Samsung Galaxy Tab

Benchmark results from GFXBench suggest that Samsung’s next 10-inch version of its Galaxy Tab 3 may be powered by an Intel processor instead of the ARM chips it has used in the past. The benchmark data shows the board as ‘clovertrail’, a codename for an Intel Atom Z2560 processor originally aimed at the smartphone market …
Expand
Expanding
Close

After lots of leaks, rumors and outright company forecasts,  Samsung today announced the Galaxy Note 8.0, an 8-inch iPad Mini competitor. The 1280×800 pixel display will have a slightly better PPI of 189 than the Mini and match camera specs and a quad core processor. Samsung’s Note 8.0 will also double up the Mini with 2GB of RAM and add an S-Pen for those who need/want it as well as expandable storage via the Micro-SD card slot. Just like the Galaxy Tab 7 2 it has an IR blaster with a rebranded Peel station navigation. On the down side, it won’t have LTE (only HSPA+) and it will run a slightly out-dated 4.1.2 version of Android Jelly Bean. It also weighs almost an ounce more than the iPad Mini.

Oh and it can make calls like a huge phone.

Will this go head to head against the Mini? My gut reaction is no. Samsung’s Touchwiz overlay and pen will keep these out of the hands of mainstream users. No price or launch date is yet planned but the specs tell me (720P TFT display) that Samsung is aiming for a low price. I’d expect to see this at $250 in the US probably just after it launches in the 2nd quarter in a number of Asian and EU territories.

https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/305507515855167489

Press release follows:

Expand
Expanding
Close

There have been rumors that Samsung has a new lineup of Galaxy tablets in the works, possibly set to make an appearance next month at Mobile World Congress. Today, SamMobile claimed to have confirmed details of the upcoming Galaxy tabs, citing a “Korean insider,” and provided new information for the Galaxy Tab 3 lineup codenamed “Santos”.

According to the report, Samsung has both 7-inch and 10.1-inch variants of the new lineup in Wi-Fi and 3G configurations. The tablets will also include 5-megapixel cameras, but we don’t get any other details in terms of hardware specs on the four Santos models including GT-P3200, GT-P3210, GT-P5200, and GT-P5210. The report said the tablets are expected to launch in early 2013 in 16GB and 32GB variants.

There was also mention of a Samsung GT-P8200 tablet codenamed “ROMA.” The report didn’t provide many details, but AndroidCentral pointed out the product number isn’t too far off the “GT-P8110” of the Nexus 10.

SamMobile also provided exact specs for the Samsung GT-N5100 Galaxy Note 8.0 it first posted about last week. The full specs for that device, expected to pop up during MWC next month, are below:
Expand
Expanding
Close

This Apple vs. Samsung trial is turning into a treasure trove of information on the two companies, with the latest bit of information being that Samsung is readying a 11.8-inch Galaxy Tab with an incredible 2,560-by-1, 600 pixel resolution. That is a 30-inch monitor brought down to the size of a netbook display, and it is somewhere between the screens on a retina MacBook Pro and a Retina iPad. This mega-tablet is labeled “P10” on slide 83 of Samsung’s presentation, so it has no one but itself to blame for this premature announcement.

A rough calculation on the size is just slightly bigger than the screen of the smaller MacBook Air. I will admit that I would love to try one of these out. And, before you go blaming Samsung for stealing Apple’s Retina invention, remember that Samsung makes the displays in Apple’s Retina iPad. Therefore, it has just as much right as anyone. As for the look and feel of the Tab, that is for the courts to decide.

(via the Verge)
Expand
Expanding
Close

Reports from last week noted that Samsung’s attempt to lift Apple’s preliminary injunction placed on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States was rejected by District Judge Lucy Koh. Today, in Apple’s ongoing patent cases with Samsung in the United Kingdom, Bloomberg reported Judge Colin Birss ruled against Apple, claiming Sammy’s Galaxy Tabs “are not as cool.” It is hard to imagine Apple losing in any more of a complimentary way, as Judge Birss claimed his decision was based partly on the fact Galaxy tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity.”

The Galaxy tablet doesn’t infringe Apple’s registered design, Judge Colin Birss said in a ruling today in London. He said that consumers weren’t likely to get the two tablet computers mixed up.

The Galaxy tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,” Birss said. “They are not as cool.”

