Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review

The BGR team picked up the new and improved Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Google’s I/O conference earlier this week, and I have been using it non-stop for the past few days. There’s a lot to discuss here: the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the third Android Honeycomb-powered tablet launched by a major OEM in the United States, and Samsung went to great lengths to revise the design and slice off the extra bulk. The unit I have measures just 0.33-inches thick, which makes it the thinnest tablet available on the market today. It’s powered by a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, contains 32GB of storage, and Samsung promises that there will be an Android 3.1 update coming in the “next few weeks.” Is the Galaxy Tab 10.1 the best Honeycomb tablet yet? Check out our gallery below, and then read on to find out!

Hardware / Display

If you’re looking for a tablet that resembles the iPad 2 but with Android Honeycomb on board, Samsung has nearly nailed the aesthetics with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. My special edition unit has a glossy white back with an army of Android figures marching across it. Most Galaxy Tab 10.1 units will likely have a brushed metal finish, however, which I’ve found to be much more appealing. The border of the tablet is metal, as is the area
surrounding the rear 3.2-megapixel camera and its single LED flash — a nicety that adds to the premium look and feel of the device.

There are volume buttons, a power button, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 — when it’s held in landscape view — and there’s a proprietary Samsung charging port on the bottom. I don’t typically use HDMI-out very often, but I love having the option and I was stunned to see that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 doesn’t have a dedicated HDMI-out port. I’ll revisit this in the multimedia section.

The tablet’s display was nice and bright, but when I took it out on my terrace to relax and check email, I found it was a bit hard to see under direct sunlight. I really like the 7-inch display on the BlackBerry PlayBook — it makes the tablet much easier to tote around in a jacket pocket, but I quickly got adjusted to the 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 resolution screen on the Tab 10.1, and especially liked it while browsing websites and playing games.

The Tab 10.1’s hardware spec sheet is impressive, too. It packs a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 32GB of onboard storage, and a 7,000 mAh battery. Unfortunately there isn’t a microSD card slot to be found, so I wasn’t able to add any additional storage. Similarly, while Android Honeycomb 3.1 promises support for USB devices, there aren’t any USB ports on the Galaxy Tab 10.1. That means you’ll be left in the cold if you want to use USB devices with your tablet, unless Samsung can come up with a dongle solution of its own.

Software

I had used Android Honeycomb for a few minutes at times on various tablets, but I had not spent a great deal of time with the OS until the Galaxy Tab 10.1 landed in my lap. The current 3.0 version definitely needs work, so I’m glad 3.1 is promised in the coming weeks. You’ll call me crazy, but I prefer the BlackBerry QNX UI to what Honeycomb has to offer so far. Yes, I know there’s a lack of apps available for RIM’s tablet, but QNX feels so much more spry, especially when it comes to multitasking and flipping around the user interface.
Honeycomb’s UI is easy to use, but I hate that the navigation buttons are on the bottom left of the screen. I love the option to swipe up from the bottom panel in QNX to move back to the home screen. It feels much more intuitive than searching for a button to leave the current app. That reminds me — the app selection for Honeycomb tablets is still pretty slim.

I used the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab, and I wasn’t impressed with how it ran apps designed for smaller displays. Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed a whole lot with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. As it stands there are just a few dozen Honeycomb apps available, most of which cost between $0.99 and $4.99, and none of which were all that exciting. Apple’s iPad offers a totally different experience, but the app selection makes it more attractive and more versatile.

Despite the dual-core processor, Honeycomb was sluggish at times. Sometimes apps would randomly crash back to the home screen, and sometimes new ones wouldn’t install at all. I also had a number of lockups while browsing the web: the website would just freeze so that I couldn’t pan or zoom, and on multiple occasions the keyboard failed to pop-up when I was trying to type in text fields. The only solution for this problem was to reboot the device entirely. I don’t think I used the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for 45 minutes without seeing at least one of these bugs pop up. That’s bad.

