Did you know that there were two version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Yes, you read right, two of them. The first version is the P3100 while the alternate one is the P3110. Both were announced in February 2012 and while the P3100 was released in April 2012, the P3110 was released just a month later in May 2012. So, what is the difference between both the tablets then? Read on to find out…
1. Size – Well there isn’t any difference in the size of both model. in fact, if kept together, it is nearly impossible to tell them apart. Both devices measure 193.7×122.4×10.5 mm. In terms of weight too there isn’t much of a difference. The P3100 weighs in at 345 grams while the P3110 weighs in at 344 grams. Again, hardly noticeable unless you actually weigh both of them on a scale.
2. Display – Here too, there is no difference between both these versions. Both of the devices have a PLS LCD capacitive touch screen with 16M colours. They both have a 7 inch screen with a pixel density of 170 ppi. Both tablets also have TouchWiz UX user interface and support multitouch.
3. Memory & Storage – This is where the first real difference is noted between the two devices. While the P3100 only supports expansion up to 32 GB the P3110 allows for expansion up to 64 GB. Apart from this, both devices are more or less the same and are also available in variants of 16, 32 and 64 GB. They both have 1 GB of RAM too.
4. Camera – Both devices have a 3.15 MP shooter on the back that won’t really click any amazing pictures for you. Both have front facing cameras as well but considering both offer VGA quality pictures, don’t expect any miracles here either. Video recording too is supported in both models at 720p.
5. OS & Performance – Both of these devices are running on Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and updates are available for both tablets to Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean). They both have Dual Core 1 GHz processors as well, although the P3100 does feature a proximity sensor that isn’t present in the P3110. There is a reason for this which we will come back to and explain later in the latter half of the review.
6. Battery – Both devices have a non-removable 4000 mAh Li-ion battery that offers up to a whopping 1070 hours of standby time. Samsung has always been known for it’s amazing battery performance and needless to say they have nailed it with both these tabs as well.
7. Price – We have some very interesting news about the price of both these tablets. The P3100 was initially released at a price of INR 23,250 while the P3110 was released at a price of INR 13,900. But Samsung has noticeably slashed the prices of both these devices. You can now get the P3100 at INR 16,250 while the P3110 is priced at INR 12,750. Why were the prices reduced? My best bet would be so that they could promote their other devices and honestly, neither of these devices are really worth writing home about.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 – 310 and Tab 2- 311, which is better ?
So, after going through the above points, you must have realized that there isn’t much of a difference between the two. So what set’s both of them apart? What accounts for the INR 3,500 difference between both the devices? The simple answer to this is 3G. The P3100 offers 2G and 3G support on most common networks while the P3110 does not offer any 2G or 3G support or in simple words, you cant make calls with the P3110. Also, the mobility and connectivity are pretty much subject to the availability of WiFi, and so, limited. So, if you are looking at buying a Tablet, it all boils down to whether you are going to use it as a phone or not. If you are looking at using it as a phone, the P3100 could be one of the most cost efficient 3G tablets in the market today. If you just want it as a mobile PC, the P3110 should suffice. But, one is likely to shell out a few extra bucks more when they are looking at buying a tablet, to get added advantage of 2G and 3G support. I personally feel that the gadgets you purchase today are actually an investment, then are you really “investing” in a tablet that cant as much as make calls? When you could own a phablet, why buy a tablet? With that in mind, I don’t really know what Samsung was thinking when it released both these versions of the Tab 2. Honestly, they could have just released a version with 3G support and one without.
