Cyber Monday: The Samsung Galaxy Tab
Christmas time’s coming, and there will be more flat electronics under the tree than ever. The big one is the Apple iPad. But there’s a dark horse rising in the form of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. It’s another tablet computer running a mobile OS. But whereas the iPad runs Apple’s iOS, which should be familiar enough to users of the wildly popular iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy runs Google’s Android operating system.
Of course, that’s not the only difference. The Samsung Galaxy is significantly smaller, with a 7″ display (as compared to the iPad’s 9.7″ display). It also features a front and rear facing camera–two of the biggest features missing from the current model of the Apple iPad. Like the iPad, the Samsung Galaxy runs apps, many of which are identical versions of smartphone apps.
The Galaxy Tab was just released in October, but sources report that it has already sold over 600,000 units. And those are pre-”Black Friday” numbers. That number might even increase more today as it’s Cyber Monday. For those of you who aren’t up to date on the latest made-up holidays, Cyber Monday is a term coined five years ago for the Monday after Thanksgiving, when people return to work and make online purchases from their work computers. Online retailers have tried capitalizing on this by offering special deals on Monday.
Unfortunately for those looking to snag a discounted Galaxy Tab, your options haven’t changed much. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is “still expensive today,” according to the Pop Herald:
Meanwhile, the price tag of Samsung Galaxy tablet, the first commercially marketed Android tablet is still unchanged, Verizon still selling it for $599.99 each with month-to-month data plan. But this one is cheaper, compared to AT&T’s $649.99.
T-Mobile’s way of selling Samsung Galaxy tab is different. They’re promoting the $399.99 Samsung Galaxy tab but with 2 year data plan, but they also have the no commitment option, and sells the tab for $599.99 too.
Even at those prices, the Galaxy Tab might be popping up under more than a few trees. Samsung expects to move a million units by year’s end.
A few notes to prospective shoppers:
Want a tablet computer but not sure which way to go? At this point in time, you really aren’t going to find a tablet pc that outdoes Apple’s iPad. But, depending on the features you want, the Galaxy Tab might be a good alternative. The folks over at CNET were kind enough to throw the iPad and the Galaxy Tab into the ring together for last week’s Prizefight. See the two face off in the video embedded below.
One of the big issues here, I think, is simply that not many people are designing apps for large-form Android devices. You can still use all the apps built for phones, but all too often, it feels like much is “lost in translation.”
If you ask me, the problem is trying to stretch a phone into a tablet. We’ve got it all wrong. What we should be doing is trying to cram a computer into one. But more on that next week, when we continue our exploration of the Tablet Wars. (Well, right now it’s more like the Tablet Bullying, with the iPad crushing the competition. But it won’t always be that way).
Check back before that, as we’ll be exploring a cool new Why Didn’t I Think of That? story later this week. Until then, enjoy your Cyber Monday. And leave a little cash for your kid’s college fund.
PS- In the spirit of consuming, I’m going to give a shoutout to CNET’s “The Cheapskate” blog, where great, limited-time online shopping specials are announced daily. Great stuff for entrepreneurs, tech-enthusiasts, and gift-givers alike!
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