Want to get a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 in Germany? Good luck, as Samsung’s most recent attempts to overturn the ruling that banned the 10.1 have failed. So why did Germany ban the 10.1 in the first place?

The design was deemed too similar to Apple’s unit. Despite Samsung’s best attempts to change the courts mind, the ruling will stick.

The good news is that Samsung fans can still get the 10.1 in its redesigned form, the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, specifically made for the German market to get around the ban. Even with the redesign, Apple attempted to shut Samsung done, but luckily last month the courts upheld Samsung’s rights to sell the 10.1N in a preliminary judgment. A final ruling in that case is expected on February 9^th.

The battle between Samsung and Apple will likely wage on for quite a while, both in Germany and elsewhere. Who will be the winner in the end? It’s hard to call, though Samsung has had some strong recent victories like with its Samsung Series 9 ultrabook success.

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Times have changed substantially from the days of the Samsung Instinct. That was a sad dumbphone that tried to compete with Apple;s iPhone. Now, though, the Samsung Galaxy S line of Android smartphones are among the best in the business, but can we say the same about their tablets? Well, let’s have a look at one of the best in the bunch in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It’s name is pretty much self-explanatory: this is a Samsung tablet with a 10.1-inch screen. Does it stand out?

Features and Specs

Quite unlike the original seven-inch Galaxy Tab, this version isn’t running on a stretched out version of a smartphone operating system. Like the Asus Eee Pad and Motorola Xoom, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has Honeycomb under the hood. There is some customization with TouchWiz too. It’s still unclear whether this will be upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at some point in the future, but I’m perfectly happy with Honeycomb for now.

This particular review is of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G from Bell Mobility, but it’ll largely be the same Tab 10.1 as you’d find elsewhere like the recently “leaked” date from T-Mobile on November 2.

It’s not Super AMOLED Plus, but it’s still very bright and vibrant. It boasts a 1280×800 pixel resolution. As with so many other tabs of this ilk, it gets a dual core 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, and so on. The camera on the back is a 3MP unit capable of 720p video recording. The “4G” part of the name refers to the HSPA network compatibility with speeds up to 21Mbps.

The Skinny Tab

“Wow. This is thin.”

That was the first thought that struck me when I opened up the box. Yes, I realize that most tablets are relatively skinny these days, but with just a 8.6mm profile, I believe the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the skinniest of them all. That may or may not be a good thing, depending on your personal preferences. I had a friend say that he didn’t like that it was so thin, because it made it more difficult to get a good handle on it.

Coupled by the fact that the back is a slippery glossy plastic and you can see how grip might become a bit of a concern. Contrast this to, say, the slightly thicker Asus Eee Pad Transformer with its more textured back and you’ll notice the difference right away. Even so, I didn’t find the slippery back and super slim size to be much of a problem at all.

The design is actually very simple with just three buttons in total. There’s the power button, of course, and the two volume control buttons. That’s it. Ports are very simple too: you get a headphone jack, a charging port, and a slot for the SIM card. This relative simplicity is both a blessing and a curse.

It’s Honeycomb All Over Again

There’s not a lot to say about the UI, since you’ve seen it all before. Yes, Samsung has gone through the trouble of putting a few tweaks here and there with TouchWiz, like several of the Samsung-specific home screen widgets, but they’re relatively minimal. I did like how there was a dedicated screenshot “button” near the home, recent apps, and back “buttons” on the screen, though, but not everyone will want or need that kind of functionality.

The settings menu looks a little different too, but I wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily any better or worse. Getting at the hotspot functionality seemed a little simpler, including the ease of changing the security and password settings, but these are all really minor.

Battery life was again on par with other Android tablets, getting somewhere around 8-10 hours under constant usage. Naturally, your mileage will vary considerably here depending on how and how often you use the tablet. With intermittent usage, I could get a couple days before needing to reach for a power outlet.

Quadrant Standard and Speedtest Benchmarks

To give an objective test to the performance, I put the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 through Quadrant Standard. The results were within the realm of expectation, getting anywhere from 2022 to 2288 in the few iterations that I attempted. This range is similar to other Honeycomb tablets with similar specs.

