Samsung Officially Announces the Galaxy Tab
Samsung Officially Announces the Galaxy Tab
Posted 09/02/2010 at 2:54pm
| by Alex Castle
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It’s hardly a secret that Samsung’s been working on a 7-inch tablet device called the “Galaxy Tab.” Still, it’s always nice to have confirmation, and that’s exactly what we got today from Samsung. While we’re not sure that we agree with the press release that the Tab is a “new category of device” (prepare for the initial wave of iPad comparisons in 3… 2… 1…) it does have a pretty compelling featureset, including Flash support, DivX certification, and front- and rear-facing cameras (1.3 and 3 megapixels, respectively).
Inside, the Tab’s packing a 1GHz Cortex A8 proc, a PowerVR SGX540 GPU and 512 MB of RAM. Every version of the tab can connect to Wi-Fi and 3G networks (with a data plan, of course.) It’ll be available in a 16GB and a 32GB model, and it ships with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top of Android 2.2 (Froyo).
No word on pricing yet, but expect the Tab to come out in Europe in September, and in the states sometime after that.
In a sea of underwhelming tablet announcements, the Galaxy Tab's shaping up to be one to keep an eye on.
"Berlin, Germany, September 2nd, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in mobile technology, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Tab (Model: GT-P1000). Powered by Android Operating System 2.2, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the first of the company's tablet devices, representing a new category of mobile products for Samsung.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab brings together all of Samsung's leading innovations to provide users with more capabilities while on the move. Consumers are able to experience PC-like web-browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on the perfectly sized 7-inch display, wherever they go. Moreover, users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimized user interface.
"Samsung recognizes the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market. There is a new and emerging consumer demand that Samsung can satisfy since mobile is in our DNA. This demand continues to grow and develop as users tap its limitless potential," said JK Shin, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. "The Samsung GALAXY Tab has been designed to enable consumers to maximize their online experience wherever that may be. The Samsung GALAXY Tab is pushing the market in new directions and Samsung believes this is only the beginning of its innovations as pioneers in smart media devices."
A new concept of mobility for media
As a new category of device, the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a wealth of mobile experiences. Its striking 7" TFT-LCD display delivers exciting mobile experience for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. In design, its light (380g) build provides perfect portability, with its svelte dimensions making it easy to grip and use. Supporting the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab fully supports swift, seamless viewing of every single page of the web.
The ‘Readers Hub,' Samsung's unique e-reading application, provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials. At the same time, Samsung unveils ‘Media Hub,' a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,' an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab has made rich communication truly mobile; it presents a level of converged technology that moves beyond mobile or PC to an entirely new category. Users have new powers to consume, create and communicate from wherever they are.
Powerful, always-on communication
With 3G HSPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® 3.0, the Samsung GALAXY Tab enhances users' mobile communication on a whole new level. Video conferencing and push email on the large 7-inch display make communication more smooth and efficient. For voice telephony, the Samsung GALAXY Tab turns out to be a perfect speakerphone on the desk, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth® headset.
Powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is designed to deliver high performance whenever and wherever you are. At the same time, HD video contents are supported by a wide range of multimedia formats (DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 and more), which maximizes the joy of entertainment.
While the front-facing camera allows face-to-face video telephony over 3G, the rear-facing camera captures still images and video that you can edit, upload and share, all without any hassle. As online content explodes, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the best portable solution for every lifestyle that needs a constant connection.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab will be launched in Europe in mid September, and in other markets including Korea, the US and Asia in coming months. .
Applications of the Samsung GALAXY Tab
The Samsung GALAXY Tab is packed with services to complement and enhance your life in different ways. Access to Android Marketplace lets users download apps and personalize their device infinitely. In addition, there are pre-loaded applications uniquely designed and optimized for Samsung smart phones and smart media devices.
Readers Hub – Samsung Readers Hub consolidates e-reading applications such as eBooks, magazines, and newspapers. Users can enjoy ‘reading' with unified and intuitive user experience powered by global eReading service leaders, Kobo, PressDisplay and Zinio. More than 2 million books including today's best sellers, over 2,500 titles of magazines in 20 languages and more than 1,600 newspapers in 47 languages are available at launch and will grow the library gradually.
