Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1
For the third time, the Korean company Samsung has updated its Galaxy Tab line. This review will help you find out what was updated in the 10-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and how it began to function after that.
Design
It's no secret that the functionaries of the Korean company like the design of their devices, and therefore they don't really like to radically change it. Therefore, the model of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, compared to last year's modification of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, has not changed much.
If in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 model, the multimedia speakers were on the front panel, then in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet, as in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (first generation) model, they were placed on the side edges. This was done to reduce the bezels of the display and the width of the case in general. Also, the body has become even thinner and lighter. The device is now 7.95 millimeters thick and weighs just 512 grams. According to these indicators, only the "tablet" Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which has a thickness of 7.2 millimeters and a weight of 495 grams, surpasses the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet.
Most of the front panel of the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet computer is a 10.1-inch touchscreen display. The entire front panel is covered with a protective tempered glass of high strength Gorilla Glass 2. In the center of the upper display frame there are the Samsung logo, the front camera lens and the light level sensor. Below the display is a mechanical Home button that has never been used in any Galaxy Tab tablet. On the sides of the Home button are the touch-sensitive Back and Recently Launched Applications Menu.
The back panel is flat without any protrusions or indentations. The back panel of the "tablet" Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has the same mesh pattern as in the flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4. At the top of the rear panel (exactly in the center) is the lens of the main 3-megapixel camera, which does not support the auto focus function. Under the main camera is the manufacturer's logo, printed in silver letters. Symmetrical to the logo, but in the lower part of the rear panel, the necessary service information is applied.
Along the perimeter of the case is a silver bezel with the width of the entire sidewall, it is not metal, but plastic, although it is painted “like metal”. Most of the controls are in the same places as in last year's Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. On the upper side edge there are (from left to right) a lock / power button, a paired speaker volume control button, a slot for installing a microSD memory card, closed with a plastic flap, an infrared transmitter (IrDA) and a slot for installing a microSIM SIM card. It is worth noting that the infrared port, which allows you to remotely control household appliances, was not in previous versions of the 10-inch Galaxy Tab tablets.
In the upper part of the left side edge of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, there is a standard 3.5 mm audio output, under which there is a long and thin grille, under which there is one of the multimedia speakers. The slot of the second multimedia speaker is located on the right side edge; it is located symmetrically with respect to the slot of the speaker that is located on the opposite sidewall. In the center of the lower side edge, you can find a standard microUSB connector and a microphone hole.
The body of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet is assembled well, all the parts fit together perfectly, nothing squeezes or creaks. The materials from which the tablet is made leave a pleasant tactile sensation, the low weight allows you to use the tablet for a long time without any problems, even when holding it with just one hand.
Screen
Like earlier models in the Galaxy Tab line, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is delighted with a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.It's a shame that such a good display has a resolution of only 1280 x 800 pixels, and not, at least, FullHD, like flagship tablets from other manufacturers.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 display is based on a proprietary PLS-matrix, which is very similar in its properties to the popular IPS-matrices. The display has large viewing angles, high-quality, albeit not ideal, color reproduction - colors are colorful, bright and saturated. The display sensor recognizes up to ten simultaneous touches. The responsiveness of the sensor is at the highest level. The backlight brightness can be adjusted from 3 cd / m2 to 302 cd / m2. The minimum brightness allows you to work comfortably even in complete darkness, and the maximum brightness allows you to see at least something in direct sunlight or in any other bright ambient light.
There are a couple of Smart functions to customize the display - Smart stay and Smart rotation. The first allows the screen to remain illuminated all the time when you look at it without even touching any controls, and when used, the second display automatically rotates according to the position of your face (convenient when reading e-books in a "lying on its side" position).
Acoustic system
The speaker system of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet computer is formed by two stereo speakers, which provide loud stereo sound. Even when playing back music, the sound remains "clear", thanks to the support of Dolby Surround technology. The speaker system will allow you to comfortably watch videos at home and communicate via video communication, but to listen to music, it is still better to use good headphones. Due to the fact that the speakers are brought out to the side faces, there is a risk of covering them with your palms, you should not forget about this.