The default Honeycomb keyboard was nice and large and I was able to type — slowly — with two hands at once. Most of the time, though, I found myself pecking at the keys, and I couldn’t type nearly as fast as I could with a smartphone. I still peck to type on the iPad, too, but I’ve heard of more than a few people who can cruise on that keyboard, and I’m not sure they’d have the same success with the Tab 10.1.

Honeycomb 3.0 allows you to customize five different home screens with widgets. Version 3.1 will allow you to resize the widgets on the fly, and that’s going to be a welcome addition. I enjoyed most of the widgets, particularly the email ones that allowed me to flip through my inbox, but they don’t branch too far away from what’s available on an Android smartphone. There’s also a useful, albeit ugly, notification system on the bottom right-hand of the screen. It works well, although I hate the look of the clock and buttons for Home, return, and the task manager. The icons are blue and retro-robotic, and I hope Google has plans to make them skinnable.

So what can we expect from the next version of Honeycomb? On May 10th, Google took the wraps off of Android 3.1, the next update for tablets. It will add support for aforementioned resizable home screen widgets and will also allow users to use input devices like keyboards, mice, trackpads, and gaming controllers — provided there’s a USB interface in place. Similarly, multitasking will be enhanced to reduce crashes and improve transitions. Hopefully this also addresses a number of the bugs I discussed earlier. What remains unclear, however, is if this will be available for the regular edition Galaxy Tab 10.1, which may sport Samsung’s custom TouchWiz user interface on top of Honeycomb.

During the Consumer Electronics Show in early January, Samsung gave me a close look at its custom “TouchWiz UX” skin for Honeycomb, the first such UI overlay. I really liked several of the enhanced widgets for social networks, email, and more. I have a feeling this will be used in the European versions of the tablet, but perhaps it’s being saved for a future update.

Camera / Video chat

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a 3-megapixel camera that took decent shots, but it wasn’t very impressive. There was noticeable grain in a lot of the images, and while night shots came out OK with the flash, the quality was on a par with a run-of-the-mill smartphone camera. I’m not so sure that it’s a huge deal to offer 5-megapixel cameras capable of recording HD or 3D video, as is the case on the T-Mobile G-Slate, because I’d rather use a more compact phone or dedicated camera for snapping photos instead of a 10-inch tablet. Still, I’m sure more than a few users would enjoy the option.

The 3-megapixel camera is capable of recording 1280 x 720 video (720p HD), and a few quick clips that I shot outside looked decent when I played them back on my computer. The frame rates were smooth and there was just a little distortion when I panned around with the camera. Again, most people will probably use a more compact smartphone for recording video, but the Galaxy Tab 10.1 does a fine job also.

There’s a forward-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chats, and it worked well during a test call to a friend over Google Talk. My buddy said the quality was “typical” and that I looked more crisp when I sat still talking directly into the cam – as opposed to moving around. The audio was solid, the video coming through to my display was crisp, and I was pleased with the performance overall.

Multimedia

Google recently announced its new music locker and video rental services, both of which will be available on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the future. I haven’t had access to the music beta, but I did load up a few movies and tunes on the tablet to test out its speaker and screen. A quick viewing of the movie “Hackers” looked just fine on the screen, and the viewing angles were sufficient enough that two people could easily watch a movie together. The default movie player didn’t have an option to blow the video up to full screen, though, so I was limited to watching it with large borders above and below the clip.

Google’s new Music player application — not to be confused with the aforementioned music locker service — looked excellent on the Tab 10.1’s large display. Album art was displayed nice and large, which made it easy to find the artist I was looking for. The speakers were loud, but not as crisp and full sounding as those on the BlackBerry PlayBook. I also appreciated that Honeycomb places a small music icon in the bottom right-hand side of the screen for easily controlling music from the home screen.

