RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. — Samsung rolled out the Wi- Fi versions of its previously announced Galaxy Tab 4 series, sharpening the price of two of three Wi-Fi models and expanding sales of cellular versions to all four carriers.
The Wi-Fi models appeared in stores on May 1 at unilateral pricing policies (UPP) of $199, $269 and $349 for the 7-, 8- and 10.1-inch models, respectively.
Two of the Wi-Fi models are priced lower than their predecessors at launch. The new 8.0 is $269, down from its predecessor’s $299, and the new 10.1 is $349, down from its predecessor’s $399. The 7.0 price is unchanged.
Cellular-equipped versions will be available from all four national carriers sometime in the summer. Only AT&T and Sprint offered a cellular version of the Tab 3 tablet, both selling only the Tab 3 7.0.
AT&T didn’t specify which Tab 4 model or models it would offer in the summer, but Sprint will offer the 4G LTE Galaxy Tab 4 7.0, T-Mobile will offer the 8.0, and Verizon Wireless will offer the 8.0 and 10.1. Their prices haven’t been disclosed.
Though the new Wi-Fi models are priced the same or lower than their predecessors, they all sport performance and feature upgrades.
The new models add Android 4.4 OS, quad-core CPUs instead of dual-core CPUs, thinner bezels, lighter weight, and a capacitive recent-apps button below the touchscreen for easier multitasking and quick app switching, a spokesman said. The recent-apps button was introduced on the Note Pro and Tab Pro step-up tablets announced earlier this year and also on the Galaxy S5 smartphone.
Each of the three new models sports 1.2GHz quadcore processor, whereas the Tab 3 7.0 featured 1.2GHz dual core, the Tab 3 8.0 featured 1.5GHz dual core, and the Tab 3 10.1 featured 1.6GHz dual core.
In other upgrades, RAM and screen resolution go up in select Tab 4 models, and the simultaneous display of two apps at a time expands to all models from one model.
In the Tab3 series, only the 8.0 lets users display two apps at a time in separate windows. Also in the Tab 3 line, the 7.0 and 10.1 models featured 1GB RAM, and the 8.0 model featured 1.5GB RAM. But in the Tab4 series, all models feature 1.5GB RAM.
In the Tab3 line, the 8.0 and 10.1 models had 1,280 by 800 screens, and the 7.0 had 1,024 by 600 resolution. In the Tab 4 series, however, all three feature 1,280 by 800 WXGA resolution.
All three are targeted for family and business use, with HD displays and multitasking said to appeal to both types of users.
For families, a multiuser mode enables family members to customize their own profiles, and a kid’s mode lets parents restrict accessible apps and length of use. Also for consumer users, the tablets are loaded with what Samsung calls Galaxy Perks, which includes free limited-time access to around a dozen news, social media, and cloud-storage applications. Services include three months of SiriusXM Internet Radio and three months of Hulu Plus.
For business, the tablets support enterprise-grade VPN, corporate email, on-device encryption and scalable mobile device management. The Galaxy Tab 4 lineup gives users the portability and performance they need to work on the go.
Features shared by all models include Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/ g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and Glonass navigation, 3-megapixel main camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera, 720p/1080p video capture at 30 fps, and stereo speakers.
