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Print 16 comment(s) - last by semiconshawn.. on Aug 26 at 3:55 PM

  (Source: All images from ifanr.com)
7" Froyo-powered tablet will take on iPad and others

Yesterday, Samsung posted a short teaser video for its upcoming Android-based tablet, the Galaxy Tab.

The video doesn't reveal much, but it does clue us in to some of the Tab's features, which include a 7" screen, augmented reality, video calling (thanks to a front-facing camera), full web browsing (thanks to support for Flash), Android 2.2 "Froyo," HD movie play, navigation, and e-reading.

The 19-second clip concludes with a date and location -- September 2, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. This most likely means that we can expect an official unveiling of the Tab at the IFA consumer electronics trade fair next week.

In other Tab sightings, the Chinese website ifanr posted some leaked photos of the device, along with an almost impossible to understand (unless you read Chinese) first impression. One thing that Google Translate can help to make out, other than "the benefits of holding hands is not acid," is that the device had a certain plasticky feel -- a common complaint on Samsung's Galaxy S line of smartphones, too. The lightweight Tab also boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera in addition to the QVGA front-facing one, 1024 x 600 screen resolution, and a PowerVR SGX540 graphics processor. 

Keep in mind that the unit and pictures portray what is most likely an early prototype. Final specs could change (along with that plasticky feel, perhaps). 

With the Tab, Samsung is gearing to take on the ubiquitous Apple iPad, along with other players like the rumored Android 3.0 Motorola tablet, RIM's "Blackpad," and the 5" Dell Streak, in what has become a quickly expanding tablet market.

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This could be it...
By banvetor on 8/25/2010 8:53:15 AM , Rating: 2
Depending on the final specs and on the price, this could finally be the tablet to get...

it has been a long wait...




RE: This could be it...
By nafhan on 8/25/2010 9:41:42 AM , Rating: 2
7" 1024 x 600 screen
Android 2.2
3.2 megapixel camera
QVGA front camera
PowerVR SGX540

I'd be really surprised if they threw in anything less than a 1Ghz Hummingbird. So, mostly, price is going to be the deciding factor.


RE: This could be it...
By invidious on 8/25/2010 9:46:40 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
7" 1024 x 600 screen
I don't know if thats your guess or the real specs, but that would be very dissapointing resolution. That is definately not "HD". High end smartphones have comparable resolutions and they only have 3.5" to 4" screens.


RE: This could be it...
By invidious on 8/25/2010 9:48:40 AM , Rating: 2
Nevermind, those are the real specs... I dont know how i missed it in the article. Unless this is at a very good price point I wont be giving it much thought.


RE: This could be it...
By omnicronx on 8/25/2010 11:54:25 AM , Rating: 2
The screen may not be HD, but the ability to play and decode HD quality video is not dependent on screen's resolution. You still need the extra horsepower to play it, it will just be scaled down to your screen's resolution.

Really for a 7" tablet, it is more than acceptable, and will actually have a higher dpi than the 9.7" ipad.


7inches is too small for a tablet
By PAPutzback on 8/25/2010 9:49:50 AM , Rating: 3
That is just a big smartphone. It needs to be 10 inches and support an HD resolution of 1280x720. I'll keep waiting. I like the idea of some OEMs thinking dual boot, that is the way to go.




RE: 7inches is too small for a tablet
By bug77 on 8/25/2010 10:41:25 AM , Rating: 2
It depends. 1024x600 has been good enough for netbooks and many people find a 10" iPad to be too large. So this may work for them.
Not for me though, I don't need a device that can open a browser and a media player and do pretty much nothing else.


By Denigrate on 8/25/2010 10:49:44 AM , Rating: 3
Getting one of these tablets to run Steam would be awesome.


RE: 7inches is too small for a tablet
By icrf on 8/25/2010 12:06:43 PM , Rating: 2
I think 1024x600 on my 10" netbook is too small. I also think a 10" tablet is too big. I was hoping for the 720p resolution on a 7" tablet.

And while I don't need a web browser/media player, I'd like one. I find my netbook is a little clunky to use on the couch. My iPhone works well enough, but is a little small and missing some features. A good tablet is something I'd spend money on. The iPad is not that tablet. This looks closer, but probably not quite there yet.


By XSpeedracerX on 8/26/2010 12:30:12 AM , Rating: 2
no the hell it isn't. Thats almost as big as a standard sheet of paper, and since it can be gripped by one hand, you won't look retarded two-hand typing it in portrait mode, nor will you thumbs struggle to find the center keys in landscape. You may even be able to pull off table-type ipad style.

I'm a writer and let me tell you this thing to me looks killer. Can't wait. Or maybe I can, since it's likely to be north of $500 :(


another meee tooo?
By hexxthalion on 8/25/2010 11:02:53 AM , Rating: 2
so no tablets on the market (large scale) until apple released iPad and now all we read these days is company x will release tablet/slate device y :) that's just soooo funny. there's nothing wrong with competition but please, does every single 'competing' product need to copy that much from apple's offering? where's the originality gone?




RE: another meee tooo?
By Camikazi on 8/25/2010 11:51:42 AM , Rating: 2
The same place Apple's originality went :P tablets are not new, it's just anything Apple gets attention and allows competition to emerge more, but no, Apple is not original in anyway.


RE: another meee tooo?
By hexxthalion on 8/25/2010 12:01:14 PM , Rating: 3
but we haven't seen any tablet like apple's iPad in the wild and in big numbers. that's what i meant - when you think about it and go few months back...
1. rumours appear that apple is working on a slate device
2. after rumours at CES there were few announcements of tablet/slate devices - before the rumours of an tablet from apple there were no plans
3. apple releases iPad
4. all devices announced at CES disappeared, have been cancelled or are being re-designed
5. few months after launch of iPad competitors come back with their announcements and i can't help it but most of them look waaaaay too similar to iPad.

is it really that hard to come with something original? at least give it different bezel, layout, whatever.


RE: another meee tooo?
By semiconshawn on 8/26/2010 10:09:37 AM , Rating: 1
Look... it will never look better than an apple. Nobody can polish up a piece of shit like apple.


By vision33r on 8/26/2010 1:16:58 PM , Rating: 2
This device looks too much like an iPad clone, not doing anything we haven't seen before and the fact that it can't run iOS apps means it's already seriously behind in Apps.

Everyday goes by without a serious iPad challenger, the more media and publishing companies signs up to publish exclusively with Apple.

Textbook publishers and even broadcasters have inked to sign with Apple to make iPad exclusive content.

All the other devices coming out late will just sit on the sidelines with no app support and get swept aside by the consumers that are buying into the Apple ecosystem because it is the most widely supported format.

Android won't be able to catch up until it solves its DRM issues which plagues their phone devices.




By semiconshawn on 8/26/2010 3:55:02 PM , Rating: 2
I know. Apple is awesome. Android will never catch up. I mean with every major hardware manufacturer supporting one OS against a single supplier of another ......how could that work? No chance.


"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it." -- SCEA President Jack Tretton











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