What is the optimal size for a modern-day tablet? Is it 10 inches? Is it seven? Or, is it something smaller, like the economy-sized smartphone that is the Galaxy Note? We can't say for sure, but we surely can say that Samsung is as much in the dark as we are. Like a gadgety Goldilocks traipsing between an endless sea of options, that company seems completely unable to make up its mind, splitting niches into sub-niches and then cleaving those in twain again with a seemingly endless array of fractionally different tablets.
Today we're looking at the Galaxy Tab 8.9. This powerful slate exists because, apparently, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is too big and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is too small. Is the $449 8.9 just right, then? Read on to find out.
If you're familiar with the Gal Tab 10.1 you'll find the slightly svelter 8.9 a particularly comfortable beast. Where many companies are struggling to find a corporate image and common style to apply to all their devices, Samsung here had no problem simply shrinking down the elder tablet's overall design by about 12 percent. It's only when they're side-by-side that you can see a few subtle differences -- most notable being the repositioning of the speakers from the sides to the bottom where they now flank Samsung's proprietary connector.
The 8.9 uses a plastic backing with a faux brushed metal texture. It matches what's currently applied to the 10.1's rear end and definitely has a nicer feel than the smooth plastic we got on some of the earlier 10-inchers. It's given a dark, bluish hue Samsung calls Metallic Gray, though we're not seeing much in the way metal flake. With that as your only color choice your only options for customization lie on the capacity front: 16 or 32GB, neither of which can be expanded through microSD.
Dimensionally the 8.9 is only slightly smaller than its big brother. It measures 9.1 x 6.2 x .34 inches and weighs in at .99 pounds (230.9 x 157.8 x 8.6mm and 447g, if those are your units of choice). That compares to 10.1 x 6.9 x 0.34 inches and 1.24 pounds, making it only moderately more svelte and a hair less heavy. (Our calipers measured it as being thinner, too, but only by a few fractions of a millimeter.) This compares favorably to another 8-inch option, the Archos 80 G9, which is 3mm thicker and 18g heftier.
That difference between this and the 10.1 doesn't sound like much on paper, and if you stack them up it doesn't look like much either. But, in the hand, you notice it. It just feels slightly more balanced, slightly more palmable than the bigger one. It isn't as nice to walk around with as a 7-inch tablet -- still our favorite size for tableting while strolling between gates at the airport -- but it is a noticeable improvement in the hand compared to the 10.1.
Though smaller, the 8.9 still packs 1,280 x 800 pixels in its 16:9 PLS TFT LCD, so you're giving up size but gaining pixel density. You are, however, gaining both compared to the 8-inch Archos 80 G9, which makes do with just 1,024 x 768. The three megapixel camera around the back and two megapixel unit up front appear to be the same as the one that came before, while the power button and volume rocker are positioned in their familiar locations -- the upper-left.
That 8.9-inch display impresses, not with the stunning contrast of Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus displays but still managing to look quite good. As mentioned above the pixel density is slightly higher than on the 10.1, which does give text and other high-contrast shapes a slightly smoother appearance. Viewing angles are good and, overall, this is definitely a top-notch panel in here. Still, we have to wonder why Samsung stuck this with a TFT screen while reserving its especially stunning Super AMOLED Plus display for that mythical no-show, the Galaxy Tab 7.7.
Performance and battery life
The 8.9 features the same 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM as its 10.1 inch predecessor, so no surprise, then, that performance here is similar to what we saw on the 10.1 -- though not necessarily identical. Quadrant gave us an average of 2,341, which is surprisingly higher than the 1,800 or so the 10.1 puts down. Linpack Single 26.846, though Linpack Multi wouldn't give us consistent enough scores to warrant inclusion, and Neocore also refused to cooperate. Nenamark netted 38.1, Nenamark2 18.1 and Sunspider clocked in at 2,295, just a tick slower than the 10.1's 2,200. It boots from cold in 35 seconds.
Real-world impressions back up the benchmark findings. The 8.9 feels exactly the same to use as the 10.1. In back-to-back testing of the two occasionally the 10.1 would load an app slightly more quickly, sometimes the 8.9, but neither had a conclusive advantage over the other. Unless you had them both sitting side-by-side you'd never tell any difference, and even when we did we had to be really paying attention.
