Hasta La Gadget!

When we met with Samsung in late May, company representatives didn’t seem entirely sure that the company would meet the rumored June 8th ship date here in the US, but lo and behold, it’s done just that. The tablet’s launching at noon today at the Best Buy in New York City’s Union Square, and if you can’t make it up to the Big Apple, it’ll hit the rest of the nation on June 17th. But here’s the real question: is it worth making an effort to snag it on either date? The Galaxy Tab 10.1, much like its Limited Edition sibling that we reviewed last month, is ever-so-slightly thinner than the iPad 2, a slate that most sane individuals (and competitors, for that matter) would confess is the market leader today.

Naturally, everyone and their sister is gunning for Apple in this space, and Honeycomb’s the first mobile OS we’ve seen that has the potential to put any sort of damper on Cupertino’s ongoing rave. By and large, the consumer version of the Tab 10.1 is the same as the device launched at Google I/O, but there’s two key differences that we’ll focus on here: the tamed design, and the thoroughly different OS version (v3.1 here versus v3.0 before). Head on past the break for an in-depth look into both of those, but be sure to first take a gander at our Limited Edition review to wrap your noodle around the basics.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Johan, who can’t seem to determine which size is sizable enough. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m in the market for a tablet, mostly for content consumption but also for checking emails and being somewhat productive when I feel like it. I’ve never owned one before, so I’m wondering what size is best. I could get a 7-inch, 8.9-inch or 10-inch tablet — I’m more concerned with the size than the OS, frankly. I need it to be portable, yet still feel “bigger” than my Droid X. Any opinions from those that have used multiple sizes? Thanks!”

A great question. There’s obviously pros and cons to each of those sizes, and your options are certainly constricted down at the 7-inch end. That said, the now-discounted Galaxy Tab and the still-growing BlackBerry PlayBook would fit the 7-inch bill, and the choices spread out significantly when creeping up to 10-inches. So, what say you?

Ask Engadget: should I get a 7-, 8.9- or 10-inch tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WiFi not good enough for you? Verizon’s here to give you a bit more range. Customers will be able to pre-order an LTE-enabled version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 starting on June 8th, but the company’s playing coy about when exactly it will ship. The “coming weeks” is the best week can get, though if that wasn’t vague enough for you the press release embedded below also says “this summer.” Those willing to sign on to a new two-year agreement are looking at $530 for the 16GB model and $630 for the 32GB. That’s a $30 premium over the WiFi edition — not counting the next two years worth of monthly data charges, of course.

[Thanks, Bedan]

Continue reading LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1 gets official on Verizon, orders start June 8

LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1 gets official on Verizon, orders start June 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s another episode of The Engadget Show, in which we keep on keepin’ on and give you a taste of what’s to come next week. That’s when the Electronics Entertainment Expo happens, and we just couldn’t keep from going all gaming for this month’s episode. It all starts when Tim and Brian take a look over some of the month’s biggest gadgets, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the iCade.

Then, we take a trip down to Babycastles, the indie arcade where the gamers make the games — and the cabinets. After that, Joystiq’s Chris Grant and Justin McElroy join us on the stage to dish up just what’s coming next from Sony. NGP? Wii HD? Project Cafe? Intrigue.

It’s a gaming-heavy, genre-busting show this week that you won’t want to mis. So what are you waiting for? Watch it now! The video stream is above, or download the show in HD below!

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Special guests: Syed Sulahuddin, Kunal Gupta, Chris Grant, Justin McElroy
Producer: Guy Streit
Director: Michelle Stahl
Executive Producers: Joshua Fruhlinger and Michael Rubens
Music by: Narwhalz of Sound
Visuals by: Nonhorse

Taped live at AOL Studios

Download the Show: The Engadget Show – 021 (HD) / The Engadget Show – 021 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show – 021 (Small)

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The Engadget Show – 021: Joystiq’s Chris Grant and Justin McElroy, Babycastles, gadgets, gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t expect a lawsuit or two to keep a good chaebol down. Not if J.K. Shin has his way. The president of Samsung’s mobile communication division is telling us to expect an “enhanced” LTE Galaxy Tab (without providing any detail) sometime later this year, following the launch of the company’s 8.9-inch Tab this summer and 10.1-inch Tab next month — the latter priced between $499 and $599. Shin said that Samsung is already in talks with US and South Korean carriers to launch the 4G tablet. He also teased a third version of the wildly popular Galaxy S handset series for the first half of 2012. A proclamation arriving on news that the delectable Galaxy S II has just set a record for the fastest selling smartphone in Korea after unloading one million handsets in the first month of domestic sales.

Naturally, Shin also had a bit to say about Samsung’s ongoing legal battle with Apple. “We didn’t copy Apple’s design,” he said bluntly, adding that Apple’s allegations “will not be legally problematic.” Sure Sammy, tell it to the judge.

Update: The Wall Street Journal updated its story calling for the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab to launch this summer, not in June as originally stated.

Samsung teases 4G tablet for 2011, Galaxy S III in first half of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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