Samsung launches Galaxy Tab with 10-inch screen
14 Feb 2011
Samsung has upsized its Galaxy Tab tablet computer with a bigger screen as it bids to take on Apple's iPad.
The latest Galaxy Tab features a 10.1-inch screen, which is bigger than the iPad's 9.7-inch and is a substantial scale-up on its 7-inch first Galaxy Tab model.
The new model is powered by a two-core 1GHz processor and is lighter than the 680g iPad at 599g.
Unlike the camera-less iPad, the Samsung device comes with an 8-MP camera at the rear, capable of taking 1080p high-definition movies. Additionally, the front 2-megapixel camera is ideal for video-conferencing.
The tablet has built-in WiFi and 3G mobile internet access. Its 16GB or 32GB of built-in memory can be boosted with an SD card.
The Tab 10.1, like the small-screen model, runs Google's Android OS, the latest 3.0 though. Codenamed Honeycomb, it is a more powerful, tablet only version of the system.
The sales of Apple's iPads in Australia have crossed 300,000 units, since its launch there in May last year, while the first Galaxy Tab model has chalked up less than 5,000 units in sales in Australia since its launch last November.
Galaxy Tab sales globally stand at around 1 million while iPad sales are over 14.5 million units.
Competition in the Android-based tablet market is expected to get fierce with Dell adding larger screen version of its 5-inch screen Streak tablet, Motorola is launching its big-screen Xoom tablet along with a number of Asian makers, including Chinese firm ZTE updating their Android tablets.
Meanwhile, Apple is likely to bring out a second version of the iPad this year, as also a new mini iPhone and the iPhone 5.
