Decent processor, slim but sturdy build, expandable memory, decent battery life
TouchWiz might be a bit busy for some, not waterproof, poor cameras
Down the pecking order from the Tab S comes the Galaxy Tab 4, a middling tablet for people who don't want to shell out big bucks for the best stuff. But does it do enough to make it worth your consideration?
The Tab 4 10.1 is closer to being an enhanced version of the Tab 4 7.0, with a bigger screen and battery, than a stripped down version of the more sophisticated, more expensive Tab S. It's plenty slim, at just 9mm thick and feels fairly robust, thanks to the metallic strip around the edges -- though there's no Gorilla Glass to protect the screen.
Screen & Chassis
The 10.1-inch touchscreen is a thoroughly midrange TFT LCD with a standard (not full) HD resolution of 1,280x800 pixels (this boils down to a measly 149 pixels per inch of screen). The display is not the Super AMOLED variety you'll find on the Tab S and other premium Samung devices but it's bright and clear and reasonably detailed, albeit without the 'pop' of the fancier screens.
With Android 4.4.2 KitKat on board it's not got the very latest version of Google's operating system, but it's not far behind -- many more expensive devices are still shipping with the same OS. Samsung's TouchWiz user interface is here too and that menu tab that slides in from the side makes much more sense on a large tablet than it does on a smaller device. It'll still be a bit busy and fussy for some, but offers some good elements once you're used to it.
Software & Processor
The quad-core processor is clocked at a reasonable 1.2GHz and backed by 1.5GB RAM. Our AnTuTu benchmark test gave it a score of 18,498, roughly half the Tab S's mark. Despite its middling however, components it delivers a bit above middling performance, transitioning smoothly between apps and even running HD games without any obvious hiccups.
<h3>Photography[/h3]
We're sad to report that the 3-megapixel camera on the back is surprisingly below par for Samsung, which usually delivers above average snappers on its devices. It has a selection of photo modes including Beauty Face, Sound & Shot and Panorama but these can't make up for the relatively low quality of the camera, which is subject to noise and doesn't reveal much in the way of detail. And in these days when 5 megapixels and more on even the front-facing camera is becoming commonplace, it's disappointing to see just 1.3 megapixels supporting the camera on the front, which won't help you produce great-looking video calls or selfies.
There's 16GB of memory on board, though you can add another 64GB via microSD card.
Inside a big, bolshy 6,800mAh battery, which is more than half as big again as the 4,000mAh model on the Tab 4 7.0. We found it sailed comfortably through nearly two days of fairly heavy use.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is a decent tablet overall, though it doesn't come in at a particularly budget price. It performs reasonably well and the battery life doesn't disgrace, but it's let down by its relatively poor camera set and so-so screen.
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
