Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Pro Reviews

With the tablet market so crowded these days, Apple's once commanding position is being eroded by Android tablet manufacturers such as Google, Samsung and Asus. Whilst the iPad is still clearly the biggest seller, the options for those that prefer the Android operating system or perhaps don't have the budget for an iPad are increasing month by month. So for a tablet to create an advantage it must have something that prospective buyers find attractive. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) its the excellent price point which with current cashback offers means you can get one for as little as £188.00. This represents superb value for such a well performing tablet.

With Asus’ 32GB Transformer Pad available for £399 complete with quad-core CPU, 8Mp camera and keyboard dock, and the smaller Nexus 7 soon to hit the market for £160, the Galaxy Tab 2 isn’t quite cheap enough to make a compelling case for itself. It’s not a bad device per se, though. Indeed, as little as three months ago I would have rated it more highly. But how much Android tablet you can expect and for how little money is changing with dizzying speed. Yesterday’s good is today’s average, is tomorrow’s also-ran.

The price is spot-on and it's excellent value for a fast 10.1in tablet

A year ago we liked the Tab 10.1, and for the second generation the hardware specs remain broadly the same, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has a much better operating system. All for £100 cheaper than it was. We love the bright screen, and adding SD support and 1080p video capture are both improvements. The problem is the competition: the Nexus 7 in particular has changed the game for Android tablets, and is a little more than half the price of the Tab (albeit with a smaller screen, half the storage and no front-facing camera). Meanwhile the iPad remains a cut above for £100 more than the Tab 2 10.1. If you absolutely require a 10in Android tablet, you could do a lot worse than the Tab - especially at this price. But also consider the Asus Transformer series of devices, and the Toshiba AT300 which at only £30 more than the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 offers a quad-core processor.

Although the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is the clear successor to the original, it's hardly an upgrade. It's not materially better than the OG version -- in fact, it's worse in almost every way -- and now Samsung finds itself in a market where it can't compete as effectively as it used to. Sammy's corporate heart was in the right place when it cut the price by $100, but it's almost as if the outfit forgot other companies are doing the same thing -- and stepping up their games in the process. When ASUS, for instance, set out to create a cheaper alternative to the Transformer Prime, it compromised slightly on battery life and settled for a thicker, heavier design, but the Transformer Pad TF300 is nonetheless similar where it counts: like its big brother, it has an IPS display, quad-core Tegra 3 chip and an excellent camera. The 10-inch Galaxy Tab 2 actually costs more than the TF300, even though it packs last year's specs and a hopelessly crippled shooter. If you have $400 to spend, you could buy an iPad 2 or the new Transformer and enjoy comparable (if not longer) battery life, along with smoother graphics and an improved imaging experience. Assuming you were going to ignore that camera anyway, you can't exactly go wrong with the 10.1, but you could also do a lot better.

Overall, we enjoyed our time with both of the Galaxy Tab 2 tablets. Although neither tablet topped the charts in our performance benchmark tests, both still offered good performance and a smooth user experience. In addition, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 offers excellent battery life, which is a major bonus for any tablet. Both tablets also look good and are comfortable to hold and use. Finally, both of these tablets ship with the latest version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich) rather than requiring users to upgrade the tablet at a later time. There's nothing earth-shattering going on with either the 10-inch or 7-inch versions of Galaxy Tab 2 but with their on-board IR blasters for TV remote capability and powered by Android 4.0, these are relatively well-equipped lower cost tablets.

As far as middle of the road Android tablets go, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hits the nail on the head. It's doesn't stray too far from the norm, failing to offer anything truly exciting or different, but also ensuring it doesn't fall flat on its face. If you're looking for a bog-standard Android tablet experience then it's worth considering, but you may want to check out the Asus Transformer Pad 300, Toshiba AT200 and Acer Iconia Tab A200, which offer strong competition to the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

Samsung's 10.1" Galaxy Tab 2 is doubtlessly a good tablet. The equipment is chosen aptly for a midrange tablet. Little things like the omitted LED Flash or that the front-face camera has a lower resolution than the previous generation is tolerable. But one question remains: Why does Samsung even release the Galaxy Tab 2 onto the market seeing that it offers only few new innovations let alone a higher performance than the still quite young N range? The only explanation actually is Android 4 aka Ice Cream Sandwich. As one of the leading manufacturers, Samsung must have tablets with the latest operating system in its range. However, this could also have been accomplished with an update for the very similar Galaxy N range. However, many owners of still fairly up-to-date Android tablets and smartphones already made the experience that the update strategy on Google's mobile platform is not the best.

Samsung does a number of things right with the Galaxy Tab 2 – the pricing makes more sense, and most of the sacrifices Samsung made to hit that number are ones I'm willing to accept (though I'd love to have that AMOLED display). Android 4.0 is a huge improvement, too, even though its tablet app ecosystem isn't up to par yet. There's also some nice tweaks in TouchWiz, and Peel's excellent universal remote capabilities are definitely worth paying for. There are some real problems with the device's performance, though — enough that I enjoyed my time with the Tab 2 7.0 far better than the 10.1, and have trouble recommending the 10.1 for power users or gamers. At $299 or $349, the Tab 2 10.1 could be an incredibly compelling 10-inch tablet, but at $399 it has some solid competition. I'd still recommend the iPad 2 over the Tab 2, because Apple's tablet app selection is so superior to Android's, and if you're leaning that way anyway it's worth spending $100 more to get the latest-generation iPad, with the gorgeous display and improved performance. Samsung's on the right track, but the price might still be a bit too high.

