the longer body of the Samsung leads some to think it heavier due to a cantilever effect.
Laid down on a flat surface, Tab 10.1 and iPad 2’s thicknesses are indistinguishable to the eye. Our measuring calipers show a 0.15mm – just 150 micron – average difference, in Samsung’s favour: 8.70 versus iPad 2's 8.85mm.
Unlike the 4:3 aspect-ratio iPad that works well in landscape or portrait orientations, the 16:9-widecreen Tab 10.1 is essentially a landscape device.
Like iPad, it has an accelerometer that can tell how it’s being held and rotate on-screen rendering accordingly. Yet a 16.9 panel used upright in portrait view looks wrong, and feels more cramped when you try reading webpage or text content that way.
Samsung wants you to use it landscape, and puts its name along the bezel bottom to remind you how to hold it. A very Apple-like slot lies below, a 30-pin dock connector for charging and PC syncing.
Note that unlike the iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 must be charged by a separate adaptor, with no recourse to using a computer's USB socket. Charging time is slow. We left a drained Tab 10.1 on charge for seven hours, and it still showed only 80% capacity available.
In place of iPad 2’s mono speaker, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has smaller stereo speakers placed on its sides near the top corners. This brings some welcome spaciness to the sound, although in actual volume it’s no louder than iPad 2. In overall acoustic fidelity, we judged it a tie.
The touchscreen is well-suited to 16:9 widescreen content: that is to say, films and video. It’s similarly bright at maximum setting, although Samsung’s auto-brightness control leaves it slightly dimmer than an iPad. You can override this easily and set your own preference here.
Thanks to Super PLS display tech, a development of in-plane switching (IPS) technology that gives the iPad 2 such clarity from every angle, Tab 10.1’s display is as clear and colourful, and even renders small text in webpages slightly sharper.
Handily, a gently TouchWiz UX addition to otherwise near-stock Google Honeycomb includes a touch-activated shortcut to useful settings such as brightness, wireless, and battery meter in the screen bottom-right corner.
What make the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tick?
Inside, iPad 2 and Tab 10.1 have near-identical batteries, 25 and 25.9Wh respectively.
For an Android device, battery life is very good. It’s particularly difficult to benchmark lifespan meaningfully, but we found at least one whole day, sometime two or more, of ‘normal’ use was possible, all without having to get obsessive about switching off every battery-draining facility like Wi-Fi or manually killing apps. Perhaps tellingly, we couldn’t even find a way to do the latter with the default software setup.
The processor is from the same family as that used in the iPad, a dual-core ARM Cortex A9-based system-on-a-chip (SoC), also clocked at 1GHz. Samsung’s choice has a slower ultra-low power nVidia graphics processor against Apple’s PowerVR engine.
The iPad 2 benefits from a much faster graphics engine that helps accelerate such screen rendering, an effect felt throughout the tablet experience.
Inside the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Benchmark tests performed by AnandTech suggest that Apple’s graphics are not just a little faster; they’re around four times quicker than nVidia Tegra 2-based tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. That translates into far more fluid and realistic gaming for iPad 2 users.
Screen sensitivity is poorer on the Samsung, requiring a tad more finger pressure to scroll around web pages, for example. And while Android in this 3.1 incarnation has gotten smoother in its interface animation, it still just falls short of the slick frictionless feel that make the iPad so natural to control.
The Samsung’s cameras are more than capable, the rear-facing 3-megapixel especially, which can also take advantage of a neat facility to take well-stitched panaroma shots.
Web browsing is a touch slower than on an iPad, sometimes taking perceptibly twice as long for pages to load: our selection of pages took an average of 7 sec against iPad 2’s 4 sec.
But the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 does have the ability to play Adobe Flash content in web pages, which it does mostly well. Some pages filled the space reserved for Flash video with messages like ‘This content doesn’t seem to be working’, but at least the farcical lip-sync issues of mobile Flash video were less in evidence across numerous sites we tried.
