Greater than a laptop but smaller than a TV, Samsung Galaxy View is a new kind of hybrid tablet: mid-TV, part tablet. It will suit well to cramped quarters or occupants of those who wish to walk another screen in the house. With a screen of 18.4 inches (about 47 cm), it encroaches on the territory of connected TVs without really be because it has neither HDMI or Ethernet ports or remote control or keyboard. However, it has all Android features and access to Google Play.
Why opt for a tablet rather than a TV? For the same reason that one chooses a tablet instead of a laptop, ie a matter of practicality. It is true that the Galaxy View is huge. Even more than iPad 12.9-inch Pro, which however shows a higher resolution and more expensive. It is equipped with a carrying handle, built-foot, ports for micro SD and SIM cards. But she sinning by low-quality plastic finish of the walk, the lack of HDMI and poor audio record of its speakers. Its price is 650 euros.
Functional design but felt a low-end
The Galaxy View has big clothespin air. A second panel placed behind the screen, bends at an angle of 45 degrees in order to walk to office. It is fixed to the display by hinges which allow it to tilt between two positions: one to hold the vertical and one for holding flat with an inclination. The second position releases the integrated handle for easy transport. This panel is not removable. There is thus no position in which the tablet rests completely flat. The panel of the pivot system is not very fluid. It requires a maneuver force and produces a fairly loud bang at each operation. The plastic panel is a bit rickety and bends quite easily under pressure, which does not inspire much confidence.
The Galaxy View well be portable, it is not really light. It can be transported easily from one room to another, but do not imagine being able to slip into a bag to go on holiday. The protrusion of the foot makes it impossible to slide the flat in a pocket. Samsung would do well to draw on the tablet Lenovo in design and ergonomics. The models incorporate Chinese manufacturer integrated adjustable feet that can be closed completely flat.
An air of Roku
The interface of the Home screen reminds us that much TV Roku boxes, except that they cost half the price of the Galaxy View. The Samsung tablet running Android 5.1 under the overcoat topped by Samsung TouchWiz. It works essentially like other tablets of the brand except for the home screen that so closely resembles that of Smart TV. Instead of the usual shortcuts to applications and widgets that are usually found, the home button towards a grid of tiles alongside. A presentation reminiscent of the tiled display channels on televisions. Each rectangle is a shortcut to a video service, except the one located in the upper left corner that is for your cable or satellite subscription. In the US, applications include access to Netflix, Hulu, MgO Premium Movies and TV, CNN for Samsung, History, CBS, Showtime Anytime, Lifetime, NBC Sports Live Extra, PBS Kids, Watch ESPN, YouTube, Crackle, Twitch and AOL.On. Although all shortcuts appear on the home screen, you have to download them individually. Some services are free, but most require subscriptions.
The Galaxy View can also s’ use it as an Android tablet “classic”. The tablet gives access to Google Play. You can write emails, play and connect to Facebook …
The tablet has the latest version Bluetooth and WiFi and can receive a SIM card for a cellular connection. The internal storage capacity of 32 GB can be expanded via a micro SD memory card.
For common tasks such as viewing emails, web browsing and access to social networks, Galaxy View is perfect. Good Wi-Fi provides fast loading web pages. Navigation in the operating system remains fluid. We have not encountered any bug or noticeable slowdown; except when downloading applications or updates, which is quite common on the shelves.
As for games, for some at least, Galaxy View is up to the task. But his bulky and unwieldy design makes it difficult to use in action games that require place both thumbs on the screen. However, the foot is very useful for other securities such that “Angry Birds 2″, “Best Fiends” and “Hearthstone”. It is possible to play without taking the tablet (provided you have an area where to put).
The results on the test bench 3DMark are certainly not at the heavyweight level like Yoga Tab 3 Pro Lenovo or Venue 8 7000 Dell, but we must remember that the View is primarily centered on the consultation of videos and not the game.
The display 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is right on a diagonal of 18.4 inches. But given the price of the Galaxy View, one would expect something more powerful, a more detailed and vivid display like the Galaxy Tab S2. Nevertheless recognize that HD video offers precision, sharpness and relatively accurate color, although the shades of green are somewhat saturated.
Samsung should probably consider that users will use headphones being given poor speakers of this tablet. They are placed at the rear of the screen and directed towards the foot of the panel. Suddenly, the sound is perceived as muffled as it is not directed towards the ears. In any event, even if that were the case, the audio rendering remain deplorable. Weakling at full volume, it is downright anemic middle volume. The sound quality is an Achilles heel current on the shelves, but in the case of a device that is an alternative to a TV, it was expected a sound worthy of the big screen.
The Galaxy View is equipped with a front camera of 2.1 megapixel resolution that takes self-portraits and correct works well for video calls. There is no rear camera sensor, but this is explained by the presence of the foot and the tablet’s size.
For our autonomy test, we run a 720p HD video loop with the brightness at 50% and airplane mode enabled. In this context, the Galaxy View held 9.2 hours. It is rather very good for a tablet and conform to eight hours estimated by Samsung. Still, this autonomy can vary downwards when using Wi-Fi.
The Samsung Galaxy View arises good alternative to a TV, but it is not really. She does not have ports to plug in a game console or Blu-ray player. But you can take it outside to watch a program by taking the sun as long as you remain within range of the Wi-Fi signal or when a SIM card is slid.
If this is a TV you need, then the Galaxy View is not for you. However, if you have not enough space at home to accommodate a 32 or 40 inch screen, the 18.4-inch screen is enough to enjoy videos while being compact enough to not be intrusive.
For 650 euros, hard to recommend the Galaxy View to anyone. If you need more space (but no money), it can be the perfect Android terminal and an interesting alternative to a TV. But the fact of having a tablet with TV functions are paying a high price. In addition, difficult to compare View Galaxyy with other products as there are no competitors. The most similar is the Yoga 13-inch Tab 2. It is also provided with an adjustable foot, but it can be laid completely flat. This model is much more manageable for smaller.
We further appreciate the concept that led to the Galaxy View the result itself. For that price, the display should be better and more practical design. The only reason to justify the purchase of the Galaxy View is that it meets very specific needs. Hopefully the next version, if there is one, will improve the design and quality of the screen. So maybe she will suit a wider audience.
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