The Samsung Galaxy Tab LTE from Verizon Wireless delivers blazing fast speed from the company’s 4G network but still can’t compete with the iPad on apps. You get the feeling you are listening to a broken record if you sort through all the different tablet reviews out there because “lack of apps” is the biggest negative factor of any “non” Apple Tablet. The Galaxy Tab LTE is not different, it has blazing fast speed, long battery life, and a nice feel and functionality. We were recently loaned the new LTE version from Verizon and we loved the fast 4G connectivity. Minor design changes make this tablet sleeker and more functional. Even with all the speed that Verizon delivers with the LTE, the one big flaw is that there are just no apps.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

First, let’s talk speed. The Galaxy Tab LTE has the same nVidia Tegra 2 1Ghz processor and 16GB memory of the regular wi-fi version. Hooked into Verizon’s 4G network, we averaged 10 to 13 Mbps on the download side and 3 to4.3 Mbps while uploading data. This is blazing fast and with the option of making the Galaxy Tab a Hot Spot, you will be able to share this speed with others. The downside to all this speed is the price Verizon will charge you for it. A 2 GB data plan is just under $30.00 a month. The 20 GB plan is $80.00 a month and the “mobile hotspot” option will cost you another $20.00 a month. That is an awfully large chunk of change, but if speed is what you need then it will be worth it to you.

Next, Samsung has stripped out what little software they offer in this model by not including TouchWiz, but they do offer it as an upgrade. This means the only thing you get with the LTE is Media Hub and Quick Office. Anyone buying this Tablet will want to go through the task of upgrading to TouchWiz. The Tablet does get few design changes as the volume and power buttons are on the left side of the unit and there is a SIM card slot at the top. The outside casing has been changed a little with a sanded metal type look. We had mixed feelings on the moving of the buttons, as it depends on how you use the device most (landscape or page view). All of us liked the SIM card slot. Battery life is impressive here too. Samsung says the average battery life is 12 hours and we consistently got between 9 and 10.5 hours of actual usage. Price is another thing that might hold you up on the Galaxy Tab as it costs $699 for the 16GB version through Verizon. If you buy the tablet with a 2 year contract then they reduce the price to $529 dollars. Add the cost of the data plans and this is one expensive tablet.

Our overall conclusion here is that the Galaxy Tab LTE is one nice fast Tablet with a long battery life that still suffers from a lack of available apps. If we ever get half as many applications available on any Android powered device that Apple has, we will see some real competition in the Tablet market. Until then, Apple and the iPad will rule the Tablet world.

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