When it comes to longevity the 8.9 does not disappoint -- though it doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. The 10.1 (with a 7,000mAh battery) scored a very impressive 9:55 on our intensive video rundown test, almost matching the 10:26 of the iPad 2. The 8.9, with its 6,100mAh battery, managed 9:21. That's well more than the seven hours managed by the Archos, and plenty enough for all but the most punishing of flights.
Tablet
Battery Life
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
9:21
Apple iPad 2
10:26
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
9:55
Apple iPad
9:33
HP TouchPad
8:33
Lenovo IdeaPad K1
8:20
Motorola Xoom
8:20
T-Mobile G-Slate
8:18
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet
8:00
Archos 101
7:20
Archos 80 G9
7:06
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook
7:01
Acer Iconia Tab A500
6:55
Toshiba Thrive
6:25
Samsung Galaxy Tab
6:09
Velocity Micro Cruz T408
5:10
Acer Iconia Tab A100
4:54
Camera
Not to sound like a broken record, but the camera assemblies here appear to be identical to what we saw on the 10.1 -- that is to say, it takes acceptable shots, but you won't be retiring your DSLR. Nor your compact, for that matter. See for yourself in the pics below.
The Galaxy Tab 8.9 runs Honeycomb 3.1, featuring the same TouchWiz customizations found on the bigger 10.1. We already detailed them quite comprehensively before, so we won't waste too much time doing so here again. But, we will say that the additions to the OS here are generally welcome, and the easy to access utilities for taking notes and calendar make this a rather more useful machine than it might be otherwise.
Beyond that, the Honeycomb build here has the same quirks as any other build of Google's OS. It's still something of a mixed bag of an OS that we find occasionally clunky and unintuitive to navigate, but again that hasn't changed significantly since before -- and it won't change until these devices are updated to Ice Cream Sandwich. When will that happen? Samsung isn't saying.
There aren't a huge number of contenders in this, the greater-than-seven-but-smaller-than-nine-inch department. Currently it's really this or the Archos 80 G9, which has a .9-inch smaller screen, a lower resolution, worse battery life and a chunkier construction. But, it is considerably cheaper ($300 for 8GB, $320 for 16GB) and seems to offer slightly improved performance. The strongest competition, though, comes in at 1.9-inches smaller -- in the form of the $430 T-Mobile Springboard (which offers shorter battery life but a nicer display), the $400 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, or the compellingly cheap Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. We'll have full reviews of those last two soon but, at just $200, Amazon's offering is going to be tough to beat.
The Galaxy Tab 8.9 exists in a gadget niche so small we weren't convinced it needed to exist. Despite that, the thing fills it admirably well. Given the choice between taking along this guy or its bigger sibling we'd almost universally take the 8.9. The loss in screen size is barely noticeable since the resolution is kept the same but the difference in handheld usability is tangible.
That said, those of you buying a tablet exclusively for couch surfing would likely be a bit more comfortable with the slightly larger display. Whichever you choose, cost won't be much of a factor. The 16GB version here is $449 and 32GB $549. Each is just $50 less than its 10.1-inch counterpart. Is a 10 percent price reduction fair for a 10 percent size reduction? Ultimately that decision lies with you.
Even though Ice Cream Sandwich is popping up everywhere since its source code was released to the public, we've got to give a shout out now that its been squeezed onto the original Google phone, HTC'sG1. The G1 was last seen sporting an unofficial Honeycomb port, and now jcarrz1 from XDA-Developersis showing off his device running Android 4.0 in this video. So far the touchscreen is (slowly) working, along with all apps and "ICS goodies", though WiFi, Bluetooth and rotation are still out. That's a nice effort for a device that some said wouldn't see any versions past 1.5, so press play and witness the unholy fusion of Android's past and present working all at once, or hit the source link below to grab the alpha release for yourself.
Fujifilm claims it's 'reinvented' the bridge camera with the latest in its X line of premium snappers. The XS-1 is affixed to a Fujinon lens that opens up to f/2.8 and stretches all the way from 24mm to 624mm (in 35mm parlance) in an effort "cater perfectly for every photographic need" and prevent you from ever longing for the flexibility of a DSLR. It even sports a Super Macro Mode for focusing down to a rather intimate single centimeter. Behind the lens sits the same 12-megapixel EXR CMOS found in theX10, which means you get an undersized 2/3-inch sensor instead of the superior APS-C format found in the X100 and many DSLRs. Read on for more specs in the press release plus a short promo clip, and expect to see this hit British shelves in February for £699 ($1090).
