Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Review

By Rob Boggan

It’s been nearly a year since Samsung released the sequel to its mostly popular Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 was tabbed as being the successor to what was at that time, Samsung’s iPad killer. Did Samsung pack enough punch into the Galaxy Tab 2 to have it emerge as a standout amongst an ever growing Android tablet market?  Today we’ll take a brief look back at the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1:

At first glance, one would assume that you just purchased the same exact tablet from a year ago, all over again. The look and the design of the Galaxy Tab 2 hasn’t changed much from it’s predecessor, outside of the fact that it’s a bit chunkier, and Samsung stuck primarily with the faux brushed metal back. Around the front of the tablet is the 10.1 inch 1280 x 800 display that looks good, but by today’s standards feels a bit like a downgrade. One pleasant surprise though, is the speakers on this unit are now located on the front of the device instead of on the back, which is a big plus when actually using them. Too many times did I get frustrated with the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 whenever I’d have the tablet lying in my lap or on my desk, and the sound would all but disappear. Usually when you get a part two to a device, manufacturers seemingly throw all sorts of money at making it “the next big thing”. Thinner, lighter, faster is what the aim usually is, and Samsung apparently did not get that memo, as the Galaxy Tab 2 is almost identical to the original on the inside. Same 1GHz dual core processor, same 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, LITERALLY almost the same. Now before that last line gets a little too harsh sounding, lets keep in mind that Apple employs the same methods with the iPad, only the biggest difference is they at least give you a bump in processing power before they over charge you.

Let’s talk about performance here for a bit. Actually running the Galaxy Tab 2 isn’t all that bad. Legitimately it runs super smooth, with no lag within apps, or with playing back video. The LPS screen reproduces vibrant, vivid colors, but again it could’ve been better. Battery life was a bit iffy on the Galaxy Tab 2 as well, with me being able to go roughly about a day and a half on one charge. If that sounds like it could be decent, it’s not as I clocked about 2 days of usage on an iPad, and most recently almost 2 and a half days with a Nexus 10. The camera system works about as expected, with the 3.2MP rear camera taking mostly good shots, but for the most part I’d reserve taking important shots with my smartphone. I was curious as to why Samsung omitted the rear LED flash from the Galaxy Tab 2, as that was a major component in the last model taking slightly better photos. The front facing camera worked decently for Skyping and video calls, and most importantly those ever precious self portraits. Running games on the Galaxy Tab 2 was a pretty smooth affair, but it did leave me wanting for more as some of the more recent additions to the Google Play Store felt a tiny bit slower than usual. I’m not too big on benchmark tests, but in comparison to it’s counterparts, the Galaxy Tab 2 lagged behind in almost every category. Being backed by Verizon’s 4G LTE network is a big saving grace though, due to the blazing fast download and upload speeds it’s capable of. Had I gotten the AT&T model(No LTE in my area yet), I’d more than likely not even use the data outside of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Now, while I get (partially at least) why Samsung chose to release the Galaxy Tab 2 with the same specs, it also leaves me slightly perplexed. The Galaxy Tab was, for the last couple of years, the standard bearer for Samsung and their tablet line. With the same hardware as last year’s model, and a price drop right out of the gate, does this signal Samsung conceding defeat to the iPad? Or is this merely a back to the drawing board approach? One can only hope that the newly released Nexus 10 tablet (which was designed by Samsung) is a glimpse into the future, because if not, Samsung will have a long road ahead of them with tablet sales.