Samsung jumps into the Honeycomb race with Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung gives the first gift in the Mobile World Congress this year at Barcelona with their highly anticipated Galaxy Tab 2 though it is not named like this, therefore it’s called Galaxy Tab 10.1. After Motorola and LG, Samsung enters with this tablet inside the Android Honeycomb tablet competition even though the specs are not so different from the other two devices that competitors released. Rather than this, Samsung’s tablet has some shortcomings.

The first thing they missed is a USB port. Yes, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not have a USB port. Another point is that the power of Tegra 2 dual core processor cannot be showed off in any big screen through HDMI port as this device is missing the HDMI port too. Other than that this device has almost the same configuration like Motorola Xoom and LG Optimus Pad or G-Slate. What we can see in all Honeycomb devices are Dual cameras, 1 GHz dual-core NVidia Tegra 2 processor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer and also other usual tablet features. but there is one point which will give you a good option to buy this one and this is the shape and the size of it. It’s the slimmest and lightest one, among the Honeycomb tablets and the release video shows how comfortable it is to keep holding it for a long time. The use of more plastic and less metal resulted into a good reduction of weight and made Galaxy Tab 10.1 different from Xoom, iPad or Optimus Pad.

The 10.1 inch TFT display comes with an 1280 x 800 pixels resolution and the display is quite easy on eyes both indoors and outdoors. The back camera have 8 megapixels, the front one have 2 megapixels and the device is preloaded with Google Talk with video call capability. The tablet also has 3.5mm jack and the 6860 mAh battery should be more than enough for your daily activities. The connectivity features boast this little wonder with 21Mbps HSPA+, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n. Both recording and playback functions have big quality as 1080p video format is supported.

As we mention before, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with the stock Android 3.0 Honeycomb. This means that no custom UI like the Samsung TouchWiz or any preloaded Samsung exclusive apps are available. Similar to their Nexus S, it’s another ‘pure Google experience’ from Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available in two different models both varying in storage capacity: 16GB and 32GB. Unfortunately, till now there are no clues about the pricing of this Galaxy Tab, but the price should be really a competitive one as there are not big differences between all the Honeycomb tablets because most of them offer same features. So there is a less opportunity for Samsung to make a separate place in the tablet industry without any unique feature. The release of this device is not very clear from their announcement because it will be launched in Asia and Europe this March, but there is not even a word about the US market release.

Samsung expands the Samsung GALAXY Tab range with a 10.1″ Entertainment Powerhouse
Global launch of Samsung’s first Honeycomb-based, Dual Core smart media device

BARCELONA, February 13, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a provider of smart media devices and the global leader in Android™ tablets, in partnership with Vodafone Group, today announced the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 (Model: P7100), a powerful Dual-Core Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) Smart Media Device, designed to deliver the ultimate mobile entertainment experience.
“As a leader in the Android-powered tablet market, Samsung is committed to providing a variety of feature-rich, always-on devices” said DJ Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing. He continued, “The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is a valuable addition to our expanding portfolio of smart media devices. Sporting a large 10.1 screen and dual surround-sound speakers, it enables users to enjoy multimedia to the maximum extent without having to compromise mobility.
Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Director of Terminals, said: “Vodafone customers in over 20 markets around the world will be the first to get the GALAXY Tab 10.1 when it goes on sale this spring. Samsung have produced a stylish, market-leading implementation of the new Android 3.0 platform which will be the first Honeycomb device to arrive in many of those markets. Vodafone’s competitive data tariffs and reliable, high-speed networks make using the GALAXY Tab 10.1 a great experience.”
“Samsung continues to develop innovative products that contribute to the continued growth of the Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.
As the tablet market experiences unprecedented interest, Samsung and Vodafone have partnered to cater to customer demand and offer them the perfect way to enjoy the huge variety of opportunities the Android platform provides. Whether playing games, reading eBooks or updating your Facebook status, the lightweight, ultra-slim Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is the ultimate entertainer and builds on the industry-wide success of the two million-selling Samsung GALAXY Tab.
The Ultimate Entertainment Experience
A 10.1″ (WXGA TFT LCD) display with crystal clear resolution (1280 x 800) makes the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 an unrivalled device for experiencing the hundreds of thousands of games and applications available from Android Market™. To compliment the amazing visual quality of the device, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 includes dual surround-sound speakers to immerse you even more fully.
The device also includes an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with Auto Focus and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera which lets users capture experiences with the best-in-market full HD record and play as well as easily share them. With the Android browser and Flash 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is the perfect tool for consuming the world of the internet content wherever you are.
Performance and Speed
Combined with the latest version of Android’s tablet-optimized operating system, Honeycomb, Samsung has created a device that is powerful and lightning fast.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 includes a 1GHz Dual Core application processor, giving you the kind of fast and powerful multimedia and web browsing experience. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1’s Dual Core processor, low power DDR2 memory and 6860mAh battery, make it perfect for task management in an energy efficient way.
Maximized Portability
At just 599g in weight and mere 10.9mm- slimness, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is lighter, slimmer and more portable, meaning users are free to enjoy its many features while on the move. With the need to remain constantly connected, Samsung has also included super-fast HSPA+ 21Mbps, Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity to support rapid mobile download speeds and reduce data transfer times.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 will be exhibited at Mobile World Congress 2011 at Hall #8.
For multimedia content and more detailed information, please visit www.samsungunpacked.com/press.