General everyday performance felt reasonably smooth most of the time and it stood up to par with other similarly equipped Honeycomb tablets that I have tried. The exception was when I tried to play YooNinja, a game where a ninja runs quickly across the screen. The game played much more slowly than I had experienced elsewhere, but I’m not sure why: other games seemed to be just as smooth as elsewhere.

As far as the 4G network was concerned, I ran a few tests with Speedtest.net in the Vancouver area. Ping was typically under 100ms with the download speed in the 2-3Mbps range. This is a far cry from the claimed maximum of 21Mbps. It is nice to see the upload speed approach the 2Mbps range, though, which is certainly handy if you’re going to be uploading any of that 720p video you’ll be shooting. This is nowhere near 4G LTE, but for a tablet, it does the job just fine.

Conclusion

Considering that we are on the eve of Kal-El, it’s harder to recommend a current Honeycomb tablet like the Galaxy Tab 10.1. You can’t get it in certain countries and I can see why Apple would say that it’s a little too similar to the iPad in some regards. Even so, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a seriously solid tablet with an attractively slim profile, decent performance, and a svelte user interface.

If you’re looking at current dual core Honeycomb tabs, though, I would still take the Eee Pad Transformer over this, if only for the added flexibility of the keyboard dock. In general, I like the Samsung over the Motorola Xoom and LG Optimus Pad, but that could be because of the brighter screen and overall better-looking package.

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Yeah, you could spend twenty bucks on an official accessory, but a little DIY hackery might be a little more fun. The idea behind the official accessory is that your Galaxy Tab 10.1 can gain a regular old USB port, letting you connect flash drives and the like. This hack is a little more adventurous, to be sure, but it’s cheaper than $20.

It’s not free, of course, since you’ll still need to pick up some parts. These include a dock connector from Kineteka, a couple of 10k ohm resistors, one donor USB extender cable, and some cable cleanup stuff like heat shrink and tape. You’ll need to do some chopping, splitting of wires, and soldering of resistors, so while it’s not the most complex of hacks, it’s not a plug and play affair either.

In any case, you can check out the full DIY tutorial on Careace.net, including a couple of pictures to help you along the way. All said, the parts will cost you about $10 plus your labor… I don’t know about you, but I think my time (and warranty) are worth the extra ten bucks. I’ll just buy the offiicial adapter, thanks.

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You know that gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus display on the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone? You know how the colors are positively popping with saturation and the overall visual experience absolutely floors you? You will soon get a bigger version of that eye-popping visual, because the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the world’s first tablet to boast a Super AMOLED Plus display.

This is a huge upgrade over the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab that I reviewed earlier this year, going well beyond the extra 0.7-inches of screen real estate. The Super AMOLED Plus-ness is great, but you’ll also find a beefed up 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 3MP rear and 2MP front cameras, LTE and HSPA+ 21Mbps support, and 1080p full HD video playback. Not surprisingly, they’ve also moved up from Froyo on the original Tab to Honeycomb 3.2 on the Galaxy Tab 7.7.

The TouchWiz user interface features something called a “Live Panel” menu, allowing you to customize your home screen with digital pictures on the 1280×800 WXGA resolution touchscreen. The 5100mAh battery is said to be good for up to 10 hours of video playback, so you should be able to get a solid day out of more standard tablet usage. It measures 7.89mm thin and weigh 335 grams. This makes it much smaller than the 10-inch alternatives, but shaving down the screen size can do that.

Yes, the 7.7-inch display is a bit of an odd-ball number, but I totally dig the SAMOLED+. There’s no word on pricing or release date yet, but Samsung has indicated that the microSD slot-touting Galaxy Tab 7.7 will ship in your choice of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities. Want. Want now.

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Just when everything seemed to be going so well for Samsung, more than a few curveballs have been thrown in the direction of the Korean giant. First, sales of its tablet have been halted in a few regions around the world. Then, Google acquired Motorola, leaving the Android community questioning the move. And so, Samsung is moving ahead with a very hesitant gait.

