Samsung Electronics has launched Galaxy Tab 2, the first of its tablets to ship with the Anroid 4.0 operating system. As the latest addition to Samsung's tablets, the Galaxy Tab 2 features its own Touchwiz user interface, a dual-core 1 GHz processor and has a 7-inch screen with 1024×600 resolution, two cameras, and man 8, 16, 32GB integrated harddrive with the ability to expand with a MicroSD card.
Although slightly thicker than the iPad 2, the Galaxy Tab 2 actually weighs less than its competitor. The Galaxy Tab 2 is 0.41 inches thick and weighs 0.75 pounds while the iPad 2 is 0.34 inches thick and weighs 1.32 pounds.
Hoping to attract a larger audience with its lower price, the Galaxy Tab will retail for about $350 (€270) and will start shipping in March 2012, according to a statement from Samsung. It's $350 pricepoint places it somewhere in the awkward middle between Apple's $600 iPad and Amazon's $200 Kindle Fire.
Samsung will also offer a 3G version of the Galaxy Tab 2 which can function as a phone and connect to the internet using HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) at 21 mbps.
While the Galaxy Tab 2 does boast some impressive features, it'll be interesting to see how the consumer market reacts to its price. In my opinion, it's a little bit too expensive for the more budget-minded market who might lean towards the cheaper Kindle Fire. For those looking to splurge a little, they'll probably dish out the extra cash for the name brand Apple iPad.
Despite sales of Android-based operating tablets tripling in Q4 of 2011, Apple still dominates the market, according to a recent report from Strategy Analytics. Android had a 39.1% share of global tablet shipments, while Apple's share dropped from 68.2% to 57.6%. However, with the iPad 3 rumored to also launch in March, it'll be hard for the Galaxy Tab 2 to steal the spotlight from Apple.
[PC World]