Mobile operator U.S. Cellular announced the anticipated Samsung Galaxy Tab
tablet will be in its stores this holiday season, backed by its 3G network. The
operator joins T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Sprint on the list of Galaxy Tab
carriers. While U.S. Cellular did not disclose a price for the tablet or an
offer any details on a data plan, T-Mobile and Sprint said they will market the
tablet for $399 with a two-year data plan (Sprint’s offer includes a $50
rebate), while Verizon is offering the device for $599 without a contract.
The Galaxy Tab, widely seen as the most likely competitor to Apple’s iPad
tablet, has a 7-inch WSVGA TFT touch screen and is powered by a 1GHz
Hummingbird Application processor. The device operates on Google’s Android 2.2
platform, with support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and access to the more than
100,000 applications available on the Android Market. It features two cameras,
a 3-megapixel camera on the back with auto-focus and zoom, and a 1.3-megapixel
front-facing camera for video chat. The AllShare application allows customers
to send video, audio and pictures from their Galaxy Tab to other DLNA-enabled
devices, like TVs and computers.
U.S. Cellular is also backing the launch with The Belief Project, a series of
initiatives developed to elevate the wireless experience and fix the
frustrations wireless customers have with their carriers, one project at a
time. "The Belief Project is all about delighting our customers with
services that make their lives easier and providing products they really want,
like the Samsung Mesmerize and Galaxy Tab," said Edward Perez, vice
president of marketing and sales operations for U.S. Cellular. "If you’re
already thinking about your holiday shopping, the Galaxy Tab will be one of the
hottest gifts to give or receive this season."
T-Mobile said it plans to offer its existing customers two webConnect mobile
broadband plans, one for $24.99 per month for 200MB of data and the other for $39.99
per month for 5GB of data. Verizon is offering its customers the choice on a
monthly basis of whether to pay $20 for 1GB of data, and Sprint plans on
charging either $29.99 per month for 2GB worth of data or $59.99 for 5GB.
Samsung is part of a growing slate of technology companies gearing up to
release a tablet of their own, including Hewlett-Packard, which recently
released a slew of details for its upcoming tablet PC called the Slate 500,
which will run on Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system and boast a starting
weight of only 1.5 pounds. The company said the tablet was designed
specifically for business, enterprise and vertical customers who require the
mobility of a tablet. Pricing for the Slate 500 is $799, and includes the Slate
Digital Pen, Slate Dock and Slate Portfolio.