Anyone watch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 video?

[Justin Luck]

I was initially 100% set on buying an iPad 2. But after reading and seeing so many people experiencing backlight bleed problems on their screens, I forgo my opportunity to purchase one at launch. Then, a few days ago, a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 video showed up on Youtube. From what I have seen, it looks much better than the Xoom (at least form factor and screen quality). The only problem is, Samsung still has not announced a release date or a price. I think this is a mistake on their part, as the longer they wait to do so, more people will buy iPad 2s and will have no interest in another tablet. The only way they can compete with the iPad 2 though is if they can at least match Apple at the $499 price point with a wifi only model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtqXLGPzVMk&feature=player_embedded

 

[thelookingglass]

I was curious enough to pick up a Galaxy Tab. Now it obviously runs Android 2.2 and not Honeycomb, but I got a chance to play around in the Android sandbox. What was most ironic to me was that I had all sorts of trouble playing video on sites even though the Tab is Flash capable. In fact, on many sites I had a better experience with the iPad precisely because those sites now account for all of the iOS devices out in the world.

I'm also not the type to try and scour the net for free music and videos and would prefer to pay for the ease of the iTunes store. I couldn't find any near equivalent for Android devices or any solution that wouldn't require re-encoding videos. It was just way too much of a hassle.

And finally, the Android market is full of free apps that are either buggy or of very low quality. Total turn off.

 

[JacketOff]

I'm not even impressed. Size looks like iPad 1. Speed looks like iPad 1. It's not even fluid like the iPad 2 or iPad 1. iPad 2 is gonna be a huge success in 2011. How do I know all this? I paid $700 for and iPad 2 64GB Wifi and there are hundreds of people waiting in line at most stores for an iPad 2 everyday since launch.

No one cares about anything but the iPad.

 

[aberrero]

Ya, I saw it, that was pretty cool.

Still bought the iPad though.

 

[seajay96]

Not even Samsung thinks the Tab 10.1 is better than the iPad2 (ok, not exactly, but you get the idea ):

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/techscience/2011/03/04/9/0601000000AEN20110304009300320F.HTML

 

[Justin Luck]

Am I the only one that couldn't give two hoots about thinness? Weight, yes. Dramatic thinness, no. Last I read, the Samsung weighs no more than the iPad 2. Now price is definitely a factor and that is why I think it is imperative for Samsung to release a wifi only model that sells for no more then $499.

 

[Mac.World]

Not even Samsung thinks the Tab 10.1 is better than the iPad2 (ok, not exactly, but you get the idea ):

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/techscience/2011/03/04/9/0601000000AEN20110304009300320F.HTML

Key points from that article:

The 7-inch Galaxy Tab was priced at nearly US$900 without a two-year contract from mobile operators, while the price of the iPad 2 starts at $499, with the most expensive model costing $829. Samsung did not announce the pricing details for the 10.1-inch tablet.

"The 10-inch (tablet) was to be priced higher than the 7-inch (tablet) but we will have to think that over," Lee added.

Samsung, which was one of the companies singled out by Jobs as competitors making "copycat" products, sold 2 million Galaxy Tab tablet computers during the four months since October 2010. Apple sold 15 million iPads in the April-December period.

What the article doesn't tell you is that a good portion of those Galaxy Tabs were returned. What the article does tell you is that the new Tab will likely match price points of the Xoom, since Samsung will never be able to match the pricing of the iPad. It's safe to assume now that these Android tablets will cannibalize each others profits, vice Apple's.

 

[barkomatic]

I was curious enough to pick up a Galaxy Tab. Now it obviously runs Android 2.2 and not Honeycomb, but I got a chance to play around in the Android sandbox. What was most ironic to me was that I had all sorts of trouble playing video on sites even though the Tab is Flash capable. In fact, on many sites I had a better experience with the iPad precisely because those sites now account for all of the iOS devices out in the world.

I'm also not the type to try and scour the net for free music and videos and would prefer to pay for the ease of the iTunes store. I couldn't find any near equivalent for Android devices or any solution that wouldn't require re-encoding videos. It was just way too much of a hassle.

And finally, the Android market is full of free apps that are either buggy or of very low quality. Total turn off.

You couldn't have picked up the *new* Galaxy Tab--it hasn't been released yet. The one you got must have been the 7 inch model. The new Galaxy Tab will run Honeycomb and have flash 10.2. It remains to be seen how well that will work out. The Xoom will supposedly get flash sometime today and how well it performs on that device will be a prelude to how well it performs on any honeycomb tablet for most of the year.

You're right the video on any Android device is more complicated though--that hasn't changed with Honeycomb. Pretty much your only option is to rip DVD's in Handbrake or strip out the DRM from purchased iTunes content using third party applications. Music isn't so bad as most iTunes/Amazon music isn't sold with DRM.

