J.K. Shin, President of the Mobile Communications division at Samsung, has unveiled plans to release a new Galaxy Tab tablet by the last quarter of this year and a new Galaxy S smartphone early next year.
According to the company, Samsung’s next-generation tablet will support 4G, allowing for faster data transfers. It’s still unclear which flavor of 4G the hardware will use, meaning HSPA+ on T-Mobile, LTE on Verizon and WiMAX on Sprint should all be on the table for the US market. As of yet, we don’t know much about what the next Galaxy Tab will bring, but Android 4.0, code named "Ice Cream Sandwich", is expected, since it’s expected to come out around the same time frame. Samsung seems enthusiastic:
"The race for 4G (fourth-generation) has already started," J.K. Shin, president of Samsung’s mobile communications division, told Dow Jones Newswires in an exclusive interview. "4G transition is inevitable particularly for tablets because it requires faster download speeds than smartphones to handle bigger volume content."
Samsung had previously announced a new wave of Galaxy Tabs, an 8.9”-model and a 10.1”-model, available for $499 and $599 respectively, both running a customized version of Honeycomb, also known as Android 3.0, and boasting dual-core processors. Both of those models are set to start shipping next month.
Samsung has also announced an upgraded Galaxy S, the Galaxy S III, which is expected to ship in the first quarter of next year. This announcement comes after the current generation, the Galaxy S II, already sold 1.3 million units one month after its introduction. The second-generation device includes additional features to attract power users, including a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera and Android 2.3. We still don’t know what to expect for the the Galaxy S III, since the current generation has just shipped.
With a competitive range of smartphones and tablets, Samsung is a true player in the mobile space. The company sold 14 million smartphones last quarter and is aiming for 20 million this time around. According to IDC, a market research firm, Galaxy devices currently hold a 10.8% market share in the global smartphone market, a jump from 4.3% last year.
Samsung received a lawsuit from Apple earlier this year, claiming that the Korean company had stolen Apple’s design. Samsung has defended itself by claiming it had made several designs over the years, and that it didn’t look at the iPhone for inspiration. Until the lawsuit is settled, Samsung will clearly continue to grow and remain a solid competitor in this emerging space.
(via Morning Star)
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