Samsung has finally and officially unveiled the Galaxy Tab, their Android-powered multimedia slate that’s also set to be an official iPad rival. As seen on various leaks, the Galaxy Tab is a little more compact than the iPad, with a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 touchscreen, but comes with a number of built-in features that isn’t available on the Apple tablet: a 3-megapixel main cam, a 1.3MP cam at the front for doing video calls, and a microSDHC card slot for adding more storage.
The Galaxy Tab runs on Android 2.2 Froyo that gives it Flash 10.1 support, and features a home screen that includes shortcuts for the Media Hub for videos (DivX videos are supported, which is awesome), Music Hub for audio, and Readers Hub for accessing ebooks. Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab features a 1GHz processor, PowerVR SDX540 graphincs, and 512MB memory for handling 720p HD video.
The typical connectivity options are also present, with Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n Wi-fi, and 3G network support that gives it data access outside of a Wi-fi hotspot. As for the Apple-like 30-pin connector that was spotted in an unofficial photo, like the iPad, this is the Tab’s only external wired connection. It doesn’t come with USB, HDMI or other video outputs. Maybe we’re going to see a line of “made for Galaxy Tab” accessories soon enough too.
No word on pricing and ship dates yet, but it’s set to launch first in Europe within the month. Shipments to other countries will follow in the “coming months.”
Here’s the Galaxy Tab’s official commercial:
Fun Fact: heavily augmented reality?
According to the PR photo (below) for the Galaxy Tab’s Augmented Reality feature, the device detects a “GALAXY Café” at 175 5th Avenue, NY. A quick check on Google Maps shows that there’s no Galaxy Café there. The location does house Apple Communications Group LLC and Mac Cosmetics though. By the way, despite the name, “Mac Cosmetics” isn’t a place to pimp out your Macs. It’s a cosmetics store. [via Electronista]
Tags: Android, Galaxy Tab, Samsung, Tablets, Tablets
