This morning mobireview tweeted a juicy bit of information sure to set the Android3.0 conversations abuzz. Word has it that Google has chosen the yet-to-be-released 7-inch Motorola MOTOPAD to be the first device to show Android3.0. No other major details were given, just enough information to get people talking speculating!
The dam is about to bust on the eagerly-awaiting Samsung Galaxy Tablet and its availability on the major networks (already actually announced on Sprint, T-Mo, and Verizon). Today there a is a post on engadget from a tipster showing what is allegedly an AT&T screen capture detailing the availability of this hot new tablet.
From the screen capture:
These data plans are identical to the iPad plans, so nothing too new here. What is questionable is the overall pricing of the device. The AT&T device is more expensive than the announced T-Mo or Verizon by $50, and $20 more expensive than the larger-screen iPad. I am sure there is a strategy here, time will tell what exactly that strategy is.
Sound off in the comments below and let us know your thoughts, will you be picking one of these up in the following days/weeks?
Source: engadget
Bloomberg is reporting this morning that the much-anticipated BlackBerry PlayBook will go on sale in the U.S. and few select countries Q1 of 2011! This is great news for BlackBerry fans who cannot wait to get their hands on one of these tablets. I guess I will have to cross mine off of my Christmas list, but at least it is on the horizon!
The word came directly from RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie in an interview with South Korean reporting Jun Yang. Other interesting bits to note from the interview include retail pricing (sub-$500) and details on the availability of the Torch in South Korean market (late Q4 2010 or early Q1 2011) as well as the retail stores that will possibly carry the PlayBook: Target and Best Buy. The Best Buy one I understand, but I’m not quite sure I get the Target opportunity.
Are you excited for this tablet to hit the market? I know I am looking forward to getting my hands on one to try out. I’m excited about Adobe AIR and using my BBM on a larger screen from the couch! Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
Source: Bloomberg
T-Mobile customers will be excited to hear that the Samsung Galaxy Tab is available starting today. You can grab it for $399.99 on a 2-year contract online which includes a $150.00 instant discount and a $50.00 web-only discount. Below are some specs on this powerful 7-inch touchscreen tablet:
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Specs* Size:
* 4.7 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
* Weight:
* 13.4 ounces
* Included battery:
* 4000mAh Li-ion
* Talk time:
* n/a
* Standby time:
* n/a
* Band (frequency):
* 850 MHz;900 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz;UMTS: Band I (2100);UMTS: Band IV (AWS);UMTS: Band IV (1700/2100)What’s in the box?
* Pre-installed Battery
* A/C Adaptor
* USB Cable* International roaming available on T-Mobile wireless data and Wi-Fi HotSpot partner networks after international use is activated; international roaming rates apply. Domestic and international messaging incurs separate additional charges.
Source: T-Mobile
So, who’s heading out to T-Mobile to snatch up a Samung Galaxy Tab? Hit us up in the comments with your plans.
Anyone have any plans on November 11, 2010? I bet some of you Verizon folk do now! The Samsung Galaxy Tab with its Android goodness is dropping on Big Red on 11/11/10. Looks like Verizon is definitely settling into the tablet arena nicely with the news that the iPad will be sold in Verizon stores on 10/28/10 as well. The Android 2.2-based tablet, which has dual cameras, a 1GHz processor, and Verizon-branded service on board, will cost $600. Verizon Wireless doesn’t mention if a rebate is involved.
I’ll keep you posted as I hear more information. Who’s excited for this? Looks like my Christmas list will keep seeing revisions with all of this tech madness going on. Lol! Let us know in the comments if you’re going to grab the Samsung Galaxy Tab on the Verizon network.
Source: PhoneScoop
Thanks
BlackBerry PlayBook? Ok….I’m down with that. Thanks to Engadget for the shot above, now take a moment to feast your eyes on what we all feared was going to be called the BlackPad. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that THAT name was shelved. Enter the BlackBerry PlayBook. Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Below is the full Press Release by RIM and then below that is a little teaser video! Enjoy:
New Professional-Grade Tablet Delivers Unmatched Power and Web Performance
San Francisco, CA – BlackBerry DEVCON 2010 – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today redefined the possibilities for mobile computing with the unveiling of its new professional-grade BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet and BlackBerry® Tablet OS.
