Samsung had a surprise in store – a completely new Galaxy Tab 10.1 after Galaxy Tab 8.9. It wasn’t decided earlier, but Samsung with a surprise ready to launch both the tab’s together. The two Honeycomb tablets have been given competitive prices pegged to the iPad 2, with the 16GB WiFi-only 10.1-inch model priced at $499 and the 32GB model at $599, while the 16GB WiFi-only 8.9-inch model will retail for $469, and the 32GB model for $569. For now, only WiFi models of the two tablets have been announced, though 3G and 4G HSPA+ tablets were detailed. The WiFi-only Galaxy Tab 10.1 is scheduled to hit shelves in the U.S. on June 8th, and the WiFi-only Galaxy Tab 8.9 has been given an ‘early summer’ or July-August arrival.
Find specifications in the Samsung released spec sheets above. While Samsung has still not revealed exact nature of the 1GHz dual-core application processor that powers both tablets, it’s still assumed to be Nvidia’s Tegra 2 offering. Both tablets are thinner than the 8.8mm thick iPad 2, measuring just 8.6mm. The large 6000 mAh and 6860 mAh batteries that power the devices are expected to give about 10 hours of video playback. Both tablets also pack Wi-Fi a/b/g/n connectivity, will support Flash 10.2, and have dual speakers for stereo surround sound.
Both the 10.1 and 8.9-inch tablet have an impressive WXGA 1280×800 resolution screen, and both feature Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 UI onboard. Samsung has also thoroughly customized the native apps in the Galaxy S-style. The CTIA event also showcased some TouchWiz 4.0 features like Readers Hub, Social Hub, and Games Hub. Some regions can expect vanilla versions of the tablets however.