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is a modest update to what was a great tablet in 2011, making it a good tablet in 2012. Unquestionably, the new iPad is a better overall device even if I grant Samsung a slight edge in the build and design category, thanks to the iPad's Retina Display, 2GB of RAM, and quad-core GPU. I would also recommend any quad-core Android tablet, like the Acer A510, over the Tab 2. But that's an unfair comparison as the Tab 2 10.1 is a less expensive device. A proper comparison can be made between the $400 iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi) and the $400 (at launch) Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (16GB, Wi-Fi), however. The Tab 2 again has the edge in build and design, as well as display quality, though it's a close call. The Tab 2 has expandable memory via microSD, and if you have a Samsung HDTV, streaming content from the tablet is simple and effective. The IR blaster is also a bonus feature not found on the iPad 2.

Reminiscing about the experience we had with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from last year, we’re a bit saddened in a way that this successor is undeniably lacking the same level of love and attraction. Compared to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) doesn’t innovate in any way with its ho-hum specs sheets, but then again, Sammy has opted to make this line as its affordable offering – though, at $50 less ($450), it’s not particularly deemed as something super affordable compared to other thing. Instead, if you prefer to save even more money, without compromising features, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) is a better buy at $250. Overall, we can honestly say that this is a step backwards in the wrong direction, as it seemingly doesn’t have enough of the goods to compete viably in this market.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 delivers good performance packaged in a nice design for a reasonable price ($399.99). At that price point, the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 (32GB) offers a lower build-quality packaged in a heavier body (1.28 pounds vs. 1.39 pounds without dock), but provides higher performance. Beside Android 4.0 and the enhanced Samsung TouchWIZ interface, the most noticeable addition to the 10-inch Galaxy Tab next-gen is the handwriting recognition and the S memo application, a feature that is not available in the Transformer Pad. We could add the IR remote control capability as a nice feature that the Asus device does not provide as well.

Even if you're a huge fan of Samsung’s Touchwiz interface and you’re champing at the bit to get yer hands on a 10-inch tablet with an IR blaster, $400 for the Tab 2 10.1 is still pushing it, given its competition. This is still a dual-core $400 tablet with 16GB of built-in storage. The quad-core Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is $20 less for the same storage and $400 gets you that tablet with 32GB of storage. The TF300 also includes Micro-HDMI and a higher-quality rear camera. With that kind of competition, it’s difficult to see the Tab 2 10.1 as anything other than an overpriced sequel that comes up short in performance and isn't exactly setting the world afire with unique features. IR blasters are nice, but can't compare to HDMI and quad-core power.

The Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) is the same flagship tablet Samsung released a year ago, but this time around it has the latest version of Android and a lower price tag. With mediocre performance and aging components, there are better alternatives.

This tablet is made for those ladies and gentlemen who want the $100 discount off the lowest price on the newest iPad. Though this tablet is not made specifically to compete with the iPad, and it really wont, you’ll find it to be amongst the best values in the Android world for those of you not looking for the best processor on earth. If you just want to watch movies and browse the web, this may well be your best bet on the market today.

This Galaxy Tab 2 is a sensible package for a reasonable price. Alright, it may be short on thrills - but what matters here is it's good at the essentials. And not just good enough - it's a great portable video player and the browsing experience is top notch too. Ice Cream Sandwich, full telephony support and memory expansion are the immediate benefits over the original Galaxy Tab. Are they enough to justify an upgrade? Most likely not - if you have the original 10" Samsung tablet, the Note 10.1 is the device to look at. Or, you can simply wait for the ICS update, which shouldn't be too long now. Alternatively, if you're about to get your first tablet, or planning an upgrade to a bigger screen, the Tab 2 10.1 looks like a reasonable choice. And one that won't put a big dent in your budget either. With the launch of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Samsung are ready to match the price and beat the specs of the iPad 2.

If you have been waiting on a breathtaking quad-core Android tablet with 1080p display from Samsung, the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) is not it. Despite that the “2” implies an upgrade, it is actually inferior to the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 in certain aspects, so its main advantage remains Android ICS. It, however, shapes up to be a very capable workhorse, one that will burn through your daily routine like Internet browsing with full Adobe Flash support and watching DivX/Xvid movies right out of the box. Plus, it has a hearty 7000mAh battery, so it should be serving those videos or web pages to your eyeballs for many hours on end. That is what most users require from their Android slates, and, while the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) might not wow you with more premium build materials or a high-res display, it will certainly get the job done pretty well, and you can't request much more from an affordable Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. The price will thus be what will ultimately make or break the Tab 2 (10.1), and we are eagerly awaiting for Samsung to give more details on it to gauge if its new 10-incher stands a chance in the ocean of Android slates.

Sammy went through a lot in redesigning the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to beat the iPad 2 in terms of thinness, but with the new iPad, they’re now in and over their head. Being the new kid on the block, the iPad has the advantage in many aspects because of its superior hardware, but even beyond that, it offers a lot of bang for the buck. Staring down at their starting prices, the LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is too bloated at $700 outright through Verizon, and honestly, it makes the $630 starting cost of the LTE enabled iPad so much more valuable. Frankly, the iPad’s lower price point is enough to warrant a buy over its rival – especially when it’s a premium tablet that’s price super competitively. Also, the visual allure of the iPad’s Retina display is more than enough justification to pick it up as well.