US Cellular is ending the holiday shopping season with a bang. After dropping the price on all its handsets to free, the wireless carrier is now offering a substantial discount on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Originally priced at $499 with a two-year contract, the Galaxy Tab is now available for a lowly $199. This subsidized price includes a $100 mail-in rebate and two-year customer agreement. US Cellular Customers are also required to sign up for the higher priced 5 GB data plan which starts at $55 monthly.
For those interested in a tablet device, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is an excellent alternative to the iPad. While it may not have the polish of the iPad, it is a rock solid device that, at 7-inches, is a lot more portable than the larger iPad. Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab includes a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen display, a 1 GHz processor, front and rear-facing cameras and Android 2.2. While US Cellular may be capitalizing on the holiday shopping season with this promotion, I would expect to see similar price drops soon. Other Android tablets are slated to hit the market, including that Motorola tablet Andy Rubin showcased at D: Dive Into Mobile conference. The possible launch of the iPad 2 may also have a ripple effect on prices as competition in the tablet market heats up. If you need more details on the Sprint version of the Galaxy Tab, you can check out our hands-on review here.
[Via Electronista and US Cellular]