Galaxy Tab 4G achieves warp speed
Muthu Ramadoss
Galaxy Tab 4G achieves warp speed
Unfamiliar: The Galaxy Tab 8.9 is a little smaller than other tablets but it offers 4G. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied
SAMSUNG'S latest is a little different and all the better for it, writes Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson.
Samsung's newest tablet computer is a little bit different.
It's noticeably smaller than other tablets, offers a speedier connection than its rivals, and its rounded, plastic body just feels different.
In a market crowded with Android slates, however, being unusual is not a bad thing.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G is the first tablet in Australia to use a 4G network and it's bound to win fans for that reason alone.
Even Telstra's prepaid SIM cards work magic in this device, picking up 4G signals and delivering downloads at between 2 and 40 megabits per second. That is roughly five times the speed of a traditional 3G connection.
This speed is particularly useful on a tablet computer when digital magazines, newspapers and books are just a download away, but can eat up to 500MB each. It also proves handy when Skyping, streaming video or connecting to subscription music services.
Naturally, this tablet's fast 4G connection is only available in Telstra's 4G zones around capital cities, major centres and major airports, but outside those areas the tablet uses dual-channel HSPA+ to make the most of its 3G connection. The speeds registered on our test device certainly outperformed that of a nearby iPhone, for example.
But while 4G may win over some users, it is not this Tab's only selling point.
This tablet is an unconventional size, offering an 8.9-inch screen. It's something of a compromise between a handbag-filling 10-inch tablet and a too-small-for-some 7-inch model.
Thanks to a high-resolution LCD screen (1200x800) that delivers bright colours and reasonably sharp text, this Tab's screen doesn't feel like too great a compromise, and its 470g weight seems to disappear in your hand while reading from it - even more so than some of its metal-bodied competitors.
This tablet's hardware also impresses, for the most part. It's equipped with a dual-core 1.5GHz chip and 1GB RAM for speedy app delivery.
Our review model handled all apps before it, even loading Adobe Flash videos and updating several widgets at once. It did display some lag, however; nothing to cause serious frustration but enough to be noted.
This Tab also runs the second latest version of Google's Android software, Honeycomb - though Samsung has promised an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in future - as well as the company's own TouchWiz additions. The app shortcuts that appear to pop up from the bottom of the screen are particularly useful.
This tablet doesn't feature many extra ports, given its size, but it does offer a MicroSD port so users can add to its 16GB internal storage, and its battery promises up to nine hours of use.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G could be faster and would benefit from a more recent software update, but the speed and convenience of this tablet is undeniable and should impress city dwellers and anyone willing to loiter in a 4G zone.
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 8.9 4G
Telstra, $720
telstra.com.au
Rating: 4 Stars.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/galaxy-tab-4g-achieves-warp-speed/story-e6frfro0-1226299242695#ixzz1p9O8Lsgh
take care,
Muthu Ramadoss.
http://linkedin.com/in/tellibitz