Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2: The best cheap Android tablet yet?

The Korean manufacturer's affordable new 7-inch device will have to compete with proven winners like Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 may be $50 more than the Kindle Fire, but it features new Android software and 50GB of Dropbox space for one year.
(Image credit: Samsung)

The market for affordable tablets below the $300 price point is alive and thriving, as best evidenced by Amazon's popular $200 Kindle Fire. Now, Samsung is entering the fray with the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2, which actually costs $50 more than the Fire or Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet. The Galaxy Tab 2, however, has some superior features, such as a dual-facing camera, and a not-so-secret weapon: A full working version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, instead of the watered-down operating systems of other so-called "cheap" Androids. Will consumers ignore the slightly more expensive price and buy the Tab 2?

They should. It's the best Android tablet yet: The Tab 2 may be more expensive than other tablets, but don't rule it out. The extra $50 is "a small price to pay for the full Ice Cream Sandwich Experience," says Eric Ravenscraft at Android Police, which, among other pluses, gives users access to the Google Play App Store. One of the tablet's standout features is the Smart Remote app, which turns the Tab 2 into a slick universal remote for your home entertainment center. With added incentives like 50GB of free Dropbox space for a year, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 is clearly "the way to go."

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