Pathik Shah

10 Reasons Why I’m Buying the Samsung Galaxy Tab (And You Should Too)

Samsung Galaxy Tab Review

1. Android

It’s the first serious Android tablet that can go head to head against the iPad, and probably win. It runs the latest version – Android 2.2 Froyo, and comes with the TouchWiz 3.0 UI optimized for a higher resolution display and Swype for text input.

2. Hardware

It has much better hardware specifications than the iPad. A 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor coupled with a PowerVR SGX540 graphics processor with 512 MB RAM (the iPad has just 256 MB RAM). It comes with 16 GB internal storage and support for 32 GB microSD cards.

3. Apps and Games

The Galaxy Tab supports all apps and games from the Android Market (many other Android tablets don’t). Most existing apps scale up properly to the larger resolution. As the display isn’t as big as the iPad’s 9.7 incher, even the scaled up apps won’t look as ugly as iPhone apps looked on the iPad. Besides, Samsung has included enough apps on it tailored specifically for the tablet form factor.

4. Multitasking

As it runs Android 2.2 Froyo with 512 MB RAM and a 1 GHz processor, you can easily multitask dozens of apps. The iPad can’t (though it will get multitasking with the iOS 4.2 update by the end of 2010, I don’t think 256 MB RAM will be enough).

5. Connectivity

It offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB and 3G connectivity. It can also function as a phone, and you can also make video calls using the built in camera. It also has built in GPS. Pretty much everything you will need.

6. Multimedia

It offers much better multimedia capabilities than the iPad or any other tablet. Like the Galaxy S, it can directly playback MP4, DivX, XviD, MKV and even RMVB in 720p. No need to convert any videos, you can directly transfer them to the Galaxy Tab and watch them.

7. Camera

It has two cameras – a front facing VGA camera and a 3.2 MP camera on the back. The front camera can be used for video conferencing while the one of the back can be used to record video and capture casual shots. (The iPad has neither).

8. Display

It has a 7 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels (higher pixel density than the iPad). A SuperAMOLED display would have been awesome, but I guess the shortage of SuperAMOLED panels didn’t help.

9. Portability

It is much more portable than the iPad. It weighs close to half what the iPad does and is also much smaller. Perfect for one handed usage, ebook reading and watching videos. It is also pretty stylish.

10. Pricing and Availability

Very few tablets are available internationally. The iPad still isn’t available in India officially and neither are most of the el cheapo Android tablets. Getting one from the grey market is very expensive. The Galaxy Tab should be available in India soon, and is expected to be priced around $500.

Unless Samsung screws up the pricing, I’m definitely getting the Galaxy Tab. Are you?

The early reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Tab are already out (and they are looking great).

Check some out:

Mobile Review – Samsung Galaxy Tab – First Look

Engadget – Samsung Galaxy Tab Preview

Gizmodo – Samsung Galaxy Tab – Quick Look

Samsung Galaxy Tab vs Apple iPad: Comparison

In this post, I will compare the Samsung Galaxy Tab, an Android tablet by Samsung which will be launched on September 2, and the Apple iPad, which is the best tablet available currently.

Apple iPad vs Samsung Galaxy Tab

Display

The Apple iPad has a 9.7 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, on the other hand, will have a 7.0 inch SuperAMOLED display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The SuperAMOLED display of the Galaxy Tab will definitely trump the TFT display of the iPad. The display of the Galaxy Tab is smaller but I would prefer that as it’s more portable.

Hardware

The Apple iPad has a 1 GHz A4 processor and comes with 256 MB RAM. The Galaxy Tab will have a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and will have 512 MB RAM. The Galaxy Tab clearly wins in this aspect.

The iPad is available in 16, 32 and 64 GB versions while the Galaxy Tab will have a 16 GB version with support for up to 32 GB microSD cards.

Operating System

The Apple iPad runs the older version of iOS – iOS 3.2.2 which doesn’t offer features like multitasking and folders. It should get the iOS 4 update soon though. The Samsung Galaxy Tab will come with Android 2.2 Froyo and will probably also get the upgrade to Android 3.0 Gingerbread. It offers full multitasking and folder support as well as many other features. I would go with the Galaxy Tab on this one.

After iOS 4 releases for the iPad, the scales may tilt in the iPad’s favor.

Applications and Games

The Apple iPad can run almost all of the 200,000 apps and games built for the iPhone. It also has over 12,000 native applications written specifically for the iPad.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will presumably support applications from the Android Market, which add up to about 80,000. However, Android apps customized for bigger displays with higher resolutions will be hard to find initially. The iPad definitely wins this one.

