tablets - Blog about Gadgets and News

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2026

August 30, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Samsung, the market leader in Android smartphones, on Tuesday launched a new range of tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, in India. Two models with different screen sizes are available – the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 – with prices starting at Rs. 37,800 and Rs. 44,800 respectively. Both tablets mark Samsung's re-entry into the OLED space. The last tablet by the company with an OLED screen was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, in 2011.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 were first launched by the South Korean giant at its Samsung Galaxy Premiere 2014 'Tab in to colour' event in New York City on June 12. Now, at the launch in India, Samsung has revealed that it will be selling the 3G Exynos-based versions of the tablets here in the second week of July. LTE versions with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoCs will follow shortly.
We at NDTV Gadgets got a chance to play with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 at its India launch event, and these are our fir..

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 - [year] review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 – 2026 review

November 25, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Samsung is probably trying to apply its smartphones strategy on tablets, as the company is launching Android tablets of varied specification in the Indian market. Starting from 7-inch, the Korean manufacture has a tablet for you in almost every possible size – 7.7-inch, 8.9-inch, and 10.1-inch.
The recently launched Galaxy Tab 2 310 is company's first Ice Cream Sandwich tablet to reach India and it is also a device that marks a big shift in company's target market. Instead of going after the iPad buyers, Samsung has realised that it is better to target buyers that don't have the budget to opt for iPad and can compromise a bit on features.
The Galaxy Tab 2 310 comes at almost half the price at which original Galaxy Tab was launched in India and has similar features, but has the reduction in price impacted the overall performance of the device? We find out in this review.
Hardware
Apart from the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab, all the Samsung tablets look identical, with just..

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 2026

August 28, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

To appreciate Microsoft's latest tablet computer, you need to accept the notion that one device can do it all.
The Surface Pro 3 works as a tablet when you want to watch video or read e-books. It works as a laptop when you need to get serious work done. The Surface delivers on both, though it falls short of meeting Microsoft's claim to do so without compromising on either.
(Also see: Microsoft Unveils Surface Pro 3 With 12-Inch 2160×1440 Pixel Display)
The Pro 3 runs a full version of Microsoft's Windows 8 system, the same as you get on a traditional desktop or laptop computer. That means that, unlike other tablets, it can run just about any program designed for Windows: Microsoft Office, Photoshop and more.
The Surface has a touch screen like other tablets, but it also has an optional cover that opens to reveal a physical keyboard and touchpad. It has a USB port and one for external displays, both of which are rare on tablets.
It also matches laptops in price. Although ..

Nexus 7 2026 review

November 19, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

In the 1982 sci-fi movie “Blade Runner,” there are hints that the hero, played by Harrison Ford, is an artificial human – an “android” or “replicant.” His job is to go out and kill other, rogue androids.
If he's an android, he's of the latest model, Nexus 7. That's also the name Google Inc. has picked for the first tablet to bear the Google brand. Clearly, its mission is to go out and kill rogue tablets running Google's Android software.
Specifically, the Nexus 7 seems to have been designed to give anyone who bought a Kindle Fire from Amazon.com Inc. or a Nook Tablet from Barnes & Noble Inc. a lethal case of buyer's remorse.
The Nexus 7 costs $199, the same that Amazon and Barnes & Noble charge for their tablets. But it's better than theirs in significant ways, as it became clear to me after a couple of days of use. Google announced the tablet last week and is taking pre-orders for delivery in mid-July.
Why is Google targeting the Kindle Fire and the Nook ..

Acer Iconia W4 2026

July 25, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Windows 8 has an identity problem. The Modern UI, with its big, bright tiles and touch-friendly apps still isn't useful for anything more than the occasional game. Microsoft's most recent updates seem to have been designed to make life easier for non-touch laptop and desktop users, making the traditional Windows desktop more prominent and consigning the Start Screen to the background.
We like Windows 8.1 on desktops and laptops, and like many users, we have adjusted to the lack of a Start menu. Once we're in the desktop, there's almost no need to ever deal with the Modern UI, but we don't mind dipping into it occasionally. On most laptops and hybrid ultrabooks, we often forget that the screens are touch-capable, and frankly, that isn't a problem at all.
Perhaps that's why Windows-powered tablets have all but disappeared from the market. Sure, we've got plenty of ultrabooks and hybrids with keyboards that either detach or fold away – but pure tabl..

Microsoft Surface 2026

July 30, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Microsoft seems to have gotten the design and form factor right with its new Surface tablet computer. But the user interface, not so much. That's an odd conclusion to make about a device from a software company that usually lets others do the manufacturing.
Still, that's how I felt after feeling the heft of the device, examining it from all sides and making a few swipes at the screen. The Surface has a touch keyboard cover that feels great and, to me, is a big step forward for tablets. The tablet's software interface, however, seems non-intuitive and sluggish.
Microsoft is clearly straddling the uncomfortable divide between the old world of mice and keyboards, where it dominates, and a future ruled by touch screens, where Apple and Android devices prevail.
Although the Surface won't go on sale until this fall, I had the chance to spend a few minutes with some devices in a group demonstration after Microsoft unveiled them in Los Angeles on Monday.
The removable cover..

