Samsung Galaxy Tab In USA Announced – No Phone Calling
Samsung has officially announced the launch of their new Galaxy Tab Android tablet for the American market. The launch will happen in partnership with all the four major network carriers in the country – AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. But the specs do not sound as attractive if you are an American. Firstly, the tablet is not going to support phone calling as it would in Europe and perhaps in a lot of other countries where Samsung is planning to launch the tablet. Secondly, the launch on Sprint should not however bring 4G to the Tab. Users will have access to 3G and Wi-Fi on the Tab, but will not be able to access the WiMAX version of Sprint.
Nevertheless, the 7″ Android tablet is still a pretty strong competitor to the iPad and is likely to offer good competition to Apple’s tablet. The prices are not revealed as yet since this has to come from the carriers. But the launch is supposed to happen during the holiday season.
Samsung Galaxy Tab To Launch On AT&T, Verizon & Sprint – With Contracts
We have seen a lot of reviews so far blaming Samsung for an unusually high price for the new Galaxy Tab. These reviewers had noted that the price of the tablet was much higher than the iPad which could make it an unattractive proposition. Now according to reports on the Wall Street Journal, Samsung could be opting for a contract-based subsidy model to take on the iPad competition. The report cites reliable sources to have indicated that the tablet device could be launching on more than just Sprint and be available from AT&T and Verizon as well. And what more, since the device also offers voice calling, these units could be available on contracts – very much like smartphones. This would mean that the purchase price of the device would be just around $200-$300. Comparing this with the $800 price point of a 3G-enabled iPad, the value to users becomes very clear.
Samsung’s strategy for the Galaxy Tab seems to be very much inspired by its success with the Galaxy S. As you know, the Galaxy S was launched under different names on all four major carriers in the US. Clearly, the positioning seems to be that it is better to go for a 3G-enabled Galaxy Tab rather than a Wi-Fi only iPad at a higher price. Looks attractive to me..
Root Instructions For Samsung Fascinate Now Available
Samsung Fascinate users who are looking to root their Android phones can now rejoice. Folks at the XDA Developers forum have successfully rooted their Samsung Fascinate phones and the instructions for public consumption are now available. To get started, users will need to download the RageAgainstTheCage application and unzip the files. Users will also need to install the Android apps for ADB, Su and SuperUser.
The process involves mounting the application to the root shell, gaining super user status which is followed by changing the access permissions in order to completely gain the root status. You can follow the complete instructions by clicking here.
With this, the rooting solutions for all the Samsung Galaxy S handsets are now available to users. It is worth noting that the phones in the Galaxy S series, including Vibrant and Captivate have already been rooted.
Why The Samsung Galaxy Tab Is Better Than The iPad
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is touted as an iPad rival. Many wonder whether this 7-inch tablet really has the potential to take on the iconic 9.7-inch Apple iPad. And now that the price of this Samsung tablet has been announced, many are unhappy that it is costlier than the Apple tablet. However, here are a few reasons why the Galaxy Tab is a better tablet than the iPad, and why its price is justified.
Multi-tasking
The Apple iPad, which runs the iOS, cannot truly multi-task. No applications can run in the background, when the user is at work on another application in the foreground. Even if the iPad gets an update to iOS 4, which supports multi-tasking, this will be limited to native apps only. Third party apps (like Facebook, Twitter, or music apps like Pandora) cannot run at the same time when another app is being run. On the other hand, the Galaxy Tab, which runs Android 2.2 or Froyo, is capable of multi-tasking. This includes running 3rd party apps in the background too.
Flash Support
The Apple tablet does not support Adobe Flash. Instead, it uses HTML 5, to play certain online videos. The Samsung tablet is compliant with both Flash (10.1) as well as HTML 5.
Camera
The iPad lacks a camera. In case the user requires camera functionality, then a separate camera dock has to be purchased, which allows connecting to an external camera. The Galaxy Tab, on the other hand, has 2 cameras. A 3MP one on the rear for capturing videos and photographs; and a 1.3MP one in the front, for video calls.
