Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is gaining a lot of attention as what could be the first true competitor to the iPad. With a 7-inch display it doesn’t quite match up side-by-side to the iPad but apparently there’s another model in the works that does.
The Inquirer reports that Samsung mobile communications president J.K. Shin let slip a comment about a “larger” tablet the company would be introducing in 2011. The tablet could also reportedly be powered by Android 3.5, a version of Google’s operating system that would assumedly not even come out until late 2011 as the platform currently sits at version 2.2.
However, Android 3.0 should be coming out much sooner. It’s expected within the first couple months of 2011 and is anticipated to be the predominant platform for Android-based tablet devices. A few manufacturers are holding off all tablet plans until Android 3.0 is available.
But Samsung is dipping into the market early with one of the few Android tablets to run version 2.2. Its 7-inch Galaxy Tab is considered to be the first true Android-based iPad rival, although the iPad has a bigger 10-inch screen. Samsung will upgrade to that size, if the above mentioned report is true.
The move would appear to be at odds with Samsung’s conviction at a recent press event in which it said that consumers highly favored a 7-inch form factor over a 10-inch one during the company’s extensive market research. Samsung said one of the main features its consumers wanted was single-handed operation of a tablet. The iPad is just a bit too big for most people to hold it with one hand.
Regardless, the tablet race is on, and given the high amount of interest people are showing, it could actually be an exciting race.
