Samsung Galaxy Tab
Korean electronics powerhouse Samsung announced this week that it plans to unveil its answer to the iPad, the Galaxy Tab, with the four primary US cellular phone carriers, enhancing the product’s likelihood of success in the essential US market.
To date Apple’s iPad tablet pc has virtually cornered the market since its introduction in April, selling over 3,000,000 units in 90 days.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab uses Google’s competing operating system, Android. It is the very first product that experts say offers credible competition to the iPad, the device that clearly showed there is a strong market for the user-friendly touch-screen interfaces provided by compact tablet computers.
Samsung did not mention pricing particulars for the Galaxy Tab. With an 18-cm display will be 10 cm smaller than the iPad. It is thought that prices will probably be subsidized heavily by US carriers, just as they discount mobile phones to consumers who agree to extended contracts for service.
The Tab’s weight will be half that of an iPad, and will feature a car dock allowing on-screen GPS navigation.
The device is reported to be as comfortable to work with standing on a packed train as it is resting on the sofa at home, according to Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung. The miniature design allows it to fit comfortably in pants or jacket pockets.
The Galaxy Tab marks the first of an anticipated wave of tablet devices powered by the Android operating system which, based on a recent report by Gartner research, may overtake iPad sales within 3 or 4 years, in the same way Android-powered mobile phones are surpassing sales of Apple’s iPhone.
Yet another significant challenge to the Apple iPad looms on the horizon from Motorola, who plan to release a tablet computer early in 2011.
