I live in New York, so today I had the opportunity to step into the Union Square Best Buy and play with the exclusive 10.1 inch Galaxy Tab. I own the Iconia, but as of today I have exactly a week remaining on my return period. Thus, I wandered into the Best Buy in order to discover what the hype is about, whether it is indeed worthwhile to return the Iconia for perhaps the most discussed and highly reviewed Honeycomb tablet out there. What follows is my brief hands on review. Hopefully it will help anyone on the fence between the Galaxy Tab and the Iconia Tab.
Let me start off by saying this: to say that the Galaxy Tab is a gorgeous device is, quite simply, a severe understatement. As a matter of fact, calling it an understatement is an understatement in itself. Yes, it is that stunning. Samsung has always been proficient when it comes to superficial aesthetics, yet they have outdone themselves with the Galaxy Tab. The thing is remarkably thin, unfathomably light, and uncharacteristically easy to hold. Yes, it uses plastic throughout virtually the entire device. The Galaxy Tab, however, feels deceptively sturdy. There are no creaks, nothing seems loose or out of place, and the entire device is just bewitching to look at. Now, the Iconia is no slouch. The brushed aluminum design lends it a sturdy and appealing design. There is no comparison, however, with the Galaxy Tab. Pictures simply do not do it justice. The thing is remarkable.
That being said, however, the experience of using the Galaxy is uncannily similar to that of using the Iconia. Both, after all, harbor virtually the same internals. Performance, therefore, is predictably very similar. As a matter of fact, I witnessed some stutter and lag when scrolling through the homescreens (in landscape mode) on the Galaxy Tab, definitely a little bit more than on my Iconia Tab. The difference, however, is negligible enough.
Now, on to the screen. Contrary to popular belief, the Galaxy does NOT have a superior screen to the Iconia. Both share (I believe) identical resolutions. The only place where the Galaxy Tab wins in the screen department is the fact that you do not see the grid pattern and the dots that are visible in direct light on the Iconia's screen. Personally, I rarely see the grid pattern from my viewing angle on the Iconia, but if this is potentially cumbersome or bothersome to you, then the Galaxy might have a slight edge on the display (not in terms of quality, but rather mere design).
Perhaps the largest and most lucid difference between the Iconia and the Galaxy, however, arises in the connectivity department. The Iconia, to state it bluntly, simply destroys the Galaxy Tab in terms of connectivity and peripherals. The Acer has USB, MicroSD, and HDMI inputs. The Galaxy has, well, nothing at all. Perhaps this is the sacrifice for thinness, but the Galaxy Tab, like the iPad, lacks any connectivity other than the dock/charger connector and the headphone jack. You either get 16 or 32 Gigs, and you are stuck with that decision for the rest of your Tablet's life.
So, there it is. If you are an individual that places a great emphasis on design and aesthetic appeal, than the Galaxy Tab wins, bar none. If, however, you are more concerned about pragmatism and connectivity, the Acer Iconia is the clear winner. Now, of course Samsung is more prominent in the mobile market than Acer. This will perhaps best manifest itself in the availability of updates. It is, however, too early to tell how Acer will react to updates, so I will not elaborate on this point if there is nothing to elaborate on. I still have a week on my return decision, but I am 99% certain that I will stick with the bulkier Iconia Tab. The 16GB version of the Samsung is merely $50 more than the Iconia 16GB, but as aforementioned, the Iconia offers greater flexibility in terms of microSD and USB storage. Nevertheless, I hope this thesis paper that I wrote helps, and if you have any other questions about the Galaxy Tab, ask away
Let me start off by saying this: to say that the Galaxy Tab is a gorgeous device is, quite simply, a severe understatement. As a matter of fact, calling it an understatement is an understatement in itself. Yes, it is that stunning. Samsung has always been proficient when it comes to superficial aesthetics, yet they have outdone themselves with the Galaxy Tab. The thing is remarkably thin, unfathomably light, and uncharacteristically easy to hold. Yes, it uses plastic throughout virtually the entire device. The Galaxy Tab, however, feels deceptively sturdy. There are no creaks, nothing seems loose or out of place, and the entire device is just bewitching to look at. Now, the Iconia is no slouch. The brushed aluminum design lends it a sturdy and appealing design. There is no comparison, however, with the Galaxy Tab. Pictures simply do not do it justice. The thing is remarkable.
That being said, however, the experience of using the Galaxy is uncannily similar to that of using the Iconia. Both, after all, harbor virtually the same internals. Performance, therefore, is predictably very similar. As a matter of fact, I witnessed some stutter and lag when scrolling through the homescreens (in landscape mode) on the Galaxy Tab, definitely a little bit more than on my Iconia Tab. The difference, however, is negligible enough.
Now, on to the screen. Contrary to popular belief, the Galaxy does NOT have a superior screen to the Iconia. Both share (I believe) identical resolutions. The only place where the Galaxy Tab wins in the screen department is the fact that you do not see the grid pattern and the dots that are visible in direct light on the Iconia's screen. Personally, I rarely see the grid pattern from my viewing angle on the Iconia, but if this is potentially cumbersome or bothersome to you, then the Galaxy might have a slight edge on the display (not in terms of quality, but rather mere design).
Perhaps the largest and most lucid difference between the Iconia and the Galaxy, however, arises in the connectivity department. The Iconia, to state it bluntly, simply destroys the Galaxy Tab in terms of connectivity and peripherals. The Acer has USB, MicroSD, and HDMI inputs. The Galaxy has, well, nothing at all. Perhaps this is the sacrifice for thinness, but the Galaxy Tab, like the iPad, lacks any connectivity other than the dock/charger connector and the headphone jack. You either get 16 or 32 Gigs, and you are stuck with that decision for the rest of your Tablet's life.
So, there it is. If you are an individual that places a great emphasis on design and aesthetic appeal, than the Galaxy Tab wins, bar none. If, however, you are more concerned about pragmatism and connectivity, the Acer Iconia is the clear winner. Now, of course Samsung is more prominent in the mobile market than Acer. This will perhaps best manifest itself in the availability of updates. It is, however, too early to tell how Acer will react to updates, so I will not elaborate on this point if there is nothing to elaborate on. I still have a week on my return decision, but I am 99% certain that I will stick with the bulkier Iconia Tab. The 16GB version of the Samsung is merely $50 more than the Iconia 16GB, but as aforementioned, the Iconia offers greater flexibility in terms of microSD and USB storage. Nevertheless, I hope this thesis paper that I wrote helps, and if you have any other questions about the Galaxy Tab, ask away
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