NEXT PAGE: Earlier reviews from PC World US and PC World Australia >>
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Comments
Jimmccard said: What antivirus and internet security is already installed in a new Samsung galaxy tablet
Sid said: Its 1610 aspect ratio not 1691280x800 1610 a little taller than 1691280x720 169 usually HD Ready tvs display thisGood review other than that
D-l901 said: how long does it take for it to have its battery replaced
Condom said: What a terrible review despite it being an updated one Rather than spending time really looking into into what the Samsung can do it spends most time comparing it to an iPad What I wanted to know was more about the Galaxy and how it handled music updates and the like so I wouldnt have to use the awful iTunes and all its hanger on programs like Bonjour and Quicktime Not a mention of this or how you synchronised it using a PCYour reviewer has been extremely lazy and really didnt tell us much you couldnt gleem from advertising hype Basically a waste of space and a missed opportunity twice Next time get someone else to write the review
Matt Egan said: The antithesis of journalism Umm okay I think I will give your comments the credit they deserve given the near hysterical nature of your set up Which is a shame This I buy 100 the 101 has much better sound and screen is thinner and lighter I personally own a Tab 101 and my verdict would be that in comparison with the iPad the Tab is marginally slower at web browsing but offers brilliant web-based Flash browsing Its build quality is excellent its thin and light with a beautiful screen but it feels solid and slick The touchscreen is very reflective and the 169 ratio means that it should be used only in landscape format Responsiveness is excellent and the cameras outstanding Battery life is very good but it takes an age to charge and like the iPad whats with the proprietary cable Ultimately at 399 in direct comparison to the 16GB wi-fi iPad the Tab is pretty much the same It boils down to this do you want Apples restricted but guaranteed curated iOSApp store platform a great experience end-to-end but with no lateral space or do you want Android with greater innovation and in time more apps but a much more open feel with all the dangers and irritations that offers Im very much in the latter camp which is why I own a Tab Not everyone will be That I think doesnt constitute obscenely evident bias so Im mildly disappointed in myself for spending this much time replying to you Incidentally if you have even a vague grasp of etymology the phrase obscenely evident is an odd one but no matter
Michael said: Hi Matt while I dont condone anyone using mental illness as a critism its probably also a little demonstrative using a common and accepted phrase like screw loose as you did to dismiss a responderThe bias within this article is obcenely evident its the antithesis of journalism and Im quite surprised its associated with your magazine I certainly wouldnt be inclined to buy PCadvisor based on this reviewMy own experience comes from being required to use the original ipad and samsung galaxy tablets Ive also been around the IT industry for quite some time More recently Ive used colleagues ipad 2 and galaxy 101 devices but I no longer feel the need to use the latest technologyUsing the the ipad 1 amp 2 I have to commend apple the interface is slicker than any of the others it really is something to behold smooth fast and attractive Apple have never been quite so good always having their obsessive admirers the PC market was always going the way of the improving every week competitionApple have lately begun to disgust me regardless of the authors near insinuation they never produced the first tablet or as apple have insisted the first touch screen phone the first with gestures in fact the first with anything that theyve been litigious about Im surprised that HTC never counter sued because of the obvious lies in the law suite put forwardIt was clearly intentionally damaging all apple have ever done is reinvent theyve often done it very well But as soon as another company tries the same thing theyve got to bring in the lawers Ill be honest I will never with choice use a company that produces such closed limited products and prosecutes anyone who competes As good as both the iphone and ipad are they are not original Apple really should be looking at protecting a successful app market that is the only unique aspect they produced and without it the phone and pad would blend into the marketAs for the 2 and 101 the 2 is much nicer to use although Ive experienced it freeze the 101 has much better sound and screen is thinner and lighter but is more glitchy this is clearly down to the dreadful honeycomb software rather than the hardware however only hardware doesnt make a product My user experience still gives it to the 2 regardless of your writers unitelligent review
Matt Egan said: Hi Maeve - Im not sure what it is you expect us to do Some too many Tabs have been affected by the oil slick issue although by no means the majority of them If my Tab was affected in this way and it isnt Id take it back to where I bought it for repair or replacement If they refuse you can take the situation from there The fact is if you have the oil slick your device presumably under warranty is broken
