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

By | September 2, 2010, 7:00am PDT

Summary: We can expect to see several Android-based tablet devices coming out to take on the iPad and Samsung looks to have a winner with the Galaxy Tab.

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 1024×600 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.

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Topics

Apple iPad, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Apple Inc., Samsung Galaxy Tab, Tablets, Wireless LANs, GPS, Keyboards, Cellular Phones, Notebooks, Wireless And Mobility, Wi-Fi, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Peripherals, Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle.

Disclosure

Matthew Miller

Matthew is a professional naval architect by day and a mobile gadget freak at all other times. He purchases most of his devices and then sells them on eBay or Craigslist to buy more. Many other devices are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the carrier or manufacturer. If any are provided as “keeper” or “long term loaner units” this will be clearly disclosed in his reviews.

Biography

Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. He is one of three hosts on the MobileTechRoundup podcast and runs the Nokia Experts website. Matthew started using mobile devices in 1997 with a US Robotics Pilot 1000 and has owned over 90 different devices running Palm, Linux, Symbian, Newton, BlackBerry, Mac OS X (iPhone), Google Android, and Windows Mobile operating systems. His current collection includes a Nokia N85, Nokia E71, Nokia 5800, Nokia N810, Apple iPhone, HTC Advantage, T-Mobile G1, Palm Treo Pro, HTC Fuze, MSI Wind, MacBook Pro, and many more, along with tons of accessories and classic devices like the Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 and Sony CLIE UX50. Matthew co-authored Master Visually Windows Mobile 2003, was a member of the Nokia Nseries Blogger relations program, and is a member of the invite-only Microsoft Mobius mobile device evangelist group. He can be found on various discussion forums under the user name of "palmsolo".

Talkback Most Recent of 62 Talkback(s)

  • Better not be tied to a data plan
    Already Samsung appears to be making the same mistake as the Dell Streak. DO NOT tie the sale of the device to a ridiculously priced phone carrier data plan! Make that optional. Have a wi-fi version and sell it everywhere you can. Have a 3g version that has month to month data plan just like Apple. What is the point of making a competitive device only to tie it down to a long contract data plan. We are still in a recession folks. People DO NOT want another monthly bill. Make it OPTIONAL!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mstrsfty
    2nd Sep 2010
  • insane
    @mstrsfty
    and here it comes, the big news of today: the galaxy tab will be 799 EUROS, when it comes out in europe in october. yep, that's right. 799 euros for a shameless, plasticky, knock-off of the real thing with a tiny screen, not optimised os, bad battery life and 16 gb of ram.

    i think it's clearly doa already.

    http://www.zdnet.de/news/wirtschaft_investition_hardware_ifa_samsung_galaxy_tab_kostet_799_euro_story-39001021-41537186-1.htm
    ZDNet Gravatar
    banned from zdnet
    2nd Sep 2010
  • Seriously?
    @banned from zdnet
    "799 euros for a shameless, plasticky, knock-off of the real thing with a tiny screen, not optimised os, bad battery life and 16 gb of ram."
    Are you completely unaware that a lot of the components Apple uses are identical to what Samsung puts in the Galaxy line? I mean, iPhone 4 is basically half Galaxy S parts.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    kwabinalars
    2nd Sep 2010
  • over $1000USD for 32Gigs... WTF!!
    ...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    2nd Sep 2010
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @banned from zdnet No wonder you were banned from zdnet! haha..... I supposed you'd rather pay more for less for an iFad! .....yeah you stupid fool! ....and contrary to popular belief here, it is being offered to start in Europe at less than iFad. Along with being totally unlocked and offered on all carriers Globally in time. Top that off with the fact that it's up to carriers whether they want to subsidize it or not. Samsung is just making an announcement that has you CrApple fanboiis running scared!!! haha.....
    ZDNet Gravatar
    i2fun@...
    3rd Sep 2010
    • Flagged
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @i2fun... Wow, are you missing the point:

    "Top that off with the fact that it's up to carriers whether they want to subsidize it or not"

    First, I'm not interested in any carrier. I want monthly, at my own pace, connectivity. For the vast amount of time, I only need WiFI. My iPad was $640 US, for 16gb, 3G, WiFi, and I choose a carrier here in Canada on a month by month basis, $30 per month.... I don't want to be beholding to any carrier.

    You are being very thick-headed. I'm a Windows developer, not an Apple fanboi, but the iPad is my computer of choice for much of my web connectivity. We run all our office collaboratively through a SaaS app, so the iPad is almost perfect for that. I miss multi-tasking (multiple, linked web windows particularly), Flash and the cameras, as well as standards-based USB, and I am very eager to test the new crop of tablets.