As I noted earlier, I don’t think the lack of an HDMI-out port is a deal-breaker, but it is a bit of a shocker. I’ve seen the dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip used in the Galaxy Tab 10.1 output full HD video, pictures, and games to a big screen HDTV. It’s a nice option to have, especially if you want to share content on your tablet with a room full of people.

Battery

When I used the Galaxy Tab 10.1 regularly to surf the web, play a few games, chat, and check my email, I was able to get through about two full days. That’s about what I expect from a tablet with a 7,000 mAh battery, and you’ll no doubt see longer life out of its battery if you use it lightly and leave it idle more often than I did. Unlike a few of the other tablets, which offer more portability thanks to support for 3G connections, you’ll probably be using the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with a Wi-Fi hotspot most of the time, and that means an outlet shouldn’t be too far either. You won’t need to look for one too often, though, as I found the battery to be more than sufficient for my needs.

Conclusion

This is one of the tougher conclusions I’ve had to write. Here’s why: the Galaxy Tab 10.1 itself is a beautiful and thin tablet with an industrial design to die for. But Honeycomb 3.0 definitely isn’t ready for primetime. It was slow and sluggish at times, apps crashed regularly, and the web browser froze often. Hopefully the forthcoming Honeycomb 3.1 fixes those issues, but we’ll have to wait and see.

If you’re in the market for a new tablet, you need to do yourself a favor and go hands-on with Honeycomb first. The hardcore Android enthusiast community will enjoy the tablet, and rightfully so, but I don’t think everyday consumers will appreciate the frequent crashes. The BlackBerry PlayBook’s QNX user interface is more fun, more polished, and more intuitive right now. Apple’s iOS is also dead easy to use and has a much more robust application catalog
.
When it comes down to it, is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 worth buying? If you want the thinnest, sexiest Android tablet available today, then yes — but only if you can get around Honeycomb’s current faults in hopes that coming builds will smooth things out.

Sequoia & IDG invest $10 million in mobile app developer Sourcebits

Sequoia Capital and IDG Ventures have invested $5 million each in mobile application development firm Sourcebits. The company develops applications for various mobile platforms like iOS, Android, BlackBerry, webOS and Windows Phone 7. According to the press release, the funds invested by both the venture capitalists will be used to set up engineering and sales centers in the United States, India, US and Europe. Sourcebits has developed nearly 300 applications for these platforms. Its Night Stand app, which converts an iPhone/iPad into an alarm clock, was downloaded over 3 million times and reached number two spot in the App Store within four days of its launch. Knocking Live, a live streaming app for iOS, has registered 2.3 million downloads. Apart from investing $5 million in Sourcebits, Sequoia Capital also invested $8 million in messaging app maker WhatsApp last month. Hit the break below for the press release.


Sequoia Capital and IDG Ventures invest $10 million in Sourcebits

-Leading smart-phone and tablet software and applications developer raises capital to fuel growth-

Bangalore, India — May 11, 2011: Sequoia Capital and IDG Ventures India today announced an investment of $5 million each in Sourcebits, the global leader for consumer and enterprise mobile app development. Sourcebits is the leading third-party developer of innovative applications for mobile devices, with 300 engineers and designers working on a strong global client portfolio.

Sequoia Capital and IDG Ventures India are the first investors in Sourcebits. The investment will help Sourcebits expand their footprint globally and locally. The funds will be utilized to set up engineering and sales centers in the United States, as well as augmenting a design engineering team in India and Europe. The company will also initiate a competition that will foster new thought, with the top 3 winning ideas being developed to create cutting edge mobile applications.

Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital, said “Sourcebits is the leading mobile app development company today and already has a fantastic portfolio of global clients and best-selling apps. The company has developed over 300 apps, 20 of which are in the top 100 in leading app stores. We are thrilled to partner with the team at Sourcebits and are confident that their award winning design and development team will continue to be a top destination for companies looking to create world class apps.”