The company provided a full email statement regarding today’s decision (via Pocket-lint). Samsung explained the court referred to roughly 50 pieces of prior art when dismissing Apple’s case:

Expand
Expanding
Close

[viddler id=3cee268d w=637 h=466]

The Samsung Galaxy SIII is due to unveil May 3 in London, but the widely-anticipated smartphone just made an early appearance through Vietnamese blog Tinhte (original page is down).

The leaked device goes by model number GT-I9300. Pictures and video indicate the mysterious smartphone packs Ice Cream Sandwich OS, a 4.6-inch display at 720-by-1184-pixel resolution, a quad-core 1.4 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera, and a 2,050mAh battery.

More pictures and a video are below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

.

Not a bad deal on one of the better Android tablets out there. Woot
Expand
Expanding
Close

Not entirely surprising, but worth a note: A new survey indicated Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire tablet turned into a formidable competitor to the best-selling Android tablet series Samsung’s Galaxy Tab rather than Apple’s iPad. While the Fire did take some of the shine away from the iPad, Apple’s executives (and some analysts) are not terribly worried about the Fire’s long-term impact on Apple’s tablet sales. Mobile analytics firm Flurry, tapping device-specific ad impressions in its network, found that of all Android tablets sold in January 2012, the Kindle Fire and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab grabbed 36 percent market share each.

In fact, nitpicky types could argue that the Fire (35.7-percent) marginally edged out Samsung’s devices (35.6-percent). Another way to look at this data: These two tablet brands together accounted for nearly three-quarters of all Android tablets last month. This is in stark contrast to last November when Flurry recorded a 3 percent market share for the Fire versus a whopping 63 percent for Samsung’s Tabs…

Expand
Expanding
Close

A mockup of an 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab versus a 10.1-inch model, courtesy of TabTech.de

Samsung allegedly plans to announce a bigger, 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab tablet powered by Ice Cream Sandwich at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The show is scheduled to run Feb. 27 to March 1, 2012. According to German-language TabTech.de, the new Tab will not be just bigger; it should take advantage of Samsung’s 2GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 chip that was announced last November.

Given the 5250’s four times graphics performance compared to the Exynos 4210 silicon, the 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab might be the first tablet with an ultra high-resolution display. The Exynos 5250 is based on the Cortex A15 architecture from fables semiconductor design firm ARM Holdings and Samsung said it is capable of delivering 14,000 DMIPS. This could be the reason alone for a bigger Tab.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Amazon started to roll out another over-the-air update to the Kindle Fire, putting the device at version 6.2.1. The company announced tonight that the update would improve performance and touch responsiveness, allowing a user to choose the items appearing in the carousel. It also gives the ability to add a password lock on Wi-Fi access. To install version 6.2.1, tap the ‘sync’ button in the right corner, or a user can manually install it by downloading the file.

Tonight’s fixes come after many users complaining since getting their device. Our own Seth Weintraub even gave his two cents about the device’s speed in his review:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Skype today updated its Android client with the ability to share videos and images over 3G cellular networks or WiFi hotspots. According to a blog postannouncing Skype for Android version 2.6, the company also improved battery life while the owners of devices using Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chipset, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola Xoom and Acer Iconia Tablet, will notice better video quality on a bigger canvas. Additionally, the app now supports video calling on new devices, including the HTC Amaze 4G, Motorola Droid 4 and Motorola Droid Razr. Skype 2.6 for Android is a free download from Android Market.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A new twist in the Apple vs. Samsung legal proceedings spanning more than two dozen lawsuits across continents as the Federal Court in Australia lifted sales ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablet today. The court unanimously overturned a ruling last month from Justice Annabelle Bennett which required that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 be banned from sale in Australia.

Sydney Morning Hearld quoted the ruling:

Samsung will be permitted to launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia provided it keeps accounts of all transactions involving that device in Australia.

Samsung’s Australian subsidiary says it is “pleased with today’s unanimous decision”. Reacting to the decision, Apple plans on appealing to the High Court. The Federal Court also honored Apple’s request that its injunction remain in effect until Friday at 4pm, to allow the company time to prepare an appeal. A full hearing on copycat accusations is set for March 2012, which could still result in a permanent injunction.

