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Editorial: My next iPad won't be a 7-incher, but I wish it could be
It took me a while, but I'm starting to fall in love with my iPad in a way I haven't loved a gadget for a long while. There's something about the form factor, the apps, the OS that feels just right and makes me want to do as much of my daily computing on it as possible. Of course, that's still a pretty small sliver of my overall day, and the iPad isn't even close to replacing my laptop for the large majority of my work, but I'm finding myself increasingly doing casual browsing, casual gaming, serious writing, and, yes, even some reading on Apple's 10-inch tablet. But I have one "big" problem with the tablet that doesn't look like it'll be solved anytime soon: it's not 7 inches. Will Apple ever eat its words and build a smaller iPad, or will the 7-inch form factor be left to the rest of the emerging tablet market to fight over?
Samsung Galaxy Tab price wars: US carriers face off
Samsung's Galaxy Tab. You know our thoughts on the device, so let's assume you've passed the "should I buy it?" question and onto the more specific, "whom should I sign on with?" You're certainly not bereft of choices: by the end of November, five of the six largest US carriers (sorry, MetroPCS) will offer the Android slate -- but not all pricing schemes were made equal. Carrier-agnostics, we're here to help! While we've already bemoaned the $50 premium on AT&T's model, we have confirmed there is no activation fee, which narrows the price between it and Verizon's offering to just $15 (and Ma Bell, along with Sprint, seem to be the only two offering a $50 Media Hub voucher). On paper, US Cellular has the lowest two-year cost with $760 on contract, but $15 monthly for 200MB is pretty ridiculous when just $20 gets you an entire gig on Verizon's network, or $30 for 2GB on Sprint. T-Mobile wins the award for the most insane disparity in data offerings: $25 for 200MB, or 25 times the data allotment (5GB) for just $15 more. 'Twas the best of deals, 'twas the worst of deals. If you ask us, there isn't really a clear-cut winner, but we'd definitely contend Big Magenta's got the most alluring on-contract value if 5GB is in the range of your data usage; the equivalent plan costs $60 on Sprint and $50 on Verizon, with the latter offering no discount for making a two-year commitment. Then again, if you're the kind who prefers to be unrestrained and plan to spend $600 regardless, it's Verizon with the most competitive data plans overall. And of course, your decision will undoubtedly be influenced by network performance in your area. Consider yourself informed.
Samsung cuts Galaxy Tab prices in the UK, still more than AT&T
We've already shared some opinions on why Samsung's Galaxy Tab pricing makes sense stateside -- granted, that was before AT&T announced it would be charging $50 more than every other US carrier. After initially showing up for pre-order in the UK on Carphone Warehouse for £530 ($850) and for a Queen's ransom of £799 ($1280) on Amazon though, we're glad to find The Inquirer reporting that Tab prices on both Amazon and Dixons have dropped to £469 ($738) for a 16GB model with free delivery. Carphone Warehouse has also cut prices down to £489.99 ($784) for the 32GB version. Sure, that may still sound steep to us Yankees, but keep in mind it's now a good bit less than the basic 16GB 3G iPad which currently sells for £529 ($850). Whether these prices will slide even closer to Stateside levels is still obviously anyone's guess, but at this point we're sure those of you in the UK won't have an issue paying less for your tab.
Samsung Galaxy Tab torn down, is indeed not full of stars
What's that, the greatest Android tablet of the moment caught without its pants on again? Oh, no, it's just another iFixit special, tearing down a Samsung Galaxy Tab into its requisite bits, bobs, and a slab of Gorilla Glass. The removal of that pane turned out to be the trickiest part, requiring a lot of heat and a little "nervous prying" before it yielded. But, yield it did, and you can see the piece-by-piece teardown on the other end of the source link below.