Fujifilm X-S1: The bridge camera, reinvented
24th November 2011 - The Fujifilm X series of premium cameras has a third model, the X-S1, due for UK launch in February 2012. The XS-1 represents a new breed of bridge camera. Featuring a Fujinon 26x optical zoom lens through to the EXR sensor technology found in the X10, the X-S1 puts the photographer in control.
The X-S1 is the ideal camera for the safari and travel photographer – offering superb image quality, extensive zoom range and superior handling.
Maximum optical versatility
The centrepiece of the X-S1 is the superb Fujinon 26x optical zoom lens. Offering a range of 24-624mm (35mm equivalent) it caters perfectly for every photographic need and features a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture at the wide-angle setting.
This optical range is boosted further by Fujifilm's Intelligent Digital Zoom capability, which effectively doubles the focal range without the drop in picture quality tradititionally seen on older digital models As a result, the X-S1 offers users an incredible 52x zoom range of 24-1248mm (35mm equivalent).
Optically, the Fujinon lens comprises 17 glass elements, which includes four aspherical elements and two ED lenses, to deliver images with superb edge-to-edge sharpness and amazing clarity. The lens' construction is also of the highest standard, featuring metal cams for smooth zoom control and fast, precise framing.
The X-S1 is also ideally suited to capturing subjects close up. In standard mode, the zoom focuses down to 30cm, but by selecting Super Macro Mode, users can focus down to just 1cm for frame-filling close-up images. Furthermore, the lens' aperture is made up of nine blades for excellent bokeh effect photography.
Great results in every picture-taking scenario The X-S1 features the same 2/3-inch 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor as the X10 which guarantees high quality images regardless of the lighting conditions.
The unique EXR CMOS technology pioneered by Fujifilm allows the user to switch between three modes – High Resolution, Wide Dynamic Range and High Sensitivity/Low Noise - depending on the lighting conditions – or leave the camera to make its own choice in the Auto EXR mode.
Coupled to the EXR CMOS sensor is a Fujifilm high speed EXR processor, which offers a minimal shutter lag of just 0.01sec and a high speed continuous shooting capability
The X-S1 also takes high-quality movies. It captures Full High Definition (1920 x 1080 pixels) video with stereo sound at 30 frames-per-second.
Easy composition and image review The X-S1 offers a powerful combination of high quality electronic viewfinder and rear LCD, with the 0.47-inch electronic viewfinder (EVF) featuring 1.44 million pixels for superb image clarity with a wide viewing area of 26 degrees to reduce eye strain.
The rear mounted high quality, tiltable three-inch LCD screen features 460,000 pixels to make it easier for users to scroll through menus, assess exposure accuracy and view images. The LCD also offers a useful Daylight mode that overcomes the problem of viewing the screen in bright conditions.
Full user control and picture taking versatility The X-S1 offers a superb level of functionality whether users want to make picture taking as simple as using a compact or as involved as a fully-manual digital SLR.
For simplicity, the X-S1 will assess the subject and then select the relevant scene mode for the perfect result, automatically switching the EXR CMOS sensor accordingly. The XS-1 can also calculate whether an image contains a person, features backlighting or has any subject movement. ISO settings are taken care of too by the Auto ISO mode.
Photographers after full control are well catered for with the X-S1. The camera offers a full range of conventional shooting functions (program/aperture-priority/shutter-priority/manual), plus users can also fine tune levels of colour, image sharpness and tone.
Additionally, the X-S1 provides four auto bracketing options, eight Film Simulation and white balance functions and a Raw file format.
Due to be launched in February 2012 in the UK, the X-S1 will have an estimated selling price of £699.
