How much will Samsung’s Galaxy Tab cost? The guesses range from $300 up, but a listing on Amazon Germany puts the 7-inch tablet at €800, or $1,020. If this actually turns out to be true (and I suspect it will), then the device will almost certainly be a mainstream flop.
Say what you like about the iPad, but don’t argue that it isn’t cheap. The entry-level model is just $500, which is somewhat miraculous for what it packs in, and even more surprising given that Apple likes to make a good chink of change on its hardware sales. Still don’t agree? Take a look at the Dell streak, a tablet with a much smaller screen which runs Google’s Android OS. It costs $550.
As a smaller tablet, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab needs to have a smaller price. Lets be generous for a moment and say that Amazon is listing the 32GB model (the page doesn’t say if it has 16GB or 32GB storage). Next, we’ll take the price of the 32 GB iPad Wi-Fi+3G (the Tab has 3G as standard): $729.00. The Tab is almost $300 more. UPDATE: Reader Jonathan Huyghe emailed to point out that in on Amazon Germany the 32 GB iPad Wi-Fi+3G is €820, €20 more than the Tab. The German Apple Store lists it for €700, however.
I’m sure there will be a market for this little device: it certainly looks good, and Samsung has sold over a million Galaxy S smartphones in just a month and a half. But is it too late? It seems like nobody can yet beat the iPad on price (hell, nobody can beat the iPod Touch on price, and that’s been around for years). Given that the one thing that rivals had over the iPod was price (the iPod was always a little more expensive than other MP3 players) and they still could’t crack Apple’s hold on the market, things don’t look good. And that’s before we even get to the apps.
Samsung Galaxy Tab [Amazon. Thanks, Sascha!]
See Also:
- Video: Samsung Galaxy Tab Caught in the Wild
- Gadget Lab Podcast: iPods, Apple TV and Samsung's Galaxy Tab …
- Samsung to Launch 7-inch Tablet in September
- Samsung Introduces 7-Inch Tablet to Rival iPad
- Video: Samsung Tablet Looks Like a Strong iPad Rival
- Samsung Enters Tablet Race With the Galaxy Tape
- Samsung Ships One Million Galaxy S Phones in 45 Days
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