Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10 1 review Second chance

The question this second-generation Samsung tablet is trying to answer is not "How much better can it get?" The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 stops at how much. It feels safe pretending theres no such thing as a third-generation iPad.
Under different circumstances, the second-generation Galaxy Tab 10.1 wouldve been a disappointment. It still is, in a way - especially if you expected a substantial upgrade of the original. This duty however falls on another member of the Samsung tablet lineup.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 official pictures
The 10-inch Note is the one with the better specs and the S Pen adds an extra dimension to the tablet experience. And it certainly needs every bit of muscle and brains to stand up to the iPad 3. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has the seemingly easier job to compete with a discounted iPad 2.
On a second thought, although not as much as everyone mayve hoped, the actual upgrades over the original manage to make a difference. The voice-call support and the memory-card slot are most welcome. And of course, it comes with Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box.

Key features

10.1" 16M-color PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen of WXGA resolution (1280 x 800 pixels)
TI OMAP 4430 chipset: Dual-core 1.0GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor; 1GB of RAM; PowerVR SGX540 GPU
Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz UX UI
Quad-band GPRS/EDGE and quad-band 3G with HSPA connectivity (HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps)
Voice calls
16/32 GB of built-in memory
3.2 MP autofocus camera, 2048x1536 pixels, geotagging
2.0 MP front-facing camera; native video calls
720p HD video recording @ 30 fps with stereo audio recording
Stereo speakers
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Direct, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot
Stereo Bluetooth v3.0
HDMI TV-out (adapter required), USB host (adapter required)
microSD card slot
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Adobe Flash 11 support
GPS with A-GPS support; digital compass
1080p DivX/XviD/MKV video support with subtitles
Accelerometer and proximity sensor; three-axis Gyroscope sensor
Polaris office document editor preinstalled
7000 mAh Li-Po battery

Main disadvantages

Proprietary 30-pin connector for charging and connectivity
No camera LED flash
Average screen resolution
Non-replaceable battery

Samsung have not one but two tablets to inherit the original 10" Galaxy Tab. Two tablets to challenge Apple and their iPads. Two options for users to choose between. Essentially, its a choice between the special and the second-best, the exciting and the affordable.

Taking the gloomy view, the second-gen Galaxy Tab 10.1 isnt good enough for the slim profile, the Exynos chipset and the fullHD videos of the Note. Not to mention the game-changing S Pen. For those who look on the bright side, its an affordable ten-incher with the latest Android and better specs than the iPad 2.