Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)

“The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) is less of a step forward in the Galaxy line and more of a step in a new direction. The solid build quality and slick design remains, but instead of packing in top-of-the-line components and charging top-of-the-line prices, Samsung is smartly focusing on a solid software experience and an accessible price. The company isn't trying to take on the Apple iPad, but is setting its sights on the burgeoning, budget-friendly tablet market defined by the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. At $50 more than the Kindle Fire, the Tab 2.0 offers a more feature-rich, flexible tablet experience, with expandable storage, cameras, and Google's latest mobile operating system with access to the Google Play app market. The Kindle Fire retains a slight edge for most tablet users, in that it makes the tablet experience as simple and straightforward as possible—allowing easy access Amazon's vast content selection. However, for users looking for the best Android ICS experience in a small screen tablet right now, look no further than the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0).”

“Entry into the realm of Android tablets can hardly get any easier than with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in your hands. The tablet offers a capable hardware and solid build quality, to go with a low price tag for the entry-level model. The camera is decent, despite the small sensor, while the TouchWiz-ed Android Ice Cream Sandwich offers one of the most polished software experiences with Google's own OS.Of course, not everything about the slate is perfect with the most notable letdown being the PLS LCD display. It is far from being the greatest around. At this price point however, expecting anything more would simply not make sense.Like we already mentioned to you, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is aggressively priced at $249.99 for the entry-level version with 8GB of built-in memory. The entry-level price point has become increasingly popular with manufacturers lately, so here are a couple of other options.”

“So, it seems to us that the new Tab doesn't move things on as much as we had hoped it would. It's not really thinner or lighter than its predecessor. It doesn't have much more functionality, beside the move to Ice Cream Sandwich, and somehow, the camera seems worse on the new device.If you own an original Galaxy Tab, the only real reason to upgrade would be if you needed the extra processing power, or wanted the new OS, which will never be available on the original device. Perhaps this is just a sign that the original Tab was really good, or perhaps Samsung doesn't see this sized device selling in any great numbers and hasn't made a huge effort.Whatever the reason, the Galaxy Tab remains a great device, well worth considering if you want a smaller tablet.”

“The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 4G LTE for Verizon is essentially the same tablet Samsung released earlier in 2012, only now with 4G LTE speed at its disposal. The price has been raised by $100 to $350 in addition to monthly usage fees. Thankfully, now that Verizon has done away with subsidized tablets, there are no annoying two-year contracts to speak of.Still, $350 is still a lot to pay for a 7-inch tablet, especially since the release of the $200 Nexus 7, which has a better screen, faster performance, Android 4.1, and NFC capabilities.The 4G LTE counters with dual cameras, memory expansion, and of course a 4G connection and hot-spot capabilities, however, $350 (plus usage fees) is too high an investment. A starting price of $280 to $300 would have been much easier to swallow, especially since Verizon will continue to siphon cash from your pockets every month after you've paid that initial fee.While the original Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is still a good investment at $250, $350 is asking too much for a 7-inch tablet of the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 4G LTE's relatively meager capabilities.”