Black_White_Photography_-_Winter_2014

73

B+W

D

espite boasting a

larger screen than

the iPad Air, the

Samsung Galaxy Tab

S 10.5 is only slightly bigger

and nearly a millimetre thinner.

Unfortunately, Samsung can’t

match Apple’s design flair by

opting for a dimpled plastic

case and faux-chrome trim.

But where it does outshine

any other tablet is in the

quality of its 10.5in Super

AMOLED screen, which offers

vibrant colour, deep contrast

and sharp detail. It’s perfect

for presenting photographs,

as long as you remember

to turn off the Adaptive

Display. This feature can be

over zealous in adjusting the

white balance and saturation

depending on the ambient

S

ometimes smaller is

better, as the Google

Nexus 7 proves.

Although it has the

smallest screen on test, there

is no compromise in the quality

of the display. Measuring a

fraction over seven inches,

it achieves a stunning pixel

density of 323ppi (pixels

per inch), making for sharp,

vibrant pictures. The only

issue might be if you need to

present pictures at a larger

scale. Its small size and weight

means it’s truly portable, even

squeezing into larger pockets.

The Nexus 7 also benefits

from another adage: less is

SAMSUNG GALAXY

TAB S 10.5

GOOGLE NEXUS 7

TECH SPECS

TECH SPECS

Available models 16Gb, with or

without 4G

Display 10.5in, 2560 x 1600 pixels

Operating system Android 4.4 KitKat

Ports microUSB and microSD

Size 247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6mm

Weight 465g

RRP £399-£479

Contact samsung.com

Available models 16Gb, or 32Gb with

or without 4G option

Display 7.02in, 1920 x 1200 pixels

Operating system Android 4.4 KitKat

Ports microUSB

Size 200 x 114 x 8.65mm

Weight 290g (Wi-Fi only)

RRP £199-£299

Contact google.co.uk

LIKES

Incredible Super AMOLED

10.5in screen

Thin and light

Long battery life

LIKES

Gorgeous 323ppi display

Great value for money

Small and portable

DISLIKES

Temperamental fingerprint

scanner

Too much unnecessary software

DISLIKES

No microSD card slot

Narrow bezels can make the

tablet hard to hold

STUNNING DISPLAY

SMALL AND PORTABLE

‘But where it does outshine any other tablet is

in the quality of its 10.5in Super AMOLED

screen, which off ers vibrant colour, deep

contrast and sharp detail.’

conditions. The Basic mode

gives natural colours, while

the Photo mode displays

images in the RGB colour

space.

The measly 16Gb of internal

storage can be extended

by 128Gb with a microSD

card, and the microUSB port

enables quick file transfers.

Other good points include

a powerful processor and

long battery life. However,

there is too much

unnecessary software on the

device and the fingerprint

scanner is temperamental.

Samsung have also

released an 8.4in model,

offering the same

performance, but with

a smaller screen and lower

price tag.

more. The simple all-black

design is unflashy, but solidly

built and comfortable to use.

In the same vein, the native

Android operating system runs

without any of the tweaks or

overlays other manufacturers

tend to add. This not only

makes it easy to use, but it

runs quickly and will always

be updated as soon as the

next Android operating system

becomes available.

It’s not all perfect though:

Google, like Apple, would

rather you use cloud storage

to hold files, so there’s no

microSD slot for expanding

the storage.

‘Measuring a fraction over seven inches, it achieves

a stunning pixel density of 323ppi (pixels per inch),

making for sharp, vibrant pictures.’

72_74_CHECKOUT_171 ER/MB.indd 7372_74_CHECKOUT_171 ER/MB.indd 73 30/10/2014 10:4330/10/2014 10:43