Manik Arora, Founder and Managing Director, IDG Ventures India, said, “The market for mobile applications is experiencing phenomenal growth and is expected to hit $35 billion by 2014 according to IDC. Within this, third-party app developers are providing the focused technical and creative skills, speed and quality to make the market a reality.  Sourcebits stood out to us as the emerging global leader for third-party mobile application development. We are excited to partner with home-grown entrepreneur Rohit Singal and his global management team to help them achieve their vision for Sourcebits”.

Rohit Singal, Founder and CEO, Sourcebits, said “We are excited to have Sequoia Capital and IDG Ventures India on board with us as we look at expanding our operations. Having the backing of these two investors will give us the added impetus to innovate, excel and grow as market leaders in mobile and web applications.”

Sourcebits has built its formidable reputation with a strong lineup of apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Palm Pre and Windows 7 mobile platform using design lead engineering. The company has years of experience and its client base includes companies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups. Some of the most popular apps developed by Sourcebits include Robokill, Knocking Live, Daily Deeds, Night Stand, Skyfire, Beast Farmer and more. The application Night Stand, an app which converts the iPhone/iPad into an alarm clock, reached the number two spot for All Time Top Download on the iTunes App Store within four days of its release and has been downloaded more than 3 million times. Knocking Live, the first live streaming app for iOS, developed by Sourcebits has more than 2.3 million downloads.

Review: LG Optimus 2x (P990)

It made news, and heck, the Guinness Book of World Records, as the world’s first smartphone with a dual core processor. And it is also LG’s boldest step into the high-end smartphone segment in recent times, with respectable hardware built around aforementioned chip, leading many to predict that it would emerge as a contender (to quote Brando, Marlon) among the many high-profile devices – the Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4, to mention just two – that are expected in the Indian market in the coming days. But does the LG Optimus 2X (or the P990, to give it its proper moniker) deliver on its innards and almost Dickensian Great Expectations? We have been using it for a few days now. Hit the jump to get our pennyworth.

Looks

In terms of appearance, the 2X is more Meryl Streep than Megan Fox. The look is understated and the design minimalistic. To put it bluntly, you are not going to really pay attention to it unless you are really close to it. The 4-inch TFT display seems to curve just a little outwards (not as much as in the Acer Liquid Metal, but enough to be noticeable) and predictably dominates the jet black front, below which are four touch keys for menu, home, back and search, while the top right corner has a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. We would have preferred proper keys instead of touch ones, but in terms of pure design, it works. The lower side of the phone has dual speakers that seem right out of iPhone 4 territory, only with a micro USB port between them,  while the top has the screen and power on/off button, a covered HDMI port and a 3.5 mm jack. The left side of the phone is totally bare, and the right only has the volume buttons on it – we told you the look was minimalistic, no room even for a camera button, alas! In fact, the only touch of flair on the handset is on its back – where a vertical metal band with the word “with Google” seems to flow downwards from the 8.0-megapixel camera with LED flash. The build is mainly plastic but very solid indeed. The phone does seem a bit long (perhaps the bezel below the display could have been smaller) but is comfortable to hold – no moving parts or rough edges. People are unlikely to give it more than a passing glance in this era of large display handsets, but neither are they likely to go “Eurgh!”

Hardware

The 1 GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor might have grabbed all the headlines in the publicity surrounding the Optimus 2X, but there is more to the handset than just the first dual core processor seen in phonedom. For starters, it has a capacitive touchscreen with the now-standard 800×480 resolution that we have come to expect in large display Android handsets, the first camera in a smartphone in India to record full HD video (1080p) and in terms of connectivity, everything from HSDPA and 3G to Wi-Fi to HDMI to GPS and Bluetooth. We would in particular like to draw attention to the fact that LG has thrown in an HDMI cable in the package along with the phone – a very thoughtful touch, as the things not just cost a few extra bucks but can also sometimes be a pain to find. On the sensor side, it has an accelerometer and a gyroscope.  Onboard memory of the handset stands at a very decent 6.4GB (1.3 GB of internal phone storage and 5.1 GB of internal SD storage) which can be expanded with a microSD card to 32GB. At 512 MB, the RAM seems a bit on the lesser side when compared to the likes of the HTC Incredible S (768 MB) and the other dual core in the market, the Galaxy S2 (1GB), but is in fact pretty much par for the course for a high-end smartphone, as is the 1500 mAh battery that resides in the back. Talking of the back, after our struggles with some handsets, we are just so happy to see a back cover come off with so little fuss.

