Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Available now
1st September 2011

A long overdue replacement for the original Galaxy Tab, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is a dual-core tablet running Android 3.2. It retains the compact size of its predecessor, coming in at about half the size and weight of an iPad.

The original Galaxy Tab was both hugely anticipated and a huge let down at the same time. The main problem was the version of Android it shipped with was designed for mobile phones and not tablets. Most tablets since the Galaxy Tab have opted for a version of Android 3 which was designed for tablets, and the new Galaxy Tab 7.7 ships with the latest edition of this, version 3.2.

Despite the limitations, the original Galaxy Tab is a pretty strong seller, so this upgraded version might show some promise for those looking for a more compact tablet.

The display is a 7.7" 800 x 1280 pixel Super AMOLED Plus panel, inside is a dual-core 1.4GHz processor. Internal RAM is quoted as a huge 8GB with 16, 32 or 64GB of internal flash memory plus a microSD slot. 3G seems to be standard with support for HSPA+ downloads of up to 21 Mbps. WiFi 802.11 a, b, g and n is supported plus Bluetooth 3.0 and USB connectivity as well.

The Android 3.2 operating system has been enhanced with social networking services, corporate connectivity tools and even on-device encryption. Multimedia playback options are very good, so it looks like the Galaxy Tab 7.7 might be a strong contender for both business and domestic customers.

On the back is a basic 3 megapixel camera (although who on earth takes photos with a tablet anyway?) and on the front is a more useful 2 megapixel camera for video calling. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 also has built-in GPS so you can use it as massive sat nav if you want.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is fairly lightweight and compact for a tablet, coming in at 197 x 133 x 8mm and 335 grams. There's a 5100 mAh battery inside which is quite an upgrade from the original.

Pricing and availability are not known. The similarly specified HTC Flyer starts at about €600 or so, so we suspect that the Galaxy Tab 7.7 might be a roughly similar price.