Pathik Shah

How to Install Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Samsung Galaxy Tab

The Samsung Galaxy Tab was the first major Android tablet. It has great specifications, but came with Android 2.2 Froyo, which made it just a larger Galaxy S. Android 3.0 Honeycomb was announced way back, and the new generation of Android tablets will run it, but the Galaxy Tab will officially get an upgrade to just Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

If you are one of the 2 million who bought one, here’s some good news. Android 3.0 Honeycomb has been ported to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The guys over at XDA have already compiled a version of Android 3.0 Honeycomb for the Galaxy Tab and will be making it available for download soon.

There are still many bugs to be worked on, but the Galaxy Tab now boots Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

How to Install Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Samsung Galaxy Tab – Instructions

The developers haven’t released a ROM yet, but they have posted a video and images of the Galaxy Tab running Android 3.0 Honeycomb. It’s just a matter of time before you can install Honeycomb on your Galaxy Tab too. Stay tuned for download details and installation instructions.

Here’s the original XDA thread for Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Samsung Galaxy Tab

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Review: First Look

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is the successor to the most popular Android tablet yet – the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It will be unveiled today at the Mobile World Congress 2011. Just ahead of the official launch, some images and details of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 have already leaked out. It will be powered by Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the latest version of the Android OS.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Specifications

Display: 10.1 inch SuperAMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen display, 1280 x 800 pixels
OS: Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Processor: 1 GHz dual core processor
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP camera with HD video recording
Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G HSDPA

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is much bigger than the Galaxy Tab and has a bigger display than the Apple iPad. But it will be much lighter and slimmer than both. It might be a bit bulky compared to 7 inch Android tablets, but should be slimmer than the Motorola Xoom. On the back, there is a rounded Samsung logo and the camera with flash.

OS and Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will come with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, like all other major Android tablets launching in 2011. It will be powered bv a 1 GHz (or 1.2 GHz) dual core processor and will have 1 GB RAM. It will be one of the most powerful Android tablets at launch. It also has 32 GB / 64 GB internal storage.

Multimedia

The Galaxy Tab 2 will come with an 8 MP camera with flash and will also have a secondary camera (likely 2 MP) for video calls. It supports full HD video recording and playback and also comes with dual stereo speakers.

Connectivity

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will have all the standard connectivity options – GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. It is also expected to offer 4G connectivity (HSPA+ or LTE).

The Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will be one of the best Android tablets in 2010. It seems capable enough to beat the Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom and even the Apple iPad 2 when it comes out (taking in account the rumored specs). It is likely to be priced at around $700-$800 with a Wi-Fi only version priced lower.

Images via SamsungHub

Samsung Galaxy Tab vs Motorola Xoom – Fight!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the best Android tablet currently available. The Motorola Xoom which was just announced is an excellent Android tablet too, and offers much more than the Galaxy Tab, but it will be available only by March.

In this post, I will compare the two – Motorola Xoom vs Samsung Galaxy Tab

Motorola Xoom vs Samsung Galaxy Tab

Design

Both the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab have roughly the same design and form factor with a few changes. While the Motorola Xoom has a bigger display, the Galaxy Tab is much more portable. It boils down to whether you want a bigger but bulkier device, or a portable one.

Display

The Motorola Xoom has a 10.1 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The Galaxy Tab has a smaller 7 inch TFT touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Again, it boils down to personal choice. Portability vs Size.

OS

The Motorola Xoom comes with Android 3.0 Honeycomb – the latest version of Android made specifically for tablets. The Galaxy Tab comes with Android 2.2 Froyo. Both of them will have their custom UIs. Android 3.0 is obviously much better suited to tablets. The Motorola Xoom is the clear winner in this category.

Hardware

The Motorola Xoom comes with a 1 GHz dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and 1 GB RAM while the Galaxy Tab has a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor with 512 MB RAM. The Xoom comes with 32 GB internal storage while the Galaxy Tab offers 16 GB. Clearly, the Motorola Xoom is twice as better as the Galaxy Tab in this category.

Multimedia

The Motorola Xoom will come with a 5 MP camera and is capable of 1080p HD video playback, while the Galaxy Tab can only handle 720p. The Xoom also has a 5 MP camera with dual LED flash while the Galaxy Tab has a 3.15 MP camera. The Xoom has a 2 MP secondary camera while the Galaxy Tab has a 1.3 MP secondary camera.

Again, the Motorola Xoom is the better choice.

Connectivity

Both the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab have almost similar connectivity options – 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS etc. The Motorola Xoom will get a 4G LTE connectivity upgrade while the Galaxy Tab is limited to 3G. Xoom wins.

The Verdict

The Motorola Xoom is undoubtedly the better Android tablet offering. It is much more powerful, has a better OS, better camera and better connectivity. But if you want portability, the Galaxy Tab is still your best bet.

Note: Samsung has announced an upgraded version of the Galaxy Tab. It will comes with a 5 MP camera, 1.2 GHz processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It might also get Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Even if you cannot install Android 2.3 Gingerbread on the Samsung Galaxy Tab yet, you can get some of the Android 2.3 Gingerbread goodies on your Galaxy Tab right away.

How to Install Android 2.3 Gingerbread Keyboard on Samsung Galaxy Tab

1. Download Android 2.3 Gingerbread for Samsung Galaxy Tab keyboard files. These files are common for many phones and work in the Galaxy Tab as well.

2. Extract the downloaded ZIP archive and get these files:
/system/app/LatinIME.apk
/system/lib/libjni_latinime.so

3. Copy them to the respective folders on your Galaxy Tab using Root Explorer. You need to have a rooted Galaxy Tab.

4. Go to System Preferences and select Android Keyboard and select your language.

Congrats, you have installed the Android 2.3 Gingerbread keyboard on the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

via XDA

Buy the Apple iPad in India, Officially

India is probably not on Apple’s list of favorite countries, and it seemed like it would rather start shipping the iPad to some other planet before it got around to selling it officially in India.

But now, it seems that the Apple iPad is officially available in India. As of now, Apple resellers are selling it only in bulk to corporates, but it should be available in retail soon.

Apple iPad India Pricing?

16 GB iPad (Wi-Fi Only) – Rs 33,000
64 GB iPad (Wi-Fi + 3G) – Rs 54,000

This is what the pricing seems to be. The other models will be priced in this range. With such a high price tag, the Samsung Galaxy Tab seems to be a better option at Rs 36,000.

via ET