Software

The Optimus 2X has been released running Android 2.2 (Froyo), which truth be told,  is a bit of a  disappointment on such good hardware for our techie side, but will not make that much of a difference to most general consumers. LG has draped a skin over Froyo with seven customisable homecreens and a steady four-icon toolbar on the bottom, but it is nowhere as comprehensive as Samsung’s TouchWiz or HTC’s Sense, so one pretty much gets a standard Android experience from it. We slapped Launcher Pro on to it for a much more jazzy and let’s face it, faster, experience.  The standard Android goodies such as integration with Gmail, maps and social networks are there and so are some apps from LG’s side, including its App Advisor, F-Secure security app, an e-mail client with support for MS Exchange, Polaris Office for accessing files on the device and on Box.net, and LG’s apps for Twitter, My Space and Facebook. We were however surprised to see no apps or games designed to make the most of the device’s processing muscle – even the Tegra Zone app that recommends apps to run on Tegra 2 devices was not installed (we got it off the Android Market pronto). The only preloaded game was Real Darts, which is not really the best advertisement for the handset. And a word about the onscreen keyboard – although relatively spacious, its predictive text can be hell, so we would suggest subbing it with Better Keyboard from the Android Market.

Performance

A general user is unlikely to see a rush of speed when they use the Optimus 2X. The handset performs most general tasks at a decent clip which is pretty much on par with that seen on other high end Android devices sporting single core 1GHz processors. However, up the ante a bit and the Tegra 2 difference starts to come out. For one, multi-tasking does tend to happen more smoothly and with hardly any lags. For another, applications like AutoCAD WS and Firefox that seemed to slow down and sometimes struggle on other phones, simply fly along on this one. And grab Dungeon Defenders or Asphalt 6 from the Market to get an idea of just how buttery smooth gaming can be on the handset – it actually can even work as a remote when you connect to a larger screen using the HDMI cable. We attached it to our our Bravia, and believe us, for a while, we did not really regret disconnecting the PS3 (for the record, it works fine for watching movies and videos too). Only for a while, though – after that it was back to L.A. Noire. On the browsing front, it handled multiple tabs, Flash websites and videos without any trouble at all. Yep, dual core does make a difference but you need the apps to make it happen, and as of now, there are not too many around. Which just makes us wonder why LG, in its infinite wisdom, did not include the ones that were at least there.

The processor apart, the most outstanding performer on the handset is the camera. In sunlight, we got very decent shots which were not too far off those we had on the Xperia Arc, although colours were not as bright as on that worthy, and the interface took some getting used to, even though it did offer a variety of modes (panorama, macro, et al). Video was very good too, although if you are recording something hectic, we would advise going for the 720p mode rather than the full monty 1080p, as the recording seems clearer there. Given the camera quality, we really think LG should have thrown in a dedicated camera button on the 2X – this is by far one of the better cameras we have seen on an Android device.  On the other fronts, the 2x performed nobly. Call quality was very good, although just short of Motorola class, and while GPS occasionally took its time locking on to satellites, for the most part, it worked fine. We had no complaints on signal quality either.  Sound and video were very good too. The display itself was one of the better ones we have seen this side of an AMOLED one. Battery life was standard for a large screen, touchscreen device running Android – a day and half if you nurse it carefully and about a day if you keep everything running. We are sure the Android 2.3 update which is expected in June, will improve matters, but as much, we are not too unhappy with what we have.