Apple is also seeking a ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, a revised version with an added metal frame around the edges. Samsung engineered the Galaxy Tab 10.1N after a district court in Dusseldorf blocked sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the grounds that the product bears too many similarities to Apple’s iPad. A hearing in that case is scheduled for December 22.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Samsung has expanded their tablet lineup by announcing the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus in the United States. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus’ main differentiator is its ability to act as an extra peripheral in your home theater setup. The Plus ships with the Peel Smart Remote, which works great with the built-in infrared sensor. Specs on the 7.0 Plus include a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, Android Honeycomb (TouchWiz UI), and 7-inch 1024×600 display. The device also comes in a 16GB or 32GB version.

The Peel Smart Remote application not only acts as a remote for your home setup, but suggests content for you to watch. The Galaxy Tab Plus 7.0 is available for $399 on November 13th, and pre-orders will begin October 23rd.

It will be interesting to see how this does in the face of the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire which is priced at $199 but doesn’t have cameras, 16GB RAM or many of the other features of the full Android Tab 7.0.

We’ll have a review by then. Press release after the break:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Now available on Amazon, Samsung’s personal media players the Galaxy Player 4 and Galaxy Player 5 have hit the U.S. The Galaxy Player 4 rocks a 4-inch screen and is available for $229, while the Galaxy Player 5 rocks a 5-inch screen and is available for $269. Both devices are sure to make the perfect Android alternative to the iPod touch. The devices don’t come with a microSD card however, so you better be sure to pick one of those up too.

Check it out!

Apple today before a Sydney court rejected Samsung’s seemingly practical proposal calling for the removal of certain Galaxy Tab 10.1 capabilities in exchange for a smooth tablet launch in Australia. Samsung reportedly agreed to take out the feature which ignores unintended touches on the home screen to prevent apps from being launched accidentally. Apple, it appears, instead wants a definite ruling on a temporary Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction, which should be expected later this week.

If the court sides with Samsung, it gets to launch its iPad rival in Australia in time for Christmas. If not, the case drags out into another year, possibly without a clear winner in sight. Remember, Samsung threatened to ban sales of the new iPhone in Korea the instant it launches. Apple is scheduled to unveil their next iPhone at a media event today in the Cupertino headquarters at 1pm ET, 10am PT. The event is headlined under the “Let’s talk iPhone” tagline, suggesting that the rumored Assistant feature will be in the focus, among other things.

Lawyers for the Cupertino, California-based Apple insist the Galaxy Tab 10.1 “is vastly the one that is going to be targeting the iPad 2”. According to Reuters, Apple lawyer Steven Burley made it clear that “the main reason we are here is to prevent the launch and maintain the status quo”. Note: The Wall Street Journal provides a live blog of today’s court hearing. Such a legal maneuvering on the part of the iPhone maker suggests that Apple isn’t interested in settling its dispute with Samsung out of the court unless, of course, unexpected legal setbacks arise.

This is the second blow in two weeks to Samsung’s efforts to make peace with Apple, its largest buyer of components such as NAND flash chips, custom-designed iPhone processors and displays.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Samsung’s seven-inch Galaxy Tab was launched last year on September 2 at the IFA in Berlin and as of April of 2011 they managed to ship six million units worldwide. A year later, the Korean company has updated the tablet with a thinner form factor and a speedier processor. It’s also gotten a new name to convey the enhancements to buyers, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. According to Samsung’s press release, the new version supports faster 3G HSPA+ connectivity and runs a speedier 1.2GHz processor versus the “Hummingbird” 1GHz chip found inside its predecessor. It also features WiFi Channel Bonding which bonds two wireless channels into one for improved network connection and data transfer at up to twice the speed.

The device is 9.96mm thick and weighs in at 345 grams. This compares to 11.98 millimeter depth and 380 grams of weight of the original Galaxy Tab 7.0. The front camera is of a 2.0-megapixel variety (1.2 megapixels on the original model), and RAM has been bumped up from 512MB to 1GB. On the software front, the Plus runs Android Honeycomb 3.2 which is optimized for seven-inch devices, in addition to Samsung’s latest TouchWiz user interface. Other specs are left unchanged, including 16/32GB of built-in storage expandable via a microSD card slot, a three-megapixel camera on the back and a 4000 mAh battery. The new devices launches at the end of October in Austria and Indonesia, Samsung said, followed by a U.S. launch and the global roll out. Full specs after the break.

Expand
Expanding
Close