Samsung has announced that not only will its Android-powered Galaxy Tab tablet device be available through the four major U.S. mobile carriers (Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) but will also be on offer from regional U.S. mobile operators U.S. Cellular—although the companies have not revealed availability dates or pricing.
The move mirrors the product-blitz strategy Samsung followed with its Android-powered Galaxy S smartphones—rather than etch an exclusivity deal with a single U.S. carrier, Samsung offered the Galaxy S to every carrier, in hopes of making the device ubiquitous in the marketplace. However, unlike the Galaxy S smartphones—which were rebranded and (at least in Sprint’s case) even re-architected for carriers—the Galaxy Tab will apparently be the Galaxy Tab everywhere, eliminating any naming confusion over the device.
Pricing for the Galaxy Tab has so far been staked between $400 and $600, with the $400 offers from T-Mobile and Sprint coming with two-year service contracts, while the $600 version from Verizon will be available on a contract-free pay-as-you go basis.
The Galaxy Tab is being positioned as the first serious competitor to the Apple iPad. The device sports a 7-inch WSVGA touch display, a rear-facing three megapixel video-capable camera, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video chat, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 2 GB of onboard storage with microSDHC removal storage, and Android 2.2 “Froyo” with email and Web capabilities—and, of course, access to the Android Marketplace for games, apps, and more.