Conclusion

So where does all that leave the Optimus 2X? Well, judging by what we have seen, we have no hesitation calling one of the best Android handsets we have used. Yes, for the general user, it will not seem too different from others that have slower processors on paper, but if you are the type that likes to push your phone a few yards further and like to use apps that need lots of processing juice, then this is perhaps the phone for you. Heck, we can go out on a limb and say that for Rs 26,500 (its price), it is perhaps the best smartphone you can get right now. It might not seem to be significantly faster at first than the likes of the Desire HD, the Xperia Arc or the Incredible S, but push it, and it flies. There will be phones that can do more. But not at that price. Ladies and gentlemen, LG has a contender!

Chat 322

 

 

 

 

The first mobile to offer a QWERTY keypad with DUOS, Samsung Chat 322 gives traveling business people and communicating heavy texters better mobile options on the go. Whether you’re juggling two phone numbers or taking advantage of different tariff plans, access to two SIM cards helps you stay in touch with double the convenience! Access 2 SIM cards at the same time! Harness the power, convenience and connectivity of two mobiles in one handset! Staying connected is so important – for business and pleasure! That’s why this phone comes with access to y! our favour es like Facebook and Twitter. Not only is Samsung Chat 322 powered with great functions to keep you in touch socially and while doing business on the go, the enhanced user interface makes it easier to use! Optical trackpad makes you to navigate menus smoothly and to expedite functions. Carrying and managing 2 SIM cards is not easy, but with Samsung Chat 322, it’s hassle free.

Do More with QWERTY, Save with Dual SIM

The first mobile to offer a QWERTY keypad with DUOS, Samsung Ch@t 322 gives traveling business people and communicating heavy texters better mobile options on the go. Whether you’re juggling two phone numbers or taking advantage of different tariff plans, access to two SIM cards helps you stay in touch with double the convenience! Enjoy anytime, anywhere access to your email, favourite social networking sites and even instant messaging! The QWERTY keypad facilitates typing while the optical joystick and menu shortcuts ensure navigation is a breeze! Always be connected – with your business colleagues, friends and family!

Hassle free with DUOS

Access 2 SIM cards at the same time! Harness the power, convenience and connectivity of two mobiles in one handset! Whether you want to keep your personal and work phone calls separate, have greater coverage when traveling to different regions, or take advantage of the most advantageous calling rates, this DUOS feature makes it all easier and more accessible. Why manually switch back and forth between SIM cards when your phone does it all for you…automatically?!

Enhanced Interface with Optical Trackpad

Not only is Samsung Ch@t 322 powered with great functions to keep you in touch socially and while doing business on the go, the enhanced user interface makes it easier to use! Optical trackpad makes you to navigate menus smoothly and to expedite functions. Explore mobile world more intuitive and comfortable.

3.5mm Ear jack

When you want to listen to the music, just plug in your headset to Samsung Ch@t 322, 3.5mm Ear jack fits your regular earphones, headphones and portable speakers.

1.3MP Camera

Take a picture with 1.3MP Camera and share on SNS right away.

Always connected social Life

Staying connected is so important – for business and pleasure! That’s why this phone comes with access to your favourite social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can even chat on instant messenger. With easy shortcuts and live updates from the home screen, you’ll always be socially up to date. Email is easier than ever – the mobile auto pulls so you don’t need to constantly check for new email! With Samsung, it’s so easy to keep up with your social life!

Customised UX for DUOS

Carrying and managing 2 SIM cards is not easy, but with Samsung Ch@t 322, it’s hassle free. Direct SIM switch key on sid, and the Smart home offers you to check all the info and the update status from SNS or IM, email, schedules and more as you need.

Bluetooth v2.1

Bluetooth v.2.1 handles wireless file sharing and free-of-charge messaging with nearby users.

USB v2.0

USB 2.0 enables fast file transfers between devices.