Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review

Samsung's mid-size tablet tries to close the mid-range hole in their handheld lineup

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (Verizon)
Samsung's mid-size tablet tries to close the mid-range hole in their handheld lineup, but also digs one in your pocket

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Despite our intermittent problems with browser navigation and text input, once we assigned the 7.7 to a task, it performed incredibly well. Besides playing television shows, movies, music, and shooting pictures and video, we also did a lot of what is quickly becoming our nation's new pastime: downloading apps and fooling around with them. Which is actually code for "played a lot of games."

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (Verizon)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 had no issues with any of the games we opened up on it, ranging from Temple Run to Angry Birds Space to PewPew to that lone pre-loaded level of Dead Space. We even loaded the extremely gun-friendly Deer Hunter Reloaded for some reason, and quickly became obsessed with trying to take down big game. Despite the fact that these games can be processor intensive, particularly on a tablet, we had no issues whatsoever.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (Verizon)

The same can be said for using any of the apps meant for mobile usage, like Navigation. With the on-board GPS, getting spoken directions while driving was a snap, replacing any satellite devices we might have in the car, had our smartphone not already made those practically obsolete.

Sound-wise, while the HD videos really show off what this tablet is capable of, you'll want some headphones or an external sound solution as the two bottom mounted (side if you're using the tablet in landscape mode) speakers don't pack nearly as powerful an audio punch to match the visuals. Even at full volume, sounds like a whirring computer fan or a printer will easily drown out anything from the tablet.

We've already mentioned our disappointment in the camera, which we need to qualify doesn't result in photos that look awful. They just aren't the crisp HD photos that you would expect to go with this display. It is still worth using the camera on-board, especially because if you've ever seen someone holding up an iPad to take a photo or shoot video, you know how ridiculous they look. With this sleek 7.7-inch pad, it's much easier to get away with using it as a camera and not looking like you're a protester at a rally.