Berlin – Samsung Mobile plans
U.S. shipments in the coming months of a 3G-equipped Android-powered tablet
with 7-inch 1,024 by 600 pixel LCD
screen, video chat over 3G and Wi-Fi, cellular voice calls via speakerphone or
Bluetooth headset, and ability to wirelessly download movies, music and
e-books.
The 13.3-ounce Galaxy Tab, powered
by the Cortex A8 1.0GHz processor, will be the first in a series of tablet
devices by the company, which touted the superiority of its first model over
the Apple iPad here at the IFA electronics show.
The Tab will launch in Europe in mid-September,
followed “in the coming months” in other markets including Korea, the U.S. and
Asia, the company said here during the IFA trade show. The device will be sold
through wireless carriers, who will set consumer pricing, the company said. The
company didn’t announce a U.S. carrier.
The Tab features the latest 2.2
version of Android and will come in 16GB and 32GB versions. Both versions also
have a 32GB MicroSD memory-card slot for additional storage capacity. Other
features include Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0, full Adobe Flash 10.1, gyroscope
sensor, accelerometer, light sensor, and HD video capture via a 3-megapixel
back-facing camera/camcorder. The front-facing webcam features 1.3 megapixels.
Built-in GPS supports such Google
services as Google Maps Navigation turn-by-turn driving instructions.
The device will download apps
from the Android Marketplace, and although those apps were written mainly for
small-screen smartphones, about 85 to 90 percent of the apps are compatible
with the screen, including 200 of the most popular apps, the company said.
The device will also be equipped
with the Samsung Readers Hub, which taps into the Kobo, PressDisplay and Zinio
download sites to access books, magazines, and newspapers. The Samsung Media
Hub accesses movies and videos, and the Music Hub accesses music. Movies
presumably would be downloaded only via Wi-Fi. Media Hub details will be
announced Sept. 16.
