Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-Inch)

Ranking in at number 3 on our list of the best tablet PCs is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. We’ve been toying around with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 for a few months now and, as you’ve probably guessed by our ranking, we’re very impressed with nearly everything about it.

Without further ado, here is our Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-Inch) review.

Pros:

• Great value ($249)
• Clean and simple design
• Crisp and clear visuals
• Fast, streamlined operating system
• Surprisingly smooth performance
• Fast internet connection
• Portability
• Great for eBooks

Cons:

• Not as powerful as Samsung Series 7 Slate
• A little more RAM and processing power wouldn’t hurt, but at this price range it’s tough to complain

Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, take a look at our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 below.

We liked a lot of things about the 7-Inch Galaxy Tab 2. Here’s why we gave it such a high ranking on our prestigious list of the best tablet PCs in the industry:

Portability

Most tablets are too big to comfortably carry around without a backpack. The 7-Inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 bucks that trend. By compressing the screen and maintaining a decent resolution (1024×600), Samsung has created a tablet that is small enough to fit in a coat pocket.

It’s also light enough to hold in one-hand for long periods of time, which is great for people who like to read eBooks.

Simple, slim design

If you’re a fan of simple, minimalist design, then you’ll love the look of the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2. Its smooth, rounded curves are sleek and stylish. The exterior is bare of any logos, giving the Galaxy Tab 2 (7-Inch) a clean appearance that many users will appreciate.

Of course, some people see the Galaxy Tab 2’s design as bland and uninspiring. If that is the case, then there are plenty of 7-Inch Galaxy Tab 2 cases available for sale.

Enough power without breaking the bank

As you can imagine, the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2 isn’t quite as powerful as other devices. After all, it’s priced at $249 and its case can only hold so much hardware. In spite of these limitations, the Galaxy Tab 2 performs smoothly when running all sorts of applications.

Whether you need a fast internet browser or a good word processing tool (or both), the Galaxy Tab 2 has more than enough processing power to handle medium-intensity tasks. As long as you don’t expect it to run 10 intense applications at once, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the performance.

Ultimately, when you’re buying any tablet PC, you’re making a tradeoff between price and performance. With the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, the company has clearly scaled back the ‘performance’ side in favor of a lower price point.

Fast internet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 can does a lot of things well, but its internet browsing is especially smooth. With extensive Wi-Fi connectivity options, it’s easy to stream media onto your tablet, watch videos on YouTube, or whatever else you enjoy doing on the internet.

So, while the internet on other tablets may occasionally drop off or become choppy when streaming video, we didn’t experience any of these issues with the 7-Inch Galaxy Tab 2.

Ice Cream Sandwich

One of the 7-Inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2’s major selling features is its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. As you probably know, Android is one of the best mobile operating systems on the market today. On the Tab 2, the OS is smooth and responsive, and we experienced little in the way of glitches or other technical errors.

Having the latest version of Android means you have access to the OS’s wide range of apps. It also means that Samsung doesn’t have to pay for the Windows licensing fee from Microsoft, which can add about $70 to $100 onto the cost of an item.

Battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-Inch) doesn’t use a lot of battery life. Due to its lack of 3G and its low-resource-using hardware, the Tab 2 can last for approximately 10 hours on a single charge. Even when using the device constantly, it manages to last for over 8 hours. That’s impressive, and it’s great for people who want to have some entertainment on long plane rides or road trips.

Front and rear facing cameras

At the 7-Inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2’s price range, it competes with other lower end tablets like the Kindle Fire. However, unlike the Kindle Fire, which has no camera whatsoever, Samsung has managed to include a camera on both the front and back of the device.

Sure, they’re not going to film HD video for you, but it’s still a nice touch that a lot of people will appreciate. It’s especially useful if you like chatting with friends.

Bluetooth accessories

In this day and age, tablet PC manufacturers have no excuse not to include Bluetooth functionality in their devices. Fortunately, the 7-Inch Galaxy Tab 2 is well equipped to handle whatever Bluetooth devices you need to install. By buying a Galaxy Tab 2 Bluetooth keyboard and a 7-inch Tab 2 Stand, it’s easy to turn your tablet into a mobile workstation.

Samsung Media Hub and other apps

If you’re unfamiliar with Samsung’s line of tablet PCs, then you may not know about one of their biggest selling features: the Samsung Media Hub. The Samsung Media Hub allows you to easily collect and store your favorite songs, books, videos, and games. It’s extremely easy to use and is one of the most convenient features of any Samsung device.

Other useful Samsung apps include the ChatON application, which is an easy way to keep in touch with all your friends. You can set up Google+ hangouts, for example, or send media files to your friends. The best part? The friends you’re chatting with can be using any device.

Conclusion

There aren’t a lot of options for consumers who want a 7-inch tablet. So far, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has emerged as the leader in its class. Sure, it doesn’t have the raw performance power of other tablets, but at $249, we were impressed by the value.

If you’re looking to enter the tablet PC market without breaking the bank, then you can’t do much better than the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2. With its small, portable design and smooth performance under the Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 operating system, you’ll find it easy to love your new tablet.

To order your Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-inch, Wi-Fi) today, click here for the lowest priced offer

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-Inch, Wi-Fi) Technical Specifications:

• Dual Core CPU with 1GHz of processing power
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system
• 7-inch screen with 1024×600 high resolution visuals
• 8GB of storage space (up to 32GB available via microSD card slot)
• 1GB of RAM
• 3MP camera
• Weighs 12 ounces

This has been a review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-inch) by Andrew from WindowsTabletReviews.net