We have some good news for those of you with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 device from T-Mobile. It has been a long time coming, but we’re pleased to report that an official update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is now available to download. For a device that released almost a year ago on Ice Cream Sandwich, it is a very pleasing outcome indeed.

If you have your device at the ready now, you should have already received a notification to update OTA as of March 25. If you haven’t though, don’t panic as there are several other ways in which you can obtain the update. The first is by heading into your device settings, and the other is by using Samsung’s Kies software to get the update that way.

Intel from those who have already installed the update suggests that the file is a 386MB download, so you may want to ensure that you are on a WiFi connection first to speed up the process and avoid any battery life problems. If you haven’t used Kies before and are not sure how to get the update, T-Mobile has provided a useful step-by-step guide, which you’ll find over at their support website here.

As with most Jelly Bean software updates, you’ll find new features available once you have installed, such as the exciting Google Now features and a general performance improvement thanks to Project Butter. There’s also a revamp to notifications and other delights to explore.

The new version is Android 4.1.2, but we wonder if T-Mobile are also working towards getting an even newer version of Android running on the system? Samsung may even decide to announce a Galaxy Tab 3 this year along with the inevitable Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 products.

Let us know if you have received the notification to update and how you like the new Jelly Bean features.

Seems as though carriers are updating their devices to include colors that are perfect for Valentine’s Day because following the recent release of the Galaxy S3 in Garnet Red, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is to also receive this extra color option as well. However, there’s more to this new hue because it will come with a matching case as well.

The latest Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 color and case bundle will be released this week at a cost of $220 and while the specs will remain the same as the previous colors, this model will come with the latest version of Jelly Bean out of the box. This offer is only available for a limited time only and you will be able to purchase the new bundle from the likes of Amazon and Walmart.

Some of the reactions to this new color offering on Engadget are pretty comical, with many users agreeing that if they purchased this lump of plastic for their girlfriends on Valentine’s Day then they would not have a relationship for long. The Tab 2 7-inch tablet is not as bad as people make out, but let’s face it, things have moved on since so why would you wish to buy outdated tech?

However, there is another way to look at it; this could be the last effort to generate sales of this aging device ahead of a new 7-inch Galaxy Tab during MWC next month, but in the meantime the 8-inch Note will cannibalize sales of its smaller sibling.

The company recently unveiled the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 which would be the first tablet from Samsung to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich. However, those who are waiting for the popular 10.1 variant instead may have longer to wait as we’re hearing that Samsung may be replacing the dual-core processor with a quad-core one instead.

Just days ago we told you that the recently announced Meizu MX Quad-Core smartphone will feature a A9 Exynos chip built by Samsung, and we could see the very same chip in the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and even the Galaxy S III smartphone which is scheduled to be unveiled on May 3rd in London.

It goes without saying that this is one delay which consumers won’t really be too bothered about. Many tablets are releasing with quad-core chips at the moment and Samsung probably thought that consumers may not welcome another Galaxy Tab iteration with old hardware. Switching to a quad-core chip is a great move in our opinion and it once again puts the pressure back on Apple as they look to release their follow-up iPad with a quad-core chip of their own for the first time.

Let’s hope that the device still sees a Summer release in the US, but given Samsung’s track record we wouldn’t bet on it. We’re predicting that Samsung may have something to say about the 10.1 Tab 2 at their press event on May 3rd though, so don’t miss that.

Are you looking to pick up the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1? – let us know your thoughts on a potential delay.

Samsung latest tablet offering again comes with a 7-inch display sporting a 1 GHz dual-core processor, and according to Gotta Be Mobile it will also have Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. One stand out feature is the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system that currently is only found on a handful of tablets.

There were no details provided what US carriers the device will be on, but it is thought that both AT&T and Verizon will offer it. Also the company didn’t reveal any pricing but the device will be available in both the UK and US next month.

Currently though the Galaxy Tab Plus is available for $350 so the Wi-Fi version could be around the same price, but Samsung may look to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire with a lower price bracket. The company is set to offer some built-in software to offer more for the user with the likes of the Music Hub, Readers Hub, and Video Hub.

The Video Hub offers users easy access to a number of movies and TV shows for renting or buying. The new device will also offer a new service called AllShare, which will let user’s stream music and other multimedia from a PC or smartphone to the Galaxy Tab 2.

