The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 might have gobbled up the spotlight following the generous giveaway at Google I/O, but let’s not forget the tablet has a smaller, lighter and thinner relative: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. The smaller Tab has just received approval from the FCC; a tall tale sign the tablet is on track for an early summer release date.
There are two major players in the Android tablet space: the Motorola Xoom and the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. The latter, at least for now, looks to be walking away with a commanding lead. To battle ASUS, the combination of a Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 might just be the one-two punch Samsung needs to win this war.
The Galaxy Tab 8.9, as you’ll recall, features a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, Android 3.x Honeycomb and weighs 470g, significantly lighter than the 601g iPad 2 or 595g Galaxy Tab 10.1. While Apple still argues the 10-inch form factor is the ideal size for tablets, Samsung’s decision to offer three sizes (7, 8.9, 10.1) caters to a wider audience. RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook has done well with a 7-inch display; can Samung do the same with the Tab 8.9?
Coming Soon | Samsung | $469 (£286)