Perfect for either large organizations or an “army of one”, the BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to give users what they want, including uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, while also providing advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a breakthrough development platform for IT departments and developers. The incredibly powerful and innovative BlackBerry PlayBook is truly a game-changing product in the growing tablet marketplace.
“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world’s most robust and flexible operating systems,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromised web browsing and high performance multimedia.”
The Tablet You’ll Want to Take Everywhere
This beautifully designed and incredibly powerful tablet is ultra portable, ultra thin and super convenient for both work and play. Measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, the BlackBerry PlayBook features a vivid 7” high resolution display that looks and feels great in your hand. With such a unique mix of utility, performance and portability, you’ll want to take it everywhere.The New Benchmark in Tablet Performance
At its heart, the BlackBerry PlayBook is a multitasking powerhouse. Its groundbreaking performance is jointly fueled by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and the new BlackBerry Tablet OS which supports true symmetric multiprocessing. Together, the abundant processing power and highly sophisticated OS enable the BlackBerry PlayBook to provide users with true multitasking and a highly-responsive and fluid touch screen experience for apps and content services.Uncompromised Web Browsing
With support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, Adobe® Mobile AIR® and HTML-5, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides customers with an uncompromised, high-fidelity web experience and offers them the ability to enjoy all of the sites, games and media on the web. For more than a decade, the mobile industry has worked to bridge the gap between the “real web” and mobile devices through various apps and technologies and, in fact, a significant number of mobile apps today still simply serve as a proxy for web content that already exists on the web. The BlackBerry PlayBook closes that gap and brings the real, full web experience to mobile users while also opening new and more exciting opportunities for developers and content publishers.High Performance Multimedia
The BlackBerry PlayBook features premium multimedia features to support high-quality mobile experiences. It includes dual HD cameras for video capture and video conferencing that can both record HD video at the same time, and an HDMI-out port for presenting one’s creations on external displays. The BlackBerry PlayBook also offers rich stereo sound and a media player that rivals the best in the industry.BlackBerry Integration
For those BlackBerry PlayBook users who carry a BlackBerry smartphone*, it will also be possible to pair their tablet and smartphone using a secure Bluetooth® connection. This means they can opt to use the larger tablet display to seamlessly and securely view any of the email, BBM™, calendar, tasks, documents and other content that resides on (or is accessible through) their smartphone. They can also use their tablet and smartphone interchangeably without worrying about syncing or duplicating data. This secure integration of BlackBerry tablets and smartphones is a particularly useful feature for those business users who want to leave their laptop behind.Enterprise Ready
Thanks to the seamless and secure Bluetooth pairing experience and the highly secure underlying OS architecture, the BlackBerry PlayBook is enterprise ready and compatible (out-of-the-box) with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server. When connected over Bluetooth, the smartphone content is viewable on the tablet, but the content actually remains stored on the BlackBerry smartphone and is only temporarily cached on the tablet (and subject to IT policy controls). With this approach to information security, IT departments can deploy the BlackBerry PlayBook to employees out-of-the-box without worrying about all the security and manageability issues that arise when corporate data is stored on yet another device.
QNX Neutrino Reliability
The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture, one of the most reliable, secure and robust operating system architectures in the world. Neutrino has been field hardened for years and is being used to support mission-critical applications in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the Internet. The new BlackBerry Tablet OS leverages and builds upon the many proven strengths of this QNX Neutrino architecture to support a professional grade tablet experience and to redefine the possibilities for mobile computing.An OS Built for Developers
The Neutrino based microkernel architecture in the BlackBerry Tablet OS delivers exceptional performance, high scalability, Common Criteria EAL 4+ security, and support for industry standard tools that are already familiar to hundreds of thousands of developers. The OS is fully POSIX compliant enabling easy portability of C-based code, supports Open GL for 2D and 3D graphics intensive applications like gaming, and will run applications built in Adobe Mobile AIR as well as the new BlackBerry® WebWorks™ app platform announced today (which will allow apps to be written to run on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets as well as BlackBerry smartphones with BlackBerry® 6). The BlackBerry Tablet OS will also support Java enabling developers to easily bring their existing BlackBerry 6 Java applications to the BlackBerry Tablet OS environment.