Google Mobile Services – Services like Google Maps™ Navigation (Beta) and Google Goggles are available on Google's Android platform. With useful location-based services like Google Maps, consumers can search in Standard English instead of entering an exact address. A search-by-voice function is just as intuitive, meaning searches can also be completed easily on the go. Google Goggles is a powerful, visual search tool that uses the Samsung GALAXY Tab's camera to uncover information – an image of a landmark or artwork is automatically used to perform a search, delivering relevant content like a description or history. In addition, with a camera, users can enjoy various augmented reality services which are downloadable in the application market.
More applications will be available from Samsung Apps.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab (GT-P1000) Product Specifications
Network
2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE) : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G (HSUPA 5.76Mbps, HSDPA 7.2Mbps) : 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
OS
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Display
7.0 inch TFT-LCD, WSVGA (1024 x 600)
Processor
Cortex A8 1.0GHz Application Processor with PowerVR SGX540
Camera
3 MP Camera with Auto-Focus and LED Flash
1.3MP front camera for Video Telephony
Value-added
Features
Android Market™ and Samsung Apps for more applications and contents
Readers Hub, Media Hub* , Music Hub*, Social Hub
*Availability will be decided by market preference.
Adobe Flash 10.1 player support
Full HD video playback, Thinkfree Office, Swype, Hybrid Widget
Connectivity
30 pin connector
WiFi 802.11n / Bluetooth® 3.0
Sensor
Gyroscope sensor, Geo-magnetic sensor, Accelerometer, Light sensor
Memory
16G / 32G internal memory with up to 32G external memory slot
RAM: 512 MB
Size
190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, 380g
Battery
4,000mAh (7 hour movie play)"
More like this
googler
November 11, 2010 at 4:36pm
Nook Color is better for reading than iPad and better for everything else than Kindle. Nook Color is better for $249. Nook Color screen is supposed to be better (less reflective) for reading than iPad thanks to new LG screen with anti-reflection coating. It allows to watch videos, listen to the music, view Office documents and PDF's. The Nook Color will not run apps straight out of the Android Market, but that does not mean it cannot run them. In fact, they have done a lot of tests on apps from standard Android smartphones and they pretty much run on Nook Color, which has Android 2.1 under the hood. (The Nook native interface and apps are just standard Android application layers.) Barnes & Noble special Nook SDK runs on top of the standard Android one and gives developers access to exclusive extensions and APIs for the Nook and its interface. So porting Android apps is not difficult. B&N says it is more like optimising them for Nook than porting them. If you prefer e-Ink screen, the original Nook is still available from BN.
violian
September 03, 2010 at 10:08am
I'm not going to bother if it's anything more than $380. Anything creeping close to $450, then I'd whole-heartedly rather purchase an iPad for only a few bucks more. And it's also gotta have a glass scratch-resistant screen to win my favour.
bart3385
September 03, 2010 at 12:49am
Samsung should keep the price down. The OS is free. Specs are somewhere around the level of iPad. Smaller screen size. This should definitely be substantially cheaper than iPad to make it fly.
TechW
September 02, 2010 at 4:27pm
This looks like a good start on what will be a huge lineup of Android based tablets. I am waiting to see what HP puts together with WebOS before making a decision on a tablet. (Yeah, I'm not in any rush to get one)
I'm good with the idea of a WiFi only model to cut the cost of the tablet as I can always tether it to my phone if WiFi is not available. No need for an extra monthly fee either.
The next 4 - 6 months will be interesting on the tablet front.
uomorospo
September 02, 2010 at 3:59pm
in italy the announced price is 700€... Much more than the ipad.
As you can read in the news, the screen si an LCD-TFT, not an amoled nor a SuperAmoled
aviaggio
September 02, 2010 at 3:29pm
/wipes drool from corner of mouth
Just gotta see the prices. I'm trying to be optimistic there will be a model in the $350 range. With the base iPad at $500, anything more than that I think it's going to be a tough sell.
Cooketh
September 02, 2010 at 3:01pm
I already decided to buy this back when it was announced. I have the Galaxy S phone and the screen is excellent. That's my selling point, and this Tablet uses the same tech, so I'm sold.
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