Samsung has officially announced three screen sizes for their Galaxy Tab range, with the company intoducing two new sizes overnight including a 10.1 inch model that has been redesigned since CES in January.They have also announced a 4G LTE model which Telstra is tipped to launch.The two new sizes are a 10.1-inch model and as tipped an 8.9-inch model. Also in the range is their current 7-inch tablet.
Both new models will feature Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS, whereas the current 7-inch model uses the Android smartphone OS. Both models are thinner at 8.6mm, with the 10.1 model promoted as the industry’s thinnest large-screen tablet.
The 10.1 was redesigned since its unveiling at the recent Mobile World Congress to be thinner than originally planned said Samsung VP Omar Khan at a press event overnight in the USA.
The expanded selection of Galaxy Tabs represents a strategy of giving tablet users choices to suit their needs, he said.
The 10.1 is said to be the lightest large-screen tablet on the market, at 595 grams.
The Wi-Fi-only version of the 10.1 will be available June 8 in retail stores still to be finalised, Khan announced. The 16GB version will retail for US$499, and the 32GB version will retail for US$599. (Australian pricing has not been set. In the past Samsung Australia has priced their tablet offering significantly higher than the USA).
The Wi-Fi-only version of the 8.9 will be available early summer at $469 for the 16GB version and $569 for the 32GB version.
There is also a 4G versions with LTE, 21Mbps HSPA+ and Mobile WiMAX cellular data technology will be available sometime this year with Telstra tipped to launch the product on their new LTE network in the last quarter.
The 10.1 and 8.9 feature multiple improvements over the current 7-inch Tab models, including dual-core 1GHz processor, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n with dual antennas to improve connection stability, HD PLS LCD display for greater clarity and sharpness, and Samsung’s new tablet-optimised TouchWiz 4.0 user interface, featuring customisable homescreen live panels that display such live information as news, email and social-network feeds. The UI also features a mini tray of frequently used applications at the bottom of the screen.
Like the original, the 10.1 and 8.9 feature front- and rear-facing cameras, but camera resolution increases to 8 megapixels for the rear-facing camera with LED flash and 2 megapixels for the front camera. The rear camera will capture 720p video, but the tablets will also store and play back 1080p video.
Other features include Flash 10.2, stereo speakers, a new version of the Samsung Social Hub integrated messaging application, a new Readers Hub to download 2 million books as well as newspapers and magazines, and the Media Hub to download movies and TV shows.
The new Tabs will also be “the most enterprise-friendly Android tablets on the market,” promised product planning VP, Nicholas DiCarlo. They will offer SAP Business Objects Explorer, Exchange ActiveSync, Sybase software for remote IT-department management, on-device hardware-based encryption, Cisco’s AnyConnect VPN, and Microsoft Quick Office for viewing and editing Microsoft Office documents.
Accessories include a SoundStation 2.1-channel docking speaker system, an HDMI dock to connect the tablets to a TV, and a combination book-cover/stand.