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 2026 review

November 25, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Is 12 inches too big for a tablet screen? We're about to find out. Samsung has decided that the world needs bigger tablets, and so we have not one but two 12.2-inch models from the Korean giant. As if their lineup wasn't expansive enough, these new models are the largest of a range of new Android tablets.
Samsung's lineup of tablets now extends from 7 inches to 12.2 inches. Factoring in the Galaxy Mega and Galaxy Note phones which have screens of up to 6.3 inches, Samsung really does seem to be trying every possible size.
The two biggest models, the Galaxy Tab Pro and Galaxy Note Pro, look identical and have nearly identical features, so it's easy to mix them up. The chief difference is the S-Pen, which has led to this confusing naming scheme. The S-Pen has been reserved for the Galaxy Note series of smartphones, so it probably seemed appropriate to name this tablet Note Pro.
Look and feel
There's no doubt about it; this thing is huge! It's also rather he..

Review: HP TouchPad makes a mediocre tablet

March 9, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

A year after Hewlett-Packard Co. purchased flailing Palm, the technology behemoth is rolling out the first tablet that uses Palm's webOS operating system.
The July 1 release should be a triumph for HP, showcasing its ability to compete in the increasingly crowded tablet market. Yet while the TouchPad's software is beautiful and intuitive, overall the tablet is more of a “meh-sterpiece” than a masterpiece.
The TouchPad looks a lot like its peers: It's black and shiny with just a few buttons dotting its frame. The screen, 9.7 inches at the diagonal, is the same size and resolution as Apple's iPad.
At $500 for a model with 16 gigabytes of storage or $600 for one with 32 GB, the price is essentially the same, too. The device I tested used Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet; HP says a version will work on AT&T Inc.'s wireless network later this summer.
At 0.54 inches thick, the TouchPad is fatter than the iPad. It's heavier, too, at 1.6 pounds. With its rounded ..

Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2: First impressions

February 23, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Samsung's new Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 tablet blurs the distinction between a laptop and a tablet computer.
Its on-screen keyboard has capabilities that are more common with laptops, and its screen is larger than what many laptops have. People can run several apps side by side, and multiple users can share the device with separate profiles.
Samsung also tries to make the NotePRO something professionals can use on the road, while leaving the laptop behind. It's packed with business tools such as a WebEx virtual conferencing app, a one-year subscription to Bloomberg Businessweek's digital magazine and one year of Wi-Fi access on airplanes through Gogo.
It's an impressive lineup of features. Unfortunately, it also has a price tag that exceeds that of many laptops – $750 for the base model with 32 gigabytes of storage, and $850 for 64 gigabytes.
If your primary reason for owning a tablet is to consume content, such as video, music, books and magazines, the NotePRO isn't..

Review: HTC Flyer tablet mates with slippery pen

March 4, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Is it better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all? That's the question posed by a new tablet computer that takes aim at one of the deficiencies of the iPad: that it's difficult to write on it with a stylus or pen.
The HTC Flyer is a $500 tablet with a 7-inch screen. At a glance, it's not much different from the other tablets that are scrambling to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPad.
The iPad and all its copycats are designed to sense the touch of a finger. The screen layer that does this looks for big, blunt, electrically conductive objects such as fingers. It doesn't sense small, sharp ones like pens.
That's why third-party styluses for the iPad are blunt rubbery sticks. They're essentially imitation fingers. They're not very good for drawing, but some people find them better than nothing.
The Flyer has the same finger-sensing screen layer. But it backs this up with a second one, which looks for the movement of a specially designe..

Dell Venue 7 and Dell Venue 8 - [year] review

Dell Venue 7 and Dell Venue 8 – 2026 review

November 9, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

It isn't surprising that Dell has jumped into the Android tablet fray – it's only surprising that it took them so long to get serious about it. The PC industry's decline is now well documented and every major player is looking to diversify into other areas. Dell first tried its hand at smartphones and tablets back in 2009, but none of its attempts since then including the original Venue, Venue Pro, XCD, Streak and Mini product lines ever amounted to much.
Now, after a few years of focusing on Windows-based Ultrabooks, hybrids, and all-in-one desktops, Dell is has decided to give Android another shot. The Venue brand has been resuscitated and is now being used across a line of new tablets. There are two Android-based Venues and two Windows-powered Venue Pros.
The two Android tablets are extremely similar, with the primary difference being the size of their screens. As their names suggest, the Dell Venue 7 has a 7-inch screen while the Venue 8 has an 8-inch screen. We hav..

Kobo Arc 2026 review

June 30, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

Canadian e-reader maker, Kobo, recently launched three of its e-readers (it calls them eReaders), and a 7-inch Android tablet, in the Indian market.
Tablets made by e-book reader companies are essentially multimedia capable devices made to please users who're looking to invest in e-books but don't want an e-ink display and want their device to do much more.
Kobo's Android tablet is called the Kobo Arc and competes with the likes of the Kindle Fire HD. As with the Kindle Fire tablet, Kobo's Arc tablet is deeply integrated with Kobo's 'eBooks'
ecosystem, which is also one of the USPs of the tablets. However, it also features the Google Play Store and Google's natives app, that are missing from Amazon's Kindle offering.
So, in a way it also competes with other 7-inch Android tablets like the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 3. We try to find out if Kobo's been able to strike a balance between an e-reading device and a full-featured Android tablet,..