Making calls
The Apple gear cannot make calls. The Samsung gear allows making calls, both voice and video. For voice calls, the integrated loudspeaker or Bluetooth headsets can be used.
MicroSD card storage
The iPad is available in 3 internal storage configurations – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. They do not have microSD card storage. Whereas, the Galaxy Tab, offers just 2 internal memory configurations – 16GB and 32GB. There is however a microSD card slot which can hold cards of up to 32GB capacity.
Portability
The Samsung tablet weighs just 380g, when compared to the 730g of the iPad. Plus, it is smaller in size, which makes it more travel friendly, than the iPad.
Ergonomics
Finally, coming to something that is not very obvious at first sight. When it comes to entertainment, the iPad definitely does a brilliant job. But, when it comes to doing work, it is quite uncomfortable. If the user needs to prepare documents, presentations, or work on spreadsheets and more on the iPad, he would find it quite inconvenient to use. Consider the following ways of holding and working on the iPad:-
• Putting the device on a desk, flat on its back – The user will not be able to rest his hands comfortably, as he will need to continually keep lifting them to work-with or touch something present on the top of the screen. So he’ll have to keep his wrist suspended in the air, in-order to use the entire screen. And this is not ergonomic when working for long hours. Another thing to be noted is that, the iPad has a curvature on its back. Hence, the user will have to hold it steady as well, when working on it.
• Holding the tablet in both hands, while resting them on the desk, and using the thumbs to work on it – In this case, the hands are more relaxed, but since the tablet is too large in size, the thumbs might not be able to cover the entire surface of the touchscreen.
• Keeping the tablet on the lap – This might seem comfortable, but only for a short duration. The user might not be able to rest his elbows comfortably when working in this manner.
On the other hand, the Samsung gadget, can be put on the desk, flat on its back, to work upon. It has a flat back, that can rest stably on the table. The screen is smaller in size, and hence, it will be more convenient to touch any point, without having to continually lift the hands. Plus, when it is held in both hands, while resting them on the desk, the thumbs can be used to operate it, more easily, than the rival.
The Galaxy Tab can do almost everything that the iPad can
• The Samsung tablet is suitable for entertainment. It can play 1080p videos. It is as well compatible with a large variety of music file formats.
• It can also double as an eBook reader, like the iPad. Samsung is developing a new eBook store for this tablet too.
• One can even play games on this device. There’s support for augmented reality.
• Speed-wise as well, the Galaxy Tab is expected to match the iPad, as it is driven by a 1GHz processor, just like the latter.
• Multi-touch ability is offered by the smaller tablet too.
• Apps and games can be downloaded from the Android Market. The Apple App Store is definitely much bigger in size, but the Android Market does have a great collection of apps and games too.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab price has been published in some online stores. It costs £620 approximately, which is lesser than the £699 of the WiFi+3G+64GB Apple iPad. This iPad configuration is the one that comes closest to offering all features that are available in the Galaxy Tab. Then again, with this Apple tablet, you’ll need to pay an extra £25 for the camera kit.
Considering that you get WiFi, 3G ability, Bluetooth 3.0, camera functionality, voice and video calling, multitasking, better ergonomics and more for £620, the deal seems worth it.
Image courtesy
Arvid from Flickr
About the author
This guest post has been contributed by Trinity Nick from the UK. Being a techno-freak, she enjoys reviewing mobile phones and laptops that are released in the UK market.
Samsung TV Sets To Come Integrated With Android OS
Samsung has indicated that it is contemplating on building new television sets that could come integrated with Google’s open source mobile OS – Android. The integration will give Samsung customers an ability to access a plethora of third party entertainment and media applications from the Android marketplace right from their televisions.
The idea itself is nothing new considering that Google is already known to be working with companies like Sony, Intel and Logitech in the development of an Android supported television set-top box system. The fact that Samsung is keen to join Google in its new venture could give the television manufacturer a head-start against competition in a new segment which could potentially generate millions of revenues in the future if it takes off.
