Specs: Android 2.2, 1 GHz Cortex A8 CPU, 512MB RAM, 16GB/32GB, 7-inch capacitive LCD at 1024x600, 3.2MP rear-facing camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, phone-call-friendly 3G, 380g.
What we think: While the Galaxy Tab promised the world, it didn't quite deliver the tablet experience we were hoping for. As the first big-name tablet to take on the iPad, it failed to live up to its billing. That said, user response has been positive, and despite a high asking price of over £500 SIM-free, this is about as good as it gets out of the current crop of Android 2.2 tablets. A Wi-Fi only model is imminent.The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first major tablet release since the Apple iPad launched about five months ago.
It's been a long time coming, too. The Galaxy Tab was one of the all-time worst kept secrets in tech until it was finally unveiled at Berlin's IFA show back in September, and as the first major Android tablet release, it holds a weight of responsibility on its shoulders.
With a tidal wave of Android tablets about to sweep through the tech world, it's possible that if the Galaxy Tab were to disappoint, it could damage the perception that Android tablets will be able to top the iPad on features and performance.
The price certainly indicates that Samsung believes the Galaxy Tab can topple the Apple iPad from its tablet tower. The 16GB model costs £530, which is £100 more than the Wi-Fi only version of the iPad. It is, however, exactly the same price as the cheapest 3G iPad, which is clearly no accident.
That price doesn't include any 3G access either, so if you want web connectivity on the go, it's going to cost you a monthly fee from one of the mobile networks. Prices will likely start at around £10 a month for 1GB of data.
Once the Tab has gone on sale, you should be able to pick up a subsidised model from one of the mobile networks, in return for signing a contract. However, currently we're not sure how much these deals are likely to cost.
This pricing strategy is slightly surprising - the Android tablet would be a lot more appealing if it was a bit cheaper than the iPad.
Samsung's decision no doubt also has something to do with it not wanting to undercut the cost of its own Android smartphones, but it's a big risk.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a lot to live up to, then. Especially when you consider it's a lot smaller than Apple's tablet - its 7-inch screen is dwarfed by the iPad's 9.7-incher.
Keeping up appearances
With a slick black and white-styled body and a bright and shiny TFT touchscreen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab gets off to a good start in that it looks absolutely fabulous.
It looks every bit the iPad killer that Samsung wants it to be. And while it may look lot like the iPad in pictures, it's quite a bit smaller and feels a lot different in the hand.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab sitting between the Apple iPad and iPod touch 4G
At 12mm it's quite thick, only fractionally thinner than the 9.7-inch iPad. As such it feels proportionately more chunky than the Apple device; not necessarily a bad thing
The body is entirely made of plastic, so it feels less solid than the aluminium-backed iPad but it still feels adequately sturdy and tough. The plastic case enables it to stay pretty light at only 380g.
On the front of the device there are four touch buttons, similar to to those found on your average Android phone – one for home, one for options, a back button and one for search.
On the top of the device sits a 3.5mm headphone jack. The on/off button sits on the right hand side next to the volume controls and further down that left hand side you'll also find slots for a SIM card and a microSD expansion card.
The underside of the device is adorned by a charging and docking connector which looks identical to that of the iPad and iPhone. This will come into play when all the planned Galaxy Tab accessories start to spill out onto the market. The only external feature on the left side is a small microphone.
Samsung Galaxy Tab GT-P100: Features
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is powered by the Cortex A8 1Ghz processor which, in terms of sheer oomph, is a comparative match for the 1Ghz A4 processor found in the iPad and iPhone 4.
As such, we were expecting the Galaxy Tab to be at least as responsive, slick and speedy as the iPad. However, in many instances this just wasn't the case. More on that a little later.
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy Tab was orignally rumoured to have an AMOLED screen which would have been fantastic and undeniably iPad-beating.
However, the 7-inch display we have here is just a fairly standard TFT LCD. It's bright and colourful enough, and the WSVGA screen resolution (1024x600) is only slightly lower than that of the 9.7-inch iPad (so that's 260ppi versus 132ppi) which means that the display on the Galaxy Tab is a lot sharper.
Camera
The Tab comes with two built-in cameras: one 3MP rear-facing camera with LED flash and also a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video conferencing. This is an area that Samsung beats Apple by default – the iPad has no cameras at all and so for anyone who considers rear and front-facing cameras to be essential features, the Galaxy Tab is already a front-runner.
Connectivity
Unlike the iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is not available in non-3G guise. This is intended to be an on-the-go device - an essential bag-stored companion for those long journeys – which means 3G connectivity is central to its functionality.
Alongside this 3G connectivity sits 802.11n Wi-Fi which means streaming videos and the like when you're connected to a wireless network should be easy, and you've also got Bluetooth 3.0 in there as well for transferring files and streaming to external devices like headphones and speakers.
Storage
Despite the lack of a Wi-Fi only version, the Galaxy Tab does come in two different flavours according to how much storage space you think you're going to need. There's a 16GB version and also a 32GB version - it's the 16GB unit which costs £529.99, and we haven't got a price yet for the 32GB version.
The microSD slot can add up to another 32GB of additional storage so technically you'd be able to match the iPad's 64GB version if you really needed to.
There's 512MB of RAM, too, which is the de facto amount for these kind of portable devices at the moment.
Operating system
And of course, the rest of the features on the Galaxy Tab come courtesy of the inclusion of Android 2.2, or 'Froyo'. It's the most up-to-date version of Android currently available which means no software features get left on the table.
Check out our in-depth look at Android 2.2 for a closer look at specific software features.
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