 

[62tele]

Sounds like you prefer the Galaxy so go for it. Price points don't really matter if you feel the device is superior.
I thought Samsung was rethinking their release of the next gen Galaxy after seeing the iPad 2.
It's going to take something more than Galaxy or Xoom for Android tabs to gain traction against iPad. This will delay development of quality apps. After all, if you are a developer you are going to pursue the bigger market which is clearly the App Store.
Regarding the "thin" form factor, that is not what differentiates the iPad from Galaxy. The iPad is Brooklyn Decker. The Galaxy is Rosie O'donnell.

 

[radiohead14]

I was initially 100% set on buying an iPad 2. But after reading and seeing so many people experiencing backlight bleed problems on their screens, I forgo my opportunity to purchase one at launch. Then, a few days ago, a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 video showed up on Youtube. From what I have seen, it looks much better than the Xoom (at least form factor and screen quality). The only problem is, Samsung still has not announced a release date or a price. I think this is a mistake on their part, as the longer they wait to do so, more people will buy iPad 2s and will have no interest in another tablet. The only way they can compete with the iPad 2 though is if they can at least match Apple at the $499 price point with a wifi only model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtqXLGPzVMk&feature=player_embedded

yea i'm in the same situation.. was set on the ipad, then found out about the new gtab 10.1". while i like the apple os in my macbook pros, i prefer android in my phone and i like honeycomb from the couple of times i got to test it with the xoom. problem with the xoom is the display, which to me was not that good. samsung usually has good hardware, and from the looks of it.. this one has great viewing angles and contrast. i also like how this new tab has stereo speakers, and that it's not super thin. i prefer the width of the original ipad more than the ipad 2, as it feels more comfortable to hold. sometimes too thin is not better. this samsung tab's weight is actually just a bit less than the ipad 2, so it should be comfortable for me

 

[spinedoc77]

It's a shame everyone else is still catching up to the ipad 1. I would definitely ditch the ipad in a heartbeat for an android tablet except that I am in love with Apple's hardware. That 10.1 tab is still the same thickness of the ipad1, and there's something about the ipad2 when you hold it in your hands you just want to buy it right on the spot. Plus Android 2.2?!? WTF are you thinking Samsung, they also have the WORST reputation for not updating their OS so I'd bet you would be stuck with 2.2 and maybe get a 2.3 update in a year. That's certainly the other thing about Android that bothers me, it's that you are at the mercy of the producing company to get OS updates, at least with Apple you are guaranteed an OS update.

edit: Just saw someone mentioned it's honeycomb, thats a good thing but Samsung is still notorious for it's lack of OS updates. Still a very nice tablet IF the ipad2 didn't exist.

 

[jclardy]

Watched the video, it looks pretty good but doesn't really do more than the current iPad.

It's main advantages

- Much better camera, at least for still photos, probably for video as well
- Voice control (other than Google voice search which the iPad has)
- Better Google Maps (All though the 3d view was pretty laggy).
- A-GPS <-- I'm not sure if this is only on the 3G model like iPad.

And it claims the "fastest graphics performance" when it has a Tegra 2. I guess they made this video before iPad launched.

Also I love how they say "6850 mAh battery.' Really? Awesome! Now only if I knew how much power all the components used on average, then I could get an actual real world figure!

Lastly look at 9:55 in the video...is that how the camera is supposed to look or does that unit have insane backlight bleed! Look in the top left of the screen, it even goes onto the video frame. It looks like it is dark outside and screen brightness is up to record it.but that looks pretty bad if you ask me...

 

[fertilized-egg]

I'm still not sure how the Tab is that different from the Xoom. The weight is lighter on the Tab by a considerable margin but to lose the weight Samsung is using plastic instead, which isn't necessarily bad but I personally prefer some metal. Otherwise, the it looks pretty darned similar to Xoom.

Of course, one area Samsung can get the edge is the display quality and it's crucial. However even assuming a better quality display I'm not so convinced the Tab is all that different, using the same OS and the form factor. I personally still think the HP tablet is one to watch for those who didn't like the Xoom much but want something different from the iPad.

On a related note, the forum might get a lot of threads like this. Imagine people starting thread for every single tablet listed here.

 

[kdarling]

Key points from that article:

The 7-inch Galaxy Tab was priced at nearly US$900 without a two-year contract from mobile operators, while the price of the iPad 2 starts at $499, with the most expensive model costing $829. Samsung did not announce the pricing details for the 10.1-inch tablet.

The 7-inch Tab was not $900 sans contract. It was $599 and is now widely sold at $499 or less. With a contract, it's now only $299.

What the article doesn't tell you is that a good portion of those Galaxy Tabs were returned.

Only if you believe a single analyst's claim, that some reporters think was paid for by Apple. Samsung also says it was incorrect.

 

[fertilized-egg]

Only if you believe a single analyst's claim, that some reporters think was paid for by Apple. Samsung also says it was incorrect.

Not really. They just claimed "less 2%" without any kind of qualification. It's really hard to figure out what they mean by "return" since there are so many different ways it can be defined.