Hardware platform
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has a different hardware platform from the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is based on the Intel CloverTrail + hardware platform, which includes a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor with two x86 cores and a PowerVR SGX 544MP video chip. This hardware platform was developed specifically for tablet computers, it supports Hyper-Threading technology, which allows processing up to four data streams simultaneously, as well as Intel proprietary technologies such as SpeedStep, VT-x and Smart Idle Technology.
The video chip also demonstrates high performance, it quickly processes a large amount of video data, which allows you to easily play on the tablet using only hardware resources, video with the highest resolution and play any 3D games, for example, Real Racing 3, etc.
Just like last year's model, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has one gigabyte of RAM and a sixteen gigabyte flash drive. If necessary, you can expand the permanent memory by means of a microSD memory card with a capacity of up to sixty-four gigabytes.
Wireless communication "tablets" Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 provides built-in modules Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n (supports Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Hotspot technologies), Bluetooth version 3.0 and A-GPS (+ GLONASS). HSPA + mobile networks (up to 21 Mbps) are also supported.
It is also worth noting once again that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has an infrared transmitter that allows you to use the tablet as a remote control. The capabilities of the infrared port are used through the preinstalled Smart Remote program.
Autonomy of work
The autonomous operation of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet computer is provided by a lithium-polymer rechargeable battery with a capacity of 6800 mAh. The battery life indicators are quite good - six hours of watching online videos and nine hours of surfing the web on a single battery charge, provided that data transfer is carried out via the built-in Wi-Fi module. Much of the credit for such a significant autonomy of the tablet belongs to the intelligent power-saving system, which can significantly reduce battery consumption when performing most everyday tasks.Most users will definitely be satisfied with the autonomy of the "tablet", since with moderate use of multimedia capabilities, the tablet can work from one charge to two days.
Operating system and software
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet computer is running the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and, like all Samsung tablets and smartphones, has a proprietary TouchWiz user interface. As for the shell itself, it has been updated, which is why most of the interface elements have been redesigned.
As before, the user has three desktops available to place widgets and application shortcuts. One desktop can fit up to the four largest widget windows and five rows of installed application icons. At the bottom of the desktop is a row of eight icons that remain the same regardless of the desktop. Seven of these icons can be installed by yourself, and the eighth, which is responsible for switching to the menu of installed applications, is not removable, it can only be moved.
The settings menu now has a fairly large number of new additional submenus. It is also worth noting that the appearance of the "curtain" of the notification panel has been changed.
In addition to the standard set of applications from Google, which is equipped with every Android device, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has a standard set of applications from Samsung, which includes utilities such as S-Voice, S-Planner, and others.
Also, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet is equipped with a full set of hubs (Hub) - Music Hub, Video Hub, Game Hub, Reader's Hub and Learning Hub. The latter, however, does not work in our country.
Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has two cameras, the same as last year's Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The rear (main) camera has a resolution of three megapixels, is not equipped with a flash and allows you to take pictures with a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1563 pixels. Also, through the main camera, you can record video in 720p format at a rate of thirty frames per second. Photos taken with the main camera are of good quality. Photographing in the dark, due to the lack of a flash, is out of the question. The video quality is mediocre, due to the lack of stabilization, the image is constantly twitching and has a lot of noise.
The resolution of the front camera is 1.2 megapixels, its capabilities are more modest compared to the main camera, but it fully copes with its primary task - providing high-quality video calls.
Competitors
Competition in the 10 "tablet segment is not as tough as the 7" tablet segment, but despite this, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet has a solid competitor in the face of the Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10. The latter has the same hardware platform. , cost and, very importantly, a Full HD display, not 1280 x 800 pixels, two gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of permanent memory versus 16 gigabytes.
conclusions
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is a quality tablet PC with a high-performance hardware platform and a decent display. For the sake of fairness, it is worth saying that for the same amount you can buy a more functional "tablet", for example, the aforementioned Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10, but if you want exactly the Samsung tablet or the TouchWiz user interface, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 model will become a good purchase for you.
