Samsung Unveils World’s Thinnest Mobile Tablets GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9
Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9 to feature the first customized Android™ 3.0 experience
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the global leader in Android™ mobile devices, announced two new additions to its family of GALAXY Tabs, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9, the world’s thinnest mobile tablets, measuring just 8.6 millimeters.
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 feature Samsung’s own TouchWiz user interface implemented on the Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb) platform, offering superior multi-tasking and enhanced user interaction and navigation.
Thinner & Lighter
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 are the thinnest mobile tablets available. The GALAXY Tab 10.1 weighs 595 grams and 8.9 weighs 470 grams. Combining the GALAXY Tabs’ ultra-thin form factor with a lightweight design adds to the outstanding mobility of these two products.
Super Fast
The new GALAXY Tabs will support HSPA+ network speeds of up to 21Mbps as well as Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity to deliver rapid mobile download speeds and reduce data transfer times. Also, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 include a 1GHz dual core application processor for a powerful multimedia and web browsing experience.
Customized User Experience “Samsung TouchWiz UX”
Samsung’s TouchWiz user experience is designed with a Live Panel menu users can customize to display a variety of content on the home screen including digital pictures, favorite Web sites and social network feeds.
In addition, the interface includes an application tray of commonly used features such as task manager, calendar and music player which can be launched while other major applications are also in use, including large file downloads and document editing. This Mini Apps Tray provides a mixture of convenience and flexibility previously unheard of with tablet devices.
The Ultimate Entertainment Hub
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 are pre-loaded with Readers Hub and Music Hub giving consumers instant access to more than 2.2 million books, 2,000 newspaper (49 languages), 2,300 magazines (22 languages), and 13 million songs. The devices are also designed with Samsung’s Social Hub, which will aggregate email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface.
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 feature a 3 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front camera, providing smooth transition and seamless 1080p HD video and Flash playback for a rich entertainment experience.
Ready for Business
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 will include an industry leading suite of solutions designed to give enterprise customers and IT managers more security. Developed in collaboration with industry-leading partners such as Cisco, Sybase, SAP and Citrix, Samsung's enterprise mobility solutions will provide flexibility and connectivity for mobile workforces, ensuring that users are able to operate more efficiently on–the-move.
GALAXY Tab 10.1
GALAXY Tab 10.1, with its WXGA TFT LCD display (1280 x 800) powered by 1GHz dual core AP,
is 8.6mm thin and weighs only 595g.
It is the perfect device for sharing and enjoying media content with family and friends. In addition, with its surround-sound stereo speakers and support for Flash 10.2, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 will deliver premium entertainment experience whether watching videos, movies or playing games.
GALAXY Tab 8.9
At just 8.6mm thin and weighing only 470g, the GALAXY Tab 8.9 is the perfect device for today’s mobile professional.
Whether writing emails on a trip or reading an eBook on the couch, the GALAXY Tab 8.9 provides the ultimate tablet experience without compromising mobility.
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 now join the original 7-inch GALAXY Tab to provide consumers with an unmatched array of choices to select the mobile tablet experience that fits their needs the best.
"The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 are remarkable examples of Samsung’s constant innovation and show our dedication to designing premium tablets that fit the unique needs of consumers around the world. By combining Samsung’s innovations in design and display with our exciting new user experience, we’ve created a new class of products that will lead the tablet market."
JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business.
Behind Samsung’s Tablet Redesign: We Won’t Be Outdone By Apple
When Steve Jobs misquoted a Samsung executive at the early March launch of the iPad 2, Samsung declined to comment on the slight. Instead, it rapidly redesigned its tablets to be even thinner than Apple’s widely-admired device. On Tuesday, when Samsung unveiled the new tablets at the CTIA Wireless trade show in Orlando, the message was clear: Samsung would defend itself through its products, not words.
Even in the fast-paced gadget industry, it’s rare to rework a product that has already been unveiled. It’s even rarer to do it in the space of a few weeks. In the case of its Galaxy Tab 10.1, so named because it sports a 10.1-inch screen, Samsung did both. Through a few hardware changes, Samsung compressed the device, which was first introduced at the Mobile World Congress trade show in mid-February, to a width of 8.6 millimeters. The iPad 2, in comparison, is 8.8 millimeters thick.
In an interview at CTIA, Samsung executives confirmed that they reworked their newest tablets in response to the iPad 2. In typical Samsung fashion, however, they refrained from actually mentioning Apple in their responses.
“Samsung is determined to outperform and become the world’s leader in any area,” said Young-Hee Lee, the company’s vice president of marketing, who also happens to be the executive that was misquoted at the iPad 2 launch. This “never-stop spirit” “accelerated the evolution” of the Galaxy Tab after the iPad 2 was announced, Lee added.
Omar Khan, the Chief Product Officer of Samsung’s mobile division, said the company’s philosophy was ‘We’re not going to be outdone.” Outdone by anyone, yes; but, specifically by Apple.
The second tablet Samsung announced Monday, an 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab, is equally slim and weighs 470 grams. It, too, likely benefited from a quick redesign. After all, Samsung’s original, 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which launched last fall, is 11.4 millimeters thick. Khan declined to confirm that point, noting, “The 8.9 Galaxy Tab was never announced before, so there was nothing to modify.”
How did Samsung squeeze more than two millimeters of bulk and four grams of weight out of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the space of several weeks? It turned to technology that was already in its labs — though not yet commercialized.
“We went back to the drawing board,” acknowledged Khan. But since Samsung “spends billions on research and development annually”, the “innovations necessary” to enable the company to redesign 10.1 were ready, said Khan.
Samsung prefers to remain vague about the exact nature of those innovations. But it’s clear that it will continue tweaking the tablets up until they actually go on sale, in early June for the 10.1 and “early summer” for the 8.9 version. “We’re always looking for better options…and to outperform the industry standard,” said Lee. If Samsung identifies any other “improvement points” before the summer launch, the company will adjust its tablets again, she added.
Who will get these sleeker tablets? All U.S. consumers and most global consumers. Samsung has a deal with UK-based carrier Vodafone to launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 before other operators get access. Lee said Samsung is honoring that agreement and currently hashing out which version of the tablet Vodafone will sell. U.S. consumers will get the thinner Tab in early June, according to Khan.
Though Samsung did not showcase any phones at its CTIA press conference, it does have a new handset, on Sprint — a 4G version of the Nexus S Android phone that originally launched on T-Mobile USA last year. The company’s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S II, which was announced at Mobile World Congress in February, will also be coming to the U.S., said Khan.
Super PLS, New Generation LCD Screen Better Than IPS On iPad 2
Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) has announced that it has developed a new generation of LCD screen is much better than the conventional IPS panel (like artificial LG used on the iPhone 4 and iPad 2). Super PLS or the Super Plan to Line Switching display is claimed to have increased about 100 percent at the point of view and 10 percent brighter. This is the latest generation of Super Clear LCD screen on the Samsung Wave II.
Super Screen LCD is superior in terms of a more natural color (like the original), brighter, more detailed and more durable than conventional AMOLED (another with Super AMOLED) is superior in contrast and more vivid color saturation. PLS Super screen technology supports up to WXGA resolution (1280 x 800 pixels) and about 15 percent cheaper to produce.
