Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is a slim, light tablet which at first glance could be compared to other compact tablets such as the Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition. However, it stands apart in reality thanks to an incredible 7.7in AMOLED screen.

This is biggest such screen we’ve seen to date. With a 1,280×800 resolution, it has the same number of pixels as the average laptop squashed into a space the size of a paperback novel, and the Super AMOLED Plus panel is one of the brightest and most colourful screens we’ve ever seen.

OLED technology uses pixels made from organic compounds that glow in different colours when a current is applied, which means a backlight and polarising filter isn’t needed, so colours are richer and he screen has far better viewing angles than standard TFT panels. They also consume very little power, which goes some way to explaining the 7.7’s amazing 15-hour battery life in our video playback test. It helps that the screen has a glossy finish, which adds extra punch.

Although it’s under 8mm thick, the 7.7 feels sturdy. The front is edge-to-edge glass with an oleophobic coating that keeps greasy smudges at bay, while the rear casing is a brushed alloy with smooth metal end plates. The top plate holds the camera and LED flash, with a headphone port on the top edge, while the bottom plate houses two speaker grilles and the proprietary docking connector. A volume rocker and the power button are on the right-hand edge, towards the top, and there’s a microSDHC card slot on the left-hand edge.

The tablet’s 7.7in size makes it just small enough to fit in an inside jacket pocket, while its 340g weight is low enough that you won’t mind holding it in front of you for long periods to read a book or watch a film. Even the built-in speakers are impressive, with a decent amount of volume and a surprisingly well-balanced sound.

A dual-core 1.4GHz Samsung CPU keeps things running smoothly, although Android still suffers from interface stutters. There are two cameras: a 3-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera that works with Skype for video calls. Despite its small sensor, the main camera takes clear, colourful shots with little noise, and the LED flash illuminates dark scenes well. It can also shoot 720p video, but these were noisy and jumpy.

The only part of the hardware we didn’t like was the proprietary port for charging and data transfer. We would have preferred a standard Micro USB port, as a spare Samsung data cable will set you back £11. However, when you start using the Tab 7.7 for any length of time you start to notice its faults, which all boil down to software issues.