Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Philippines Hands-On Photos, In the Flesh Videos, First Impressions!

TechPinas Exclusive!

"This is your TP NCR Correspondent and Contributing Writer, Mon Arguelles, covering Tab Lab Event at the Eastwood Mall Open Park where Samsung Philippines officially launched Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. I was already there at 3PM to see for myself this beautiful device, and to try my luck on that Php 25,000 discount!"

Breathtaking. That's how they described this 7.7-inch Android device. And it really is. This is the first time that I've seen a Super AMOLED display on a screen that size.

I took some photos and videos for you TP friends to share my experience with you handling what could be the finest sub 8-inch tablet in the market -- one that's also capable of making phonecalls and text messages.

Front: Earpiece, 2 MP front-facing camera, and the 7.7 inch Super AMOLED Plus Display

Back: Finely crafted brushed aluminum back with 3.15MP camera and LED flash

Right side: Power button and Volume control

Left side: SIM card and micro-SD slot.

Bottom: Speakers, microphone, proprietary port USB connector

Top: 3.5mm audio jack

Here are 2 demo videos. First video shows the hardware and the user interface:



Second video shows the display quality of the Tab 7.7:


Notice how the Super AMOLED Display maintained its clarity and vibrancy despite the daylight glare.

Initial impressions:

1. Hardware - In my opinion, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the most gorgeous 7-inch tablet that you are going to see in the market... Bar none. (technically it's not 7 inches but the tech blogging world generally puts it in that category). The semi-gloss brushed aluminum finish of the device looks and feels sleek. Holding it, it's as if I am running my hand on a sportscar. But what really caught my attention is the Super AMOLED Plus display. I have yet to see the Super IPS display on the ASUS Transformer Prime but for me, this is the best tablet display in the market that I saw with my own eyes. The screen exhibited vibrant colors, wide viewing angles, deep blacks, and sunlight legibility which can only be found before in smartphones.

2. Software - The Touchwiz interface runs smoothly on top of Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system. I've used the slightly smaller Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and I find the user experience to be similar. On-screen icons and keypads are responsive to touch commands. This is also customized for use primarily in portrait mode, which - in a way - sets it apart from the larger Tab 8.9 and Tab 10.1.

3. Points for improvement - The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is an excellent tablet/phone hybrid based from my initial observations. But in terms of quick response, it's dual core processor might pose a limitation when it goes head to head with the likes of the newly-released ASUS Transformer Prime which uses a Quad-Core processor to run Android 4.0 the Ice Cream Sandwich. Also, I'm thinking an S-Pen stylus similar to that of the Galaxy Note would also be perfect for a tablet with this screen size.

TP Contributing Writer Profile: Mon Arguelles is a graduate of Environmental Management, a joint program of the Ateneo De Manila University and University of San Francisco. He’s currently taking up his MBA. He is a part-time professor and environmental researcher but considers being updated about the latest technological trends to be one of his favorite pastimes.