Updated review (August 9, 2015) I love this tablet so much that I now own TWO Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 tablets (first one I purchased I keep in my bedroom and use it daily instead of my bulky laptop)! The first one has Lollipop from a late June, 2015 OTA Update. Regarding my second Tab 4 10.1...August 9, 2015, just received my OTA Lollipop, so both tablets have Lollipop!
Second Tab 4 10.1 (I use this ALL THE TIME in my Kitchen), and it is so peppy with Lollipop, saves some on battery and the Lollipop is much improved over KitKat. If you buy the Tab 4 10.1, it may take you a few days for you to receive Lollipop. Go to Settings, General tab, About device, Updates, press auto update, and then update and it will check to see if your uodate is ready, be sure you want it because when you update, no going back...the uodate takes about 40 minutes to complete and you need at least 75 percent battery or higher.
PROS/SPECIAL FEATURES I FOUND WHILE TESTING THIS TABLET:
+ Size - This Tab 4 10.1 is perfect watching videos, pictures and movies. What I do to carry it around is to place it in a large backpack or in a large tote purse. **The advantage is that now I do not have to carry my laptop with me when I travel anymore. I purchased a small and portable Bluetooth keyboard so I can type easily…this also fits into my backpack for travel. Saves weight and I type just like I am on my laptop at home.
+ Lollipop Update and More… The tablet I find is quite responsive and peppy with no lagging. The Lollipop runs this tablet wonderfully…Yes, I updated this to Lollipop in June, 2015 (it came with KitKat). Since the update, it runs smoother with no lagging whatsoever. I made sure that I updated ALL my personal apps BEFORE I updated so they are Lollipop ready!
About updating to Lollipop: Be sure you want to do this as once you update, you cannot go back to KitKat. Also, for best results before you update the OS (I found this to be true), be sure to update your Apps from the Playstore to the newest updates. This is so your apps will be Lollipop ready and they will work well. And also be sure that your battery has at least 75 to 80 percent of battery left as the update will take about 45 or more minutes to complete and then your tablet will need to restart and reset the apps etc.
+ Clear and Vivid Screen Resolution, Brightness and Other Info – It is true that this is the highest resolution, yet in my opinion, I find the colors vivid, pictures and text sharp! Watching videos and movies on this I find very clear
+ Battery life/Speed – Very good battery life! For me, I have found that I am constantly on WiFi (Internet). However, I also find that this tablet gets me at least 1 to 2 hours MORE daily than my older Tab 3 10.1 did!
+ WiFi Connecting/Speed of WiFi and MORE - This tablet connects SUPER quickly to my home WiFi and has never ever dropped the WiFi signal no matter where I am in my home. WiFi is VERY STRONG using this device, even when I am very far from my router I still have 4.5 bars! *** To test the speed and strength of this WiFi and compare it to my other Android devices, I went to the Playstore and got the free app called WiFi Analyzer. This is a MUST HAVE app for any Android device as it gives you a visual report on the WiFi strength of your tablet, phone etc.
+ SPECIAL INFO about INTERNET CONNECTION - Yes, this is a WiFi only, but when you are away from an WiFi internet hotspot location, there are ways to can get onto the internet such as MiFi and there are ways that you can purchase equipment so that you can have data when you do not have a WiFi hotspot available.
+ Internet & Webpage & Video Viewing - The stock browser does a wonderful job and it opens up webpages very fast. Also I tried Maxthon Browser and this worked very well yet I still prefer the Internet App. Also, I tried out the factory installed Chrome Browser and liked it OK, yet again, I went back the the stock Internet App (this is my preference). Note that the Playstore has many very good (FREE) internet browsers as Dolphin, Opera and many more!
+ EXTERNAL SLOT FOR MICRO SD CARD. This is a must for me as I keep my personal files, photos, and music on my internal SD card. I installed a SanDisk 32GB SD card and it works great on this tablet and I placed my music and files on it and have plenty of space left.
+ Camera / Video Camera – OK camera for a tablet…I took this out on a trip and videoed and took some pictures inside and outside. Inside videos and pictures had good lighting and the pictures were quite clear! I am amazed because I forgot to bring my regular digital camera and I was very pleased with the videos and the still pictures. Hint: This tablet has NO FLASH so be sure that inside and outside shots have adequate lighting. Outdoors be sure to take a picture where there is NO GLARE. I took my time and did that and believe it or not, these pictures were some of the BEST ones that I ever took as I held the tablet firm (no shaking) and the colors and sharpness were wonderful However, I found that I use my digital camera for serious picture taking.
+ Home Videos - The stock video player is OK and plays MOST home videos, however, may I suggest QQ Player (Free App from Playstore and the ONLY one I recommend as it plays every home video I tried).
+ Music Player/Sound Quality - This model has the regular MUSIC App, which plays by playlists, songs, albums and even folders. Also there is Google Music app is pre-installed in this tablet and does a fine job. However, I installed the FREE app called Rocket Player from the Playstore and love this music player! As for sound quality - The best way to really enjoy music is through a high quality Bluetooth speaker or Bluetooth headset as the sound quality is superb this way and you can walk about your home listening to your music!
+ OTG USB Compatible (On the Go USB Micro Adapter) - You will need to purchase a OTG (On the Go) Micro USB adapter (Amazon sells them and the cost is under 20 dollars in most cases, just type in OTG Micro Adapter in the search-box for a list of them). This will allow you to plug in your mouse, Flash Drive to the adapter on the large end and plug the small Micro end into the USB port on the Samsung tablet. Then you just plug in your flash drive and you can copy files to the flash drive so easily or view files that are on the flash drive. *Note that portable external hard drives and portable DVD/CD drives will not work using OTG in this tablet because they require a lot of power.
--- ONE MINOR CON - The USB charging port is located at the bottom of the tablet. What this means is that when I want to keep charging the tablet and use it as well and place it on my tablet stand I bought, it will not work right side up in LANDSCAPE MODE.
However, there is a perfect fix for this: I simply place the tablet in LANDSCAPE UPSIDE DOWN with the USB Port ON TOP and then I place it into the stand for table top viewing! This is possible because of the auto rotation!
Also, my MoKo cover/case has a hole for the USB port so I keep it in this and can charge it overnight when the stand is closed. But in this stand, to keep the tablet in the stand to view it, I have to take the USB charger cable out while I am viewing this say in a coffee shop, hotel etc.
I rate this 4.9 stars rounded off to 5 stars because of this minor con.
Bottom line- Would I buy this tablet all over again? Yes, and I liked it so much that I bought a second one to keep on my Kitchen Island area to use to read my recipes, check weather, music and more! This is still my favorite tablet!
| Standing screen display size | 10.1 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1280 x 800 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1280x800 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon_S5 |
| RAM | 1.5 GB SDRAM |
| Hard Drive | 16 GB |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Qualcomm Adreno 305 |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 10 Hours |
