Testing The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1's IPS Display
LCD Performance (Background Info)
As with its predecessor, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 employs one of the company's own IPS-based screens, a 10.1" WXGA TFT LCD with 149 pixels per inch and a 1280x800 resolution.
Specifications | Screen Size | Resolution | PPI |
---|---|---|---|
Google Nexus 7 | 7” | 1280x800 | 216 |
Amazon Kindle Fire | 7" | 1024x600 | 169 |
Apple iPad 2 (3G) | 9.7" | 1024x768 | 132 |
Apple iPad 3 (3G) | 9.7" | 2048x1536 | 264 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 | 10.1" | 1280x800 | 149 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 | 10.1" | 1280x800 | 149 |
Samsung's LCD panels are some of the industry's very best. Unfortunately, in the company of competition like Google's Nexus 7 and Apple's third-gen iPad, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 isn't as impressive as its predecessor. That second-gen PPI figure means that you might perceive fewer colors, and images will look less detailed. For a more involved discussion on this topic, check out Why We Need (Or At Least Want) HD Tablets... to understand how PPI corresponds with image detail.
The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1's overall LCD performance is a bit of a let-down, seeing as the tablet renders about 48% of the Adobe RGB (1998) and roughly 70% of the sRGB gamuts. That's actually a step backward from the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which, almost one year ago, impressed us as the best-looking Android-based tablet available.
The 2D LUV gamut map gives us a bit more information. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 again falls short in relation to its predecessor, but we more specifically see that it's particularly weak in green and blue highlights.
A year ago, we would have said that the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1's display does well. It delivers a sufficiently enjoyable viewing experience. But its image quality is less than exceptional compared to a handful of stellar-looking screens we've seen more recently.