Maeve Banks said: I have written to the editor of this review asking why they are not challenging Samsung about the widespread nuisance of the oilslickno reply Pretty slack methinkseditor
Jason Corner said: Have had iPad2 now for a few months amp loved it for 1st couple of weeks until I got fed up of not being able to Web pages because of the no flash Then theres the issue of no other product being able to connect with it via bluetooth or wireless unless its Apple made Have the the Samsung Galaxy 101 now aswell amp I love it Everything the iPad2 could be if it wasnt such a closed corprate controlled product Looking forward to having the time to see if youve reviewed the Galaxy S2 amp see if you think that is sub par to compared to iPhone4
Katp60 said: I guess Samsung must be inadated with this problem hence my email answeredbut never followed up So I rang and finally moved a step closer to solvingthis Oilslick problem All I have to do is simply take the unit into a retailer near me and theywill send it off for inspection Customer servce did reconize the problem asNewton Rings after a few line transfersGreatI thought however I wish I could feel a sense of relief but itseems all I have to look forward to is waiting for weeks of repairs andreplacements and no closer to using a gift that I was so happy about receivingI just wish Samsung could have prevented this
Maeve Banks said: I feel so dejected about this I have simply given upfor the time being anyway I guess Ill just accept that my tab has a funny screen and occasionally freezesbut I WONT be buying anything from Samsung ever again thats for sure
Helen said: NOT HAPPY Bought the Galaxy tablet about 3 weeks ago and last week I started getting marks on the screen which seemed to get worse the longer it was out of my bag I have googled the problem and found all of these complaints online about newton rings and this is exactly my issue I called Samsung this morning only to be waiting 25 minutes on hold and then got a useless girl who basically told me to turn it off and on DUH and perform a hardware reset then call back if it did not work I told her I had already been waiting half hour and was not going to call back but wanted to fix the problem now she just argued with me and refused to let me speak to her superiors but would not offer anything helpful to sort the problem nor would she agree to let me swap the unitget it repaired until I had tried the reset and call customer services later Why would I want to do something so obvious and then spend another half hour on hold Got so annoyed and hung up at the end and am still stuck here with a faulty unit What am I meant to do
Maeve Banks said: How long is it going to be before Samsung accept that a lot of their models have this oil slick problem ITs outrageous
dannypontin said: ive called the customer service line it took an age to get through and when i did the woman was very defensive The oil slick problems on my tab have got very bad Interesting to read that samsung have acknowledged the issue in the Philipines how long till the rest of the world follows suite
Kitty Price said: Did anyone return their Galaxy Tab 101 due toa design faultthe oil slick Newton Rings As mine was a wedding gift andhave since travelled leaving friends with the receipt Can I take it to anydealer and they will recognize this problem The email I received last week asnot been followed up by Samsung Thank you for contacting Samsung Electronics Weunderstand that there is a oil slick underneath the tab and the tab is not exposedto any extreme weather We are sorry to hear that the tab is having the issue Pleasecheck if the issue is persisting on all applications If you are able to viewthe oil slick even if the tab is turned off the tab requires a service If youare not able to view the oil slick when the tab is turned off please perform ahard ware reset Samsung Philippines have admitted that there isa problemWhat do I do nowConfused
Karl Waters said: Samsung have finally admitted there is a fault with the 101 with the oil slick aka newton ringshttpwwwyugatechcomblogpbut no they dont tell us anything useful just call customer service
Maeve Banks said: Yes Brian me too as you will see below I am preety annoyed actually as all the reviews I read were so positive and I was torn between this and the Transformer I wish I had gone for that now
Maeve Banks said: When I say ages I mean 4-5 hours which in my opinion is too long
briansturridge said: ive been having big big problems with screen freezing while playing games and watching you tube This is getting very frustrating for me and im regretting the purchase more amp more every day the charging is a joke and the instruction booklet is useless
noel HARGOOD said: I hope your unhappy Samsung readers bought using a credit card as they can get the support from them if the seller is uncooperative and if bought online you can send it straight back under Distance Selling regs but if you bought face to face from the one retailer as the three mentioned are all the same company I think there may be problems in returning it unless it is faulty A good reason why I buy from Amazon no quibble returns just like Marks amp Spencer