    I am anxious to reduce the carrying size, though, and 7" is very exciting. But at $1,000??? That's just absurd.

    Stop thinking everyone is either Apple or Windows, and look at the reality of the price. Apple will have a 7" later this year at a price about 15% lower than the iPad. it will also have 2 cameras and a form of multi-tasking.

    Who do you think will come out on top? Pretty simple, isn't it?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    no_axe_to__grind
    3rd Sep 2010
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @i2fun And how would a device that is smaller and costs $200 USD MORE than the iPad have the fanbois running scared? And your claim that the iPad is MORE expensive than the iPad is pure bunk...

    http://www.9to5mac.com/16616/Chart-iPad-price-by-country-comparisons

    According to this chart the 32GB iPad (just to keep the specs somewhat close) is a total of 886.53 USD which is the equivalent to 690.77 euros not including tax. So yeah, the fanbois are really scared now... LOL
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Pete "athynz" Athens
    3rd Sep 2010
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @mstrsfty It's better to include the 3G than to have separate hardware configurations like Apple because it makes the device more flexible. What they shouldn't do is lock it to a particular phone carrier. That I agree with. Sell the device completely unlocked to any carrier.

    The pricing scheme for the different iPads is ridiculous especially with the fact that the user cannot upgrade the storage on the device. I'm glad Samsung is following Dell's lead with the Streak and allowing users to upgrade the storage capacity themselves.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mrxxxman
    2nd Sep 2010
  • but it's just literally just a giant blown up phone...
    it's a ridiculous product!

    Android OS has not been changed in anyway to utilize the larger screens of tablets.. it's the exact same OS that runs on android phones just blown up to double size.. c'mon guys that's incredibly stupid and lame. and the apps that run on it are phone apps just blown up to double size.. does anyone else not see this as being incredibly lame??

    until google get off their butts and makes the changes to android like apple has done to iOS for iPad (added multiple scroll panels, toolbars, floating panels etc) that let these device take advantage of tablets larger screens and apps are developed that take advantage of these OS improvement these thing are going to remain pretty useless..

    giant, blown up phones that can't fit in your pocket, with giant blown up phone apps, with big giant blown up buttons.. does anyone else not recognize that utile google does their thing these things are pretty much ridiculous and useless?? c'mon.. this is just idiotic!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    2nd Sep 2010
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @doctorSpoc

    With the recent Android releases, you really think Google is sitting on their butts? c'mon!

    From what I have read, Android 3.0 will add some features specifically for tablets. But in the meanwhile, developers have some work to do to update their apps UIs for the larger screens, just like they had to do for the iPad.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    rcnut
    2nd Sep 2010
  • but why not just wait for Android 3
    @rcnut - it stupid to buy this now.. by the time Android 3 comes out making this thing actually useful.. these things will be cheaper and more powerful and you'll be able to actual have an advantage over using this than just a phone.. buy this now without the appropriate software to run on it that makes it worthwhile is simply idiotic.. wait for android 3.. until that comes out all these android tablets are a big yawn and a waste of time and money.. save your money guys..
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    2nd Sep 2010
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @rcnut That's ridiculous. The iPad even now still wastes a huge amount of real estate on it's screen which points to the fact that the device is too big. How many apps were specifically designed for the iPad at launch? The overwhelming apps on the Apple Store are not designed for the iPad even though you can install them on the iPad. I think only something like 10%, if that, have been reworked for the iPad and even less have been designed natively for the iPad only.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mrxxxman
    2nd Sep 2010
  • yep, 20% is about right.. over 20,000 apps have so far been update..
    @mrxxxman vs android.. where the OS hasn't been upgraded and zero apps have been upgraded.. so 20,000 to zero..
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    2nd Sep 2010
  • RE: Samsung takes on the Apple iPad with the 7 inch Galaxy Tab device
    @doctorSpoc

    Is lame, lame, idiotic, lame, lame, ridiculous your form of intelligent banter?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    JaceMan
    2nd Sep 2010
  • i'm just in shock that no one seem to recognize this thing for what it is..
    @JaceMan - people are falling all over themselves for a product that is SO obviously not ready for primetime..

    a tablet without a tablet OS and running a phone OS is nothing more than a big blown up phone.. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE RECOGNIZING THAT.. and i find that incredible..

    let android 3 come out.. by that time these things will be faster, lighter, and cheaper and you'll actually get the benefit of using this over a phone.. why can't people see that?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    2nd Sep 2010
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