Fujifilm X-S1 key features • High quality Fujinon 26x optical zoom covering 24-624mm (35mm equivalent) with Intelligent Digital Zoom boosting range up to 1248mm • Superb build quality and finish with rubberised coating and metal dials • 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor • Up to 10 frames-per-second shooting • Large EVF with 1.44 million pixels and 26 degree viewing angle • Tiltable three-inch rear LCD with Sunny Day mode • Full HD video • PASM modes • Raw file format • Film simulation modes • Macro focusing down to 1cm • Lithium battery providing up to 500 shots per charge • Optical image stabilisation • 360° Motion Panorama mode
The deluge of Mango devices isn't over yet. Hot on the heels of the Lumia 800, the Titan, Radar and the wallet-friendly Focus Flash comes the Samsung Focus S. There's not a whole lot of mystery to Sammy's flagship Windows Phone 7.5 handset. It's not terribly different from many of its cousins packing Microsoft's mobile OS and, other than size, there doesn't seem to be anything separating it from its little brother, the Flash. What, then -- aside from a few Galaxy S design touches -- does Focus S offer your high-end smartphone dollar? And are those differentiators enough to make it the clear choice when shopping for WP7 device -- especially when considering the $150 premium AT&T is asking for, over the surprisingly satisfying Flash. Head on past the break to find out.
If you've ever held a Galaxy S II you should immediately feel at home with the Focus S. They're both cut from the same cloth (or sheet of plastic, as it were). The larger of Samsung's Windows Phone 7 devices is an entirely synthetic affair. The edges of the handset are the same glossy black polymer that has come to define the Korean manufacturer's products over the last few years. Thankfully, the company has continued its recent trend of using textured, matte battery plates that, while not any more robust than their high-sheen counterparts, feel quite a bit nicer. That pleasant feeling disappears the moment you have to remove that rear covering, however. The seemingly flimsy plastic is the same as that found on the GSII. It's proven fairly resilient, but it bends dramatically as you pry it from the rear by sliding your fingernail underneath the top right-hand corner.
On the left side of the device is the volume rocker, a relatively clicky bar that doesn't seem to travel much in either direction. Moving to the right edge you'll find the power button and the dedicated, dual-stage camera key that positively runs circles around that on the Flash. Though the initial press to focus could stand to put up a little more resistance, the shutter stage provides just the right amount of feedback without causing you to jostle the phone. Around back you'll find the primary camera -- an eight megapixel affair with an LED flash -- while the front face houses a 1.3MP cam. You've also got a pair of ports on the Focus S, a 3.5mm headphone jack along the top and the all-important micro-USB connector along the bottom.
The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display here is the same exact panel you'll find on some of its Galaxy S II cousins and it's every bit as gorgeous. The blacks are so deep they seem to absorb all nearby light and matter. And the colors are so vivid the hues can only be described as surreal. Even at its lowest brightness setting the screen is perfectly visible in direct sunlight and, when cranked to the max, not even the most glaring of desert days would be enough to wash this panel out. Sure, you could complain that the screen is only 800 x 480, but with a panel of this caliber you'd just be nitpicking. Metro's beauty shines through despite its shortcomings in the pixel department and we're sure plenty of people would gladly trade a few lines of resolution to avoid the slightly off-kilter colors of a PenTile matrix. Below the screen are the trio of capacitive buttons that are far from the worst we've ever used, but had similar issues with sensitivity as the Flash -- simply brushing your thumb in the general area of the search key was enough to launch Bing and interrupt whatever you were doing.
Update: The Focus S ships with 16GB of non-expandable storage.
Performance and battery life
Underneath the hood of the Focus S is the same 1.4GHz, single-core Snapdragon and 512MB of RAM found in the Focus Flash and Nokia's Lumia 800 -- so don't expect any performance miracles. That being said, it's not like there's anything wrong with how Mango hums along on those devices. WP7 simply doesn't need the power of dual-core at this stage of the game to stay responsive. When put to the test using WP Bench the Focus S averaged 91.54, putting it right in line with Flash which pulled a 92.15 and well ahead of the Lumia 800 which scored an 86. It couldn't quite keep pace with the extra 100MHz of the Titan though, which hit 96. SunSpider didn't turn up any surprises either. The 6,914ms was, again, just a slightly behind its little brother, the Flash, which finished the benchmark in 6,842ms. That was enough to keep it ahead of the Lumia though, which took took a surprisingly long 7,200ms on the same test.
