When the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 was launched last weekend, it suddenly made the still new Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus irrelevant, or did it? Those who were thinking of buying the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus are now thinking whether to get the Galaxy Tab 7.7 instead. Is the 7.7 a worthy upgrade over the 7.0 Plus?
Let’s take a closer look at the two.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (left) and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (right)
The obvious difference between the two is the size of both the tablet and its display. The Tab 7.7 may be bigger but not by much due to its narrower black bezel as compared to the 7.0 Plus. The Super AMOLED Plus display on the 7.7 is a huge deal as well providing deeper contrasts and more vibrant colors. It made the display on the 7.0 LCD looked washed out in comparison.
On the aesthetic side, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is thinner by 2mm and lighter by 10 grams. In practicality, that’s not a lot and you won’t really feel the difference between the two.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (left) and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (right)
What you will feel, and see, is the difference of the back panel. The Tab 7.0 Plus has a glossy plastic back while the Tab 7.7 has a combination of plastic and metal with a brushed finish giving it a premium, solid look.
Now let’s look at the specs comparison between two:
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 P6800 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus P6200 |
|---|---|
| 7.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display @ 800 x 1280 pixels | 7-inch PLS LCD display @ 600 ×1024 pixel resolution |
| Android 3.2 Honeycomb | Android 3.2 Honeycomb |
| 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor | 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor |
| Mali-400MP GPU | Mali-400MP GPU |
| 1GB RAM | 1GB RAM |
| 16GB internal storage, microSD up to 32GB | 16GB internal storage, microSD up to 32GB |
| WiFi 802.11 b/g/n | WiFi 802.11 b/g/n |
| HSDPA 21Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps | HSDPA 21Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps |
| Bluetooth 3.0 w/ A2DP | Bluetooth 3.0 w/ A2DP |
| 3.15MP camera with LED flash | 3.15MP camera with LED flash |
| 2MP front camera | 2MP front camera |
| 720p HD video recording @ 30fps | 720p HD video recording @ 30fps |
| Call and Text feature | Call and Text feature |
| 5100mAh Li-Po battery | 4000mAh Li-Ion battery |
| 7.89mm depth | 9.96mm depth |
| 335 g | 345 g |
| SRP: Php32,990 | SRP: Php23,990 |
For performance, the main difference is just the .2GHz advantage of the 7.7 Plus. And according to a recent testing by Engadget, here are the benchmark scores between the two.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Quadrant | 1,947 | 2,700 |
| Linpack single-thread (MFLOPS) | 53.76 | 28.98 |
| Linpack multi-thread (MFLOPS) | 81.07 | 69.47 |
| NenaMark 1 (fps) | 59.5 | 59.3 |
| NenaMark 2 (fps) | 37.9 | 41.8 |
| Vellamo | 1,220 | 1,198 |
| SunSpider 9.1 (ms, lower numbers are better) | 1,488 | 1,679 |
The Quadrant score on the 7.0 Plus looks bogus but it has something to do with Quadrant’s algorithm favorite screens with lower res. But for the most part, there’s no significant advantage in terms of performance coming from the Tab 7.7.
Also, based on the same test by Endgadget, we learned that the Tab 7.7’s 5100mAh battery boasts of a class-leading 12-hour life. Well past the 10.5-hour life of the iPad 2 and very well ahead of the Tab 7.0 Plus’ 8-hour battery life.
Lastly, with all of these perks of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 over the Tab 7.0 Plus, there’s also a huge price difference to the tune of Php9,000. The Tab 7.7 is indeed pricey for its size.
Now the decision. Tab 7.7 or Tab 7.0 Plus? If you have the money to burn and want the best of what the 7-inch tablet market has to offer, definitely go with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. And if you’re fine knowing that your tablet’s display isn’t the best out there, or has a fragile plastic build, or can work with the 8-hour (which is not bad at all) battery life, then the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus should suffice for you.
11 comments
After experiencing SUPERAMOLED for the first time on the Note, I really want to experience the gorgeousness on 7.7 inches. Okay, so that might not sound appropriate.. I’ll probably never lay my hands on this thing, but it sure would be sweet to read a bunch of Marvel, DC or Image comics with colors popping out of the screen like that. For 12 frigging hours.
Galaxy Tab 7.7″ costs around 28K at Widget City. So that even trims down the price difference from 9K to 5K.
I’d go with the Tab 7.7″… but reality check.. do I really need a tablet?
magkano naman 7.0 plus sa widget city? same as SRP?
tama.. do we really need a tablet with a price the can buy a really descent and more useful laptop/notebook? ipon, dagdag nalang ng kunti pede na ko makabili ng utrabook. lightweight and really handy.
daming lumalabas na gadget… ang mahal naman. i have a laptop so if I have PhP32,990 now, i would go for DSLR or Sony NEX.. hahaha 😀
IMO this isn’t really being marketed as a device that appeals to the masses. That’s what the Tab 7 Plus is for. This is a premium device that’s meant to satisfy people who are looking for exactly that. There’s been quite some clamor for a SUPERAMOLED on a tablet. This is probably just Samsung trying to capitalize on that.
It’s all depends on ur needs. If ur a traveler, very handy sya just like netbook small and compact but more fast in booting and more pogi points on u. ^_^ If ur a student, this is very useful, u can upload PDF files.. to read and study.. write notes.. and etc. It’s very useful for architects , photographers and project presentation. If u learning some cooking or photoshop this gadget is needed. Its a great gadget.
I’m planning to buy gt 7.7. I have my galaxy s and I really like amoled screens. it’s completely different if you’re watching movies especially animations, playing games, and browsing photos. Di nakakasawa tingnan ang screen. I chose tablets over laptops because of portability and most especially the super amoled screen. Matagal pa bago magkaroon ng amoled screen ang mga laptops. Each of us has it’s own preferences but i suggest better buy tablets like gt 7.7 sulit talaga pera mo.
i made my final decision to buy the 7.0plus.
but upon goin to sm north,i saw a working 7.7 unit and tried it out… alas i ended up goin home with a 7.7. & a grin on my face..
i am telling u amoled+ bigger battery capacity really makes 7.7 tab really a good deal. not too small not to big. + phone feature is a plus.
if ever i stick to buying the 7.0plus, i know i will not be happy with it in the end. but if it also a good unit, if u dont mind a non amoled screen.
I think this pretty much sums it up for 95% of people considering the upgrade. Faster processor is nice and all, but I’ve never found my iPad2, or friends 1st gen, lacking in speed. It would be nice though if the front camera is good enough to actually use it for Skype and Facetime though.
it’s an excellent cell but sometimes the info goes off then I need to restore it on then it”s OK but other than that it”s a great cell and that i adore it alot it truely does work for the purpose I’d like anyways
Just bought the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus! And I’m loving it.
Thanks to the dual-core computing power on a 7 inch display. I hope ICS will come soon.