The tech world is busy lately. There is this tablet mania going on. The WebTV thing is getting busy with Google TV and Apple TV. Then there are these new PS3 Move and Microsoft Kinect fighting for your gaming money. In the middle of all this Canon and Nikon are having fierce battles on SLR and Point and Shoot cameras while Sony is slowly revamping its camera lineup. Year 2010 is going to be “THE YEAR” for gamers,geeks,couch potatoes. All in all, I think the next major consumer product in fourth quarter of 2010 is Android Tablet. Android tablets ranging from $ 30 to $800 are invading the market. In six months we will see Android tablets selling on par with iPad (that’s my hunch). The best thing about these Android tablets over the iPad is the feature set. The iPad rules on the software. The iOS is buttery smooth for browsing, apps and igaming on mobile. On the hardware side the iPad is probably the best out there, though it lacks a camera, SD slot, expandable memory. Most of the Android tablets have these features but the quality of material used in hardware is way below Apple’s iPad. Now Samsung is entering this segment with its Galaxy tablet. Samsung can match Apple on hardware. Google’s Android 2.2 can match the iOS ( almost). Galaxy tablet is not quite an iPad on the looks, but its not cheap either. Its also small, 7 inches and has the camera,sd slot..and such. Samsung is releasing the GALAXY tablet on all four major US wireless carriers VERIZON,ATT,SPRINT and TMo. Which is great news. However the tablet does not have a 4G connection (WiMax or LTE).
Are you buying one ? comment away.
Below is the press release from Samsung
Samsung Mobile today announced the upcoming availability of the Galaxy Tab™ in the U.S with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. The first mobile tablet from Samsung shares many of the powerful characteristics of the Galaxy S smart phone lineup that launched this summer. The Galaxy Tab is designed with several enhancements to create a unique mobile experience that other products can’t deliver.
The Galaxy Tab features a brilliant 7-inch enhanced TFT display screen, 1GHz Hummingbird Application processor supporting 3D graphics and smooth Web browsing and front and rear-facing cameras for video chat while on-the-go. The Galaxy Tab is powered by Android 2.2™, including full support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1. Just like the Galaxy S smart phones, the Galaxy Tab includes Samsung’s Social Hub application and the new Media Hub content service, offering a robust collection of premium movies and TV episodes from some of the biggest entertainment companies.
I think only HTC can match the hardware part, not samsung. You should see epic, it’s so plasticy that I put it away in 10 seconds. Coming to OS, iOS is crap and android is better. Best is always webOS and I will wait for one from HP soon. That will the best experience a tablet can give, if it is on a ipad like hardware. And I really really don’t want to use this 7 inch monter as phone if they are planning. I definitely think it’s going tobe a flop for samsung and with the rumor of new ipad for holidays, it’s certain. My2ive.
KP garu, Samsung make some good hardware. Epic might be plasticy, well have you checked the Galaxy ? its a solid phone with gorgeous screen. We will see the fate of this tablet in couple of months. Personally I want Android to become a cheap platform.That will help many folks buy Android tablets. Which will put pressure on Apple’s pricing. Which is a good thing for us consumers. It looks like PC wars again. The latest stats on smartphones showed Apple lost a percent market share while Android gained 5 %.
I am still holding a candle for Palm, I guess I am loosing patience. Palm is slooooow. They should have released a new phone. If they do not release a tablet by year end they loose significant mindshare (they already lost market share). I hope I can get the Palm tablet before the end of the year.
KP garu,
I came across this comment from the one of the Nokia vice presidents about Android . I thought it to be funny and insightful.
Why doesn’t Nokia switch to Android? Because Google’s software represents only a short-term solution that will lead to bigger quandaries down the line, says he. Anssi was even graceful enough to illustrate this point with a vivid example, saying that mobile manufacturers who go the Android route are doing no better than Finnish boys who “pee in their pants” for warmth in the winter.