14 DAY TRIAL // Initially launched with Android 3.1 Honeycomb on board, the Verizon Galaxy Tab 10.1 is getting a new software update that adds the tablet Samsung’s TouchWiz UX user interface.
The software update size is approximately 351MB and brings the slate’s firmware to Android 3.2 Honeycomb. In addition, it includes several bug fixes and performance improvements that are meant to make users’ experience much smoother.
Unfortunately, there has been much talk around the utility of Samsung’s TouchWiz UX interface that won the disapproval of most Galaxy Tab 10.1 users. The Korean handset maker already confirmed that the tablet would also receive the Ice Cream Sandwich update next year.
However, the company stated that the original Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy S wouldn’t be getting the Android 4.0 update because they both featured TouchWiz UI, making it harder to optimize the latest version of Google’s mobile platform for these two devices.
In this regard, adding TouchWiz UX to a device that has already been confirmed for an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, thus making your work even harder, seems rather unproductive.
Anyway, software version Android 3.2 EL01 brings the following new features, improvements and bug fixes:
- Fixed issue that caused email to stay bold (reflecting an unread email) even though the user has read the email;
- Google Security Patches have been applied;
- TouchWiz user interface has been updated;
- Wi-Fi Enhanced Connectivity;
- DivX;
- BT 3.0 support has been added;
- Additional support has been added for more wireless Wi-Fi routers.
Furthermore, several apps and widgets have been included, while others have been enhanced:
- AllShare, Memo, Penmemo, Photo Editor, My Files, SocialHub, WorldClock;
- Music Player(TouchWiz), Video Player(TouchWiz).
New email and messaging features have been added as well, including additional security policies:
- Built-in support for industry standard VPN clients like Cisco AnyConnect;
- Strong encryption for data in transmission, hardware encryption and remote wipe capability;
- EnhancedMobileDeviceManagement (MDM) through partnerships with Sybase and Afaria clients.
The update is pushed OTA (over the air) in stages, so it might not reach all Galaxy Tab 10.1 units at once. It is recommended to check for the update manually by going to Home / Applications / Settings/ About Device/ System updates.