Multimedia

Watching videos on the iPad is a huge hassle, as it doesn’t support most video formats. You have to convert videos to M4V, MP4 or MOV using the appropriate codecs (H.264, MPEG-4). On the Galaxy Tab, we will have support for H.264, XviD, DivX, MP4, MKV and even RMVB videos. You will probably be able to play most videos directly without having to convert them. It also has the better display.

The Galaxy Tab will also have a 3.2 MP camera and a front facing VGA camera. The iPad doesn’t have one. The Galaxy Tab easily wins this round.

Connectivity

The iPad offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity. You can also get the 3G connectivity option by paying $130 extra. The Galaxy Tab will sport Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and also includes 3G in the base version. The Galaxy Tab also has a GPS transceiver with A-GPS support, which only the iPad 3G model has. It also has an HDMI out.

Galaxy Tab wins!

The Verdict

I have compared the Apple iPad with what we know about the Samsung Galaxy Tab so far, and the Galaxy Tab clearly comes out on top. It should be priced lower than the iPad. The Galaxy Tab will also be available in countries which don’t have the iPad, like India, which makes it a much better option for me. I am definitely getting the Galaxy Tab, are you?

This tutorial will explain how you can Root your Motorola Droid X with just one click.

Download the DroidXRoot GUI tool and extract all the files to your Desktop.

On your Droid X, go to System > Applications > Development and enable USB Debugging. Connect your Droid X to your PC via USB and open the DroidXRoot.exe file.

Click on the “Root Me ” button and your Droid X will be rooted soon.

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via AllDroid

This tutorial will explain how you can Root your Samsung Galaxy S (AT&T Captivate, T Mobile Vibrant).

Rooting your Samsung Galaxy S will give you full access to your phone.

How to root your Samsung Galaxy S

To root your Galaxy S, first download and install the Android SDK from Android SDK Download

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is an excellent tool which lets you manage your phone from your computer. It is included in the Android ASK installation alongwith USB drivers for your phone.

Download this file: update.zip and copy it to your SD card.

Connect your Samsung Galaxy S to your PC via USB and use the ADB console to type this command:

adb reboot recovery

In the recovery menu, select “apply sdcard:update.zip” by pressing Home + Volume_Down

Your Galaxy S will now reboot and is successfully rooted. You now have root access to your phone as a Super User.

via Leshak at Samdroid

Samsung is launching the new Android powered Samsung Galaxy S and the Bada OS powered Samsung Wave in India, today at the Samsung Mumbai Blogger Meet.

Samsung Galaxy S I9000

The Samsung Galaxy S is one of the best Android smartphones. Considering that the Motorola Droid X and the HTC Evo 4G are eons away from being launched in India, the Galaxy S will be the best Android device option for Indian users.

The Galaxy S has everything you would want in a smartphone: Android 2.1 with TouchWiz 3.0 and Swype (will soon be upgraded to Android 2.2), a gorgeous 4 inch SuperAMOLED display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1 GHz ARM Cortex processor, 512 MB RAM, 8 GB internal memory with upto 32 GB microSD support, a 5 MP camera with autofocus which can record 720p video at 30 FPS, 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, a GPS transceiver with A-GPS and much more.

This will probably be my next phone (if I don’t get floored by the Samsung Wave).

The Samsung Galaxy S will be priced at around INR 31000.

Samsung Wave S8500

The Samsung Wave is the first smartphone powered by Samsung’s new Bada OS.

It is an excellent phone with superb hardware specs. It has a 3.3 inch SuperAMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It is powered by the new Samsung Bada OS with the TouchWiz 3.0 UI. It has a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 512 MB RAM, 1.5 GB internal memory (partitioned) and supports upto 32 GB microSD cards. It is a multimedia powerhouse with a 5 MP camera with autofocus and LED flash which can record 720p video at 30 FPS and has features like face, smile, blink detection and touch focus. It also has the usual connectivity options: 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and GPS.

It can play DivX, XviD and MKV files right out of the box and comes with DNSe which results in excellent audio quality.

The Samsung Wave is expected to be priced around INR 19000.

Bada OS is still in a nascent stage and it couldn’t have had a better launch vehicle than the Samsung Wave.

The Bada Application Store is supposed to have around 100 free applications at launch. As it grows popular, more and more developers will flock to it resulting in more, better applications being available. Check out http://www.bada.com/badadevices for more details on Bada OS and their developer tools.
Samsung also has a Bada OS Developer Challenge going on with a total prize money of 2.7 million dollars.