CE-Oh no he didn't!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab 'a large phone,' can't wait to show you some real tablets
We've literally been waiting for Tegra 2 tablets since CES in January, but that isn't stopping NVIDIA boss Jen-Hsun Huang from extolling their virtues yet again, this time on a roadmap that points to just after next year's CES. In his company's most recent quarterly results call, Huang was bullish about the disruptive potential of tablets, but insisted that they can't simply be built like the Galaxy Tab (or the Folio 100, for that matter), which uses a smartphone OS stretched out to a larger screen. "A tablet is not a large phone," says Huang, and he's of course not alone in expressing frustration with Android's current immaturity for the tablet realm, but once Google's slate-friendly OS update drops, he promises NVIDIA will be ready to capitalize: "Our tablet and phone business is going to ramp. And it's going to ramp hard." We're looking forward to all this ramping, oh yes we are. Update: Later on the call, Jen-Hsun Huang dropped a bit of knowledge on his listeners, showing Apple's iPad some love. "You can't just put an operating system on a tablet and hope that -- on a piece of glass -- and hope that you can compete against the iPad. The iPad is a wonderful product, and if you're going to give that wonderful product a run for its money, you'd better build something absolutely exquisite." Huzzah!
Galaxy Tab now available for pre-order to Sprint Premier customers
It may not exactly be a huge lead time over the general release, but Sprint is now offer its Premier customers a special three-day pre-sale of the Galaxy Tab, which will let you order it now for $399 (on-contract) and skip the wait at the store on November 14th. Worried that you'll miss out 'cause you're not a Premier customer? Well, chances are you might be one and not even know it -- it more or less covers any Sprint customer with an account in good standing who maintains a plan of $69.99 a month, or anyone that's been a customer for at least ten years. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Galaxy Tab hitting AT&T on November 21st for a $649 premium?
It's not official but that image above sure as hell looks like an official AT&T training document. AT&T already announced that it would carry the Samsung Galaxy Tab but has been coy with details about launch date, pricing, and custom apps. Now, if the screengrab above can be believed, we know that it'll hit AT&T shops on November 21st for a "HQ recommended" price of $649.99 without contract and featuring the same data plans (250MB for $14.99 per month or 2GB for $25 per month) AT&T offers alongside its $629 16GB WiFi + 3G iPad offering. Right, that's 20 bucks and change more for half the display and $50 more than the base price of T-Mobile's or Verizon's Galaxy Tab offering. Of course, AT&T will preinstall the Nook eReader and the AT&T Account Manager app for on-device activation and monthly credit refills. Not sure that's worth the premium though. Hold tight to see how this plays out as we should see an official pricing and launch date announcement any day now.%Gallery-107189% [Thanks, tipster]
Samsung Galaxy Tab lands on Verizon for $599.99
So it was written, and so has it been done. Hot on the heels of T-Mobile, the little Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch Android tablet that could just hit Verizon retail for $599.99. Of course, that's before taxes and options for month-to-month data plans (with $35 activation fee) are factored in starting at $20 per month for 1GB on up to $80 for 10GB. So feel free to jump right in if the idea of waiting for a Super AMOLED version, a 10.1-inch flavor, or a tablet-tuned Android release sounds like crazy talk. [Thanks, Spencer T.]
Samsung Galaxy Tab fulfills its destiny, now available on T-Mobile for $399
Nothing unforeseen here, folks, just a friendly reminder that Samsung's Galaxy Tab has kept to its release schedule and is now available to purchase from T-Mobile USA. $399 gets you the 7-inch Tab plus a two-year contract with the American arm of Deutsche Telekom, or you can pay the full $599 and make off with just the tablet itself. Or you can even wait an extra day for Verizon to start dishing Android slates your way as well -- the choice, as always, is yours. Just try not to think about that gorgeous 7-inch Super AMOLED panel that Samsung's busy showing off in Japan right now. [Thanks, Aaron]
Samsung announces 7-inch Super AMOLED panel, makes first-gen Tab a little nervous
We're calling Samsung's Galaxy Tab the best Android tablet of the moment, but curiously the company seems intent on planting a seed of doubt in the minds of early adopters, announcing what may very well be the next Tab's display. Early (and likely baseless) rumors on the current Tab indicated it would be fronting a Super AMOLED panel, but of course that didn't come to pass. Now Samsung Mobile Display is set to debut a new 7-inch Super AMOLED panel at the FPD-International exhibition in Japan in two weeks, ahead of full production in mid-2011. Its 1200 x 600 resolution is a bit odd, wider than the Tab's current 1024 x 600, but more pixels in the same space are generally a good thing. That's all we know at this point, and of course there's no confirmation that this will indeed find a home in a next-generation tablet, but don't let that stop you from speculating in comments about what else the OLED Tab might offer.
