Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus review

How does Ice Cream Sandwich affect the last gen's tiny Tab?

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Can ICS make all the difference?

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The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus ships with a handful of non-essential apps that may well pique your interest, such as Amazon's Kindle, the Next Issue magazine subscription service, and news reader Pulse. Some can be deleted wholesale, while others (Moviefone?) must simply be deactivated, and will linger quietly in the backdrop.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus review

Samsung has its own set of built-in apps, as well, such as AllShare for streaming media from DLNA servers, its Media Hub digital storefront for movies and TV series, a Social Hub app that cobbles together feeds from Facebook, Twitter, and more, and the Smart Remote, which connects wirelessly with home entertainment systems and uses the tablet's IR port.

The built-in Samsung Apps program supposedly acts like a curated selection of recommended apps and games, and makes it easy to find some standout options. But when one of the suggested apps is a clear knock-off of Duck Hunt on NES, it's hard to believe that very much thought went into the selections.

Otherwise, the Plus utilizes standard Google Play for apps, games, books, magazines, and other media, and you're sure to get well acquainted with the rebranded version of the former Android Marketplace as you dig around for fresh experiences.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus review

While not quite on par with the offerings of Apple's App Store, iTunes, iBooks, and Newsstand on the whole, Google Play is gradually expanding and offers a pretty wide array of options in most categories, whether you're seeking the latest apps and games or streaming/downloaded media to enjoy.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus review

Plenty of free and paid apps and games alike are featured, with familiar options like Netflix and Flipboard on the apps side, as well as Angry Birds Space and N.O.V.A. 3 amongst the games – but there are plenty more popular and niche options in the mix.

The selections of movies, TV shows, music, books, and magazines are notably smaller than what's seen in the Apple or Amazon ecosystems, though the ability to either stream or save video files locally is a nice touch that allows for on-the-fly library management with the tap of a virtual push-pin