Samsung confirmed today that the Galaxy Tab will be available on November 1st in the UK. The Galaxy Tab carries on the tradition of the Galaxy S-series of smartphones with a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, 7-inch LCD with 1024×600 resolution, 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for vide calling, 16/32GB internal storage, microSD expansion (up tp 32GB), a 4000 mAh battery, and Android 2.2. The Galaxy Tab is the first real competitor to the iPad and was the darling of the tech world until RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet hit the scene earlier this week.
While Samsung has revealed both the specifications for the Galaxy Tab and now its launch date, the pricing for this highly anticipated tablet remains elusive. Samsung has hinted at a $200-$300 price tag for the Android tablet, but that price is for a carrier subsidized version that offers a lower up front cost in exchange for a monthly fee and 2 or 3-year contract. The pricing for the Galaxy Tab without a contract is unknown but estimates from online retailers place it as high as $1000.
While I am interested in the Galaxy Tab as an alternative to Apple’s iPad, the off-contract pricing has me concerned. Unlike Archos which has plastered the sub-$300 price tag of its 7-inch tablet all over the place, Samsung has not been as forthcoming with the pricing on the Galaxy Tab. Samsung’s reluctance to disclose the pricing makes it seem that Samsung is trying to hide the possibility that its Galaxy Tab may land at the higher-end of the pricing spectrum. I will give the Korean manufacturer the benefit of the doubt and theorize that Samsung is merely gauging public opinion to find out where that best price point lies.
For me, that optimal price hovers around $500, which not so coincidentally is the price tag for the entry-level WiFi iPad. No matter how good it is, I would be hard pressed to pay more than $600 for an occasional-use tablet. I have been down that road before with the Viliv X70, a Windows XP-based tablet, and could not justify keeping the tablet for that price. While some may prefer the lower cost Galaxy Tab with a contract, I am not one of those people. I already have enough contracts and prefer not to sign up for another one, especially for a dedicated device that will be outdated in four months and replaced in six. Enough about me, what about you? What would you pay for the Galaxy Tab?
Oh, and if you are looking for something to do, check out hands-on review of the Galaxy Tab here. (Spoiler: it’s awesome!)