Key features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook include:• 7” LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
• Ultra thin and portable:
o Measures 5.1”x7.6”x0.4” (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
o Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
• Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail outlets.
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.Availability
The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to be available in retail outlets and other channels in the United States in early 2011 with rollouts in other international markets beginning in (calendar) Q2.RIM will begin working with developers and select corporate customers next month to begin development and early testing efforts.
The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK is planned for release in the coming weeks and developers can register for early access at www.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos.
For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/playbook.
*Bluetooth support required.
What do you think? Are you sold on this? Stickin with the iPad? Going with something different? Couldn’t care less? Let us know in the comments, we want to hear what you think!
source – RIM PR
Verizon Wireless has also sent out a press release regarding THEIR availability of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. This is scheduled to launch “in the coming weeks” per the presser.
Here’s the full press release:
BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and DALLAS, TX — Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the Samsung Galaxy Tab™ will launch in the coming weeks. Equipped with a brilliant 7-inch touch screen and a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application processor, the Galaxy Tab will provide customers with a robust HTML Web browsing experience. “The Samsung Galaxy Tab is an exciting addition to the Verizon Wireless Android portfolio,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “Coupled with the nation’s largest 3G network, the Galaxy Tab is a powerhouse that will be as exciting to use as it is practical for both consumers and business customers.” Verizon Wireless will introduce the Galaxy Tab with a number of exclusive applications such as V CAST Music with Rhapsody®, V CAST Video on Demand, V CAST Song ID, VZ Navigator®, along with games “Let’s Golf” and “N.O.V.A.”
“As we head into the holiday travel season,” Stratton added, “We expect customers will find the Galaxy Tab is the perfect traveling companion – download a book to the Kindle™ eReader, and you won’t miss your favorite paperback. Tune in to Slacker Radio, and create your own custom station or choose from over 100 expert, preprogrammed radio stations from every genre. You can even download a movie and take advantage of a screen large enough to enjoy all the action.”
The Galaxy Tab refines the mobile multimedia experience by offering full support for Adobe Flash 10.1 for video and mobile gaming and an integrated entertainment, multimedia and social networking experience. An image of the Galaxy Tab is available at: http://news.vzw.com/images/releases/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab.jpg. The Galaxy Tab will be available in the coming weeks in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com.
Key features:
- Enhanced TFT display with WSVGA resolution – Offers brighter colors and clearer pictures and delivers 1024 x 600 resolution whether watching a movie or reading a book
- Rear-facing, 3MP camera and camcorder – AutoFocus captures DVD quality video
- Front-facing, 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder – Enables video chat (Wi-Fi® only) with other people who have video conferencing capabilities (applications available in Android Market™).
- Corporate Email – Supports Android 2.2 Exchange ActiveSync e-mail to synchronize corporate e-mail, contacts and calendars from office e-mail accounts
- Wi-Fi® connectivity (802.11 b/g/n) and 3G Mobile Hotspot support
- Built-in 2 GB internal memory with 16 GB pre-installed microSD™ expandable to 32 GB
- 4,000 mAh Battery – Provides ample power to watch movies, share content and surf the Web for hours
- Ultra thin and weighing less than a pound – For users who don’t want to be weighed down by adding a mobile tablet to their pocket or purse
Lifestyle features:
- Samsung Social Hub – Built around messaging, contacts and calendar sync, which allows users to send and receive daily activities, whether it is e-mail, social network updates or SMS messages
- Customizable touch screen menu with drag-and-drop widgets
(EDITOR’S NOTE: A full list of features and specifications on the Samsung Galaxy Tab is available at: http://news.vzw.com/news/2010/09/pr2010-09-16a.html. Media can access high-resolution images of the Galaxy Tab in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.)
Source – VZW PR email
Looks like the carriers were busy tonight! Got a press release from Sprint announcing THEIR availability of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. No date on this release either, but it looks like customers will see it this fall.
