Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
	Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in White
Also known as	GT-P3100 (3G & Wifi); GT-P3110 (Wifi)/GT-P3113 (with Infrared port); SCH-i705 (Verizon model)
Developer	Samsung
Product family	Galaxy Tab
Type	phablet, media player, PC
Release date	22 April 2012 (US)
Operating system	Original: Android 4.0.3 "Ice Cream Sandwich" ; Current: Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean" ; Unofficial: Android 6.0 (CyanogenMod 13) via custom ROMs
System on a chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (Verizon model)
CPU	1.0 GHz dual-core ; TI OMAP4430 (Cortex A9) SoC processor Qualcomm Krait clocked @ 1.2 GHz (Verizon model)
Memory	1 GB
Storage	8/16/32 GB flash memory,; microSD slot (up to 32 GB)
Display	1024×600 px,; 7.0 in (18 cm) diagonal, ; PLS TFT LCD display
Graphics	PowerVR SGX540 Adreno 225 (Verizon model)
Input	Multi-touch screen, digital compass, proximity and ambient light sensors, accelerometer, GPS
Camera	3.0 MP rear facing, VGA (0.3 MP) front facing
Connectivity	HSPA+ 21 Mbit/s 850/900/1900/2100 MHz (3G & WiFi model); EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (3G & WiFi model); Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0; LTE (Verizon model)
Power	4000 mAh Li-Ion battery
Dimensions	122.4 mm (4.82 in) H; 193.7 mm (7.63 in) W; 10.5 mm (0.41 in) D
Mass	344 g (0.758 lb)
Predecessor	Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Successor	Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0
Website	Microsite

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is a 7-inch Android tablet produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is an Ice Cream Sandwich sequel. It belongs to the second generation of the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, which also includes a 10.1-inch model, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. It was announced on 13 February 2012, and launched in the US on 22 April 2012. It is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

History

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 was announced on 13 February 2012.^[5] It was shown along with the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at the 2012 Mobile World Conference. Although the two devices were originally scheduled to launch in March, they did not do so, with Samsung explaining that the delay was due to unspecified problems with Ice Cream Sandwich and that they would instead be released at the end of April.^[6] Samsung later confirmed that the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 would be released on 22 April, with a price of $250 for the 8GB model.^[7]

Features

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 was originally released with Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. An upgrade to Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean was later made available.^[8] Samsung has customized the interface with its TouchWiz UX software. As well as apps from Google, including Google Play, Gmail and YouTube, it has access to Samsung apps such as ChatON, S Suggest and All Share Play.^[2]

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is available in WiFi-only, WiFi with an IR Blaster (only available in the US and Canada), and 3G & WiFi variants. Storage ranges from 8 GB to 32 GB depending on the model, with a microSD card slot for expansion. It has a 7-inch PLS LCD screen with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels, and both front- and rear-facing cameras.^[3]^[4] It is listed with 1GB of RAM but only 0.77GB are usable.

An additional feature is the Samsung "Find my mobile" functionality which allows one to track the location of their mobile device if it is lost or remotely wipe it.

The device utilizes the Samsung proprietary connector for connecting a USB charging/data cable. In addition an adapter can be used that adds a USB OTG port enabling the tablet to be a USB host device. USB Mass Storage devices can be attached without any need for drivers. Additionally support for USB HID keyboard and mice are possible with this port. Limitations of device options are based on the Linux kernel version installed.

Reception

Reception for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has been generally positive. The Verge reviewer David Pierce commented, "The Tab 2 is more powerful than either the Kindle Fire or the Nook Tablet, and because it runs a fuller version of Android it's a more capable device if you're interested in more than just reading."^[9] Both Pierce and TechRadar's James Stables praised the size and weight of the device, as well as the low price compared to other full-size tablets.^[10] Some criticism was made of the screen quality, with Stables describing it as "dull and unresponsive", and Expert Reviews' David Ludlow criticizing the low resolution compared to the 2012 Google Nexus 7, despite otherwise finding it impressive.^[11]