Taken From : http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=011000Q1151G
With the tablet wars now fully engaged, the next salvo from Samsung is likely to be a medium-screen device to fit between its existing Galaxy Tab models, creating a range that market leader Apple doesn't offer for its iPad .
Samsung's invitation to a media event at the Cellular Telecommunication Industry of America conference on March 22 in Orlando asks, "What's your Tab life?" with the numbers "78910," widely taken as an indication that a version with an 8.9-inch screen will fit between the seven-inch and 10.1-inch versions.
"Come discover what the buzz is all about and join us on our journey as we experience a world of endless technological possibility. We'll unveil our latest mobile products and innovations and explore the exciting new consumer lifestyles they make possible," the invite reads.
Does Size Matter?
Just as the iPad is a larger version of Apple's iPod touch, the Galaxy Tab is a larger version of the Galaxy S smartphone variants Samsung offers through the top four U.S. wireless carriers. The seven-inch Tab was released last year and the 10.1-inch version last month at the Mobile World Conference. The iPad is only available with a 9.7-inch screen, and the size is continued in the new iPad 2 unveiled this week.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made some waves last October when he took a shot at smaller tablets, saying seven-inch devices sacrificed necessary display size in order to fit in people's pockets like a cell phone.
A selection of sizes might be important for people who travel with tablets, and larger screens may offer more usage possibilities as tablets compete with PCs.
"Seven inches is too small for content creation, but may be OK for content consumption," said Gartner Research analyst Michael Gartenberg.
But he added that display is only one of many considerations. "At the end of the day, the battle is not going to be won by speed of display but on who is going to deliver the apps that consumers are looking for," he said.
Apple offers about 64,000 apps for the iPad, while Google's Android Market has only a handful optimized for tablet use, Gartenberg noted. "That's the single biggest differential. Otherwise it's just hardware , and consumers don't care about hardware."
Improvement Needed
Sales figures for the Galaxy Tab are unclear, with Samsung officials saying two million have been shipped. The Tab had an advantage over the original iPad with its dual cameras, but the iPad 2 will not only have cameras, it has been slimmed down to 8.8 millimeters.
That led Lee Don-joo, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile division, to tell the Yonhap News Agency that "we will have to improve the parts that are inadequate."
The Tab is priced at $599, but Verizon Wireless recently cut the price to $499, and Sprint Nextel offers it for $299 with a two-year contract. The basic iPad 2 sells for $499, and Apple is dropping the prices of its older models $100.
With the tablet wars now fully engaged, the next salvo from Samsung is likely to be a medium-screen device to fit between its existing Galaxy Tab models, creating a range that market leader Apple doesn't offer for its iPad .
Samsung's invitation to a media event at the Cellular Telecommunication Industry of America conference on March 22 in Orlando asks, "What's your Tab life?" with the numbers "78910," widely taken as an indication that a version with an 8.9-inch screen will fit between the seven-inch and 10.1-inch versions.
"Come discover what the buzz is all about and join us on our journey as we experience a world of endless technological possibility. We'll unveil our latest mobile products and innovations and explore the exciting new consumer lifestyles they make possible," the invite reads.
Does Size Matter?
Just as the iPad is a larger version of Apple's iPod touch, the Galaxy Tab is a larger version of the Galaxy S smartphone variants Samsung offers through the top four U.S. wireless carriers. The seven-inch Tab was released last year and the 10.1-inch version last month at the Mobile World Conference. The iPad is only available with a 9.7-inch screen, and the size is continued in the new iPad 2 unveiled this week.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made some waves last October when he took a shot at smaller tablets, saying seven-inch devices sacrificed necessary display size in order to fit in people's pockets like a cell phone.
A selection of sizes might be important for people who travel with tablets, and larger screens may offer more usage possibilities as tablets compete with PCs.
"Seven inches is too small for content creation, but may be OK for content consumption," said Gartner Research analyst Michael Gartenberg.
But he added that display is only one of many considerations. "At the end of the day, the battle is not going to be won by speed of display but on who is going to deliver the apps that consumers are looking for," he said.
Apple offers about 64,000 apps for the iPad, while Google's Android Market has only a handful optimized for tablet use, Gartenberg noted. "That's the single biggest differential. Otherwise it's just hardware , and consumers don't care about hardware."
Improvement Needed
Sales figures for the Galaxy Tab are unclear, with Samsung officials saying two million have been shipped. The Tab had an advantage over the original iPad with its dual cameras, but the iPad 2 will not only have cameras, it has been slimmed down to 8.8 millimeters.
That led Lee Don-joo, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile division, to tell the Yonhap News Agency that "we will have to improve the parts that are inadequate."
The Tab is priced at $599, but Verizon Wireless recently cut the price to $499, and Sprint Nextel offers it for $299 with a two-year contract. The basic iPad 2 sells for $499, and Apple is dropping the prices of its older models $100.