With the new Android operating system users are given a better user interface with quicker access to features. While many tablets are set to be upgraded to ICS consumers will like the fact that the Galaxy Tab 2 has it straight out of the box. Below is a video of the device making its debut.

Do you prefer a 7-inch screen size for a tablet PC?

Engadget managed to get hold of some details from Pocket-lint, which could hopefully shed new light on this new tablet device. The Xoom was said to be the first tablet to come with Honeycomb, and this is not likely to change – unless Samsung are much further ahead than we all assumed.

We still expect Motorola to be the first out the box, but you have to wonder if the Tab 2 – if that’s what you call it – will fair much better than the Xoom, as Samsung has more experience with running Android on a tablet device? It is far too early to tell at this stage, as we can only speculate what the hardware specs are for the 2011 version of the Tab. Although TechRadar has learned that it could come with a 1.2GHz Orion dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera and thats for starters.

Stuart Miles says that the Tab 2 will not only have to fight the Xoom but also the iPad 2 as well. In theory they should be the same size, but believe it or not the latter will still have a smaller screen size. The event presentation will take place at 6PM Central European Time.

If you had to put your money on who would come out on top out of the Galaxy Tab 2 or the Xoom, who would it be?

According to this report from Phandroid, Samsung will be unveiling both the Galaxy Tab 2 and the Galaxy S2 smartphone on February 13th, in a presentation that will last around 32 minutes, as detailed by a leaked document showing Samsung’s schedule for the event.

If you were worried that the next generation tablet wouldn’t make it to MWC 2011, this should be the final confirmation you need that a retail release this Summer is definitely a possibility.

Will it come with Android 3.0 Honeycomb and a Dual-Core Tegra 2 processor to go head-to-head with the Motorola Xoom, or do Samsung have some special plans in store for us?

Either way, MWC 2011 holds all the answers and we can’t wait to see what happens at the event. If you were previously set on buying a Motorola Xoom, you may want to keep an eye on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 at MWC 2011 to see if Samsung steal the show or not.

As reported from Engadget, it has just been revealed that Samsung has placed an order for a considerable amount of Tegra 2 chips, which will be delivered to them in the early part of 2011, presumably for tablet devices and also their future lineup of smartphones.

The information has come from Citigroup’s Glen Yeung, who has also said that Samsung are using Tegra 2 chips as a ‘reference design’ for the upcoming Android OS Honeycomb, which we still don’t know if it will be version 2.4 or 3.0 as previously suggested.

Either way, the next Samsung Galaxy Tab device is in good hands if the dual-core Tegra 2 chip definitely make’s it’s way into Samsung’s plans – don’t forget that the LG Optimus 2X is the first smartphone to feature the new technology.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you like to see a Tegra 2 chip in the next Galaxy Tab, or do you have better suggestions for Samsung?

However, we can tell you that this display will be used on the Galaxy Tab 2, which OLED-Display learned from etnews. That’s not all; we also have a possible release date. The new 7-inch version is expected to go on sale in June 2011 – that’s just 7 months away.

We know that is a long time, but there will be consumers asking if they should commit to the current Tab, when they know that it will be out of date in way under a year? This has been a constant issue with Android devices, you go to bed one night, next day you wake up and your device is out of date, as a new model has been released.

OK, so I know that it is not that bad, but you get what I mean? We do not have any more details on the Galaxy Tab 2, but I am sure that Samsung will feed us information as and when they see fit.

Will you wait 7 months for the second-gen Galaxy Tab, or just purchase the current model now?

We’ll call it the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 just to avoid confusion. As reported from Engadget, Samsung Exec WP Hong has stated that when the successor to the Galaxy Tab is released, it will come with support for Android OS 3.5 Honeycomb.

As far as we know, this is the first time that a high level exec has confirmed the codename ‘Honeycomb’ as the next OS after Android 3.0 Gingerbread. It also confirms that 3.5 will be the next update after 3.0, and not a straight push to 4.0 as previously rumored.

Here is an apparent quote from Hong, courtesy of Tech Radar: “moving forward, with Honeycomb, that will be used in the next generation tablet, as it is specifically optimized for different type of tablet, and will be used on another product only.”

What are your thoughts on this? It is nice to hear that Samsung already have another model lined up after the Galaxy Tab, and that it will be running Google’s latest OS.