Mystery surrounds the overnight disappearance of the brand new Honeycomb Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, after the Korean Company pulled all reference to the device after revealing it in Thursday night at the IFA show in Berlin.
They also produced a full press kit for the device which some are speculating it may have become another victim of Apple or the organisers of IFA who may have got a complaint from Apple and ordered Samsung to remove the device.
All traces of the brand new tablet device have vanished from the IFA show floor including all demonstration models. Even the large poster advertising the new tablet has been covered up.
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On Thursday SmartHouse was told that we would get press releases for the new device in time for the official announcement on Thursday night. They never arrived.
Next morning, we were advised by senior Samsung management that there were problems with the press release and that the local subsidiary needed to seek corporate approval from Korea.
Engadget said that the Korean company hasn’t been entirely forthcoming about the reason behind the removal, but a spokesperson did tell SlashGear that the move was voluntary.
Given that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is already barred from sale in Australia and Germany speculation has led many to link the vanishing act to the ongoing legal battle with Apple.
On Friday Samsung said that their new Galaxy Tab 7.7 would have a new Super AMOLED Plus display like you see on Samsung Galaxy S II, and would be only 7.89mm thick. The Android 3.2 device if released will have a 1.4GHz processor and will support HSPA+ 21 Mbps network, LTE, and WiFi Channel Bonding (two channels bonded into one for improved network connection and twice as fast data transfer).
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There is also a 2mp front camera and 3mp rear camera, internal storage of 16GB-64GB, microSD support for up to 32GB, and a 5,100 mAh battery for up to 10 hours of video playback time.
On the software front, you have Android 3.2 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UX, multimedia support for full 1080p HD playback; DivX files including multi codec and microSD, Universal Remote Control functionality (to control an entire home entertainment system – TV, Set top box, DVD, Blu-ray player, AV audio system), Samsung Hub (games, eBooks, music and Samsung Social Hub), voice and video calling support, and Google Mobile Services including Android Market, Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps 5.7 with 3D maps, and Google Talk with video and voice chat.
Sudden withdrawals at IFA over trade disputes are comparatively common: Sisvel in 2006 had SanDisk’s MP3 players pulled from the Berlin show’s floor after convincing a regional court that there was enough concern over patent infringement to put a halt to the display. Clone devices have likewise been pulled. Apple has a stronger case than Sisvel did given an existing preliminary injunction.
Officials haven’t said whether or not the forced exit will lead to a ban for the Tab 7.7 before it even goes on sale. If the smaller tablet is tied into the original ban, it could lead to Samsung being fined or otherwise penalized for contempt of the ongoing restrictions.
