Samsung Galaxy Tab
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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 now available for your pre-ordering pleasure
Not sick of all the Samsung talk yet? Great news! The 10.1 version of the Galaxy Tab 2 just went up for pre-order, courtesy of the cubicle stockers at Office Depot. As previously noted, the slate's being priced at $400, and you can secure one of your very own by clicking that cool blue button. The site is reporting a May 11th release for the tablet.
Samsung Canada begins rollout of ICS today
Let's not speak of the several months it took for Ice Cream Sandwich to finally begin showing up on Samsung devices. Rather, the fine mobile-loving folks in Canada should just take a brief moment to embrace the present and not-too-distant future, because Samsung is now officially rolling out its long-awaited Android update to the nation up north -- complete with the latest version of TouchWiz -- to select devices today and continuing throughout the rest of the quarter. The list of featured products include the Galaxy S II (along with its LTE, LTE HD and X variants), Galaxy Note and several Galaxy Tabs, such as the 7.0, 7.0 Plus, 8.9 and 10.1. Of course, not everyone will get the beloved installation invitation today, since these large-scale rollouts seem to take a healthy amount of time. If you simply can't wait, it couldn't hurt to give the 'ol manual update method a try.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Samsung reportedly axes Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 production to add quad-core CPU (update: not true)
This is, well, a little strange. The fine folks over at Netbooknews are reporting that Samsung has ended production on the GT P5100 -- better known as the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The story comes courtesy of an unnamed "Korean Samsung insider" who claims the device is getting upgraded to a quad-core CPU. Whether the chip in question is the much lauded 32nm Exynos 4412, which packs not only four Cortex A9 cores, but four Mali 604 GPU cores as well, is unknown. It's also not clear how this is going to affect US launch plans. Rumors are the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be getting a similar brain transplant before hitting the market. Sadly, all we can do right now hold our breath and wish real hard that both will hit shelves sooner rather than later and with an extra pair of cores in tow. Sammy better get a move on too if it's gonna have to give Uncle Sam another crack at this slate. Update: Samsung reached out to us to confirm that the above report is not true. The US version of this tablet will still have a dual-core CPU and it's still shipping on May 13th, with pre-orders starting on May 4th.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 review
More Info Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 hands-on (video) Amazon Kindle Fire review There's an age-old saying: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound?" We're tempted to posit that question to Samsung as it clears room in its crowded product portfolio for yet another Galaxy Tab. One month after announcing it at Mobile World Congress, the outfit's bringing its 7-inch sequel to the masses. As if Sammy's Galaxy Tab lineup weren't already overflowing, this guy comes bearing internals that make it near-identical to the OG Galaxy Tab and 7.0 Plus that have come before it. A few specs, though, have seen downgrades: the front-facing camera now has VGA resolution, and the dual-core TI OMAP processor powering it is clocked at a lower 1GHz. Still, the 1024 x 600 TFT LCD display remains intact, as does the 3-megapixel rear camera, microSD slot and IR blaster. It's a puzzling hardware refresh ushering in modest tweaks to a proven design, with the biggest change of all being the move to Ice Cream Sandwich (with TouchWiz, of course). Is that software upgrade alone compelling enough to warrant an entirely new piece of hardware in Samsung's lineup? Maybe, maybe not. It all comes down to price, and at $250 this WiFi-only tablet could give consumers with Kindle Fire ire something to talk about. Follow past the break to see what we mean.
US Cellular's first LTE device ships, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 claims the honor
Just under two months after being officially unveiled, US Cellular's first LTE device is now shipping. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's a tablet taking the first journey out on the carrier's 4G superhighway, with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 on sale today online and in stores for... well, entirely too much. Despite being nearly a year old, USCC's Tab 10.1 will sell for a staggering $499.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, though customers residing in one of its LTE markets will be able to grab it for a Benjamin less. Oh, and did we mention that a two-year agreement (with data plan) is still required? Yeah. Pardon us while we fire up the gravedigger -- we've seen this one before.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hands-on (video)
As far as product launches go, the 10-inch Galaxy Tab 2's debut was relatively discreet. Announced with little fanfare, it's not even on display in Samsung's booth here at Mobile World Congress; you'll have to talk your way into a private room if you want a shot at getting hands-on. And we can see why: with a 1280 x 800 display, 1GHz dual-core processor and 3-megapixel rear camera, its specs are nearly identical to what you'll find in last year's Galaxy Tab 10.1. Sure, it has a redesigned back cover and ships with Android 4.0, but otherwise, it's the same tablet. But with the new Galaxy Note tablet replacing the original 10.1 as Samsung's premier 10-inch tablet, the new 10.1 could be the budget-friendly option its predecessor wasn't. So does it hold promise as a mid-range tab? It'll be impossible to say until we know the price, but watch our hands-on video after the break and decide for yourselves just how much you'd pay for this thing.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 hitting Verizon on March 1st for $500 on contract
The Galaxy Note 10.1 may be the flavor of the week at Mobile World Congress, but those waiting to get their hands on the well-reviewed (and considerably smaller) Galaxy Tab 7.7 on contract here in the States will get their wish in the very near future. Verizon let it be known today that the "world's thinnest 4G LTE tablet" will be hitting its network on March 1st. Such superlatives don't come cheap, however -- Samsung's 7.7-inch Honeycomb slate is going to run you $499.99 plus a two-year contract. Start saving those pennies and peep the press info after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 probably gets a thumbs-up from the FCC
Unless Samsung's produced yet another 7-inch tablet that's unannounced, we can be reasonably sure that the slate seen departing the FCC's underground bunker is the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). Eagle-eyed viewers will notice the back plate in the image above resembles the Tab 7.0 Plus -- but don't write in just yet, as the documents confirm the GT-P310 (Plus) schematic was used to disguise this new GT-P3113. The usual multimeter-and-ruler prodding revealed there's a Broadcom radio module with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 tucked inside. It jibes with what we've heard about an initial UK release for the device in March, but perhaps the company is ensuring it has worldwide approval, or that the USA can start getting excited about the budget ICS device a little sooner than expected.
LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 8.9 gets European approval
LTE isn't quite as wide spread in the Old World as it is over here in the western hemisphere but, as many European countries race to get their 4G deployed, top notch devices are already starting to roll in. The GT-P7320, better known as the Galaxy Tab 8.9, just passed through the Global Certification Forum, bound for unspecified EU nation. This particular model supports both HSPA on the 900MHz and 2100MHz bands, and LTE over 800MHz and 2.6GHz. Carrier, release date, price -- pretty much everything about the device's debut is a mystery at this point. But, with Mobile World Congress just a couple of weeks away, we're sure it won't hold on to its secrets for long.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (global edition)
Within an 11-day period last fall, Engadget published reviews of two different Samsung Galaxy tablets. At the time, we felt the company was turning into a caricature of itself, with slates in every conceivable size, including 10.1, 8.9 and 7 inches. Mostly, though, if we sounded exasperated with Sammy's "see what sticks" strategy, it was because the outfit unveiled not one, but two 7-inchers over the course of a month. One of these, the 7.0 Plus, went on sale in the US back in November, with mid-range specs and a mid-range price to match its in-between size. But that tablet always felt like a consolation prize next to our second contender, the Galaxy Tab 7.7, which brings a brushed metal back, 10-hour battery and Super AMOLED Plus, 1280 x 800 display. Even on paper, it always seemed promising. Special.Maddeningly, though, those of us here in the states still can't buy one through the likes of Best Buy and Amazon, and though Verizon Wireless plans to sell an LTE-enabled version, we know scant few details about when it will arrive, how much it will cost or whether there will be an off-contract option. Luckily for us, our friends over at Negri Electronics hooked us up with an international model, one with 16GB of internal storage and WiFi, HSPA+ and EDGE / GPRS radios -- a doozy of a tablet that would cost you $668.50 if you were to import it to the US. (You can buy it domestically if you live in select markets like the UK.) So is the product novel enough to warrant that novelty price? Find the answer to that question and more after the break.
BLU Studio 5.3 and Touch Book 7.0 hands-on
You know handset vendors like Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola. You've probably even heard that manufacturers such as Pantech, Sharp and Acer produce phones as well. But have you ever heard of BLU? If you haven't, don't worry -- you'd be in the ranks of the 99 percent. Calling itself the "leader of the Latin America market with vision to expand worldwide," the outfit is nothing if not confident about its stature in developing countries. In the US, however, it's a completely different story: here, BLU is a virtual unknown: a low-profile brand, selling unlocked phones and tablets via e-tailers at bargain-basement prices.Our friends at Negri Electronics hooked us up with the BLU Studio 5.3 ($260) and BLU Touch Book 7.0 ($230) for a short time, giving us the chance to play around with them for a little bit. Rather than doing a full review on both items, we felt it was more appropriate to first give the product lineup a formal introduction to the site. BLU, meet Engadget. Engadget, BLU. Let's dive in.
Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 7.0 Plus get bleached, on sojourn in Vietnam
Release a device in black to much furor, and then follow it up a white variant later. That's a game Samsung's been playing all too well lately, and its latest are all-white versions of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 7.0 Plus. Otherwise identical to their existing counterparts, the duo spotted by Tran Quoc Huy in Vietnam extend the alabaster luster all the way to the bezel. Catch them in a cornucopia of photographic evidence at the source.[Thanks, Sahil]
Samsung to release Galaxy Tab 7.0N in Germany, with new form factor
Samsung has yet to receive a verdict on its lawsuit-circumventing Galaxy Tab 10.1N, but the manufacturer apparently feels pretty confident about its chances. Today, Samsung announced a new, Germany-specific version of its Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, with the launch of the Galaxy Tab 7.0N. Slated to hit the market later this month, this seven-inch slate features many of the same specs you'll find on its Honeycomb-coated predecessor, save for a front-facing speaker upgrade and, of course, a redesigned form factor. For now, it's only slated to launch in Germany, where it'll retail for about €600 (about $770).
Verizon brings The Daily, Slacker Radio apps to Android tablets
Verizon has just announced a slate of new partnerships at CES today, bringing The Daily, Slacker Radio and a host of other apps to select Android tablets. With today's announcement, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 owners will be able to access Rupert Murdoch's tablet-optimized news app, with either a $4 monthly subscription, or $40 annual plan. The Galaxy Tab 7.7, meanwhile, will receive the app at a later date. The carrier is also bringing Slacker Radio to a wider range of Android slates, and has launched apps like TouchyBooks and Trend Micro Mobile Security Personal Edition, as well. For the full run-down, head past the break.
Samsung: No room for ICS on Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab, TouchWiz to blame
We already knew that Samsung's Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab wouldn't be packing Ice Cream Sandwich, as both were omitted from the roadmap the company released earlier this week. Now we know why: an official blog post explains that, thanks to TouchWiz, Samsung Widgets and Video Calls, there isn't enough space left on the devices' ROM to hold the fourth generation of Google's OS. Depending on your interpretation, there also seems to be an issue with unsatisfactory performance, which makes us raise an eyebrow in Sammy's general direction. We're sure that we won't have to wait too long before some users take matters into their own hands and boot TouchWiz from the face of their phones in a quest for some delicious ice-creamy goodness.
Samsung takes aim at Apple with Australian Galaxy Tab ad, credits Cupertino for its popularity
Now that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been cleared for sale in Australia, Samsung is taking the opportunity to publicly celebrate its courtroom victory, at Apple's expense. Exhibit A: a local newspaper ad that flatly brands Sammy's slate as "the tablet Apple tried to stop." The spot, which ran in the Sun-Herald this week, came just a few days before Samsung Australia's mobile head openly credited Cupertino for making the Galaxy Tab a "household name." Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Samsung Australia's vice president of telecommunications, Tyler McGee, declined to say how much his company lost in sales revenue due to Apple's temporary injunction, but was more than willing to laud the iPad maker for inadvertently turning the spotlight on the Galaxy Tab. "At the end of the day the media awareness certainly made the Galaxy Tab 10.1 a household name compared to probably what it would've been based on the investment that we would've put into it from a marketing perspective," McGee explained. The exec went on to say that the manufacturer is bringing to market "as many units as we can," since it expects the device to be in "short supply against the demand." To the courtroom victor go to the spoils -- including, apparently, bragging rights.
iLuv outs iSM524 ArtStation Pro, 'world's first' Galaxy Tab compatible audio dock
If you've been in the market for a Galaxy Tab friendly audio dock, your wait could be over. iLuv has debuted it's iSM524 for your Samsung Android slate, calling it "the world's first and only audio docking station" for the Galaxy tablet fam. Equipped with the company's jAura Sound technology, the dock's arm rotates for portrait or landscape viewing modes and tilts so you can get the best possible angle for catching up on that Boardwalk Empire season finale. You'll also find an IR remote and a 3.5mm auxiliary input to boot. iLuv promises that this ArtStation will play nicely with the entire Galaxy Tab family, but you can find out for yourself later this month if you're willing to drop $149. So whether you're sporting the 10.1 or the 7.0 plus, hit the gallery below for a closer look or check out the PR after the break for all the details. %Gallery-141641%
Refresh Roundup: week of December 5, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Samsung rolls out Android 3.2 (again) to Galaxy Tab 10.1, fixes what it broke
And just like that, the Honeycomb begins to drizzle anew. It took Sammy a few days to sort things out after an available Android 3.2 update broke WiFi, Bluetooth and auto-rotate on some users' 10.1 slates. But now official word from the company has that planned OTA software upgrade aiming for a round two redux, rolling out with a fix in tow for affected tabs. Of course, if you were one of the few besot with crippled connectivity issues, you can download the software via the Kies desktop app and sideload it from there. So, no need to worry. Your happy tablet days are here again.
