Its highly positional output gives a definite impression of the sound coming from one
edge of the tablet when it's held on its side.
The Tab 2 also has a larger infrared port, located at the top
edge of the tablet when you're holding the slate in landscape mode; the port now wraps around the back of the device, presumably to improve communications between the tablet and your entertainment components.
A 3.5 mm headphone port is conveniently located at the bottom
edge of the tablet when it's held in landscape, which means your hands aren't bothered by the jack and cables hang down and way from the screen.
The speakers run along the top and bottom
edges of the tablet when held in landscape orientation, but they thankfully don't get covered by your hands.
Not exact matches
The single Dolby - enhanced speaker, located on the bottom
edge of the
tablet, lacked bass (more so than on the standard Fire HD 6 model)
when I listened to «Turn Down for What» by DJ Snake and Lil Jon.
Samsung's placement
of the wake / sleep and volume buttons along the same
edge isn't ideal if you're switching from an iPad or another
tablet on which they are split between two sides; we found it rather too easy to press the former button by accident
when wanting to adjust the volume, though it's something that you'll adjust to in time.
It was a time
when the iPad was still a hot topic
of speculation and rumors while the Entourage
Edge went about trumpeting its credentials as the first combo device that can be both an e-reader as well as a
tablet at... [Read more...]
It was a time
when the iPad was still a hot topic
of speculation and rumors while the Entourage
Edge went about trumpeting its credentials as the first combo device that can be both an e-reader as well as a
tablet at the same time.
When held in portrait mode, the top
edge of the
tablet houses two small speakers and a standard 3.5 - mm headphone jack.
The
tablet has two rear - ported speakers, each positioned in the center
of the
tablet's short
edges when held in landscape.
The beveled side
edges seem unnecessarily thick, so it's a pretty wide hold and a far reach for your thumbs to get to the middle
of the screen
when you're holding the
tablet horizontally.
The
tablet comes in two colors: Shipping first is white, which couples a silver - painted plastic
edge with a white plastic black (identical to the limited edition Google I / O version
of the Tab, sans the Android graphic imprint); available on June 17,
when the Tab 10.1 ships in volume, you can choose a Metallic Gray, with
edges and back that more closely match.
While the Xoom will run on Verizon's network
when launched, the HSPA /
EDGE / GPRS chip inside the Tab indicates that Samsung's new
tablet is headed to AT&T, the same network currently homing the 3G version
of the iPad.
The sleep / wake key resides at the top
of the
tablet (
when held in portrait), and next to it on the right
edge is the volume rocker.
It's fine
when held in landscape mode — the rear
edges can be used as a tactile guide — but it's annoying
when I want to quickly wake the
tablet from sleep, but have to pick it up first to reach the back instead
of just tapping a button on its side.
If,
when it launches, Nook Video offers a lot
of films and TV shows at reasonable prices, that may give this
tablet a slight
edge over Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.
We couldn't find a sweet spot where viewing the display gave a consistent picture, and even
when looking directly at the
tablet could see ghosting
of objects towards the
edges.
Secondly that bulging
edge gets in the way
of a two - handed grip
when to your near side; flip the
tablet so the bulkier
edge is faced away from your body and it adds additional weight that feels less balanced than a normal
tablet.
The sleep / wake key resides at the top
of the
tablet (
when held in portrait), and next to it on the right
edge is the volume rocker.
The first big change is having physical power and volume keys on the front
of the left
edge of the machine — the volume rocker is there for use
when in
tablet mode (there are standard keyboard volume keys), but the power button is actually the only way to turn the laptop on and off with a physical switch.
Samsung's placement
of the wake / sleep and volume buttons along the same
edge isn't ideal if you're switching from an iPad or another
tablet on which they are split between two sides; we found it rather too easy to press the former button by accident
when wanting to adjust the volume, though it's something that you'll adjust to in time.
It's fine
when held in landscape mode — the rear
edges can be used as a tactile guide — but it's annoying
when I want to quickly wake the
tablet from sleep, but have to pick it up first to reach the back instead
of just tapping a button on its side.
This makes it very easy to feel the power button
when sliding your finger around the
edge of the
tablet.
The
tablet by itself is beautiful with its smooth matte metal back, shiny
edges, and thin bezel, but
when you pair it with one
of the leather keyboard covers... it's just gorgeous.
It didn't happen all the time, but sometimes
when I had my Samsung Galaxy S6
Edge connected, then tried to link up my iPad Air too, the
tablet would show as connected but then music would start blaring out
of its speaker, much to the annoyance
of people on my commute.
It has a set
of stereo speakers across the top
edge when holding the
tablet in landscape view, along with a 5MP front - facing camera for video chat.
There is a brushed metallic finish throughout the back, bordered by a shiny metallic
edge that gives the
tablet a nice elegant look, but helping with the grip is a soft, leathery material that used along the bottom
of the
tablet when holding it in the landscape orientation, which feels really nice, and prevents the
tablet from easily slipping from your hand.
The strength is that with speakers built into both
edges of the
tablet, Asus can deliver proper stereo sound that gives you a really balanced experience
when playing a game or watching content.
We're not even sure
when all the rumors began, concerning the presence
of (or lack
of) a microSD card slot on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 5, to be unveiled next week on August 13, together with the Galaxy S6
Edge Plus, and maybe a
tablet.