Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Tablet Review

Controls

Like all tablets with only a volume rocker, power button, and capacitive screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 's controls are mostly accessed without physical buttons. For those of you familiar with computers, tapping will "click," swiping will change homescreens or turn pages, and inching your finger will zoom wherever applicable.

On the bottom of the screen at all times is the Android control bar, with back, home, recent apps, and screenshot icons. No matter what app you have open, you will always be able to use these controls, so just in case you need to get out of something quick, switch to another app, or even take a picture of what you're doing.

Connectivity

Armed with a wide array of connectivity options, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has some interesting bells and whistles that help you control what's around you. For example, not only can you pair items with the included bluetooth capability, but you can also control a limited amount of hardware with the IR blaster as well (TVs, Blu-ray players, etc.). The standard 802.11n wireless card is also among the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 's connectivity options.

If local storage is important to you, there's also a microSD card slot that allows you to expand the memory of your tablet by buying and inserting microSD cards, containing whatever you'd like to load on them. While not a groundbreaking addition, it's a feature that's fast disappearing on high profile tablets.

Battery Life

With a middling performance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 offers users about 6 hours and 3 minutes reading eBooks, and 6 hours and 10 minutes watching video. We were able to get these results by maxing the backlight and disabling literally everything else we possibly could, so running other apps, location services, or turning down the backlight will alter your battery life.