Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) Review

Introduction:

Just a month ago, we managed to preview Samsung’s answer to the Kindle Fire – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). Needless to say, if you’re expecting something cutting-edge, you won’t find it here, but rather, it’s affordably priced at $250 and somehow manages to employ some modest hardware specs to keep up with the times. Across the landscape, this is the first time we’re seeing a premier manufacturer making the leap of faith in producing a competitively price tablet, so we’re hoping to find the results somewhat rewarding in the end.

Design:

Unlike the prototype we previewed, there is one major difference we find with this final retail Wi-Fi only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 – and that’s the titanium silver plastic casing it’s using, as opposed to the matte backing from before. Still, it employs some of the design schemes found with the previous Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, but it’s a hairline thicker at 0.41” – though, its weight is about the same at 344 grams. Frankly, it’s not an impressive looking design, but we take comfort in knowing that it’s easy to hold and solidly built to ensure it won’t be falling apart over time.



Being an ICS tablet from the get-go, it ditches those separate capacitive Android buttons, but above the display, we find a front-facing 0.3-megeapixel camera that’s ready for our video chatting sessions and random self-portrait shots.

On its left side we find its microSD protected by a plastic cover, and on the right we have the lock key and the 2-button volume rocker, both of which you can feel with your thumb relatively easy. Becoming a standard with Samsung’s tablets, we find an IR blaster perched on the right edge as well, which turns it into a universal remote. Its top side is occupied by a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack and microphone. Along the bottom edge, we find Samsung's proprietary 30-pin connector and a pair of speakers, which are sufficiently loud.

Tucked towards the upper left corner on the back of the tablet, its 3.2-megapixel fixed focus camera is left all by its lonesome self – though, it’s highlighted by a chrome trim border.


Display:

Just like the very first Galaxy Tab, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) sports a 7-inch (d'oh) display with a resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels. That translates into a pixel density of 170 ppi, which is nothing spectacular, so don't expect everything on it to look silky smooth like on those high-resolution tablet displays. Relying on Samsung's very own Super PLS LCD technology, it would seem to be spectacular, but we’re not totally sold by its appeal. Indeed, it all culminates to one pleasant looking display, as it sports natural looking colors and decent viewing angles, but we still find ourselves having difficulty viewing it in direct sunlight.