First up the big news that I have been personally waiting for – a Wi-Fi only version of the Galaxy Tab coming (to America at any rate) in Q1 – so sometime in the next 10 weeks.
Apparently the people at Samsung America haven’t quite figured out the “cute model handling your product” play just yet, instead we have Trevor giving us the details:
Of course no word on price or exactly when before the end of March this thing will be out in The States – let alone Korea, but if the first model is anything to go by then the 2 launches should be closely loinked.
As to whether a wi-fi only version of the Galaxy Tab will do well in Korea is another question entirely, with some noting that, if it weren’t for the phone capability the Galaxy Tab really has little else going for it. (Someone mentioned it works well for reading comics).
Note to the Android 3.0 “Hummingbird” was also previewed at CES and is supposed to be a Tablet only version of Android – will the Galaxy Tab have the chops to upgrade later in the year…?
Sticking to tablets – but with more of the Windows & variety Sammy has done something very interesting with its new PC 7 sliding series:
Again no models.
There was some talk of this a couple of months ago on Engadget with a render showing the keyboard directly below the bezel of the screen – no one cottoned on to the fact that the screen also tilts up creating a more traditional notebook form factor.
Questions I would have and one comes to mind immediately – is how sturdy is the sliding-tilting mechanism. We have all had the “Floppy Nintendo DS” syndrome where the top screen looses it’s staying power and flops all over the place. But then in saying that Samsung is known for its sturdy, if not rock solid aluminum (ala Apple) construction.
The second question is of course what’s under the hood? No word in the video of course – but I’m guessing some sort of high end Atom for mobility and battery – is it a touch screen? Has to be right – especially when in tablet mode, but there’s a distinct lack of a track pad in front of the keys when the slider is out…? Surely Samsung doesn’t want us to be reaching up and touching the screen all the time…?
Already predicted a long time ago here at The Chosun BImbo – Samsung’s answer to the iPod Touch – The Galaxy Player.
Unfortunately no official Sammy USA video for this one – instead some right geeza from the UK innit:
Two interesting things from that minute of footage – the fact Samsung is touting it as an INternet connected device – as opposed to an MP3 player, and secondly that it is supposedly optimized for VOIP - can you see the ear speaker at the top of the device – VERY Galaxy S-like.
The guvna’ in the video says it’s already available here in Korea – might have to have a look around again and find out exactly how much it gores for. Like the Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi only version this, with a lack of a cellular radio in it, should actually be quite cheap comparative to their cellular connected predecessors
And still on the Android / Froyo Buzz it’s the successor to the Nexus One (My recently purchased phone) The Nexus S. Here’s Trevor again:
Samsung and The Google have struck up something of an interesting partnership considering only a year a go Samsung was calling Android rubbish and touting it’s own Bada operating System – now the two are so close (10,000,000 Galaxy S phones later) that Samsung has the pleasure of putting out the first Android 2.3 phone, and the second official development platform for Android as well.
Gadgets aside CES always gives Samsung a chance to shake it’s real money maker – TVs This time Trev is replaced by….a young Forest Whitaker:
Cool. But can I stream a torrent to it?
As always all of this gadget goodness may or may not make it to Korea (which is odd) or in various different iterations over the next year.
Have a look around Engadget for more coverage of Samsung and CES in general
