Meet the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, Samsung’s latest Android tablet. As the name suggests, it’s a revamped version of its original 7-inch Galaxy Tab Android slate, with souped up specs and Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”. A rival to the forthcoming iPad 3, expected to be revealed next month, however, it is not.
At a glance, may be suspicious. The authoritative Wall Street Journal says an iPad 3 with a much sharper screen will arrive next month, and Samsung outing what could be perceived as its new flagship slate could be seen as a response to it.
But this isn’t a high end device. Inside, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is powered by a rather pedestrian dual-core 1GHz, 4,000mAh battery, and the 7-inch 1024×600 screen is a cheapo LCD display rather than the Galaxy Tab 7.7’s glorious AMOLED screen.
Samsung’s not talking pricing for the Galaxy Tab 2 just yet, but given the specs – and the complete failure of any tablets other than the iPad 2 to sell above £400 – this would have to come in at around £300 or lower to even stand a chance in the cut throat world of tablets.
So what is Samsung’s iPad 3 rival? More likely, it’s working on that right now, and waiting. Last year, Samsung actually changed the design of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in response to the iPad 2’s unveiling, making it thinner, and it may just be planning too again.
Stay tuned: we may well know more at Mobile World Congress at the end of the month.
