Size matters
Samsung used last year's IFA to launch its first tablet, and has followed that up with two new ones this year. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy note have 7.7 inch and 5.3 inch screens, respectively, and so seem to be aimed at a perceived gap in the market between smartphones and full-sized tablets.
Of the two the Galaxy Note seems a bit more innovative, with Samsung not holding back in labelling it ‘the next chapter of the mobile industry', and declaring it a new category of product. This claim seems to hinge on the ‘S Pen', which is a smart stylus allowing you to draw on the screen. Considering HTC launched a similar technology back in February, it's hard to see how Samsung can justify calling this a new category, but whatever.
The 5.3 inch display is Super AMOLED, and the note runs on Android 2.3, with an unspecified 1.4GHz dual-core SoC, which we assume to be the Exynos. There is mobile connectivity, and Samsung is insisting that the Note is still pocket-sized, although it's generally accepted that five inches is pushing that definition.
"The huge, 5.3" HD Super AMOLED screen is the largest, highest quality display available in any phone; the touch screen and S Pen combine to produce a uniquely accurate level of control and finesse, along with rich expressions across the GALAXY Note experience, enabling the introduction of new smartphone experiences, " said Samsung Mobile's JK Shin.
For those who find and 8.9 inch tablet to be just too big, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Tab 7.7, with its eponymous screen. Apart from the resize, this is the largest Super AMOLED devices so far.
Where the Note is an enlarged smartphone, the Tab 7.7 is a shrunken tablet - running Android 3.2 and, once more, a 1.4GHz dual-core SoC (seems like Exynos, but Honeycomb tablets have so far been Tegra 2).
"The new Galaxy Tab 7.7 demonstrates Samsung's commitment to offering consumers the most choice in the mobile tablet market," said Shin. "The Galaxy Tab 7.7's ultra-thin design and WXGA Super AMOLED Plus display are impressive differentiators in the tablet marketplace and pillars of our ultimate goal of meeting a wide variety of consumer needs."
Lastly Samsung launched three new Wave smartphones, designed to show off the new Bada 2.0 platform. Now we have the Wave 3, the Wave M and the Wave Y. The former is the only one with a high-end spec (1.4GHz SoC, 4 inch Super AMOLED), while the other two seem to be following Samsung's new cunning naming plan.
"Smartphones are gaining popularity by the day. The new additions to the Wave portfolio are the first to benefit from the power of our bada 2.0 platform; the full extent of our commitment is clear to see in each device. We've produced easy-to-use smartphones that will inspire the market," said Shin.
Go to the next page for lots of specs, piccies, etc.
