Which Samsung Galaxy Tab is right for you?

— -- With new models coming out nearly every week, picking an Android tablet is more difficult than ever. Even if you decide to go for one of Samsung's Galaxy Tabs, you'll have to go through yet another round of decision-making. With four available versions — the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the 8.9, the 7.0 Plus, and the original 7.0 — available in the United States, it's handy to compare them against each other if you don't have a concrete choice from the start.

Is bigger better?

The most obvious and one of the most important aspects to consider is size. If you have an on-the-go lifestyle, either of the 7-inch Tabs could be the best option. Compared to the 10.1's 0.34-inch depth, the original Tab and the 7.0 Plus are a little bit thicker, at 0.47-inch and 0.39-inch respectively. However, placed next to each other, you'll notice how much larger the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is. Three inches doesn't sound like much, but it's still a substantial increase over the base model's 7-inch expanse.

While it's true that 7-inch tablets fit more easily inside purses and even coat pockets, the 10.1 is still quite light; at 1.25 pounds, it still won't weigh you down much. If the size of the screen matters to you, don't worry — the 10.1 is still convenient to carry around. Obviously, if you prefer an intermediate tablet between the two sizes, then 8.9 fits the bill. It's the same thickness as the 10.1 but a bit lighter, at 1.04 pounds.

The 10.1 and the 8.9 tablets have screens with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, while the 7-inch Tabs' screens have a lower resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels that's standard for their size. It's pretty simple to choose if screen real estate is of prime importance to you — just get the largest tablet (or the biggest one that fits your budget).

Under the hood

Do you tend to keep a lot of large files such as movies and videos on your mobile device? The 10.1 has a 64GB version available as an upgrade from the 16GB and 32GB ones, although it has no expandable card slot. All the other Galaxy Tabs are only available in 16GB and 32GB models, but the original Tab and the 7.0 Plus can at least accommodate microSD cards to provide up to 32GB in additional, removable, and swappable storage capacity.

The three newest Galaxy Tabs (the 10.1, 7.0 Plus, and 8.9) run Android Honeycomb and have 1GB of RAM. The exception is the original 7-inch Tab, which is equipped with Froyo and only has 512MB of storage. This means the three 2011 models have more advanced software and can handle multitasking better than the very first 7-inch Tab, which is to be expected, since the 7.0 Plus is a revamp of the first Galaxy Tab.

Planning to use your Tab for video calls or to take pictures when the need arises? There's no difference to worry about — all models have 3-megapixel rear-facing and 2-megapixel front-facing cameras.

Rated battery life is pretty impressive for all models, with the 10.1 and the 8.9 promising up to nine hours of video playback, the 7.0 Plus promising up to eight hours, and the original Tab up to seven hours. Remember, though, when it comes to surfing the web, using 4G or 3G will drain your battery faster than using Wi-Fi.

Connectivity, price, and carriers