I bought a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 16GB (used item from Amazon Warehouse Deals).
Reasons for purchase:
My Nook HD has horrible audio due to a lot of system noise being audible. The Galaxy Tab 2 is well known for having good sound quality.
I wanted something which will run CyanogenMod so I can keep it up to date with patches, security fixes etc. as I like to use Amazon, Ebay and Paypal apps.
I already have a 1st generation Galaxy Note phone so I know Samsung do some important things right such as good battery life and decent design and construction. I have several Samsung and Samsung compatible headsets and headphones.
The Good:
Sound quality is superb. This is the first tablet I've heard which I prefer to my iRiver and Sansa audio players. There is zero system noise or hiss and this tablet works beautifully with my Sennheiser Momentum Headphones (with aftermarket Samsung compatible control cable) and with my dual driver Samsung in ear monitors. A cheapish Samsung dock is also available that offers true Line Out 3.5mm socket.
Battery life is, or can be, superb. I was slightly concerned after seeing reviews commenting unfavourably on this. However, running CyanogenMod 11 (KitKat) my device has been on for 16 hours so far: awake for 7.5 hours, screen on for 1.75 hours and alseep the rest of the time (mostly used as an audio player for the last couple of days) and the battery has only gone from 89% charged to 56% charged.
There is a GPS built-in so if you have an offline map app you can navigate even if there is no wifi available.
Samsung seem to spit out new phones and tablets almost weekly, and in a vast array of slightly differing versions. Luckily the Tab 2.0 series is about as bog-standard as they get and sold many millions so there are all the accessories you can think of, both official and third party, and usually at a very good price. You can get cables, docks, cases, replacement parts, car adapters, chargers and so on
The Bad:
There is only one real deficiency but could be a big one for many: the screen isn't very good. After using a Galaxy Note with 800x1280 Super AMOLED screen and a Nook HD with 900x1440 IPS 7 inch screen I must have got used to really sharp, vivid displays. I thought all the fuss about screen type was just nerdy one-upmanship and journalists trying to fill pages until I bought my Tab 2.0. I am truly surprised by the difference. The Tab's screen is bright and sharp enough for enjoyable reading in apps like FBReader or Kindle and movies also look good, but web pages look horrible. Most websites identify your device and serve you much the same pages as if you were using a desktop computer with a full size monitor. On the 7" Tab this means a lot of horribly fuzzy and tiny text that is hard to read. If you use Firefox you can install an extension so you always get the web site's mobile version (if available) and this problem is diminished, but if you use the standard browser, or Chrome, then I think you will hate it.
| Brand | Samsung |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 0.97 x 25.66 x 17.53 cm; 0.5 Grams |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included) |
| Item model number | GT-P5110TSABTU |
| Manufacturer | Samsung |
| Color | Silver |
| Standing screen display size | 10.1 Inches |
| Processor Brand | NVIDIA |
| Processor Type | Unknown |
| Processor Speed | 1 GHz |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| RAM Size | 1 GB |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR3 SDRAM |
| Graphics Card Description | Integrated |
| Connectivity Type | Wi-Fi |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Operating System | Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 7 Hours |
| Are Batteries Included | Yes |
| Lithium Battery Energy Content | 8 Watt Hours |
| Lithium Battery Packaging | Batteries contained in equipment |
| Lithium Battery Weight | 300 Grams |
| Number Of Lithium Ion Cells | 2 |
| Item Weight | 0.5 g |
