subject: Samsung's Galaxy Tab could challenge iPad in the tablet market [print this page] It took some digging and a look across the ocean to Berlin, Germany, for information on the Galaxy Tab, which will be Samsung's first tablet device that'll run Android operating system 2.2, also known as Froyo. It was announced Sept. 2 at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin.
The market is about to be flooded with e-readers and tablet PCs from various manufacturers, but this device has the potential to attract a lot of attention and capitalize on the growing popularity of the Android platform.
The iPad, the Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook, the Sony e-readers and several others on the drawing board will have to make room for Samsung's device. The Galaxy Tab is already off the drawing board, with slick advertising and a European mobile carrier.
If what I see becomes reality, it's going to be a major player in the tablet market.
Slimmer than iPad, Kindle
The Galaxy Tab will be similar in design to mobile tablets currently available. It'll have a 7-inch display and a width of around 4.7 inches, while standing 7.5 inches tall. It's slimmer than the iPad or Kindle and should fit in the average inside suit-coat pocket for us guys.
The size of the Nook also is said to be coat-pocket friendly.
Just like the Dell Streak, the Galaxy Tab will also function as an oversize smart phone. Samsung is pitching it as the perfect speakerphone on a desk or for talking on the go via a bluetooth headset.
Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab will have a one gigahertz processor to rival the iPad and the specs list more RAM memory onboard than current e-readers.
The two-camera setup is unique in that it has a 3 megapixel lens on the back and a 1.3 megapixel lens in front for video conferencing.
The newest Kindle specs call for one month of battery life with the wireless turned off.
The Galaxy Tab's specs list a larger battery size, but no indication from Samsung of how long it will last, except for seven hours of watching movies.
Apple has proven with all its i-devices that the hardware design is just one part of the success formula. It's also all about the applications.
With more than 225,000 apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, the i-devices can be considered untouchable for the variety of applications available. The Android Market is the only other apps' service that comes close with around 80,000 apps.
The Galaxy Tab will have the combined forces of the Android Market and Samsung's apps market to offer more than 100,000 choices.
Some of the apps planned for this device include "Reader Hub," an e-reader application, "Media Hub" for films and videos and "Music Hub" for your tunes.
I expect the tablet offerings to really heat up around Christmas and continue into the new year as more devices come to market.
HP finalized its purchase of Palm Inc. in July and now has its hand on Palm's webOS application that powered the Palm Pre smart phone.
With that technology, which is different from Android and Windows Mobile, I expect a tablet device from the HP camp soon.
I also don't expect Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, to stay quiet much longer. We'll just have to wait and see if it adopts the name "BlackPad" for its tablet device.
Another major player is Google, which is probably seeking a hardware partner for a tablet device on its Android platform.
I doubt the Galaxy Tab will be an iPad killer. But I think it'll certainly be a contender as the tablet field gets more crowded.
It'll launch in Europe this month, with Vodafone as the carrier.
You can expect a U.S. debut in the coming months and we'll need to know the cost and whether it'll be subsidized by a carrier.
Since we're talking Android, Cellular South is rolling out the HTC Desire, which it calls one of the most advanced touchscreen around.
You can look for this one-gigahertz smart phone on Wednesday, as it joins the HTC Hero and the Motorola Milestone in their Android showcase. I hear there are more on the way, as Cellular South plans to have six devices with all the Google goodies and HTC Sense dressing by the end of the year.
I have the Desire in hand, and I think I'm going to like it as I tap and swipe around on the Super LCD display.