Samsung Galaxy Tab review
The story of the Galaxy Tab has been quite a saga, to say the least. In fact, it was actually back in May that we first heard rumblings of Samsung's plans to unleash a 7-inch Android tablet much like its Galaxy S phones, but it was only after months of painful teasing -- including a cruel look at just its packaging on the Engadget Show -- that Sammy finally unveiled the Galaxy Tab to the world at IFA. The Tab certainly packed the specs -- a 1GHz processor, full Flash support thanks to Android 2.2, dual cameras, support for up to 32GB of storage and WiFi / 3G connectivity -- to put other Android tablets to shame, and our initial hands-on with it only had us yearning for more. Without pricing and availability, however, the story was at a cliffhanger. Of course, those details trickled out over the next few months, and here in the US, Samsung finally announced that all four major US carriers would be getting Tabs to call their own. Verizon then finally took the lead in announcing pricing, and revealed that its Tab would hit contract-free for $600 -- Sprint followed with the same no-contract pricing along with a $400 two-year contract option.Indeed, it's been quite a long journey, but even after all of that, some of the major questions are still left unanswered. Does the Tab provide a more complete and polished experience than all the other Android tablets out there? How are Samsung's specially tailored apps? And ultimately, has a tablet finally hit the market that can rival Apple's iPad? We think it's about time we answer those questions and finally open what might be the most important chapter of the Galaxy Tab story -- the official Engadget review. We knew you'd agree, so join us after the break.%Gallery-106330%
Samsung Galaxy Tab on sale now in UK
While Steve Jobs doesn't like the form factor and Google thinks that Froyo is less than ideal for tablets, we were pretty impressed by the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab's ability to run Android 2.2. Today it's officially on sale in UK shops as previously announced. It's supposed to be coming to all the major UK carriers in addition to Carphone Warehouse, Dixons, and T-Mobile shops. At the moment, we're seeing it in stock at the Carphone Warehouse under a variety of plans ranging from a £499.99 with a £10 pay monthly plan on Talk Mobile that includes 1GB of data. On the other extreme is a £99.99 deal that requires a £40 per month two year contract that includes 5GB of data on Three. It's also offered for a standalone price of £529.99. And please, whatever you do don't call it a UMPC, that was so 5 years ago. Update: We've just heard that Orange is also launching the Tab at similar price points, starting from £499. Similarly, Vodafone's offering the same tablet for £499 across all of its monthly contracts. On the other hand, O2's slapped a staggering £599 tag onto the device for all of its plans -- a very odd move, we'd say (link only works within the UK).
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%
Galaxy Tab for Sprint confirmed for November 14th: $400 with two-year contract
Well, that didn't take long. After hearing this morning that Samsung's Galaxy Tab might possibly be hitting Sprint on November 14th, the carrier has come out and confirmed the date, along with some pricing details. Whereas the Verizon deal is a penny under $600 with no commitment required, Sprint's offering the 7-inch slate for $399.99 along with a necessary two-year 3G Tablet Mobile Broadband plan (according to Phone Scoop who contacted the company, there'll also be a $599.99 offer with no contract). That'll run you $29.99 for 2GB and $59.99 for 5GB. Can't wait to see what price the GSMers might offer? Pre-orders start today.
Samsung gets official with Galaxy Tab accessory lineup
We've already seen a number of Galaxy Tab accessories, and checked out a few first hand, but Samsung has only just now gotten fully official with its complete launch lineup. The two standouts are undoubtedly the Keyboard Dock and Multimedia Desk Dock, which each also double as a charger and pack a 3.5mm audio output, plus an HDMI out on the multimedia dock -- look for them to set you back £69.99 and £39.99, respectively (or roughly $110 and $60). Otherwise, you'll have three official cases to choose from, a pair of portable speakers and headphones, a car charger, a handful of cables and adapters and, of course, some official Samsung memory cards. Head on past the break for the full press release with pricing for each.
Samsung Galaxy Tab costs €730 from Vodafone.de, €300 if bought with a two-year data plan
You can kind of tell we're growing ever closer to the Galaxy Tab's promised November 1 retail launch as prices for this slate just keep coming out of the woodwork, looking ever more solid with each passing day. Vodafone Germany is the latest to reveal the wallet damage Samsung's 7-inch Android tablet will demand, with a €730 ($1,017) levy for the 16GB version sans contract, or a €300 ($418) cost for those willing to commit to a two-year data plan at €35 a month. We'd advise against taking those direct currency conversions to heart, but the Tab's pricing here is €30 more than the 32GB iPad WiFi + 3G, making us scratch our heads as to how Samsung believes it'll manage to convince anyone to buy its smaller, less capacious alternative.
