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Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 Lite doesn't bring much to the crowded budget tablet market
Samsung's regional Polish site inadvertently jumped the gun a few days ago, publishing a user manual for an unannounced Galaxy Tab 3 Lite to its support pages. Today, the Korean company's press blog has finally caught up and formally introduced its new low-end, 7-inch slate. The standard 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 doesn't exactly boast market-leading specs, but this Lite variant is diminished in several areas nonetheless, making some cheap tablets look like flagships. We're looking at a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, eight gigs of expandable storage, 3,600mAh battery and a lone 2-megapixel camera. It appears both WiFi-only and 3G editions of the black or white tablet, which runs Android 4.2, will be available come launch, whenever that may be. We're no clearer on pricing, either, but if Samsung hopes to sell these things en masse, anything but seriously cheap is going to put a stop to those plans.
This Galaxy Tab 3 is Samsung's 7-inch babysitter for your kids and it costs $230
It may look like Samsung's Halloween-themed tablet, what with the yellow frame and orange bumper, but those candy corn colors just mean this Galaxy Tab 3's made for kids. The 7-inch slate is a repackaged take on the Tab 3 we saw released earlier this year, with its 1,024 x 600 display and dual-core innards. But specs aren't the focus here -- it's all about the kid-friendly value adds. This could perhaps be one case where Samsung's glut of preloaded content could be considered a good thing, as this Tab 3 comes filled with edutainment and entertainment apps, a special UI, as well as a Kids' Mode for parental controls over content and internet access. Parents looking for another babysitter (beyond the TV and Wii and smartphone and whatever else kids stay glued to these days) can pre-order the slate for $230 on November 1st. Those of you that prefer to do your shopping in the real world will have to wait until the November 10th to pick it up in store at select retailers.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 review
Samsung confounded us last year when it released the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 as a virtual reissue of the original, bumping up the Android version, removing the LED rear camera flash and rearranging the dual speaker placement. So what's new in the Galaxy Tab 3? Nothing much, it turns out. You've got the same 1,280 x 800 display, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and IR blaster as on the last-gen model, although the processor has been swapped for a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Z2560 running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. So where do we go from here? How do we judge a tablet refresh that's merely pretending at being an update? We live with it for a bit, use it as a stand-in for our TV remote, e-reader and primary source of streaming media consumption, that's how. Read on as we dissect the $399 Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 to find out if it's worth the fuss.%Gallery-194897%
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8- and 10.1-inch versions to launch worldwide early June
In addition to the Galaxy Tab 3 with a 7-inch display we've known about for a while, Samsung's announced the slate will come in 8- and 10.1-inch varieties, too -- something rumors and FCC filings have long suggested. The 8-inch model has a TFT display sporting a 1,280 x 800 (WXGA) resolution (189 ppi), a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter. It's got vaguely respectable internals: a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (no word on the manufacturer), 1.5GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB storage configurations. A microSD slot is present, supporting up to 64GB cards, and a 4,450mAh battery provides the necessary juice. Android 4.2 is OS of choice -- no surprise there -- and when it arrives, you'll have the choice of WiFi-only (dual-band, a/b/g/n), 3G (HSPA+) and LTE variants. The 10.1-inch version stretches that same WXGA resolution across its display (149 ppi), and carries a smaller 3-megapixel rear camera and the same 1.3-megapixel front-facer. According to Reuters, the 1.6GHz dual-core CPU in this larger slate is provided by Intel, confirming a previous rumor. Unfortunately, it's saddled with only one gig of RAM, and the storage options are the same as the 8-inch model, with a microSD slot also supporting up to 64GB cards. Also running Android 4.2, the 10.1-inch Tab 3 packs a 6,800mAh battery, and comes in WiFi-only, 3G and LTE variants. Both tablets will be available worldwide at the "beginning of June." Update: The Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 will be the first Android device from Intel to pack its new LTE chip. %Gallery-190100%