Focus S
Lumia 800
Titan
Focus Flash
WP Bench
91.54
86
96
92.15
Battery drain
4:24
2:40
3:00
3:55
SunSpider
6,914
7,200
6,500
6,842
The 1,650mAh battery isn't quite as beefy as the packs found in some other handsets in the $200 price range, but it managed to survive a full day of pretty heavy usage without batting an eye. We started one morning with the pack charged to the brim and, after 12 hours of texting, emailing, pulling up driving directions and playing a few YouTube clips, we still had 50 percent left. Sticking with a single core might not earn Windows Phones any bragging rights in the performance department, but it helps keep them chugging away throughout the day. Our less-than-scientific testing was right in line with what the WP Bench battery drain test turned up too. The Focus S took a stunning four hours and 24 minutes to kick the bucket, topping the Lumia 800 and Titan by well over an hour, and even besting its little brother by 30 minutes.
Camera
The main camera on the Focus S is an 8 megapixel joint with a lone LED performing flash duties. Saying that any phone takes acceptable photos outside in the daylight should be a forgone conclusion at this point, but Sammy's shooter is just a bit above average. Colors are crisp and just saturated enough, while offering plenty of detail with very little noise. Shots indoors with plenty of natural light streaming through the windows were equally good -- we wouldn't blow them up to poster size, but they're more than acceptable as casual snapshots. The camera even took surprisingly good macro pics, though not quite as good as the Droid RAZR. Even at night images were quite crisp with decent color, though there is some noise in the shadows, and the same goes for shots indoors under artificial lighting. We wouldn't hang the shots on a gallery wall, but we were satisfied with their quality. As with its little brother, though, the flash was borderline useless -- washing out anything in the foreground and casting the background into almost complete darkness. What's strange is, this is the same, much-lauded camera found on the Galaxy S II, yet we didn't have this issue with that handset. The same is true of the Lumia 800 and it's practically identical forebearer, the N9, which leads us to believe Microsoft's camera app isn't quite up to snuff.
Video capture was equally impressive. Sure, there was a lot of shaking (image stabilization would be a welcome feature here), but video was crisp and bright. That despite getting the 30-second 720p clip we captured coming in at just 54MB. Perhaps the biggest surprise though, was the audio. Even with a fairly steady flow of cars and a light breeze every word said from behind the camera was clear and perfectly audible.
As much as the camera impressed us, perhaps our favorite feature was the dedicated shutter button. It's a dual-stage key -- a half press engages the autofocus, while depressing it completely snaps a photo. The autofocus is a bit slow and inaccurate (especially under artificial light), but the it's hardly an insurmountable obstacle. The button itself is almost perfect in execution. It puts up just the right amount of resistance, and depresses with a light click. If Samsung put this on every handset (this exact button, not the overly recessed one on the Flash), it might become our favorite handset maker ever.
Software
There's not much new or exciting to say about the Focus S on the software front. It's a Mango device with the same minimally intrusive selection of uninstallable carrier and manufacturer apps we saw on the Focus Flash. Sure, it's a bit annoying the first time you fire up the device to be greeted by pretty healthy number of orange tiles (which stand out quite a bit amongst the default blue) that launch a rather uncompelling selection of AT&T branded apps, but they're easily dismissed. We were happy to see that internet sharing was enabled on the Focus S, though, which allows you to quickly and easily turn the handset into a mobile hotspot for up to five devices. You might want to keep your charger with you if you plan to use the feature for any significant period of time, but it was simple to set up and we had no issues connecting to the handset.
Wrap-up
Honestly, we don't have any major complaints about the Samsung Focus S, but there wasn't much that wowed us either. If you're a Windows Phone 7 fan you'll find plenty to like about the device. Mango hums along nicely and the Super AMOLED Plus display, despite its shortcomings in the pixel density department, perfectly highlights the stark beauty of Microsoft's mobile OS. There's also a very good camera with a dedicated dual-stage button and the battery life borders on epic. But, none of that changes the fact that we came away feeling underwhelmed. The build quality is mediocre at best and there just isn't anything distinguishing about the handset that would make us definitively say this is the Windows Phone to get. More than anything, though, our disappointment probably stems from the cost. At $200 on a two-year contract we expect a high-end experience that matches the high-end price and the Focus S simply doesn't deliver that. Making it even tougher to recommend, is the fact that the Titan will be landing on AT&T any day now delivering a better build, faster performance and a larger screen for the same wad of cash. The Focus S isn't a bad phone -- far from it -- but it just doesn't feel worthy of its flagship-like price tag.
