Samsung launches Galaxy Tab 10.1
Samsung's bigger new tablet uses Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset
One of the most anticipated launches at Mobile World Congress this week was the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Samsung certainly hasn’t disappointed us.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is far more than a larger reworking of the Tab, though it is bigger with its 10.1in display. Amazingly, Samsung has created a device even more stylish than its predecessor, and this is truly competing with, without merely mimicking, the design mastery of Apple.
There’s little to surprise you from the front, with the display and a smattering of buttons, along with a 2.0-megapixel camera for video chat. The 16:10 aspect ratio screen has a 1,280×800 resolution, slightly higher than the iPad’s 1,024×768 screen, and is therefore capable of 720p HD playback.
It’s an LCD display, rather than the AMOLED technology used in many Samsung smartphones, but that should at least help keep the down of a device that most people will buy outright, rather than with the financial cushion of a monthly mobile contract. Though it’s capable of taking a SIM for true mobile use.
The rear uses a fine, grille-like finish, which looks great and makes the tablet easier to grip. Except for Samsung and Google logos, there’s an 8-megapixel camera back here, which can capture 1080p footage at 24fps (though the bit-rate hasn’t been disclosed), plus an LED flash.
Inside it’s all change as well, with a switch to Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chipset. It’s a popular choice all over the show, with numerous tablets and smartphones using its combination of dual-core processor and capable 3D graphics.
Nvidia claim that there chipset is highly power efficient, but 3D gaming is bound to put a strain on the battery, thankfully Samsung have squeezed in a big 6,860mAh example. Despite this, the Tab 10.1 only measures a svelte 246x170x10.9mm, and weights just 599g. That makes slightly bigger, but slimmer and lighter than the iPad.
Predictably, the new tablet is running Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) for tablets. It’s a beautiful piece of kit, but disappointingly, both the price and the release date are yet to be announced.