Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung is using the ‘Goldilocks’ strategy with the new 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab

Clearly, any non-iPad tablet is currently doomed. They’re shifted off to the side in electronics stores (just like Macs used to be) and nobody is buying them. People don’t say “I want a tablet. Let’s go to the store to see what they have.” Nope, people say “I want an iPad.” And then they buy one.

Now, Samsung may have hit on the secret formula, the iPad-killing feature that has until now eluded the best minds in consumer electronics. The seven-inch Galaxy Tab failed. The 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab fared no better. So behold: The Galaxy Tab 8.9. That’s right. Less screen size than an iPad, and less portable than an e-reader. How could it fail?

The other special sauce is LTE, for connecting to all the 4G networks that blanket the world today. The processor is similarly redundant: you get a dual-core chip running at 1.5GHz, so you can enjoy the built-in Adobe Flash plugin stuttering along at a slightly higher frame rate than usual.

Otherwise, not much is new. The screen has a 1280 × 800 resolution, the unit is 8.6mm (0.03 feet) thick and weighs a stout 455 grams (one pound). Expect to see this thing fly off the shelves when it launches (possibly) later this year.

Advanced to the next generation LTE 4G market-leading smart device [Samsung via Engadget]

See Also:

• Courts Ban Sale of Samsung Galaxy Tab in Europe
• Apple Halts Samsung Galaxy Tab Launch in Australia
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Hands-On: A Plastic Toy With a …
• Samsung Chief Calls Galaxy Tab 10.1 'Inadequate'

Well, if you thought Samsung was done tweaking the Galaxy S II, you were very mistaken. The Korean company is getting ready to unveil the Galaxy S II LTE at IFA in Berlin this week, alongside an LTE version of its still elusive Galaxy Tab 8.9 — and we’ll be there to get some hands on time. Both devices are sporting an updated dual-core processor running at 1.5GHz, while the S II is also getting a size bump and moving up to a 4.5-inch screen. The Tab remains otherwise unchanged, rocking the same 1200 x 800 screen and super-svelte (8.6mm thick) design. Honestly, we’re not sure what else you need to know — 4G LTE and an over-the-top processor? OK, maybe price and availability would be nice, but you’ll just have to make do with some PR for now. Check it out after the break.

Continue reading Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA

Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hang tight just a second — let me preface all of this with a quick reminder that I’m speaking on a personal level, and I’m absolutely certain that slates have a place in this world somewhere. We could go back and forth for hours with use-case scenarios (and the same could be done with cars, time machines or your luxury good of choice), but this isn’t about proving that a tablet can do one or two things; it’s about the limitations and awkwardness of using one that no one seems to talk about.

After years of watching the masses fawn over the iPad (and every other PC maker scramble to come out with something that serves a similar purpose), I still can’t ever imagine myself investing in one, let alone actually using one in place of a smartphone or laptop. I’ve met quite a few folks in my line of work that all ask me the same thing: “Should I buy an iPad?” It’s worth noting that no one actually asks if “they should buy a tablet,” but that’s speaking more about Apple’s absurdly enviable mind (and in turn, market) share than anything else. My response is always the same: “If you can’t think of a reason you’d need it, you don’t need it.”

Tablets, for whatever reason, seem to defy logic when it comes to purchase rationalization in the consumer electronics realm. I’ve yet to meet a bloke who purchased an ultraportable without knowing full-well that they would take advantage of enhanced battery life and a highly mobile chassis. Everyone I’ve know that invested in a high-end gaming rig knew why they were shelling out on that $500 GPU (read: frames-per-second). And all of my movie cuttin’ pals knew precisely why they just had to have a Thunderbolt RAID setup. But tablets? People are just buying these things in a fit of hysteria — does anyone actually know why this “third device” is such a necessity? Let’s dive a little deeper, shall we?

Continue reading Editorial: tablets aren’t the ‘third device’ I’d hoped for… from a productivity standpoint, anyway

Editorial: tablets aren’t the ‘third device’ I’d hoped for… from a productivity standpoint, anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Dusseldorf, Germany regional court has partly lifted a preliminary injunction issued last week banning Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe, the day after Webwereld noticed inconsistencies in Apple’s injunction filing. Now Europeans (save those living in Germany) won’t need to trek to the Netherlands to get their Tab fix — at least until a verdict is issued after Samsung’s August 25th appeal hearing. Sales of the device were originally banned following an Apple lawsuit alleging patent infringement, but were permitted to resume after a realization that a German court may not have the authority to halt sales of a South Korean company’s device outside of Germany. Since the judgement didn’t affect devices that had already been distributed to retailers, it’s unknown whether or not the week-long ban has had any effect on sales.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

German court lifts ban on some European Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No one was all that surprised when Samsung announced plans to fight the injunction granted by a German court that banned the sale of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe — what is perhaps surprising, however, is how quickly the wheels of justice are spinning on this one. The hearing, which was initially expected to take four weeks to get started, will be held on August 25th. A decision on overturning the ban is expected to arrive a few weeks after that date.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 European ban hearing to be held August 25th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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