Not that long ago, Samsung pushed out a TouchWiz UI update for its Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it appears that this update comes with a bug. Samsung has apparently stopped the updating process, giving them the time to “assess progress and ensure it is a positive experience for users.”

Some people have reported some serious lag after going to the newest version of TouchWiz. All along, these various UI skins have been a way for Android makers to differentiate themselves from one another, but now it’s possible that Samsung rushed this update a little too soon.

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Can’t we all just get along? The legal battle between Seoul and Cupertino is continuing to heat up, this time taking the combat down under. Because of the current patent dispute launched by Apple, Samsung has agreed to halt sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia until further notice. After going through a hearing in an Australian federal court, Samsung agreed to stop advertising the Android tablet and it will not sell the device until it gets a go-ahead from the courts that the disputes have been resolved. So, Samsung is the loser here, right?

Not necessarily. Since Samsung isn’t selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia anymore, Apple has also agreed that it will “pay damages” if it loses the infringement lawsuit. It is then up to the Samsung lawyers to justify a number that would represent lost sales and other damages. Remember that, for now, this is only Australia. There’s no saying that Apple and Samsung won’t end up with similar (or totally different) arrangements in other markets.

Does this mean that Aussies can’t have a Samsung tablet? No, that’s not true either. The ban is on the US version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Samsung will develop an Australian version that’s different enough, whatever that means, providing samples to Apple before it starts shipping them out to Aussie vendors.

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The test was run across several different servers in and around the New York and New Jersey area. The best test, with 44.44Mbps down and 9.16Mbps up, was achieved through the Secaucus, New Jersey server. Ping times could be better, averaging at 67ms, but they could be a lot worse too. Whether they’re still able to maintain these kinds of speeds after adoption picks up, well, that’s anyone’s guess.

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Are you digging the 10-inch variation on Samsung’s Android tablet, but you wish it had some faster wireless connection options? Wish no more, because the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with 4G is going to start arriving in stores on July 28. That’s tomorrow, in case you didn’t want to check your calendar.

Eric Franklin of CNET argued that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the best Android-based tablet on the market, ousting heavy competition like the Motorola XOOM and Asus Eee Pad Transformer. As a quick refresher, it gets the same 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra2 processor as its competitors, as well as the 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen. The 4G model comes in your choice of Metallic Gray or Glossy White.

Preorders for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G already started last month with Verizon, so there’s no saying whether you’ll be able to just waltz into your local VZW dealer tomorrow to get one. The 16GB and 32GB models are $529.99 and $629.99 respectively, with 4G LTE plans starting at $30 per month for 2GB of bandwidth. At LTE speeds, you’ll likely rifle through that faster than you can say Honeycomb delight.

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Let’s face it. The “entertainment” system that you find on most airplanes offers a terrible interface that is remarkably sluggish. Even if there are free video games, they’re still pretty crappy. By contrast, tablet devices are much peppier, much prettier, and much more fun. So, American Airlines is offering tablets to its passengers.

Well, at least passengers who are flying in Premium Class. In addition to the wider seats and better food, these “premium” customers will also be offered a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to use while several thousand feet in the air. These will effectively replace the in-flight screens on “selected transcontinental and international flights,” but they will be “modified” from the version you find in stores.

What these modifications entail remains to be seen, but they do make mension of “expanded memory.” It’s likely that they’ll load up specialized apps and/or use a custom user interface that is more in line with typical in-flight entertainment, like the selected movies and TV shows. Don’t expect to see these everywhere, though, as AA is only ordering up 6,000 of these puppies to start.

It’s not the first time that we’ve seen tablets as in-flight entertainment either. Aussie carrier Jetstar tried renting out iPads for AU$10 a pop last year and they plan on doing an “official” launch later this year. Personally, I like that idea better. Sure, you can offer the tablet for “free” to premium customers, but us economy class folk wouldn’t mind spending $10 on a tablet rental. We’re already getting dinged with all sorts of other fees anyhow.

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