Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device

As I have written about a couple of times on my Smartphones & Cell Phones blog Samsung is rolling out some great Android smartphones with their Galaxy S devices, including the Sprint Epic 4G, so today when they announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab at the IFA show I started reading more to see if it was worth buying. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a 7-inch Android-based tablet device designed as an alternative to the Apple iPad and I think the key to its success is the applications and user experience. From what I have seen on the Galaxy S phones, I think they can do a great job with the UI and media too.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has the specifications to excel, including:

• 1.06 GHz Cortex A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540
• 512MB of memory
• Google Android 2.2 operating system
• 7 inch 1024x600 capacitive touchscreen display
• Quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA
• Bluetooth 3.0
• 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
• 4,000 mAh battery for 7 hours of movie playing
• 3 megapixel camera with LED flash
• 1.3 megapixel front facing camera
• A-GPS receiver
• 16 or 32 GB internal flash memory with microSD card

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has full support for the Android Market and comes with Zinio and Kobo preloaded to give you an out-of-the box ereading experience. You can always then downlod the Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook apps too. It also comes with the fantastic Swype onscreen keyboard.

It doesn't look like the device will support T-Mobile 3G in the USA and can only be used with the AT&T cellular network. A WiFi only model would be just fine with me though. With the great Samsung support for media playback, the cameras and GPS receiver, customizable home screens and full multi-tasking support of the Android OS I may just be replacing my iPad with the Galaxy Tab.

The Galaxy Tab will be available in Europe in mid-September and in the US in "coming months". We don't yet know what the price will be and if it will be offered through US wireless carriers so stay tuned for more.