Samsung Galaxy Tab II 7.0 Dual-Core Tablet Review

When it comes to Samsung, they make a lot of good products: Cell phones, cameras, even surround sound systems and appliances. And when it comes to tablets, they're considered a top tier manufacturer. If you haven't tried one of their tablets, you really should. Up for review today is their Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Features and specs:

• Carrier:  Wi-Fi
• Color:  Titanium Silver
• OS:  Android 4.0
• Rear Camera:  3.0 Megapixels
• Dimensions:  4.8" x 7.6" x 0.41"
• Weight:  0.76 lbs
• Battery:  4,000 mAh
• Internal Memory:  8GB
• External Memory: microSD card slot supports up to 32GB
• Main Display:  1024 x 600 pixels
• Display Size:  7"
• Audio:  Music: MP3, AAC/AAC+/EAAC+, WMA, OGG (vorbis), FLAC, AC-3
  Sound: AMR-NB/WB, WAV, MID, XMF, iMelody, SP-MIDI, RTTTL/RTX, OTA
• Video:  1080p Playback @ 30fps
  Video Codec: Mpeg4, H.264, H.263, VC-1, Divx, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark
  Format: 3gp(mp4), wmv(asf), avi(divx), mkv, flv, webm
• Business and Office:  Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync, Virtual Private Network (VPN) Access, Polaris® Office, Video Chat, Cisco WebEx, EAS IT Policy, HW Encryption, Sybase Afaria
• Messaging Options:  Email; Corporate Email; Instant Messaging; Swype™

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 came shipped in their standard white box with colored pictures and some features and specs printed on it. Opening the box revealed a tablet sitting in a cardboard cutout. Underneath it was the charger cable and owners manuel. The device felt really solid in hand. It appears to be made mostly of a hard plastic with curved edges and gorilla glass. Quality of materials used is excellent as well and the products fit and finish. It really was put together really well and plug in the charger seemed to have a solid connection to the main board. I was also very impressed with it's form factor. Last years Galaxy Tab 7.0 was a nice device but this years model is really slim, a lot more so than last years model. It's thickness reminds me of last years Galaxy Tab 10.1.

I have really had a lot of fun using the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. It feels really good and solid in hand. The touch screen is pleasently responsive without being overly so. Panel performance is also very good with it's contrast, resolution and even shadow detail. Processor performance between aps and gaming is also very good. It is very fast when it comes to closing and switching between aps, using the apps without any hickups. It's dual core processor and GPU have also proven a performer with games, showing no system hangs or low frame rates.

Wi-Fi and internet connection speed is also very good. There have been zero issues in regards to connectivity and downloading, even when it comes to video, such as watching movie trailors on YouTube. Audio quality, with it's small stereo internal speakers was also surprisingly good. It played sufficiently loud when it needed to. Yet it also provided a crisp clean sound that was near full range. Having the memory card slot for more expandablity for storage unlike the iPad is just icing on the cake. Another area where the dual core processor has seemed to help is with capturing video with the tablet. It does lack an external LED light and low light performance isn't great, but when capturing video, the video was smooth and flowed very well.

Here are a few benchmarks from Quadrant, NenaMark1, NenaMark2, and Linpack single thread and multithread benchmarks.  Performance was very good as a dual-core.

Samsung has really done it right with the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Not only is it loaded with great features, such as a dual core processor and gorilla glass, it's also set at a great price point at $249.99. Bargain hunters should be estatic. You do get what you pay for, and I've seen tablets only last 6 months before problems start to surface. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 seems built well enough to provide years of service. You will probably want to upgrade for features before needing to upgrade for functionality. Based on it's design, features, quality and performance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has earned our Highly Recomended Award. For more information and complete specs, go to their website at
www.samsung.com.