The Samsung Galaxy Tab is now available on Verizon, so you can get your Android-tablet backed by Big Red’s 3G network.
Interestingly enough, Verizon is not offering a subsidy on the Samsung Galaxy Tab even if you sign a new, two-year data contract. The 7-inch Android tablet will cost $599 with or without a data contract.
T-Mobile just introduced its version of the Galaxy Tab and this Samsung Android tablet can be yours for $399 with a two-year contract. You can still buy the device from T-Mobile without a contract for $599.
Like the other versions, the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tab will come with a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, WiFi, 3G, a 7-inch 1024 x 600 WSVGA screen and Android 2.2. You can also look forward to Bluetooth (but no phone capabilities), 2 GB of internal memory, a 16 GB microSD card pre-installed and a standard headphone jack.
The Verizon version will also come with the Amazon Kindle app, Adobe Flash Player, the “N.O.V.A.” and “Let’s Golf” games, the Blockbuster Mobile app, Slacker Radio and a variety of V Cast services including the music and navigator apps. The Android-powered tablet will also be capable of creating a 3G mobile hotspot for other WiFi-enabled devices.
How does this thing stack up against the Apple iPad? Well, it’s a little bit cheaper than a comparable version with 3G but some may miss the extra screen space of the iPad. Additionally, Google has even said that Android 2.2 is not optimized for tablets and a few apps from the Android Market look wonky on this 7-inch screen.
Still, the Galaxy Tab is more portable than the iPad and the Android platform lets you do things on the larger screen that can’t be done on iOS like widgets. We’ll see how it plays out in the market, as Verizon is also selling the iPad in its stores.
[Via Verizon]