Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve already shared some opinions on why Samsung’s Galaxy Tab pricing makes sense stateside — granted, that was before AT&T announced it would be charging $50 more than every other US carrier. After initially showing up for pre-order in the UK on Carphone Warehouse for £530 ($850) and for a Queen’s ransom of £799 ($1280) on Amazon though, we’re glad to find The Inquirer reporting that Tab prices on both Amazon and Dixons have dropped to £469 ($738) for a 16GB model with free delivery. Carphone Warehouse has also cut prices down to £489.99 ($784) for the 32GB version. Sure, that may still sound steep to us Yankees, but keep in mind it’s now a good bit less than the basic 16GB 3G iPad which currently sells for £529 ($850). Whether these prices will slide even closer to Stateside levels is still obviously anyone’s guess, but at this point we’re sure those of you in the UK won’t have an issue paying less for your tab.

Samsung cuts Galaxy Tab prices in the UK, still more than AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re planning to pick up a new Samsung Galaxy Tab, you’ll probably want a case to keep it protected when you travel or even a standing dock for a desk or a car dashboard. Thankfully Scosche has you covered with a new array of peripherals designed specifically with the Galaxy Tab in mind.

The new Scosche foldIO gt1 is a folio-styled case for the Galaxy Tab with a suede interior and a screen cover that you can use to carry your tab like a folder when not in use, but folds back and out of the way when you want to use the tablet in portrait or landscape mode. It retails for $44.99 and comes in black or white.

If you’re looking for a case that stays clear of the screen and protects the back of the tablet, the gloSEE gt1 is a rubber case and the snapSHIELD gt1 is a firm polycarbonate case both fit snugly around the Galaxy Tab and come in a variety of colors. The gloSEE gt1 will set you back $29.99 and the snapSHIELD gt1 retails for $24.99.

If the first thing you want for your Galaxy Tab is a stand or car dock, the dashDOCK gt1 has a suction cup at the bottom and uses a non-adhesive grip to keep your tablet in place when mounted in the dock. The dashDOCK gt1 lists for $29.99.
 

We’ve literally been waiting for Tegra 2 tablets since CES in January, but that isn’t stopping NVIDIA boss Jen-Hsun Huang from extolling their virtues yet again, this time on a roadmap that points to just after next year‘s CES. In his company’s most recent quarterly results call, Huang was bullish about the disruptive potential of tablets, but insisted that they can’t simply be built like the Galaxy Tab (or the Folio 100, for that matter), which uses a smartphone OS stretched out to a larger screen. “A tablet is not a large phone,” says Huang, and he’s of course not alone in expressing frustration with Android’s current immaturity for the tablet realm, but once Google’s slate-friendly OS update drops, he promises NVIDIA will be ready to capitalize: “Our tablet and phone business is going to ramp. And it’s going to ramp hard.” We’re looking forward to all this ramping, oh yes we are.

CE-Oh no he didn’t!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab ‘a large phone,’ can’t wait to show you some real tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch tablet powered by the Android operating system, has made its rounds with gadget reviewers, and consensus says it’s a solid but pricey device.

Reviewers at tech blogs and mainstream publications, including Wired.com, found that the Galaxy Tab offered a pleasing user experience despite some flaws. Many complained that the Galaxy Tab, priced at $600, is too expensive when pitted against Apple’s larger $500 iPad.

The Galaxy Tab is the first official Android tablet on the market to compete with Apple’s iPad. Samsung has marketed the smaller, pocketable size of the Galaxy Tab as ideal for commuters, while  highlighting Adobe Flash as a key feature that the tablet supports, unlike the iPad.

Reviews of the Galaxy Tab were mostly positive, but the most dissenting opinion comes from Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo, who described the Galaxy Tab as a “pocketable trainwreck.” A list of excerpts from reviews of the Galaxy Tab follows.

Christopher Null, Wired.com:

“The Tab ultimately reveals itself not as a competitor to the iPad but as a new class of mobile devices: a minitablet that is designed to go everywhere you do.”

Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal:

“The Tab is attractive, versatile and competitively priced, though monthly cell fees can add up. It’s different enough from the iPad, yet good enough, to give consumers a real choice.”

David Pogue, New York Times:

“With the Samsung Galaxy Tab, you’re also buying delicious speed and highly refined hardware. It’s just a shame that you’re buying all that for $600.”

Matt Buchanan, Gizmodo:

“This thing is just a mess. It’s like a tablet drunkenly hooked up with a phone, and then took the fetus swimming in a Superfund cleanup site. The browser is miserable, at least when Flash is enabled. It goes catatonic, scrolling is laggy, and it can get laughably bad.”

Joanna Stern, Engadget:

“It’s the best Android tablet on the market. Now, that’s not saying much given the state of the Android competition, but we can also assuredly say that the Tab is the first true competitor to Apple’s iPad. Its crisp display, compact form factor, touch-friendly software and dual cameras undoubtedly have what it takes to win over the average tablet seeker.”

Melissa Perenson, PCWorld:

“The Samsung Galaxy Tab lives up to its promise as the most credible Android tablet to date. Though it isn’t perfect, it is a strong first-gen device. It isn’t for everyone: The high cost without a monthly contract ($600) underscores that. Nevertheless, if you’re planning to get a mobile broadband data device, the Galaxy Tab’s potential as a mobile hotspot makes it more attractive than some of its competitors.”

Chris Davies, SlashGear:

“Its 7-inch display may offer only half the usable area of the iPad, but the high resolution and responsive, accurate capacitive touchscreen add up to a user experience that’s significantly better than a regular smartphone for browsing, multimedia and – thanks in no small part to Samsung’s custom apps – messaging.”

Donald Bell, CNET:

With the Galaxy Tab, Samsung has created a true peer of the iPad–an uncompromising product that stakes out new territory in terms of both design and features.

So it was written, and so has it been done. Hot on the heels of T-Mobile, the little Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch Android tablet that could just hit Verizon retail for $599.99. Of course, that’s before taxes and options for month-to-month data plans (with $35 activation fee) are factored in starting at $20 per month for 1GB on up to $80 for 10GB. So feel free to jump right in if the idea of waiting for a Super AMOLED version, a 10.1-inch flavor, or a tablet-tuned Android release sounds like crazy talk.

[Thanks, Spencer T.]

Samsung Galaxy Tab lands on Verizon for $599.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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