Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 (10.1-Inch, Black)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This is my review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1. This review is not incentivized by Samsung in any way. I purchased the product for my own use.



What is it?



The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is the aforementioned company’s latest foray into the midrange tablet market. With these tablets you’re not likely to find a “retina display” or anything over 720p resolution, but they’re more reasonably priced, and therefore, more likely to be adopted by more people.



Specifications



Processor: 1.2 GHz Quad Core

Memory: 1.5GB

Storage: 16GB with additional microSD slot

Display: 1280×800

Operating System: Android Kit Kat 4.4 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI

As you can see, those specs really aren’t too shabby, but they’re definitely not bleeding edge technology. However, having the latest and greatest isn’t always the best. For example, I recently purchased the higher end Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 and was utterly disappointed in it. Yes, the screen was beautiful but you could tell that not a lot of games had been properly coded for that resolution as the HD graphics appeared pixelated and blocky. Also, the Tab Pro suffered from massive lag and stuttering when when navigating through the operating system. You can read about my experience with that tablet here. It was promptly returned to Best Buy.



Back to the Galaxy Tab 4.



As mentioned earlier, it runs Kit Kat 4.4 with Samsung’s custom TouchWiz user interface over top. In my opinion, this isn’t a bad thing since I have never been a fan of HTC’s Sense UI. It sadly still comes packed full of bloatware that I almost always remove if possible.



Initial Thoughts



Being an ex-member of the cult of Steve Jobs, I am still getting used to the Android world and the lack of high resolution displays in some products. The Galaxy S5, which I own, has the best display and form factor on the market right now. Are you listening Apple? Thankfully, there are cheaper Android tablets available that still offer a high quality user experience.



Once you go through the obligatory setup screens and sync your applications, the tablet is zippy and runs with no lag whatsoever. Overall memory utilization is low when using several apps at once and multi-tasking.



Display



OK, this is a 720p display. You will notice a difference if using an S5 and then the Galaxy Tab 4 – but let’s not compare the two. The 1280×800 screen is actually quite beautiful and bright. This is one of the brighter screens I’ve seen on a midrange tablet. Text is sharp as are the graphics, both are quickly rendered thanks to the 1.5GB RAM and quad core processor. Yes, I think it should be a 1080p panel, but it’s a $319 tablet.



Performance



I was able to open apps and switch between them fairly quickly. This little tablet is definitely more responsive than it’s bigger, more expensive brother. Even under heavy use the Tab 4 performed excellent. It’s able to handle video encoded to 1080p with no stutter, even though it’s obviously rendered at 720p on the screen. No complaints at all about performance.



Final Impressions



I’m still an Apple fanboy, just now living in an Android world. I really like the Galaxy Tab 4. It’s fast, responsive, light, and does what I need it to do. I feel like for the most part, I could ditch my laptop when traveling. That is, as long as I’m not running a GoPro, or editing HD video.



The display is not as sharp as I like, but the applications and games I use are not upated to be displayed yet at the higher resolutions on the Tab Pro.



Kit Kat has grown, the OS takes up about 4GB of the internal 16GB, and by the time you add-in the Samsung applications and associated bloatware, you have only about 9GB of usable space. That almost sounds like a Surface tablet, no? LOL Sorry, couldn’t resist. Samsung says the answer is to use a microSD card – which you will want to do immediately. They state on their site, that a maximum of 64GB is supported, although I am tempted to buy a 128GB and try it. I know those work in the S5.



So, should you buy it? If you like new gadgets, sure. If you want a great performing Android tablet for a great price, absolutely. I can’t really find anything wrong with this little guy. It’s a keeper.



UPDATE



I pre-ordered the Galaxy Tab 4 on Amazon at $349. It was released May 1st, and it looks like the price was dropped to $319.99, making it an even better value.