Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 3 line has been official for a little while now, but U.S. availability and pricing was up in the air until today. The relatively cheap tablets are going to be $199, $299 and $399 for the Galaxy Tab 7.0, 8.0 and 10.1, respectively, and will be available from retailers including Best Buy, Fry’s and Amazon beginning on July 7, with pre-orders starting tomorrow, June 25.

For those who aren’t familiar with these devices yet, the Tab 3 line comes in three size options, the 7.0 with a 7-inch 1024×600 display, the 8.0 with an 8-inch 12800×800 screen, and the 10.1 with a 10-inch 1280×800 display. Both the Tab 8.0 and the 10.1 get Android 4.2 and beefier processors, while the 7.0 runs Android 4.1 and has half the onboard storage with 8GB (though all are expandable via microSD).

The full stats of each device are available at Samsung.com, but maybe the most interesting thing about them is that they exist at all. Samsung’s Galaxy line of tablets have never been iPad-level successes, and Samsung has since introduced the Note line of tablets, which seems to be where it’s focusing most of its innovation energy and R&D resources. So why bother continuing with the Tab line at all? Isn’t that just fracturing its potential buyer audience for any one tablet device?

Samsung offers its own answer in the announcement for these devices, citing Forrester research to justify its wide-ranging multi-model lineup. Samsung says that since Forrester has found that around half of those who own both a smartphone and a tablet opt to use the tablet to get online, and since people use tablets for a wide range of different activities, it follows that Samsung should offer a tablet perfectly tailored to each different use case. That’s not the same conclusion I’d draw, however; given the same information, I’d argue that building one or two tablets that cover the range of consumer needs would be a better play, but I’m not Samsung, and I’m not an undisputed leader in mobile electronics.

Samsung’s massively diverse product line was recently visualized by U.K. consumer electronics buying guide “Which?”, revealing not less than 26 sizes for Galaxy devices released over the past few years. But to me it looks less like an attempt to cover the gamut of buyer needs, and more like a way to block out the competition by occupying every available niche. Individually, Samsung’s products, especially in the tablet category, aren’t runaway successes; but taken together, they represent a wall of minor wins and customers won over; nearly every consumer want is addressed, even the contradictory ones.

And it’s working: Samsung’s tablet share has ground 283 percent over the last year and make up 17.9 percent of all shipments worldwide, according to IDC’s most recent numbers. Once, all mobile players were looking at simplifying their product lines to be more like Apple, but now Samsung is surging on a scattershot approach, and it has the resources and the momentum to keep at it for a while to come.

This week, Google announced a new lineup of devices that would be running its Android OS, Jelly Bean version 4.2. Those new devices are a phone, the Nexus 4, and a 10-inch tablet, called the Nexus 10. I’ve had a chance to play with both devices, specifically the Nexus 10, and I was actually surprised with how the device has fit into my daily routine.

First, a little background on what type of devices that I use on a daily basis. I’m an iPhone guy and use an iPhone 5 daily and religiously, but I also carry the latest Galaxy Nexus. I’ve found that iOS still is the better phone operating system for me. However, when the Nexus 7 came out, I found that I used it way more than I ever used my iPad. Perhaps this could be a fluke, or maybe it’s because of the 7-inch form factor.

That’s until I picked up the Nexus 10 and realized that Android OS is, for me, the better “bigger screen” tablet experience. I have a first-generation iPad and never pick it up. In fact, I never use it for more than two hours a week. I’m usually on my computer or on my phone, and never had the need for a “middle” experience from a device. I was pretty sure that I’d never be a tablet person because of this, but alas, Jelly Bean 4.2 on a 10-inch tablet is just that good.

Don’t get me wrong, the tablet isn’t perfect, and definitely has some oddities, but overall, I think that the Android OS has made me a tablet person. If you’re really technical, and would like all of the details on the hardware guts in the device, head on over here to check that out.

I’m a Google user, meaning, I use Search, Gmail, Google Drive and Google+ for the most part. Clearly, those things aren’t as great on an Apple device with iOS…for reasons. I’m not the only one that uses Google products, so this won’t be a foreign concept.

I’m not really a games person. I’ve found when I use a tablet, it’s because I want to watch some YouTube videos, check my email, tweet a bit or go on Facebook. It’s all a lean-back experience, as you’d expect. However, I really don’t use a lot of apps and games, even when I did use my iPad. Perhaps this is weird, but it’s my personal flow.

I have a MacBook Pro and really enjoy using Mountain Lion. In fact, I think it’s the best desktop operating system ever built. However, I do use Chrome quite a bit, and since it syncs with all of my Android devices, it’s a rather enjoyable experience to open up a new piece of hardware and get started right away.

The Nexus 10 is a pretty standard-looking device at first glance. The first thing you’ll notice is the rounded edges and the fact that it has two speakers. That’s pretty sweet. The back of the device, which I’ll get to a bit later, is wonky. It looks odd, and certainly feels odd. However, the device is thinner than I expected it would be, and that’s really impressive.

The pixel density is impressive on the screen; again, not what I expected at all. This baby is big and clear.

Once you get it in your hands though, the rounded edges and feel are quite pleasant. However, all of that is quickly put to bed when you touch the back of the device. It has two different surfaces, a rubberized feel for the most part and then a plastic panel towards the top that protects some of its guts. I have no idea what Samsung and Google were thinking when designing the back of this device, but it’s a bit of a letdown. Not a dealbreaker by any stretch, though. I just find it to be odd.

