Samsung has announced Monday that it will begin selling the new lineup of Galaxy Tab tablets in the beginning of July. The new Galaxy Tab 3 series comes in a 10.1-inch model, an 8-inch model, and a 7-inch model, in case you're really picky and specific about your tablet sizes. Prices for all three tablets were announced too, along with an exact launch date.
Pre-sales for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series begin online Tuesday, June 25. You can pre-order a new Galaxy Tab 3 tablet from several retailers, like Best Buy, Fry's, Amazon, and Wal-Mart, as well as at Samsung.com. After that, all three Galaxy Tab 3 devices at retailers beginning on Sunday, July 7.
The tablets are priced at a relatively cheap starting point, with the Galaxy Tab 7.0 beginning at $199. The 8-inch model Galaxy Tab 3 is $299, and the 10.1-inch tablet will cost $399. The Galaxy Tab series offers yet another three devices into Samsung's ballooning portfolio of mobile Android systems, which include their flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, with two variants on that model, several mid-tier smartphones, and a Galaxy Note series of tablets. And Samsung's more PC-styled ATIV tablet series was just announced last week.
If you're not sure whether to get a 7-inch Galaxy Tab, or the 8 or 10-inch models, there are a few slight distinctions you should be aware of. The 10.1-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 3 has a 1.6GHz dual core processor and a nice 6,800 mAh battery, but only 1GB RAM. It's a relatively cheap 10-inch tablet, and you'll get the most recent Android system, 4.2 Jelly Bean, along with 1280 x 800p HD resolution, which is okay, though certainly not even close to what higher-end tablets offer. It comes with an option of 16GB or 32GB internal storage, with expansion to 64GB more through a microSD card slot.
The 8-inch variant also offers the 1280 x 800p HD resolution, which is important in a smaller tablet, and its 189 pixels per inch is comparable to the iPad mini's 163 ppi. It will come with the same storage options, as well as WiFi, 3G, or 4G connectivity, same as the 10.1-inch. The 8-inch tablet's camera is not top-of-its-class, but at 5 megapixels, it actually beats out the 10.1-inch's 3 megapixel shooter. It's powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor, with more ram than its 10.1-inch model, at 1.5GB.
The Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is more of an entry-level tablet, but its price reflects that. Its display will have 1024 x 600p resolution, running Android Jelly Bean 4.1 on a dual core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB RAM. It comes with 8GB storage, but again, there's microSD expansion to help make the 7.0-inch tablet's more capable of holding all the apps you'd probably want.
While a large and small tablet option makes sense, having an 8-inch variant and a 7-inch side-by-side on store shelves seems like Samsung variety-overkill. The company explains this move in its press release to Engadget.
"Samsung's industry-leading smartphones, Note devices and tablets address consumers' diverse demands and personal preferences," said Nanda Ramachandran, vice president of emerging business at Samsung Telecommunications America. "The Galaxy Tab 3 portfolio offers consumers more options for tablets that serve as their ultimate smartphone companion, the center of home and on-the-go use, and mobile devices packed with content and services." The company also cites Forrester Research data, saying that "across 25 types of tablet applications there is no single dominant use of tablets by users. The typical user is more well-defined by their lack of uniformity..." says Samsung.
Samsung is hoping the typical user will prefer to pick up one of three Galaxy Tab 3 tablets, instead of the higher-spec'd new Nexus 7, which is rumored to be on its way.
Keep checking back with us for more news about Samsung's tablet line, as well as the Nexus 7 and other tech topics.
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