Samsung Unveils Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy S II

An anonymous reader writes "At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung unveiled two new Android devices: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, running Android 3.0 (codenamed Honeycomb), and the Samsung Galaxy S II, running Android 2.3 (codenamed Gingerbread). The two have been leaked over and over for days, but now we finally have the official details."

Comments

Re:Good

[dean.collins]

bit dissapointed no usb and no hdmi.....limits connectivity and "adjunct" tools.

Still at these prices?

[Anonymous Coward]

If Samsung wants the Galaxy Tab to take off, it needs to slash the price by at least a couple of hundred dollars. The first-generation tab sells for $600, even though its capabilities are not so much beyond smartphones of two years ago, and you're getting Android instead of a full-featured OS.

The trend for electronics to decrease in price does not seem to have started yet for mobile. In a sense, we're still like those saps from the early 1980s who paid thousands (in 1980s dollars!) for desktops that even then were clunky.

Re:Still at these prices?

[cas2000]

The trend for electronics to decrease in price does not seem to have started yet for mobile

That's because the end-user isn't really the manufacturer's customer. The telcos are. Almost all mobile phones are sold by Telcos (or their agents) in a bundle with a voice and/or data plan.

This has an enormous anti-competitive effect on the market. More than enough to counteract the pricing trends in the direct-to-consumer electronics markets

It's also why many features that end-users would like (e.g. an answering machine app, an an alternative to the telco-provided voicemail) are missing. There's no great incentive to create them...and, for some features, a huge disincentive if they're the kind of feature that might piss off a telco

Missed the mark

[Taxman415a]

Yeah, no USB and no HDMI drastically reduces the devices usefulness. With those a tablet could be a truly mobile computer. That leaves a big opening for the iPad 2, though I'd be surprised if Apple added both of those given how they have not yet offered the ability to connect to external storage on any of their iDevices. I don't see much that this Tab 10.1 offers better than before besides the speakers and the dual core processor. It's not that those are nothing, just not what it could have been.

"Leaked"

[ludomancer]

"The two have been leaked over and over for days, but now we finally have the official details."

Haha, I haven't seen anything on it. Was this written by a pouty marketing guy who "leaked" his own products and no one cared? ;)

"doesn't have a USB or HDMI port"

[Misagon]

That broke it for me ...

You can connect a proper keyboard to an iPad through a USB adapter or Bluetooth, and even some phones come with HDMI these days! Why can't we have them!?

Re:"doesn't have a USB or HDMI port"

[AndrewStephens]

Assuming that they aren't total assholes...

What do you base this assumption on?

Re:"doesn't have a USB or HDMI port"

[JanneM]

A tablet with video output would be very convenient for presentations, though. Quite a lot of people do slide presentations as part of their work - researchers, university teachers, salespeople and public relations-people and many others. This would mean one less reason to bring a notebook in addition to - or instead of - your tablet.

For presentations the port absolutely has to have a VGA output or be easily converted to it. Most projectors in public venues have only VGA input - I've yet to see a digital input offered anywhere so far - and without it, a tablet would be useless for this.

Re:"doesn't have a USB or HDMI port"

[DrXym]

I have very mixed opinions about the connector. If it is (as some suggest) PDMI, an industry standard for connectors / docks then I understand the move. It means lots of choice of comparatively cheap cables, docks etc. to choose from. Place the PDMI compliant tablet into the dock and you get keyboard, HDD, charging etc. all from a single connector. I still think a device should still offer micro usb port in addition for simple charge / copy file actions.

If on the other hand this is Samsung playing a fast one and aping Apple with proprietary ports (or even a modded PDMI one) and expensive adapters then screw them, screw them all the way to hell. They're not the only tablet manufacturer in town and there will be other tablets which use standard connectors. Many of them will be cheaper too.

Re:Good

[Qwavel]

It has a PDMI connector.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDMI

This is a docking, charing, and connection port which includes support for USB3 and DisplayPort (which is easily converted to HDMI). It is like the non-proprietary equivalent of Apple's dock connnector.

Like you I am sad that this thing doesn't just give us a USB port, but a PDMI port will be a very good thing once they catch on and become widely supported, and if a lot of these Android tablets have PDMI ports then they will catch on soon.

The worst thing that could happen would be for each Android manufacturer to create their own proprietary and incompatible docking port. And it must have been tempting because then they get to make extra money charging crazy amounts for accessories.

Samsung Support

[stoolpigeon]

Based on my experience with my Galaxy S - I'm not going to be buying a Samsung phone again real soon.

I just got 2.2 and the manner to upgrade was pretty lame. (Requires a PC and software that only runs on 32 bit windows) I don't expect to ever get 2.3 on it. When I bought it 2.2 was "just around the corner", which turned out to be around a year.

The GPS is busted, Samsung has never, to my knowledge, addressed the issue and I've just come to accept that my phone doesn't have GPS. I've seen some fixes that involve opening up the phone and messing with some parts, but I'm not interested.

The screen is gorgeous, a lot of things work well, but for what I payed ($500) I expect all of it to work well and for decent support.

Re:Samsung Support

[gblfxt]

it seems the 2.2 update fixed my gps on the vibrant, but yes, a year later does suck.

Re:Samsung Support

[pointybits]

Blame your carrier, people in the rest of the world have had the 2.2 upgrade since October-November last year.

Re:Samsung Support

[thegarbz]

I couldn't disagree more. Well I agree on some parts. Keis is a retarded piece of crap, but it runs just fine on every version of windows i've tried including 64bit variants. By fine I mean as much as iTunes runs fine. After all that is exactly what they were going for. Update to Froyo was painless and I wated longer on my carrier then on Samsung.

As for the GPS, mine obtains quality locks within 10-20 sec, and for kicks we drove through the city once with my phone, the Navigon app and my Garmin GPS. The phone did great, the Garmin kept dropping out and thinking w were on the wrong street.

Sucks that you had a bad experience, but as long as Samsung release the promised 2.3 update for my phone, this will be the first in a many long line of Samsung devices I throw my money towards. - Posted from Galaxy S

Re:Samsung Support

[pointybits]

According to this all the other Australian carriers already have it. Some European phones have an official version 2.2.1 upgrade now, which is a huge performance improvement. You can flash custom ROMs with this as a base. Also Cyanogenmod 7 for SGS, based on Gingerbread, is in alpha testing.

Re:Samsung Support

[Dexy]

The Galaxy S has been better supported in Europe. We've had 2.2 since October, and 2.2.1 since January.

Samsung has actually continually tried to release fixes for the GPS issue, but the more fixes they released the more they broke it. The 2.2 update fixed it for good.

And Kies runs on my Win7 64-bit computer fine thank you very much.

Re:A question about Android

[usul294]

The UI changes to the homescreen would be bad on a screen smaller than 7". Multiple windows, side menus, physical buttons replaced by software buttons, size of buttons relative to the screen, this sort of thing. Essentially with the bigger screen, screen space can be taken up by secondary needs (launcher, menus, options, etc), whereas on the small screen, 95% of the screen is dedicated to the user's immediate content, and things are relatively big to improve the user experience. In Honeycomb, UI elements are smaller, and screen area can be dedicated to not just a primary task, but useful information and quick access to facets of the program formerly hidden behind the menu button.

Re:Good

[Qwavel]

Maybe I spoke to soon.

Can anyone confirm whether this is PDMI or proprietary?

No Loyalty from Samsung

[moehoward]

As a Galaxy S (Sprint) owner, I am outraged at the lack of upgrade to Android 2.2 that was promised 6 or 7 months ago. Yup, I got the point back then and it is reinforced now. Sprint AND Samsung have no loyalty to existing customers. They want to churn us to the Galaxy S2, which has even less battery time because it is so "slim". I'll take triple the thickness if it gives me double the battery time. Period.

At least freaking Apple tries to do upgrades. Sure, original iPhones can't be upgraded, but this sure beats what Samsung and Sprint have colluded to do regarding using the full hardware capacity of the phone that they promised to upgrade for me.

I use Sprint because they have the best coverage in my area, 4G and all. I'll suffer with Verizon after being a 14 year loyal customer to Sprint.

Moe

Re:No Loyalty from Samsung

[Salvo]

The fact that carriers refuse to let software updates through is pathetic. Anyone who can't get their software updated *within the warranty period* should return the device for warranty.

I think Microsoft have the right idea of enforcing Manufacturers and Carriers to be no more than one software update behind, but it certainly has affected them in their market penetration.

If you purchased an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch in the last 2 years (new, retail), you can still get the current OS. It may not work as well on "mature" hardware (such as the iPhone 3G and 2nd Gen iPod Touch), but you can install it.

Re:No Loyalty from Samsung

[exomondo]

As a Galaxy S (Sprint) owner, I am outraged at the lack of upgrade to Android 2.2 that was promised 6 or 7 months ago.

That's a problem with shitty US carriers, everywhere else the update is available for the Galaxy S.

Re:No Loyalty from Samsung

[Vectormatic]

If you purchased an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch in the last 2 years (new, retail), you can still get the current OS. It may not work as well on "mature" hardware (such as the iPhone 3G and 2nd Gen iPod Touch), but you can install it.

Then what is the point? i have a 3g ipod touch (8gb, so 2g hardware), and yes i run iOS 4.0, what did that get me over 3.x? a 3d-ish effect on the pinned appes bar at the bottom of the screen, conversation threading in the mail app (which is still miles behind the various gmail apps on other platforms) and the ability to make "folders" on my homescreen with multiple apps in them.. in return i get reduced performance when doing most things (ipod app loads slower then before etc..)

Sure, the update works on my ipod, but to me it provides 0 value, if someone magically reverted my ipod back to 3.x, i wouldnt bother with the 4.x update again

Year of the tablet.

[GoochOwnsYou]

2010 was no doubt the year of the smartphone, but it feels like the market is bordering on saturation. There are just soooo many devices out there. Think about how many phones HTC alone released to market.

2011 is looking to be the year of the Tablet, we already knew about the 10" Galaxy Tab for a while, and Samsung also have a slider model (Wintel). Asus have 4 (Slider & Transformer 10", 12" Wintel & 7"), HTC are rumored to have 3 (one not using Honeycomb) in the pipeline, plus the Motorola Xoom & rumours of an iPad 2.

I personally like having keys, thats why I got the less powerful HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2) over the Desire HD despite prices offered were the same (outright, unlocked). I could see myself getting the eeePad Transformer despite this Galaxy Tab & Xoom look freaking awesome.

Re:Year of the tablet.

[shallot]

2010 was no doubt the year of the smartphone, but it feels like the market is bordering on saturation. There are just soooo many devices out there.

Yeah, look what the proliferation of PCs in 1990s did to the computer market. [...] Wait, what?

Dammit, you can't claim saturation *at least* until everyone has at least a handful of them. :)

Re:Year of the tablet.

[GoochOwnsYou]

Where will multiple phones suit people: especially considering they need to be on a plan. People wont fork out for more than one plan (unless there is a tax benifit for a business phone).

This is the age of converged devices, the smartphone boom is comming at the shrinking (at least in the west) of MP3 players, PDA's, dumbphones and in the future possibly handheld gaming devices.

Re:Year of the tablet.

[IrquiM]

Some countries sell phones without plans!

Re:Good

[karnal]

Seriously, why would I want a PDMI or whatever other type of port? I'm seriously getting sick of having to buy adapters for every device just for the sake of simple communication.
I currently have to have a breakout connector for my HTC Fuze (yes, I know, outdated - but I'm holding out for dual core goodness) and am just as miffed at it for not having a dedicated 3.5 audio jack. I mean really, what's the point? Having to carry another breakout cable with me to gain basic functionality is something I will not consider again in a portable device.

Re:No USB, no HDMI video out?

[Desler]

And why proprietary?

It's not proprietary. The article writer didn't bother to do 5 seconds of searching to find out that PDMI is an ANSI/CEA standard.

Re:Good

[X_Bones]

And what happens when you want to have a USB device and a DVI/HDMI device plugged in at the same time? PDMI is stupid. Why combine a general-purpose connector with a display-specific one?

So close, and yet so far...

[Overzeetop]

With all the good, you can't get anything onto it except via wireless or a dongle (connector cable to a PC), and you can't expand the memory (no microSD or SD slot, no usb). The connector has promise (USB, audio, control, display port), but it's a rare beast right now, so if PDMI fails, it's an instant dead end.

It also lacks a GPS chip, which means you're reliant on the cell network location for crappy mapping location services, or location via wi-fi. Hell, if I have wifi, I can just ask the guy at the table next to me where I am.

This might be interesting if it comes in at under $300. Otherwise it's going to be a pretty big yawn-fest.

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, why would I want a PDMI or whatever other type of port? I'm seriously getting sick of having to buy adapters for every device just for the sake of simple communication.

Mainly most of us don't want to be limited to 'basic' charging and data only.

Todays phones not only need to charge and have data connectivity, but can pump sound and video out, as well as remote control connections for media players as well as have higher capacity batteries.

What you are seemingly asking for is a phone with a bunch of huge jacks all around it.
Most of us don't want a USB jack for power/data, a 1/8" headphone jack for audio, a standard video connector which is limited to either composite (RCA) for the low end, or VGA (db15h) for higher end.
The next smallest you will find for video is HDMI, which then raises the temptation for the manufacturer to add in DRM since it's supported out-of-the-protocol-box with that one.
Not to mention high amperage charging with the current line of power hungry devices and their matching batteries.

The genius of Apple's connector is that all of that and more is provided in one tiny *standard* connector. It's only downside is being proprietary and thus needs licensing to make/do anything with.

(Note that it only seems non-standard because Apple was the first to have to mass produce such a thing. That in and of itself is not bad. If they would have not required any licensing and allowed anyone to duplicate it's design, things would be about as perfect as they can get. Only their choice in not opening the connector design up is why there is any problem at all.)

The clear answer to that problem is another type of jack, equally small and genius as Apple's, but an open standard free for all to use.
That answer is PDMI.

Buy a PDMI dock with USB and HDMI

[tepples]

I'd assume you buy a PDMI dock with both a USB port and an HDMI port (with internal DisplayPort->HDMI converter), and then you can plug in a self-powered USB hub and connect devices that way.

Re:My Galaxy S

[Vectormatic]

Galaxy S fag here

I stopped reading right there

Please leave your 4chan lingo at the door

No More Integration

[rdnetto]

Having read the comments, it seems to me that Samsung is facing a problem which plagues most of the other phone manufacturers: they're used to (and only want) to producing hardware. The modern smartphone has as much computing power as a desktop did 1 decade ago, but we're still using the old, hardware-specific firmware model. We should be moving to a similar model that PCs use - the manufacturer sells you the hardware (with an OS-preinstalled), but you can pick whichever one you want and install it. The responsibility for software updates falls entirely to the software company, except for drivers. We're moving in that direction with Android, but we're still a long way off.