The folks at Samsung just sent me a Galaxy Tab Android tablet to review. The 7 inch slate is probably one of the best Android tablets on the market right now, at least in terms of specs. It runs Google Android 2.2, has a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird CPU, a 7 inch 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive touchscreen display, 3G and WiFi, two cameras, and full access to the Google Android Market. It’s also the only tablet available from AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular in the US.

I haven’t had much time to test the Tab yet, but after having spent some time with the excellent Google Nexus One smartphone and the less-than stellar Augen GenTouch78 and WiiPad Android tablets, I have to say the overall experience of using the Tab is a lot more like using a good smartphone — just bigger.

The Tab is very snappy and handles screen rotation, multitasking, app switching, and animated effects very smoothly. I had no problem using the on-screen keyboard to enter text, and the Galaxy Tab has all the buttons, bells, and whistles that Google Android expects to work properly.

On the other hand, there’s not much that the Tab can do that you can’t do with a phone. While it has a higher resolution display than most smartphones and a bigger screen, which might make it a better option for reading eBooks or web sites, I have to wonder if it’s different enough from a smartphone like the Nexus One or a Samsung Galaxy S to justify its existence.

I’ll be putting the Galaxy Tab through the paces over the next few days and I’m sure I’ll have more to share soon. In the meantime, you can check out my unboxing video after the break.

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8 replies on “T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab unboxing – video”

  1. someone is selling me a tab on verizon, but im on tmobile, will i be able to use it or is it cdma locked specifically to verizon like a regular cellphone? does anyone know?

  2. When I buy a tablet it will be one that does 90% of what I want from a netbook. It will never be able to do 100%, but in order to leave the netbook at home it needs to do 90%.

    (As far as carrying another device I carry a SMALL candy bar phone. Such a phone has a enomous standby time (weeks), I can use it while fully using any other device, and my candy bar makes better/clearer calls.)

  3. Let the arguments begin. Thankfully there are a few people here who are swept up in the tablet craze. I think sure, there is an ebook reader craze, but the tablets are getting thrown out there as the ‘must have’ device.

    I will reserve judgment until I read Brad’s full review. He’s the man and if he think it’s cool, then it must be. If it serves no practical use, I’m sure he will tell us that also.

    I the kind of person who need a lot of convincing and Brad knows it. 😉

  4. The argument for and against tablets that are basically just larger versions of Smartphones are the same as those made for and against the Apple iPad. Since even at 9.7″ it’s still technically just a enlarged iPhone.Similarly many would argue that the usage of such tablets are different because of their size and 7″ seems to be the sweet spot between even larger tablets and the Smartphones. Keeping a balance between portability and usability.But like many products that are neither fully here or fully there, it’s not a perfect solution by any means. Instead it’s a compromise and should be viewed in that light for whether or not it’s a good product or not.

  5. “On the other hand, there’s not much that the Tab can do that you can’t do with a phone. While it has a higher resolution display than most smartphones and a bigger screen, which might make it a better option for reading eBooks or web sites, I have to wonder if it’s different enough from a smartphone like the Nexus One or a Samsung Galaxy S to justify its existence.”

    Right. I don’t understand why anyone would want to carry an extra device. I guess handheld devices are going through the “bigger is better” phase right now. Bigger phones and tablets simply make it slightly easier to view content and make up for the lack of keyboard. That’s it folks.

    I use a Palm Pre Plus because I want my phone to fit in my pocket. (It’s overclocked of course!) It’s large enough to read the local sports page, some PDF books, check email, IM, etc. If I need to do more, I grab my 11.6″ Acer and fire up the Mobile Hotspot on the Pre. Now I have a full size keyboard, a larger enough screen and enough processing power to run a full development stack. So why do I need a tablet? What’s the point?

    1. So you too carry around an extra device.

      Anyway, I also would like smaller smart phones that are as powerful as their larger cousins. I lean towards Android though so I won’t get the Palm Pre. The smaller Android phones I’ve seen so far are too weak/slow for me. If Windows Phone 7 turns out to be good and the apps I use gets ported or equivalent ones are made then I’ll look into small powerful Windows phones too.

      1. Since I can’t program on my phone and my laptop doesn’t make a great phone, I carry my phone and take my laptop when I need it. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t own a desktop. lol

        I guess if all I ever did was surf the web and really didn’t need a computer with a keyboard I could see why I might want a tablet to go along with my little phone. But if that were the case, I would probably just get a larger phone and carry one device. So again, what’s the point of the tablet?

      2. I, too, would like to see smaller versions of these high-end Android phones. I’d like one with a 3.2 inch screen.

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