Galaxy Spins Ahead

With iPad still not in India,Samsung gets a head start with its Galaxy Tab.

With iPad still not in India,Samsung gets a head start with its Galaxy Tab.

Not since Moses have tablets been as much in the news as they are now. While the iPad still remains the sweet Beulah land for geeks,Samsungs Galaxy Tab wants to project itself as the promised land for those of us in India,at least for now.

The Olive Pad and a host of others have already tried out the Android platform,but Samsung has done it better than others. It has put the same Android 2.2 Froyo OS in two Galaxy units its new smartphone called S and the much larger Tab. But dont be mistaken that the tab is as large as a regular computer. The first thing that you will notice,and most probably,like,about the Tab is that it is very handy. Its 7-inch size means you can wrap your fingers on both sides of the Tab,making it much safer for on-the-move operations.

The Tab has a solid build and looks unnervingly like a large phone with four touch keys below the screen,a power button and volume buttons on the side. The USP of the Tab is that you can use it to make voice and video calls. You will not have to hold a 7-inch piece of technology to your ear,for the speaker phone in the unit can capture your voice from anywhere in the room. You will,however,need a 3G SIM for the video call.

The interface is like any other Android,with five slide-in homescreens which can be gradually filled with apps from the ever-growing Android market. The email app,which will be one of the primary uses of the Tab,is very easy to use with limited screen transitions. The touch keypad is very responsive and one of the first to use the new Swype technology,which lets you type words by just moving your fingers over the required letters. This,however,needs some practice to master.

The browser is very fast and loads quickly even on non-3G SIMs. Samsung has gone one up on the iPad by providing Flash and opening up the entire world of YouTube videos and streaming sites on your tab. Browsing websites on the large multi-touch screen is a pleasure that is hard to describe in words. It is like browsing through a virtual book but without the tug or push of the mouse.

The inbuilt e-book reader is as close as you can get to a book in virtual reality. Much like the iPad app,this one also lets you actually flip through pages. The Readers Hub app gives you access to many newspapers,magazines and books through tie ups with different companies you will have to pay for subscriptions,however.

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The Tab is definitely no plaything as there is a full-fledged ThinkFree office console,which lets you work on Word files,spreadsheets and presentations. And spreadsheets start making more sense when you can actually touch the figures. There is a very good GPS on board and with the Google Maps and Map My India navigation apps you can consider using the Tab in your car instead of the regular GPS device. The 3MP two-way camera is good for video calls and chatting.

The full HD video playback is good enough for owners to take their movies to bed but you are advised to use the earphones because the speakers could wake up your partner. Samsung is so confident of the video playback capabilities of its tablet that it is panning to load the SD card with a couple of movies. The company claims the battery can provide up to seven hours of movie watching.

So who is buying the new kid on the block? The tablet is made for users who want to maximise their viewing experience while retaining utmost portability. It is poised to create a new segment of users who prefer a connected lifestyle,while at work or at home, says Ranjit Yadav,India head,Samsung Mobile and IT.

Still,there are some things I didnt like about the Tab. Firstly,the price Rs 38,000 for the 16GB version will put off a lot of people who were waiting for an affordable tablet. Then,Samsung could have tweaked the Android OS a bit,so that it didnt look like a phone. At times,the Tab is a bit sluggish while changing orientation. Also,the touchscreen tends to get easily dirty in Indian conditions.

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But with the iPad nowhere on the Indian horizon for now the Tab seems the best bet,despite the price. Samsung is trying to blunt the price marginally with an inaugural discount of Rs 1,500 and throwing in freebies like a loaded 2 GB micro SD card,a Bluetooth headset and leather case. It has also roped in service providers for cheap data packages.

Well have to wait and see if India is ready to pop this tablet.