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Samsung Galaxy Tab notches a fifth American carrier, coming to US Cellular
Milking this one for all it's worth, eh Samsung? In what's easily becoming the most drawn-out product launch in the history of product launches, Sammy is just now informing us of a fifth American carrier onboard to carry its Galaxy Tab: US Cellular. The regional CDMA operator has been chosen as the token 'little guy' to offer the 7-inch, Froyo-based tablet, but the company's not saying when it will be arriving nor for how much. We're guessing it'll cost between $400 and $600 depending on the contract situation, but considering that every other carrier is getting it within a fortnight or so, those minor points should be clarified in short order. %Gallery-106164%
Walgreens now selling $100 Maylong M-150 Android tablet
Kmart may have been the first department store to get into the cheap Android tablet business, but it looks like Walgreens isn't about to stay out of this race to the bottom -- it's now offering the Maylong M-150 Android tablet for a mere $100. As you can see above, it's pretty much the tablet of your dreams. Not only does it run Android, but it boasts a familiar iPad design and interface, plus Internet Explorer for a web browser (icon), and access to the always useful "App Market." As for specs, it looks like you'll get a 7-inch resistive touchscreen with an 800 x 480 resolution, a 400MHz VIA VM8505+ processor, built-in WiFi, an unspecified amount of built-in flash memory, and a microSD card slot or expansion. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the source link below if you're ready to place your order.
Samsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contract
America's number four carrier just landed a launch date for Samsung's Froyo-based Galaxy Tab, and sure enough, it'll be trotting out into the spotlight a full 24 hours before Verizon Wireless and four whole days prior to Sprint. Trouble is, T-Mob's not being kind enough to dole out a price tag, so there's no reasonable way for you to compare its offering against the competition. But hey, being first out of the gate, they can't hold out on us too much longer, eh? Update: T-Mobile USA's official Galaxy Tab portal just went live, and guess what? You'll be shelling out $399.99 for this bad boy... on a two-year data contract. You'll also be responsible for a $35 activation fee and a $200 early termination charge should you soon realize just what you've gotten yourself into.
Verizon to sell Galaxy Tab starting November 11th for $599.99
Well, we finally have a price on this thing! America's largest carrier has announced plans to sell Samsung's Galaxy Tab for... $599.99. The 3G, Android 2.2-based unit (which will be loaded with V CAST apps, of course) will hit retail on November 11th, and since it's being sold at full price, a data plan (which starts at $20 per month for 1GB) is completely optional. It looks like customers will have some fairly strong choices on Big Red, considering that the impossible-to-ignore iPad is being made available in Verizon's stores as well. Tough decisions are ahead for potential tablet buyers -- but we're sure you'll do what's right. Check out the full press release below, and good luck! %Gallery-105480%
Samsung Galaxy Tab up for pre-order at Carphone Warehouse for £530
We continue that elusive hunt for an official Galaxy Tab price with the most reliable (though still not authoritative) number yet: £530 ($850) from the Carphone Warehouse. Already announced as one of the first retailers to offer the device in the UK on that November 1 launch date, the Warehouse outfit has now set its price for the 16GB Tab at exactly the level of the 3G-equipped iPad. Coincidence? We think not. This is highly likely to be Samsung's final pre-subsidy pricing, leaving it up to network operators to tempt us with some aggressive discounts. We can only hope. [Thanks, Middy]
Samsung Galaxy Tab redesigned for KDDI, hitting Japan in late February as SMT-i9100
Japan's KDDI is in the midst of its biannual hardware refresh and in among its new roster of phones is a familiar 7-inch slate device we're more familiar with as the Galaxy Tab. Samsung has stripped all branding (and 3G, boo!) from the SMT-i9100, while refashioning its exterior a little and letting KDDI throw in a bit of custom au-branded software aboard. Beyond the cosmetic changes, which include the capacitive buttons being aligned for landscape (rather than portrait) utilization, you're mostly looking at the same machine as the rest of the world, with a 1024 x 600 resolution, 512MB of RAM, MicroSD expandability, and a built-in webcam. The internal storage is quite a bit more frugal at 4GB, but you will get a handy docking cradle as a consolation prize, plus a mobile router that'll turn this into something very similar to Verizon's iPad plus MiFi offering in the US. All that said, KDDI won't have the i9100 on sale until February, by which time the Android tablet market could be somewhat better populated.