Here’s the press release:
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), September 16, 2010 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced the upcoming arrival of Samsung Galaxy Tab™ to the Sprint 3G network this fall. This new tablet combines the popular Android platform and award-winning data features of the Samsung Galaxy S lineup of mobile devices with the reliability and value of Sprint and access to the Sprint 3G network.
Samsung Galaxy Tab weighs less than a pound and features a brilliant 7-inch Enhanced TFT touchscreen display, Android 2.2, a 1GHz Hummingbird Application processor, supporting 3D graphics and smooth Web browsing, as well as dual cameras for video chat on-the-go. It offers two fast and easy ways to enter text onto the tablet – a virtual keyboard and SWYPE technology, which allows users to input text faster and more intuitively with one continuous finger motion across the virtual keyboard.
“Samsung Galaxy Tab is another Android innovation for Sprint and adds a new category of devices to the Sprint device portfolio,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “The Sprint 3G network is designed to bring our customers a reliable data experience to keep them productive and entertained on-the-go. With Samsung Galaxy Tab, our customers will appreciate the ability to quickly and easily browse the Web, send email, share pictures and video, use GPS navigation or watch videos or live TV.”
Samsung Galaxy Tab features two cameras – a 3-megapixel camera with camcorder, flash and zoom, and a front-facing, 1.3-megapixel camera – enabling video chat. It also offers mobile hotspot capability to simultaneously connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices. Additional key features include:
- Android Market™ for access to more than 80,000 useful applications, widgets and games available for download to customize the experience
- Microsoft Document Viewer & Editor to open and make changes to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF documents
- Stereo speakers
- Wi-Fi – 802.11 b/g/n
- Integrated GPS
- 2GB onboard memory, 16GB microSD card included, with support for up to a 32GB microSD card
- 4,000 mAh battery
On-The-Go Movie Theater Experience
Samsung Media Hub will offer users an easy-to-use mobile video store with movies and TV shows available for purchase or rental and video content set up for an HD-like entertainment experience. Users can quickly get downloads of a full library of video content powered by some of the biggest names in entertainment using Wi-Fi, including MTV Networks, NBC Universal and Paramount.
Samsung Galaxy Tab will also enable sharing user-generated video content with other devices with Samsung’s exclusive AllShare service. AllShare wirelessly shares stored music, pictures and HD video (720p) to other DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified™ home electronics, including HDTVs, monitors, digital cameras and printers. Through AllShare, users can capture special moments with the phone’s camera and camcorder and wirelessly show them to friends or family on their DLNA-certified HDTV or download music from a PC to Samsung Galaxy Tab and take it on the road.
To make staying connected faster and easier, Samsung Galaxy Tab includes Samsung Social Hub, designed to integrate social networking services, messages, personal and business email, calendars and contacts. Calendar information from portal calendars, such as Google Calendar and social networking services, are displayed together in one calendar with two-way synchronization.
Reliability from Sprint 3G
Samsung Galaxy Tab will operate on the Sprint 3G network and customers can be confident in their ability to stay connected. According to the results of a 13-city test conducted by PC World on 3G performance, no one has a more reliable network than Sprint. For the second consecutive year, Sprint’s reliability rates were second-to-none.
PC World’s test involved Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in 13 major cities in all regions of the country during December 2009 and January 2010. In all, roughly 9,000 individual tests of Sprint’s 3G service were conducted from 280 testing locations. Testing sessions were one minute in duration per location, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood. In laptop-based tests, Sprint tied with another carrier for first in 3G network reliability.
With the Sprint Free Guarantee, customers can take advantage of Samsung Galaxy Tab for 30 days. If not completely satisfied, customers may return the device within 30 days to get reimbursed for the device purchase and activation fee, get both the early termination and restocking fees waived, and receive a full refund for the monthly service plan charges.2
A Sprint developer guide for Samsung Galaxy Tab will be available on the Sprint Application Developer Web sitewhen the device launches. The developer guide will provide details for an Android 2.2 tablet and how to take advantage of Samsung Galaxy Tab’s unique hardware and software capabilities on the Sprint network. In addition, session leaders will cover tablet development at the Sprint Developer Conference during the Android breakout sessions. The Sprint Developer Conference is Oct. 26-28 in Santa Clara, Calif. Developers can register for the conference at http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2010.
source – PR Email/Sprint
T-Mobile sent out a press release tonight announcing the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Pretty exciting news for TMO customers wanting to pick this up! No solid date announced for this yet, but TMO says we should see it by the holidays!
