Samsung Galaxy Tab Hits UK Streets

The crowded tablet market just got a bit more busy, as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab went on sale in the UK.

Unveiled on 2 September at the IFA 2010 consumer electronics show in Berlin, Samsung’s long-anticipated Galaxy Tab features a TFT-LCD 7-inch screen and a Cortex A8 1GHz processor, paired with Google’s Android 2.2 operating system. It comes with 16GB of internal memory as standard, scalable to 32GB of external memory, as well as Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.

Unlike the Apple iPad, its main competitor, the Galaxy Tab offers a camera and the ability to act as a phone should you wish. And of course, it supports Flash.

Pricing Confusion

There has been a confusion over the pricing of the Galaxy Tab. DSG Group, the owner of Currys, Dixons and PC World, revealed that the official UK list price was £599.99, making the Tab more expensive than the equivalent Apple iPad, and dashing user’s hopes for a cheaper subsidised price for the Samsung Galaxy Tab with a contract.

The lastest pricing information shows some movement, but falling short of users’ hopes. Tesco revealed late last month that it would sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab for £529.99, SIM free. And now that the 7inch tablet has been officially launched, other UK mobile operators have come clean about their own prices for the iPad rival.

Operator Prices

Vodafone is offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab for £499,on a monthly plan from £3 for occasional users, to £25 for a 5GB allowance.

Orange meanwhile is mirroring Currys in offering the Galaxy Tab for £529, SIM free. With Orange, the tablet is available on one and 12 month contracts. The Orange Racoon plan for example is £5 per month for 500MB. A 12 month £5 per month (500MB) contract lowers the purchase price down to £499.

“The Galaxy Tab is the perfect complement to our smartphone and mobile broadband device portfolio, and we’re giving our existing customers the best value packages on offer,” said Pippa Dunn, VP of Propositions for Orange. “We believe that with Christmas fast approaching, and these great offers, the Galaxy Tab will prove popular with UK consumers.”

Carphone Warehouse meanwhile is offering it for £529.00, on a variety of plans.

At the time of writing O2 has yet to update its Galaxy tab webpage with pricing information, but reports indicate that it will sell the Galaxy Tab for the full asking price of £599.

Not A Cheaper Option

What the UK prices of the Galaxy Tab have revealed so far is that those consumers hoping for a much cheaper alternative to the Apple iPad this Christmas, will have to consider another product.

There is certainly no shortage of alternative tablet devices, with forthcoming devices slated from Acer and Hewlett-Packard. Dell already offers its Streak tablet, and Microsoft has promised tablets by Christmas.