Samsung Galaxy Tab Officially Announced for T-Mobile
So with all the carriers rumored to release the Samsung Galaxy Tab, T-Mobile had yet to announce it for themselves. That is, until now…
T-Mobile to Launch Samsung Galaxy Tab™ Nov. 10
Galaxy Tab hits stores first at T-Mobile, delivers powerful Web and entertainment experiences
BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced that T-Mobile will be the first to launch the Samsung Galaxy Tab™ in the U.S. T-Mobile’s first Android™-powered tablet, the Galaxy Tab delivers access to rich content on a seven-inch touch screen for a truly mobile entertainment experience. It is expected to be available at T-Mobile retail stores and online Nov. 10.
Adding fuel to the entertainment experience on the Galaxy Tab is T-Mobile’s super-fast HSPA+ mobile broadband network, which delivers a speed boost allowing the 3G-enabled device to load Web pages and videos even faster than in areas of 3G coverage2. The brilliant enhanced TFT screen and sleek, compact form factor allow customers to bring the Galaxy Tab’s multimedia capabilities to life for themselves or to share, combining all their entertainment and communication needs into one device.
“Customers want richer, deeper interactions with entertainment and online content through connected, portable mobile broadband devices that are small enough to carry and big enough to share with friends and family,” said Jeremy Korst, director of broadband products and services, T-Mobile USA. “T-Mobile’s unique offerings on the Galaxy Tab paired with the power of T-Mobile’s new network allow us to bring a truly differentiated portable entertainment offering to market.”
The multimedia experience that makes the Galaxy Tab a powerful choice for entertainment enthusiasts includes the following:
- Samsung Media Hub
Samsung Media Hub offers a vast lineup of critically acclaimed films and TV programs for rent or purchase from some of the biggest names in entertainment, including MTV Networks, NBC Universal, Paramount and Warner Brothers. Customers can share content on up to five Media Hub-enabled devices, watch movies in seconds with Progressive Download, and get access to new release movies – some the day they are released on DVD. Customers can also watch series premieres and their favorite TV shows the day after they air. Samsung worked closely with all of the content providers to ensure that each movie and TV show is optimized to deliver a premium entertainment experience.- Qik Video Chat
Unlike other video-calling solutions that only work over Wi-Fi, Qik Video Chat on the Galaxy Tab from T-Mobile enables customers to connect with friends and family from wherever they may be through T-Mobile’s network or Wi-Fi. With the Galaxy Tab’s front-facing camera paired with Qik Video Chat, customers can hold video conversations with those who have a Galaxy Tab or other Qik compatible mobile device. Customers can even share what they are seeing using the rear-facing camera. Customers also have the option to leave Video Mail using Qik when someone is unavailable.- Kindle for Android™
The Kindle for Android application lets customers shop for hundreds of thousands of books in the Kindle Store, including New York Times® Best Sellers and new releases from $9.99. Using Amazon’s Whispersync technology, customers can automatically synchronize the last page read, bookmarks, annotations, and more across multiple devices.- Slacker Radio
Slacker is a free, customizable internet radio application with over 130 DJ-programmed genre stations and the ability for customers to create their own. With millions of songs from thousands of artists, Slacker allows customers to discover new artists and hear their favorite music and provide feedback on what they like and don’t like with the click of a button. Customers can also access detailed artist biographies, in-depth album reviews and album cover art.T-Mobile customers will enjoy a rich, brilliant viewing experience on the Galaxy Tab, which features a WSVGA enhanced TFT display combined with 3D-like graphics and full support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 for accessing Flash-enabled websites, watching videoand playing games. Running on Android 2.2 and with built-in support for T-Mobile’s super-fast mobile broadband network and Wi-Fi, the Galaxy Tab’s portable screen is ideal for watching the latest movies and entertainment or experiencing thousands of widgets, games and applications on Android Market™.
Beyond entertainment, the Galaxy Tab also offers mobile broadband essentials such as easy access to personal and work e-mail, including support for Microsoft® Exchange e-mail, contacts and calendar. In addition, the Galaxy Tab can support up to 32 GB of expandable microSD memory. Customers purchasing the Galaxy Tab can take advantage of T-Mobile’s monthly 5GB or 200MB webConnect mobile broadband plans or the newly launched prepaid mobile broadband offerings.
Pricing is expected to be $399.99 with a 2 year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate (it’s probably also safe to say that the device will be available for close to $600 without contract, if I had to guess) and it’ll hit store shelves on November 10th. Check out our new calendar of events to see all the latest phone release dates, press events, and conventions all in one place!
So I know that the $399 price sounds pricey (I actually think it is a bit pricey too), BUT you can understand where Samsung is getting these pricing amounts from if you compare it to an iPad with 3G, which retails without contract for $629. If you add a contract discount to that price (most contracts are roughly the cost of the cancellation fee) we’re looking at about $429 for an iPad with a contract (if such a thing existed) so Sammy is pretty much right where they think they need to be.
Now, we expect Apple products to be a bit overpriced compared to their hardware specs (after all someone has to pay for the marketing campaigns), but for a Samsung product it’s less of the norm. In Samsung’s defense though, you are getting more features with the Galaxy Tab than with the iPad (we’re talking strictly hardware wise guys, no screaming about what one’s OS can do that the other can’t. Software doesn’t add as much price to the end product as hardware does after all). For example, you are adding two cameras that the iPad doesn’t have (1.3MP on the front and 3.0MP on the back), and that has to add to the cost of production to some extent.
All in all, if you’re shopping around for a tablet and the iPad hasn’t been doing it for you, the Galaxy Tab might be a nice alternative in a similar price range. Now, if only they had a cheaper WiFi only model that I can tether to my Android phone for free…