Advent Vega tablet won't come with Android Market, might get it as part of Gingerbread update (video)
Lack of Google's official app store has been a thorn in the side of would-be Android tablet makers for a good long while, and it looks like the Tegra 2-powered Advent Vega will be no exception when it hits the high street tomorrow. Electricpig took the £249 device for a spin, chatting up Advent product manager Adam Lockyer the whole time, and discovered that while the 10-inch tablet will come with the 5,000-app-strong Archos AppsLib store, it won't have Android Market at launch. "The plan is that when you get to January time, there's a new release of Android and you'll be able to get the marketplace on this product," Lockyer said, suggesting that maybe -- just maybe -- the availability of Android Market itself might be one of the fragmentation issues Google intends to fix in Gingerbread. Wouldn't that be nice? Video after the break. [Thanks, Chak I.]
ZTE announces 7-inch ZTE Light Android tablet
ZTE didn't exactly manage to impress with its low-cost ZTE Racer Android handset, but the company's now back with yet another Android device: the 7-inch ZTE Light tablet. Not a ton in the way of surprises here, as you might expect, but the tablet does cover all the basics with Android 2.1, WiFi and 3G connectivity, built-in GPS, an SD card slot for expansion, and a promised ten hours of battery life -- along with what appears to be a custom Android skin. No word on pricing just yet, but the tablet is apparently now on display at the Beijing Exhibition and should be launching soon. Full press release is after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Tab stars in leaked slide, T-Mobile version to cost $399?
If what we're looking at is really and truly a legitimate T-Mobile slide, then we've got practically the last part of the Galaxy Tab puzzle -- that ever-elusive price point -- as it states the slate will charm your wallet out of $399. That'd be a bit of a disappointment if true, as that's the most we were told to expect and twice the Galaxy S's price despite lacking telephone functionality. Still, it's the first legitimately impressive Android tablet, and being on the bleeding edge isn't cheap. We just wonder if Sammy can truly sell ten million on two-year contracts -- or worse, going head to head at an unsubsidized $649 with the iPad 3G. Say it ain't so, Sammy.
Cherrypal announces $188 CherryPad America Android tablet
You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later -- low-cost computer maker Cherrypal has gotten into the tablet game. Its first entrant is the CherryPad America, a $188 tablet that packs a 7-inch resistive touchscreen, Android 2.1 (a 2.2 update is promised later this year), an 800MHz ARM11 processor, 2GB of flash storage, a microSD card slot for expansion, built-in WiFi, and a 3200 mAh battery that promises six to eight hours of use. What's more, unlike some other low-cost Android tablets, Cherrypal says that the CherryPad will have full access to the Android Market, and it insists that it's "neither an iPad killer nor an iPad clone, it's a completely different product designed for a different market." Perhaps most surprising, however, is that the tablet is actually available right now through a partnership with online retailer Zecozi. Head on past the break for the full press release, along with a second, less polished image -- and hit up the source link below if you're ready to take the plunge.
CSL's $500 Spice Mi700 DroidPad runs Froyo, looks awfully familiar
Seen this fellow before? Look closer. Seeing any similarities? For all intents and purposes, CSL's new Spice Mi700 DroidPad is just a rebadged Viewpad 7 / Camangi FM600, and given that CSL was also responsible for manufacturing the JooJoo, we'd say these guys know a thing or two about building a tablet. The device ships with Qualcomm's 600MHz MSM722, stock Android 2.2 (Froyo), the same nasty widgets that ship on FM600, a total lack of Flash support and no access to paid apps via the App Market. There's also a 3 megapixel camera on the rear, a VGA webcam on the front, WVGA capacitive touchpanel (7-inch), inbuilt WiFi / WWAN / Bluetooth, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It's said to be available starting this month for $500, but early reviews aren't exactly giving it two thumbs up -- crank 'er down to $250 and we suspect those views will shift.
Dell launching 7-inch Android tablet in 'next few weeks,' 10-incher to follow a few months later
Good news, folks. It's looking like the tablet pool will be enriched with another 7-inch contender, running Android, within only a few weeks. The Wall Street Journal cites Dell's Greater China President Amit Midha as saying that the 7-inch slate we witnessed Michael teasing a few short days ago will be with us "very, very soon." Reiterating earlier promises of a family of tablets, Midha claims there'll be "a whole slew" of new devices emerging from Dell's labs over the next 6 to 12 months, which will include 10-inch, 4-inch and 3-inch form factors. Android is confirmed as the OS on the 7-incher, but Windows will be making an appearance somewhere along the line as well. Plenty to look forward to, then.
