Getting Hands-On with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
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CREDIT: Samsung |
ORLANDO, Fla. – On the heels of Samsung's recent unveiling of its new Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet at the CTIA Wireless conference on Tuesday (March 22), TechNewsDaily had the opportunity to play with the device on the show floor.
The first thing we noticed was how thin it appeared. Perhaps the slim bezel contributes to the illusion, but it's indeed wafer-thin and remarkably light.
The screen size strikes a happy medium between the too-small 7-inch screen of the original Galaxy Tab and the larger slab of the iPad. It was very easy to use and the screen did not feel cramped.
While Android Honeycomb is impressive in its own right, Samsung has decided to use its TouchWiz 4.0 interface on the new tablet. Although many people aren't crazy about the TouchWiz, it’s quite usable since the interface on the Galaxy Tab 8.9 has been changed a bit. Another plus is the ability to resize widgets, and navigation is seamless.
The interface was responsive, but a bit slower than other Android Honeycomb tablets we’ve seen. The unit we used seemed to lag occasionally with certain gestures or screen transitions.
However, that's not to say the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is slow. It's still responsive enough to please all but the most anxious users.
In addition, the processor seemed to handle standard operations well. Web browsing was fast and smooth.
Overall, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is quite impressive even though the price may be the biggest selling point for consumers. This is the first major Android tablet to break the sub-$500 barrier that the iPad has been guarding.
With the inclusion of Honeycomb features and a screen size that's only an inch smaller, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 could be a major contender against the $500 iPad.
