Samsung is likely to become the second vendor to challenge Apple iPad's total domination of the tablet computer market. Dell has already launched its 5" tablet cum Smartphone hybrid - Dell Streak - in Europe and is poised to release the product in US.
It is believed that the 7-in display Galaxy Tablet will feature "full phone functionality" like the Dell Streak, with a standard SIM slot and 3G data connectivity.
The device is claimed to be as thin as an iPhone (0.37"), and like the iPhone features a main camera as well as a front facing camera for video chats.
Other features include WiFi and teethering using WiFi or USB. The battery cannot be removed, as with the iPad.
A Vietnamese site had earlier reported that the Galaxy Tablet features an A8 processor at 1.2GHz clock speed, 16 GB of internal memory with support for a 32 GB external MicroSD card.
Other vendors expected to launch tablet computers this year include Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Asus, Toshiba, and Sony.
Microsoft too may jump into the fray with a Windows 7 device, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told financial analysts on Thursday, July 29.
In lieu of concrete details on any other Android tablets, Samsung's Galaxy tablet could be the first genuine iPad competitor to talk about in months.
All we know for sure about the Samsung tablet is that it runs Android and measures 7 inches, Reuters reports. Rumor has it that the tablet will be called either the Galaxy Tab or Galaxy Tape. It will reportedly run Android 2.2 on a 1.2 GHz A8 processor, with a Super AMOLED screen, 16 GB of internal storage, 32 GB MicroSD expansion, and weigh 0.82 pounds. Samsung's TouchWIZ user interface may be used, and the tablet could otherwise look like Samsung's Galaxy S phones.
Samsung has invited CrunchGear, and presumably other tech press, to an event on August 11, when the company "celebrates a new dimension of Wonder with new products and announcements." The invitations went out days after Reuters reported that a 7-inch Samsung Android tablet is in development. Put those facts together, and you've got a reasonable case for a big Galaxy Tape or Tab unveiling next week.
At least, I hope that's how things pan out. I miss the days, back in March and April, when Hewlett-Packard was talking a big game about its Windows-based slate, getting everyone riled up for a genuine tablet war. Since acquiring Palm and its WebOS platform, HP has remained mostly silent on the Windows slate's fate, saying only that it isn't dead for sure. Meanwhile, WebOS tablet details are almost nonexistent.
Other manufacturers have talked about tablets, but in vague terms. I don't see a single cohesive product in our entire gallery of potential Android tablets (specifically, one that has a name, a launch window, final specs and product shots), save for the Dell Streak, a tiny tablet with launch problems. Bargain basement Android tablets with inferior hardware, such as the Archos 7, are a disappointment.
Samsung has a chance to break the ice at its press conference next week, and at the perfect time, right behind its well-received Galaxy S smartphones. If the company comes out swinging with an actual product that reporters can rave about, and a release date that isn't too deep into the holiday season, we can dust off the iPad comparisons and reboot the debate over tablet supremacy. I'm looking forward to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment