Samsung To Join iPad Frenzy With Galaxy Tab

Samsung has become the lastest vendor to jump aboard the tablet bandwagon after it revealed plans to build its own Android-based tablet device.

Known as the Galaxy Tab, the news was broken via the electronic giant’s Twitter feed in South Africa. The South Africa Twitter announcement included a picture link, although photos of the device seem to have been removed at the time of writing, suggesting that the information was not supposed to have been revealed yet.

Phone Included?

However a picture of the device is still available from the technology blog Engadget. The picture of the Galaxy Tab also contains a picture of the Android powered Samsung Galaxy S smartphone, for size comparison purposes.

Interestingly, the picture of the Galaxy Tab clearly shows a phone icon on its screen, which suggests that the tablet could also be used to make voice calls.

What is certain about the Galaxy Tab however is that it will feature a 7 inch TFT screen and will come with a special version of Samsung’s Touch Wiz user interface. Samsung’s decision to opt for Google’s Android operating system to power the Galaxy Tab is an interesting one, especially considering that Samsung could have instead opted to run its own mobile operating system, Bada.

According to Engadget, the Galaxy Tab was previously referred to as the S-Pad, and is expected to feature a high-resolution screen, as well as offering access to Samsung’s App Store.

Its Getting Hot In Here

If the report proves to be true, Samsung looks set to join what will become a crowded tablet market-place, following the hugely successful Apple iPad, which recently launched in the UK. Dell for example has today begun selling the Dell Streak in the UK via O2 stores and the Carphone Warehouse. The US will get the Streak in one month’s time.

Meanwhile a Linux-based iPad alternative is already available from Singapore development studio Fusion Garage, with its so called JooJoo tablet PC.

Other tablets are also expected from the likes of HP (the Slate – due in October) and Google (which is working on a tablet with Verizon). Meanwhile BT has also promised to launch a tablet phone.