Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi

N Mobile & Wireless Add a new comment June 08, 2011, 10:31 AM — The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi is the first Android tablet to effectively challenge Apple's iPad 2 at what Apple does best: Design. Let's face it, when it comes to tablets, design is the attribute that's squarely at center stage. And the Tab 10.1-available in limited distribution starting today, starting at $499 for a 16GB version-- has that in spades. In fact, its design, together with its Android 3.1 operating system, vaults the Tab 10.1 to the head of the Android pack.
The Tab 10.1 achieves perhaps the greatest design compliment an Android tablet can hope for; namely, it was often mistaken at first glance for being an iPad 2. Even by Apple iPad users. This is remarkably understandable when you see and hold the Tab 10.1 for the first time. The Tab 10.1 has a slim profile, 8.6mm, or 0.34-inches-a hair's breadth slimmer than the iPad 2 (technically, 0.2mm slimmer for those keeping the scorecard).
From the side, the two tablets look very similar. The Tab 10.1 has a more rounded edge, though, to the iPad's tapered edge. The tablet comes in two colors: Shipping first is white, which couples a silver-painted plastic edge with a white plastic black (identical to the limited edition Google I/O version of the Tab, sans the Android graphic imprint); available on June 17, when the Tab 10.1 ships in volume, you can choose a Metallic Gray, with edges and back that more closely match. I actually preferred the Gray varietal, even though that model would be less likely to be mistaken for Apple's ultrahip tablet. I liked the feel and texture of the dark backing, as opposed to the more chintzy feeling plastic white backing.
The Tab 10.1 edges the iPad 2 on weight, too: 1.25 pounds, to the iPad's 1.33. And it stands slightly taller and narrower than iPad, dimensions you'd expect simply by virtue of its 10.1-inch display. It measures 10.1 by 6.9 inches, compared with iPad 2's 9.5 by 7.3 inches.
Using the Galaxy Tab 10.1
All of this is meaningless, though, compared with the reality of actually handling the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The Tab 10.1 feels lightweight and extremely well-balanced in-hand. I found it conducive to hold in one hand or two, and found it lightweight enough that I hardly noticed it was in my bag. I'd still like to see the weight on tablets of this size get closer still to the one pound mark, while adding even more built-in functionality (like additional ports), but this is a good start towards that goal. Especially considering the Tab 10.1 is Samsung's first mass-market tablet of this size (I'm not counting the region-specific, heavier and thicker 10.1V).