Every year, Samsung's flat-panel TVs get thinner by just a few millimeters. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, however, the company claimed bragging rights on how thin its next tablet is. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 measures 7.9 millimeters and weighs just 340 grams.
Thin is certainly sexy, but home theater enthusiasts will also appreciate the tablet's Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display. Geared towards video, the display boasts a 720p (1280 x 800) resolution, which translates into plenty of high-def movies, pictures and games. Another nice bonus is the Peel Smart Remote feature, which grants access to TV shows based on preferences through a built-in infrared blaster. Because it has the Peel Smart Remote inside, the tablet can double as a controller for most home entertainment components.
Running on the Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 has a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, an HTML 5 web browser, and support for 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity.
Verizon Wireless has already picked up distribution for the tablet on its 4G LTE network. It can also support a mobile hotspot with 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices or a 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Another connectivity option includes Wi-Fi Direct, a service that lets customers connect to their Wi-Fi-enabled portable devices, such as smartphones, and seamlessly transfer music, videos and other data over an adhoc Wi-Fi connection.
Of course, the tablet also has a number of new features. Samsung TouchWiz is a little something that was designed on conjunction with Live Panels. This feature lets users customize the home screen with digital pictures, websites and social network feeds. TouchWiz UX has a Mini Apps tray for the most commonly used apps, which can be launched while other apps remain in use. The tablet also has a clipboard feature so customers can copy and paste text and images on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. There are also plenty of Samsung Apps, with a recommendation engine that aggregates apps from the Android Market that are optimized for Honeycomb. A social element to the recommendation engine even allows consumers to share apps they like on Facebook. Finally, Samsung Media Hub offers a catalog of films and TV programs for rent or purchase, while AllShare App enables inter-device connectivity through DLNA, which allows for wireless sharing through compatible devices such as TVs and laptops.
While its tempting to use the tablet purely for entertainment purposes, it's also possible to get down to business with QuickOffice Pro HD. The program is a productivity suite for Android Honeycomb tablets and includes advanced Microsoft Office editing, SmartTouch technology and Connected File Manager with integrated remote storage access. Movies, media and all those Office documents can be stored on the 16GB of on-board storage. If you need more space, there is support for up to 32GB, via a microSD card.
An abundance of features and a slim package make the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 one of the stars of the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. The tablet is expected to be available through Verizon Wireless within the next few weeks. Pricing was not immediately provided.
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