Samsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung Galaxy Tab. Verizon Wireless was rumored to launch an unknown Samsung Tablet in the near future and based on a new inventory screen shot, it looks like that Samsung Tablet is actually the well known Samsung Galaxy Tab. Even though the Galaxy Tab has yet to be officially announced, many rumors and leaks have surfaced in the past few weeks, all of which are making the general public desire the device even more.
It is no secret Samsung will undoubedtly launch the Galaxy Tab first in Korea, but what about the rest of the world, especially the United States? In the U.S., Apple’s iPad reigns supreme and it will take a powerful Android tablet to dethrone the iPad, which uses AT&T’s 3G service. If the Galaxy Tab actually launches with Verizon Wireless, it will make for an interesting battle between Android and iOS, Samsung and Apple, and Verizon Wireless and AT&T.
It is definitely fitting for Verizon to launch the Galaxy Tab, but as of now we cannot confirm this rumor as truth. Hopefully we will hear more in the coming days as Samsung is scheduled to announce the Galaxy Tab at IFA in Berlin.
Some say that Samsung Galaxy Tab is going to run on Android 3.0 which I totally doubt because 3.0 should be released next year in Q1.
Samsung Galaxy Tab: What We Know
The info on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is trickling in slowly but surely. Aside from its 7-inch display, we now know that the Galaxy Tab will feature a front-facing camera for video chatting and will run Android 2.2, the most recent edition of Google’s Mobile operating system.
Unofficially, reports suggest the Galaxy Tab will sport a 1GHz processor and a 3.2-megapixel camera. Alleged leaks point to the tablet’s display being AMOLED with 1024-by-600 resolution. The Galaxy Tab is also widely expected to have a built-in GPS system.
In terms of connectivity, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is believed to feature both 3G and Wi-Fi data along with regular phone calling functionality (thankfully, various leaks point to the calls being conducted via Bluetooth, not an in-device earpiece).
The iPad, in comparison to those specs, has a 9.7-inch screen with 1024-by-768 resolution. It has no cameras and no GPS. It runs on a 1GHz processor
Samsung Epic 4G Review
The first thing that jumps out about the Epic 4G is the four-inch Super AMOLED display. It looks amazing. The black levels are incredibly deep and the colors vibrant.
The comparison between the Epic 4G’s Super AMOLED and the EVO 4G’s LCD is reminiscent of SDTV to HDTV — Super AMOLED is that good.
Also impressive is the speaker. Cranked up all the way, you could hear the YouTube video from outside the conference room where Sprint’s Mark Elliott demoed the device. It’s no wonder Sprint and Samsung are marketing the Epic and other Super AMOLED-sporting Galaxy S devices as portable entertainment centers.
Elliott even furthered the pitch by claiming in conversation the Galaxy S is geared toward video and entertainment, while the EVO 4G is great for “everything else.”
Keyboard
Another key difference between the EVO 4G and the Epic 4G is that the Epic has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard in addition to a virtual keyboard and Swype technology. The EVO 4G only has an on-screen keyboard.
The Epic’s slide-out QWERTY is a chiclet-style keyboard, commonly found on Lenovo, ASUS and Sony netbooks. Chiclet keys resemble the chewing gum of the same name, and are flat with straight edges, resulting in small spaces between the keys. Personally, I prefer the chiclet style as it reduces errant key entries caused by my chubby digits.
The Swype text-entry system is an interesting technology found on handful of Android phones, including some of Verizon’s Droid models. As the name implies, users can input text by swiping their finger across the screen, moving from key to key. It doesn’t work in real time, so the inputted text only appears once the swiping is complete.
There is a slight learning curve to the technology, especially for those used to pecking away on a virtual keyboard. But I found it to be both novel and useful, quick and accurate too. It won’t replace the physical QWERTY as my preferred text input method, but it’s a solid option.
Look and Feel
The Epic 4G has a bit more width than its Galaxy S cousins, the Samsung Captivate and Samsung Vibrant — as well as the HTC EVO 4G — owing to the slide-out keyboard, but I wouldn’t call it thick. It also felt a tad heavier than the EVO, but it is probably only an ounce or two difference, and it’s definitely not heavy. It won’t cause muscle strain or your pants to sag if carried in a pocket.
I think HTC’s offering has better look than the Epic. The EVO is more industrial with a brushed metal back and rectangular form. The Epic is tucked inside a hard plastic shell with rounded edges. The Epic doesn’t feel cheap, but the EVO’s cool metal feels much better in hand. Also, the EVO has a novel kickstand to secure the device on a flat surface for watching videos. I would think the kickstand feature is better suited for the Epic, which is supposed to knock my “entertainment socks off.”