The “smart case” that you can pick up has to snap into this weird little panel area, which again…it seems like an odd hardware choice.

Other than that, the thing is killer thin and is extremely light. I’ve found that using it for an hour or two is a pretty nice experience and it feels durable. So durable, that I don’t mind tossing it on the couch or coffee table without fear of it breaking into a million pieces. I can be pretty rough on devices and I’ve already nicked up my iPhone 5. Rugged is good in my opinion.

Like I suggested in the headline, I’m starting to think that Google’s Android operating system might be better suited for a tablet device. When it comes to using Android on an actual phone, for whatever reason, it just doesn’t grip for me. When I’m using my laptop, I tend to do everything that I need to do on it. My iPhone serves as a backup when I’m on the go, and the apps that I do use are really great on Apple’s OS. I haven’t had that experience on an Android phone yet.

Jelly Bean 4.2 is pretty impressive, more impressive than I’ve seen on any Android phone, but it really sings on a tablet devices, specifically the Nexus 10.

When I sit on my couch and use the Nexus 10, I tend to check email, flip through tweets, view Instagram photos, use Google+, troll Facebook and surf the web. All of these things are superior on this latest version of Android’s OS and on this device compared with my experience on the iPad. The front- and rear-facing cameras are unremarkable from the sense that I would never really use a tablet as a “camera.” However, the quality on the front-facing camera is pretty good for Hangouts.

Google Now

What I didn’t think much of when it comes to tablet usage is editing documents, getting fully immersed in YouTube and doing heavy Google searching, but alas with Jelly Bean 4.2 and the Nexus 10, I have absolutely started doing all of these things on a tablet. Because of the Google Now product, I am now using it like I would suspect I’d have used Siri, if it ever gripped for me. I perform searches, ask for weather, check sports scores and do research on pieces or places to go on the weekend. Google Now is such an amazing integrated Google experience that I would not be surprised if it ends up being one of the most successful products that the company has ever shipped.

That’s saying a lot.

Docs And TV

Also, I’ve started using Google Drive a lot more — not to create documents mind you, but to review and tweak them after a long day of work. In addition, I find myself surfing through my YouTube subscriptions as if I’m surfing the TV channels, even though I can’t stand cable TV.

This tablet retails for $399, which is cheaper than the standard iPad. However, I’m not pitting one against the other. What I can say is this: If you are a Google account holder and Google product user, then you really should think about picking this device up. Sure, it’s not perfect, and I’m not thrilled that Samsung made the device.

I thought that Asus did a way better job with the look and feel of the Nexus 7 than Samsung did with this device. However, it’s not horrible; in fact it’s quite solid. The idea that Android’s OS might be better on a tablet than iOS might be jarring for you, and trust me, I surprised myself with this line of thinking. What I’m saying is that for my daily usage and lifestyle, this really is the case.

Do you want to wait for another 10-inch tablet with Android? Maybe, but it’s not going to get better than this until Google wises up and starts making its own hardware. Yes, it’s time. It’s time for Google to step up to the plate and control the entire experience of Android and hardware. Does that mean that other hardware manufacturers should get the shaft? Maybe not, but I think Apple’s #1 genius move is that it controls the hardware and software.

Apple has an advantage, but Google is right there on the cusp of something amazing. Maybe you don’t agree with my statement that Android has a leg up for the tablet experience, but it’s worth thinking about. Perhaps Mr. Brin can stop playing with glasses for a few months and help design a killer tablet. I’ll buy it, as long as it’s running Jelly Bean 4.2 OS or beyond.

It really is that good, and I’ll probably switch between it and the Nexus 7 when I’m not “wired in.”

Toys R Us has posted a listing for a new 7-inch child’s Android slate priced at $150 called the Tabeo, saying it will go on sale October 1st in stores only. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company will announce more details later today, but pictures on the site indicate it will be more conventional in design style and not as “kiddified” as the toy store’s previous offering, the Nabi. Technical specs include a 1GHz processor, 4GB of built-in storage, upgradeable to 32GB, HDMI-out, 50 pre-loaded apps and — brace for it — it’s own native app store offering around 6,000 more. That might mean it’s aimed at older kids than the previous tab’s six-year old and up target, but it better have some killer features for the younger set — it’s up against a spate of similar products that have already hit shelves.

Update: This looks very much like an Archos Child Pad with different colors and $20 added to the asking price. Thanks all who spotted the similarity.

Filed under: Tablets

Toys R Us 7-inch Tabeo kids tablet coming in October for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve been following the Apple vs. Samsung case even casually, you’re probably aware that today marked the start of the patent trial in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, with Judge Lucy Koh presiding. And while the proceedings themselves won’t necessarily justify an Olympics-level play-by-play, several interesting bits are sure to come to light. Today’s nugget relates to Samsung’s tablet roadmap, revealing that a Retina-like tablet may be in the works. The P10, as it’s been labeled internally, packs a 2,560 x 1,600-pixel, 11.8-inch display, along with WiFi and LTE connectivity. Details are thin beyond that, and it’s still possible that Samsung may not have a high-res tablet for us this year — though with the company’s mysterious New York City event coming up in two weeks, followed by IFA later in the month, there are plenty of opportunities in August alone for such an official reveal.

Philip Palermo contributed to this report.

Filed under: Displays, Tablet PCs

Samsung Retina-like 11.8-inch tablet in the works according to court docs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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