That's not the only time Samsung played a word definition game. In their conference call, Samsung admitted the sales to the consumers were "below the expectation," but in the same breathe they said "the sales was smooth." So the sales fell short of their expectation but it wasn't disastrous? What's Samsung's definition of "smooth" sales that fell under expectation? At the end, they refused to reveal how many were actually sold to the consumers.

Plus there was also an news article in Korea that pointed out the obvious: Samsung claimed to have sold 500,000 Tabs in the country. Yet the carriers announced they have activated under 300,000 Tabs. So..what happened to the rest?

There are many signs that the first Tab didn't do well as Samsung initially claimed to be, and Samsung has been pretty shady about the whole sales figure.

 

[kdarling]

Not really. They just claimed "less 2%" without any kind of qualification. It's really hard to figure out what they mean by "return" since there are so many different ways it can be defined.

Yep, who knows. Likewise, Apple claimed only 1.7% returned their iPhone 4 because of antenna problems, but that was just to ATT stores, not where most sales were made at Apple stores and online. All companies play word games.

That's not the only time Samsung played a word definition game. In their conference call, Samsung admitted the sales to the consumers were "below the expectation," but in the same breathe they said "the sales was smooth."

That's not an actual word game. It's a translation problem. We're all trying to interpret a Korean's attempt at English. Frankly, I think that Samsung needs to hire an actual native English spokesperson in order to avoid such confusion.

Secondly, as you say, we have no idea what their sell-through expectation was. Could've been near 100%, who knows. They're being honest by saying that it wasn't as high as expected, but was okay nevertheless, but leaving out details.

At the end, they refused to reveal how many were actually sold to the consumers.

Yes, that's the only point that's really relevant. Not how it's worded.

Plus there was also an news article in Korea that pointed out the obvious: Samsung claimed to have sold 500,000 Tabs in the country. Yet the carriers announced they have activated under 300,000 Tabs. So..what happened to the rest?

How soon people forget. Reminds me of the infamous 2007 "Mystery of the Missing iPhones"... where Apple claimed 3.7 million sales, but only 2 million were activated by ATT. What happened to the other 1.7 million?

In the Tab's case, you can bypass 3G activation and use it just as a WiFi tablet. (That's exactly what I did.) That easily accounts for the rest.

 

[fertilized-egg]

That's not an actual word game. It's a translation problem.

No. The executive, Ms. Lee, clearly isn't a native speaker but she was more than a capable English speaker in that conference call. I listened to the actual record of the call and if you listen to her speech, it's pretty obvious that she was just looking to "smooth" it over with the word, just as Motorola said the Xoom sold "relatively well." It wasn't a translation problem at all, it was just a corporation person trying to go over an uneasy part they didn't want to reveal.

Secondly, as you say, we have no idea what their sell-through expectation was. Could've been near 100%, who knows.
...
In the Tab's case, you can bypass 3G activation and use it just as a WiFi tablet. (That's exactly what I did.) That easily accounts for the rest.

That sounds ludicrous. Samsung, while ambitious, is extremely experience in sales of cell phones and 100% would've been out of question based on their past history. Also they are very big about boasting numbers. If they said it's below their expectation, IMHO that must've been some big discrepancy between the sales to retail channel and actual sales. And there are some evidence to support my claim.

A Korean article here from yesterday talks about Samsung's leftover stock problem and the lowered pricing. And here's another Korean article that actually quotes an anonymous Samsung employee that about 200,000 of 500,000 haven't been sold, not just a conjecture based on carriers' numbers.

Also the vast majority buys the Tab - or any phone in that country - with subsidy in Korea which makes 3G activation necessary, and it's always like that in Korea. The reason being is that the new phones carry crazy off-contract price: Galaxy Tab carried a initial price tag of $900 in Korea. Now the official price is down to $800.

It's fine to be skeptical about claims in an online Mac fan forum, but I don't know why you'd be so trusting of a corporation speak when there are a fair amount of evidence which indicate Samsung is just trying to tip toe around a less-than-stellar sales performance of the Galaxy Tab.

 

[Justin Luck]

I definitely think the lack a publicly known release date is definitely going to hurt their sales, because as each second goes by, another potential customer is now buying an iPad 2.

 

[Gix1k]

Not impressed..same as xoom. Same 16/9 factor...same honeycomb weaksauce. I love android, but they can't compete with iPad.

 

[GadgetAddict]

The TouchPad is coming out in June with 499-599 pricing??? WOOOHOOO!!!!!

On the topic, I started watching the video but halfway through I was bored and stopped it. Not very impressed.

 

[radiohead14]

I definitely think the lack a publicly known release date is definitely going to hurt their sales, because as each second goes by, another potential customer is now buying an iPad 2.

samsung will be introducing their 8.9" tab this tues 3/22 during their "78910" event. hopefully they announce a release date for the 10" then