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In the final analysis, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the best Android tablet yet.
While the brilliant Asus Eee Pad Transformer offers something equally compelling, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a tablet in it's purest sense and it's brilliant.
In just about every way, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is just as capable as the Apple iPad 2. It's smaller, thinner and lighter. It runs just as fast for games (if you can find them) and works better for motion control. The screen rotates faster and more accurately than the iPad 2. And, the screen is just as bright and a bit clearer.
We liked:
This is the lightest and thinnest tablet on the market. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is perfect for quick e-reading sessions using Amazon Kindle or Google Books apps.
You can load the device with plenty of movies using the Dropbox app, and they'll look crisp and colourful. Battery life was excellent at about nine hours, and that even includes movie-watching and playing games.
We disliked:
Android is still well behind the iPad 2 in terms of apps, the eco-system for movies and TV shows, and has only promised at some first-party apps including the upcoming Media Hub and Social Hub. Samsung has also promised a new UI enhancement that really should have been ready at launch.
A few minor issues also influenced our rating: the screen collects grime quickly, there's no syncing app available, and no way to stream to the device using DLNA... yet.
We also had a few typing problems on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 when there was a delay from pressing a key and text appearing on the screen.
Verdict:
There is still one question remaining - how much is this tablet going to cost? If Samsung is sensible and price-matches the likes of the iPad 2 and Eee Pad Transformer, then this tablet will fly off the shelves.
When that UK price emerges, we'll update the review. But until then, we've awarded the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 a high mark: it sits beside the Apple iPad 2, and beats every other Android tablet on the market.
If you're not into the locked down app store mentality of Apple, where only the saintly apps are approved, or just prefer the Android OS to anything out of Cupertino, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is your best choice in an increasingly crowded market.