Extending T-Mobile’s Android lineup, the Galaxy Tab is a powerful entertainment device ideal for home or on the go. The Galaxy Tab features a vibrant seven inch WSVGA enhanced TFT touch screen display combined with 3D-like graphics and full support for Adobe® Flash®, a speedy processor, dual-facing cameras and the Android 2.2 operating system all in a sleek and compact form factor. Running on T-Mobile’s super-fast mobile broadband network and with built-in support for Wi-Fi, the Galaxy Tab’s portable screen is ideal for watching the latest movies and entertainment or experiencing thousands of Android Market™ widgets, games and applications.
Who’s picking one up?
Let’s get to the press release:
T-Mobile Extends Android Lineup With Its First Mobile Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab™
T-Mobile’s first tablet to offer powerful Web and entertainment experience for customers at home and on the go
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Sept. 16, 2010 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced the first mobile tablet in T-Mobile’s Android™ portfolio, the Samsung Galaxy Tab™. A powerful, entertainment device ideal for home or on the go, the Galaxy Tab features a vibrant seven-inch touch screen, speedy processor and the Android 2.2 operating system all in a sleek and compact form factor.
T-Mobile customers will enjoy a rich, brilliant viewing experience on the Galaxy Tab, which features a WSVGA enhanced TFT display combined with 3D-like graphics and full support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 for accessing Flash-enabled websites, watching video and playing games. Running on T-Mobile’s super-fast mobile broadband network and with built-in support for Wi-Fi, the Galaxy Tab’s portable screen is ideal for watching the latest movies and entertainment or experiencing thousands of Android Market™ widgets, games and applications. In addition, T-Mobile’s Galaxy Tab will include the Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor, supporting smooth Web browsing, a rear-facing camera for photo capture and sharing, and a front-facing camera for video chat.
“On the heels of our popular Samsung Vibrant™, we are excited to work with Samsung yet again to offer another premium Android-powered device to our customers,” said Britt Wehrman, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “Tablets are a natural extension of our mobile broadband portfolio as T-Mobile continues to provide customers with new and compelling ways to enjoy Web and entertainment while on the move.”
The Galaxy Tab also provides easy access for downloading and listening to music, updating social networking status in real time, navigating with Google Maps™, and staying connected to friends and family through e-mail, text, IM, and video chat. Similar to the rich experience on the Samsung Vibrant, the Galaxy Tab will feature Samsung’s Social Hub application, as well as Samsung’s new Media Hub content service, providing access to a robust library of premium movies and TV episodes.
Availability
The Galaxy Tab is expected to be available to T-Mobile customers this holiday season. For more information about T-Mobile products and services, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com.
source – TMO PR email
Well, look what we have here! Looks like we have some official specs on the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
The Galaxy Tab will pack a 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps / HSDPA 7.2 Mbps radio (900, 1900, 2100 MHz), quad-band GSM, 7-inch WSVGA screen with multitouch, Android 2.2, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, DLNA, Flash 10.1, 4,000 mAh battery, 3 megapixel rear-facing camera with flash, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, full HD video playback at 1080p, microSD card slot with support for up to a 32 GB card, and the unit will weigh 380 grams (13.4 ounces). The specs of the camera do seem a little downgraded compared to the rest of the details on the device but overall it’s looking quite sharp. Could this give the iPad some competition? I sure hope so! Competition is good, right?
The Samsung GALAXY Tab will be launched in Europe in mid September, and in other markets including Korea, the US and Asia in coming months. No word on the pricing as of yet.
You all excited for this device? I know I’d like to get my grubby little mitts on it. Lol! Give us a shout in the comments on your reaction to the release.
Source: BoyGeniusReport
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