Officially though, the South Korean company is being contemplative. Yoon Boo Keun, the head of Samsung’s television business has simply said that they are reviewing the Android platform, but has refused to confirm anything beyond this.
Official Samsung Fascinate Price & Launch Date Announced
The official launch date and price of the Verizon-bound variant of the Samsung Galaxy S handset is finally out. According to a media statement, the Samsung Fascinate will be available in the stores starting September 9th and for those who have pre-ordered the device online, the handset will start being available from September 8th. Price – very much on the expected lines. The new Samsung Fascinate will be available at $199 and that is along with a mandatory two-year Verizon contract and a $100 mail-in rebate.
The announcement finally brings the much touted Android phone from Samsung to the Verizon network. As you are aware, Samsung Galaxy S was already available with AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint under the names Captivate, Vibrant and Epic respectively.
All set for the new phone? Check out the latest Samsung Fascinate commercial from Verizon.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Price In Germany Revealed
Now it was always rumored that the new Samsung Galaxy Tab may not come cheap and it could be priced quite exorbitantly. Now, if there were any doubts that this would not be the case, they were quashed today as the Amazon has put up the new Android tablet device up for sale for its German customers at a pretty high price of €799. That translates roughly to $1,030 in the American market.
The new 7″ Android 2.2 device has been receiving pretty rave reviews and there are already hints for the Samsung tablet to offer a significant competition to Apple’s iPad that has run without too much competition until now. However, at such a high unsubsidized cost, the sale of tablet computers can take a hit. While subsidized rates are likely to be lower, it needs to be noted that a good number of customers would prefer an unsubsidized device that can be used as a Wi-Fi only unit without the need for a 3G connectivity.
Let’s hope Samsung revises the prices before the device launches officially in other parts of the world at least.
Samsung Galaxy Tab To Feature Super TFT Display
A lot of people anticipated the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab to feature a Super AMOLED display in the run up to its official announcement. Though this was a pretty remote possibility considering the extremely high costs involved, the company’s announcement that the device will not feature a Super AMOLED display has come as a disappointment to many. However, according to Samsung executives, while the tablet may not feature Super AMOLED, the technology is still close. In a statement, they have noted that the upcoming Android tablet computer will come equipped with a Super TFT display that has been built alongside Super AMOLED to offer better battery performance and a savings in cost.
Is this merely a marketing gimmick? Is Super TFT really something new? We’ll not know. Nevertheless, we do hope the new tablet computer will have something exciting in store for us.
Samsung Epic 4G Source Code Download Released
Samsung has released the official source code for the newly launched Epic 4G that is now available for download from the Samsung Open Source website. Of course, this download file is irrelevant to a wide majority of users who have purchased this latest Android handset from Samsung. But if you are a developer or one who is waiting for a rooting solution to the Samsung Epic, then this is the first step.
If you are curious to check out the source code, you may proceed to the Samsung OpenSource website and hit the ‘Mobile’ link. The Samsung Epic 4G downloads are available under the model number SPH-D700.
Do note that this download link only offers those pieces of code that is shareable under the Open Source agreements. Proprietary pieces of software that includes the Samsung TouchWiz UI are not available in this folder.
Samsung Galaxy Tab To Cost Below $300 In USA?
There are still no official announcements with respect to the price of the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet device. There are rumors that suggest that unsubsidized version of the tablet could cost as much as $900 in the American market. While these rumors have been painting a gloomy picture for those interested in buying a unit, the Wall Street Journal reports that carrier subsidies could be making the device pretty affordable. According to a report, the Samsung Galaxy Tab would be available at a price between $200 and $300 along with a 2 year carrier contract. Samsung is learned to be talking to multiple US carriers including Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T though rumors last week did suggest that Sprint was the most likely candidate.
What this rumor may imply is that the pricing could be pushing consumers towards a contract-inclusive Tab which means those who would rather use the device as a Wi-Fi only unit may have to shell out pretty heavy cash. Nevertheless, we will wait and see what the official unsubsidized rates for the Samsung Galaxy Tab are.