Galaxy Tab 7.7 Quick Review

Galaxy Tab 7.7 – Review of Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

If you think this Galaxy Tab 7.7 model is another minor upgrade of its original 7 inch tablet, you will be pleasantly disappointed.

Unlike the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 model has several major changes that qualify it to be in a class of its own.

The most prominent change is the use of Super AMOLED plus display screen. This is the same type of screen used in Samsung highly successful smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S II. The display is bright and vibrant which make the viewing text clear and sharp.  With a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, pictures look really crisp and vivid.

The use of metallic finishing also makes this new tablet a head turner. It looks more classy and luxurious than its predecessor.

At a glance, it looks the same size as the original Galaxy tab 7, which is misleading of course. The screen size has increased a little which give it more viewing area. Its body measures only 7.89mm, which is thinner than its predecessor’s 12 mm. And it weighs only 340g, which is about 40g lighter than Galaxy Tab 7.0.

This 7.7 inches model features a 1.4Ghz dual-core processor and runs on Google’s Android Honeycomb 3.2 operating system. This newer operating system is optimized for tablet display. It enable older app meant for smaller screen to fit the whole screen without distortion. In addition, media files can be loaded directly from the MicroSD card.

In contrast, the older Galaxy Tab 7.0 runs on single core 1 GHz processor and runs on Android 2.2 operating system.

The one thing that I feel disappointed is the use of a proprietary port for connecting the tablet to your personal computer.  A common interface will make life easier for most of us. And I don’t see any advantage of using this proprietary port yet.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet will be available in most countries within the next two months. A few online stores also have the stocks.  However, it may not be available to certain countries due to the legal battle between Apple and Samsung.

Galaxy Tab 7.7 Specifications

Display

7.7 inches Super AMOLED Plus capactitive touchscreen with 4 way rotations and multitouch

800 x 1280 pixels with 16 millions color

Body

Size: 196.7 x 133 x 7.9 mm

Weight: 340 gram

Memory

RAM: 1 GB

Internal Storage: 16/32/64 GB

External Storage: microSD card up to 32 GB

Camera

Front : 2.0 Megapixel (MP)

Rear: 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus, LED flash and geo-tagging

Video: 720p High Definition recording at 30 frames per second (fps)

Audio

Stereo Speakers

3.5 mm jack for headphone

Support MP3 and WAV ringtones

Support Vibration Alert

Format Supported: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, apt-X(BT codec)

Network

2G: GSM 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900

3G: HSDPA 850/ 900/ 1900/ 2100

Connectivity

GPRS/EDGE Class 33

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Dual-band support
(2.4GHz, 5GHz)

802.11n Wi-Fi Channel Bonding

Wi-Fi Direct™, Allshare

Bluetooth v3.0

USB 2.0 Host

Features

OS: Android OS v3.2 (Honeycomb)

CPU: Dual-core 1.4 Ghz Cortex A-9

GPU: Mali-400MP

Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Messenging: SMS, MMS, Email,Push Email, Instant Messaging

Adobe Flash Support

A-GPS and & GLONASS Support

Location-based service with Google Maps™ (Turn-by-turn navigation)

Apps

Google Talk™ video chat, Gmail™, Google Calendar™,YouTube™, Google Maps™, Google Latitude™,
Google Places™, Google Maps™ Navigation

Android™ Market

Polaris Office : Creating & editing powerpoint, word and excel documents

Battery

Capacity:  5,100mAh battery

Stand-by : Up to 1500 hours(2G) / 1200 hours(3G)

Voice : Up to 49 hours(2G) / 27 hours(3G) / 6 hours(VT call)

Video : Up to 10 hours

Music : Up to 50 hours

Price

Click here to check the latest price of Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Galaxy Tab 7.7 vs iPad 2

With the launch of Samsung new Galaxy Tab 7.7, will it be able to dethrone iPad 2 and crown itself the new king of tablets?

Frankly, I doubt it.  Even though Galaxy Tab 7.7 is new and very user friendly, iPad 2 has a much bigger fan base.  Nevertheless, it can be a hard choice between the two unless you are a die-hard Samsung fan or Apple fan.

In terms of visual appeal, I would prefer the new Galaxy Tab. It comes with the Super AMOLED screen which offer very clear and sharp graphics. And it function very well under sunlight. However, under ambient light condition, the AMOLED screen can be a bit too bright.

The new Tab comes with a brushed metal back, which make the tablet looks more classy than the iPad 2.

Both tablets are very responsive so it is hard to determine a straight winner. Even though the new tab spot a newer and faster processor, normal tablet user is unlikely to feel a significant difference in speed.

When it come to screen size, I have to give my vote to iPad 2. With a larger screen size, I can see more details and thus the need to do pinching is much lesser. However, the larger screen size becomes a drawback in the portability department. To me, it is much easier to carry the new tab around.

One thing I like about the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the long-lasting battery. Even with full brightness turn on, I can use it for nearly one whole day. The specs stated the battery can last 10 hour and I believe it is true. iPad 2 also claim a 10-hour battery life but in reality, it last more like 6-8 hours.

Although you can make phone call from the new tab, I don’t really consider it a huge advantage over iPad 2. It seems comical to place the tablet next to my face when making phone call.  It is easier to do it with the headset or use a bluetooth earpiece. Lets say this feature is a bonus.

If flash is your game, then the new tab is definitely the preferred choice. Apple is not supporting flash any time soon so there  is really no contest here if you need flash support.

For storage, both iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 comes in 3 variants (16/32/64 GB). However, iPad 2 does not come with microSD card support so there is nothing much you can do if you need more space than the built in storage limit. In case of the new Tab, you can add in a microSD card to increase capacity up to 32 GB.

While iPad 2 has less internal RAM than the new Tab (512 MB for iPad and 1 Gb for Galaxy Tab 7.7), most users probably won’t notice any difference. That said, when it comes to memory, it is always the case of the more the merrier.

Price wise, iPad 2 has a upper hand as its price has dropped since its first launch. As Galaxy Tab 7.7 is very new, its pricing is considerably higher than iPad 2. But with new models coming up soon, the new Tab should be more affordable in the coming months.

Putting price aside, my preference is the new Galaxy Tab 7.7 as I really love its light weight and stunning Super AMOLED screen. But iwhat iPad 3 coming soon, I may just cross over to the Apple camp.