Samsung Galaxy Tab to cost almost £800, according to Amazon

An Amazon listing for Samsung’s new touch-screen, tablet-style computer, the Galaxy Tab, shows the device has a recommended retail price of almost £800

The Samsung P1000, also known as the Galaxy Tab, has a recommended retail price of £799.99, according to Amazon.

The online retailer is offering 15 per cent off, bringing the price down to £679.99, and says the Tab will be dispatched “within one to two months.
If the price listing is correct, it would mean that the Galaxy Tab would cost significantly more than its key rival, the iPad. Prices for Apple’s device start from £429.
Samsung is yet to make an official announcement about the price of the Tab, but it is hoped that some mobile network operators will choose to subsidise the cost of the 3G-enabled Tab in return for consumers taking out mobile data packages for the device.
The Galaxy Tab will also be available in the United States from the four major carriers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Samsung held a press conference yesterday to give more details about its tablet computer.
"The Galaxy Tab will redefine the tablet market," said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung’s telecoms division in the US. "We expect to be a major player in this market."
The Galaxy Tab has a 7in screen and runs Froyo, the most recent version of Google’s Android operating system. It has Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity built in, and features two cameras, a three-megapixel lens on the back and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front for making video calls.
One crucial differentiator between the iPad and Samsung’s device is that the Tab will play Adobe Flash content. Apple has famously jettisoned Flash in favour of rival standard HTML5, but it renders many web pages unreadable on Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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IFA 2010: Samsung launches Galaxy Tab iPad rival

Samsung has launched the long-awaited Galaxy Tab tablet computer. The device, officially called the GT-P1000, is powered by Google's Android 2.2 operating system and makes an explicit pitch for the market staked out by the Apple iPad.

Representing a new category of mobile products for Samsung, the Tab offers a 7in display, but, unlike the iPad, can also be used as a phone. Multitouch web browsing, including HTML5 and Adobe Flash, email, voice and video calling is joined by the Android Market for additional apps. Weighing 380g, the device is based on Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone and is designed to be used in one hand. It will launch in the UK in October, and will be available on the Vodafone network. Pricing details will be announced nearer to the launch date.

Samsung recognises the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung Galaxy Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market,” said Simon Stanford, head of mobile for Samsung in the UK and Ireland.

Like the iPad, the Tab also includes an ebook reading application, call the “Readers Hub”. Powered by Kobo, PressDisplay, Zinio and others, Samsung claims more than 2 million books, over 2,500 magazines in 20 languages and more than 1,600 newspapers in 47 languages will be available at launch. A Social Hub also combines social networking information with contacts information.

Wifi, including DLNA, and 3G connectivity come as standard on the tab, which is powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz processor. A front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera is used for video calls, which can be made over 3G, and there is also a rear-facing three-megapixel camera. Samsung will also offer music and video stores for the full high-definition Tab.

The device also includes the new Swype input method, allowing users to drag their finger over each letter, rather than tapping each letter individually to input text. Some mobile operators will offer a second SIM card so customers can use the Tab and their mobile phone from a single account.

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