Sling founder concocts Crestron home automation app for Android, demos it on Galaxy Tab
Two years ago in Denver, we watched as a Crestron iPhone app wowed crowds at CEDIA. At this year's show in Atlanta, a similar app has been unveiled for a rival platform: Android. Blake Krikorian, better known as the founder of Sling Media, was recently able to demonstrate a new Crestron home automation app for Android, and he did it on Samsung's much-hyped Galaxy Tab. The program (codenamed 'R2') is the result of 1.5 years of work, and in large part, it was built to overcome the many limitations of iOS. Specifically, he wanted to bypass iOS' Slide to Unlock screen, and he greatly preferred Android's multitasking implementation and background notification system. Eventually, we're expecting the app to sell for around $99, but plans beyond that have yet to be made. Hop on past the break for a video demonstration, and stay tuned for any information we dig up regarding a solid release date.
10-inch Galaxy Tab promised for 2011 by Samsung Ireland General Manager (updated)
Tucked away at the bottom of a news story about who'll be carrying the 7-inch Galaxy Tab in Ireland this year is the promise of a 10-inch Tab (presumably for the whole world) next year. This comes straight from local General Manager Gary Twohig, who seems to have casually disclosed his company's plans for a 10-inch Android slate in the first half of 2011. Beyond that, all we know is that it'll include the V8 JavaScript Engine that first showed up as a touted feature in Froyo, though if we had to bet our Led Zep record collection, we'd probably say this 10-incher will be holding out for Android 3.x -- either Gingerbread or Honeycomb -- for an experience better optimized to run on larger screens. In fact, that may be the likeliest reason why this new tablet didn't debut with its 7-inch sibling: waiting on a better OS. [Thanks, Iain] Update: The original story has undergone a bit of massaging since we first reported on it and the connection between Gary Twohig and the 10-inch Tab has now been removed. We're still inclined to believe the content, however, as Samsung itself has not been shy about its plans to bring multiple Galaxy Tab sizes to the world.
Malata's SMB-A1011 Tegra 2 tablet spotted at GTC 2010, we go hands-on
Despite perennial delays that have mysteriously kept every slate of note from formally shipping out, there are actually a surprising number of Tegra 2 tablets floating around. Like this 10-inch Malata SMB-A1011, for instance, which seems to be very closely related to Hannspree tablet and the Interpad -- all 1GHz, 1024 x 600 tablets with theoretically fabulous spec sheets including Froyo and HDMI-out. We found the device sitting alone and unloved at Allegorithmic's texture compression booth, but after spending a few minutes of quality time we figured out why -- though the Tegra 2 T20 was plenty powerful enough to tilt windmills in real time, build quality was severely lacking. Though not light by any stretch of the imagination, the chassis nonetheless flexed when we picked it up, and we nearly dropped it more than once due to the lack of a good place to grip. There's no stand of any sort to prop it up on a table, but the screen's viewing angles are so poor (especially in the vertical directions) as to completely wash out or darken the screen when we set it down... and at least a half-dozen times the capacitive multitouch digitizer totally failed to respond to our finger. Though Froyo looked clean and had plenty of real estate to work with, the official Google suite of apps (and the Android Market) were lacking, often a major concern even on quality Android devices, and possibly the nail in the coffin for this one at the €399 (about $528) that Hannspree and E-Noa figure their versions are worth. Take a gander at the half-baked hardware yourself in our gallery immediately below, and for Tegra's sake pray that things improve before the Malata hits the market. %Gallery-102961%
inMedia announces Android tablet, you probably don't want one
Just like everybody else, inMedia's announced an Android tablet, and from the looks of the extremely tiny image we've been provided with, it's not exactly a looker. If you're keeping score, this one will be running Android 2.1, and will come in both seven and 10-inch varieties. While we don't know what kind of specs these slates will pack, we do know a few other details -- they'll have WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI, a front-facing camera, and it'll come with a 32GB SD card. For now, we don't know when these will be available or how much they're going to cost, but we have a feeling that -- coming from a company with a product called the ROFL settop box -- it'll be a good time. We've requested a higher res image, we promise. Full press release is below.