News publishers looking to the Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook for refuge as well
In case you were worried that it was just Apple love that got major news outlets on the iPad so quickly, you should know that the general sense of desperation (or is it their never ending sense of adventure?) pervading the likes of the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today has them building apps for the Galaxy Tab as well. The news comes courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, and has yet to be announced officially by the parties involved -- though we have a hard time doubting any of it. It makes sense, of course: the big cost is producing content for a tablet form factor, not building the reader app, and the Galaxy Tab naturally won't be the last of its Android kind. The WSJ and The Financial Times are also apparently some possible gets for RIM's PlayBook, though less is known about those deals. On the Tab, The New York Times is supposed to be pre-loaded with some carrier's versions of the device, and its app will be free until January of next year when The Times starts charging for its website.
BlackBerry PlayBook vs. iPad vs. Galaxy Tab vs. Streak: the tale of the tape
What a day -- yesterday, that is. Research in Motion finally announced its long-awaited BlackBerry tablet, the 7-inch PlayBook (thankfully not named the BlackPad). While there's still quite a few missing details, and nary an unit in site for us to try first-hand, we've still got a sampling of specs for this little guy to go tête-à-tête on the quantitative field of proverbial battle, at least as it can be seen so far (that early 2011 release date is still a ways off). Looks very promising so far, lined up against Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and the Dell Streak, but our known unknowns -- i.e. price, app support, and overall feel of using the QNX-built operating system -- are what will really make or break the slate. Until that time, enjoy our number-crunching below: BlackBerry PlayBook Apple iPad Samsung Galaxy Tab Dell Streak Screen size 7 inches 9.7 inches 7 inches 5 inches Resolution 1024 x 600 1024 x 768 1024 x 600 800 x 480 Pixel density (approx.) 170 133 170 187 Platform BB Tablet OS iOS 3.2.2 (4.2 in November) Android 2.2 Android 1.6 (2.1 / 2.2 in future) Adobe Flash support 10.1 Not Supported 10.1 Not supported Processor 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 1GHz Apple A4 (ARMv7) 1GHz Cortex A8 1GHz Snapdragon Graphics Unknown PowerVR SGX 535 PowerVR SGX 540 Adreno 200 RAM 1GB 256MB 512MB 512MB Internal Storage 16GB / 32GB (unconfirmed) 16GB / 32GB / 64GB 16GB / 32GB 2GB Expansion Unknown None microSD microSD Connectivity 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Cellular data 3G and 4G promised for future 3G optional (GSM) 3G (all carriers) 3G (sold via AT&T) GPS None 3G models only Yes Yes Camera 3MP front, 5MP rear None 1.3MP front, 3MP rear VGA front, 5MP rear Weight 0.9 lbs 1.5 - 1.6 lbs 0.84 lbs 0.49 lbs
Atmel confirms the Samsung Galaxy Tab uses its maXTouch touchscreen controller
We're guessing it hasn't kept too many folks up at night, but those curious about the multitouch brains behind the Samsung Galaxy Tab now finally have their answer: Atmel's maXTouch touchscreen controller. As you may recall, that was first announced over a year ago, and promised to bring a whole host of benefits to multitouch devices, including unlimited touch functionality, and faster, more precise input than competing devices. Interestingly, Atmel has also boasted that its controller is able to recognize touches even with gloves -- in addition to styli -- but it's not clear if the Galaxy Tab takes advantage of that particular ability. Full press release is after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Tab as Home Watcher remote control (video)
Seems like only yesterday that we were begging a big named consumer electronics company to get into home automation. Now Samsung, the world's biggest consumer electronics company, complies with a demonstration of the connected home of the future using its own Galaxy Tab. The demo depicts live widget-based control over your home's HVAC, TV (including remote viewing), stove, oven, dryer, vacuum robot, and refrigerator with integrated grocery manager that suggests recipes based upon the food you have. Unfortunately, instead of offering details on when (or how) Samsung's vision might become reality, the demo's main intent seems to be showing off Samsung's latest product line from IFA earlier this month. It's still worth a trip beyond the break for a peek though.