ViewSonic outs 10-inch G Tablet: Android 2.2, NVIDIA Tegra 2 on the inside
Don't blink -- you might just mistake ViewSonic's new G Tablet for the ViewPad that we handled back at IFA. This guy, however, packs a very different list of internal specifications in a 10-inch tablet form factor that's beginning to look all too familiar. Showcased for the first time last night in New York City, this guy dumps Intel's Atom in favor of NVIDIA's Tegra 2, and rather than booting a pair of operating systems, it relies solely on Android 2.2 -- a mobile OS that Google has specifically said isn't tailored for use on slates. At any rate, there's also 1GB of RAM, a 1024 x 600 resolution panel, USB / HDMI, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, 16GB of storage, a 1.3 megapixel camera and a chassis that measures 9.96- x 6.5- x 0.5-inches. We're told that it handled 1080p media without any trouble, and while the capacitive touchpanel was deemed "beautiful," the ultra glossy coating will certainly turn off those who plan to visit the great outdoors. It's expected to hit shelves in October with a lofty $529 $429 retail price, and with that, we'll simply wish it the best of luck and point you to the video past the break. Update: We've been contacted by the Powers That Be and told that our source had misquoted the price by one Benjamin. Readjust your memory, it's $429. It's always been $429.
Verizon to announce Samsung Galaxy Tab on Thursday?
We pretty much assumed this would go down at Samsung's event on Thursday, but now we've got more confirmation Verizon will indeed carry the Samsung Galaxy Tab -- check out this leaked screenshot from the employees-only VZWeb system. Details are light, but it looks like Froyo and Flash 10.1 will be preinstalled along with "a number of exclusive apps" to differentiate it from the rumored versions coming to AT&T and Sprint -- we'd say Skype fits the bill quite nicely here, as does the thanks-for-telling-us-it-costs-$10-per-month NFL Mobile app with live game streaming and the RedZone channel. Unfortunately, it sounds like we'll have a bit of a wait for pricing and availability details, which will be released "over the coming weeks," and that's really all we want to know -- if this thing requires a two-year contract we're thisclose to calling it a dud out of the gate. We'll see, we'll see -- Thursday's only two days away.
OpenPeak's OpenTablet 7 sails towards a Q1 2011 AT&T launch with Android 2.2 on board
Thought the Boxee Box was the only turncoat at IDF 2010? You thought wrong -- OpenPeak's Moorestown-based tablet has dropped Linux (and Flash) cold turkey for a nice big helping of Android. The unit in front of you runs Android 2.1, but reps told us it'll have Froyo by launch, which just so happens to be currently slated for the first quarter of next year. OpenPeak says AT&T made the decision to move to Google's OS, and will shape the final hardware too, as the tablet manufacturer repeatedly reminded us it builds devices to its clients' specification. As you can see, that hardware has already changed slightly since the last time we saw it run, with not only buttons that reflect its changed allegiance but also a ZigBee radio inside. The 7-inch capacitive touch screen, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and 5 megapixel camera remain intact, though we couldn't confirm the Moorestown chip is still clocked at 1.9GHz. That said, stock Android UI interactions were about as fast and responsive as we've seen. There's no Android Market or Google Apps on the device quite yet, though the company's still promising a custom UI layer as far as software goes -- presently it's testing a multi-user profile system that changes the available apps and background wallpaper when a user enters their pin. We've still no official word on price, though a rep guessed it might arrive at between $300 and $400, and subsidized on contract. It's an interesting time to bring an Android tablet to market, and this is one to watch.
Exclusive: Galaxy Tab, red / white BlackBerry Torch and Samsung Focus hitting AT&T in Q4
Mmm, delicious. That's the feeling we're left with after being inundated with yet another round of AT&T leaks, this time giving us insight at a few flagship devices on tap for the carrier's holiday push. First up is the Galaxy Tab -- an Android 2.2-based tablet that we had previously heard rumored for AT&T's airwaves. Thanks to a branded snapshot from the carrier's internals, we can confirm that the Tab will indeed be sold on Ma Bell, and it (along with three other new Android devices) will ship "prior to December." Moving on, we've got even more confirmation that the Samsung Cetus (i917) will be one of the operator's first Windows Phone 7 devices, and it looks as if a heretofore unheard of Samsung Focus and HTC Surround will be joining it. Better still, we've got it on good authority that three other WP7 handsets will be splashing down alongside those others in time for the holidays. As for the remaining BlackBerry loyalists, AT&T will be tempting you with a trio of limited run Torch motifs coming in "mid to late November," with an all-white version, red / black model and olive colored edition on tap. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more, naturally. %Gallery-102059%
