Despite having something of a terrible last couple of weeks what with the San Jose court case, today’s press regarding Samsung has been all positive thanks to the company doing what it does best – talking new gadgets. As well as the Galaxy Note II and the ATIV S Windows Phone 8 smartphone, which we discussed in an earlier post, the Korean outfit has also showcased a couple of new tablets, and here, we give them the once-over.
Like Microsoft with the Surface, Samsung is deploying a two-tier tablet system, with a smaller slab running the tablet-specific edition of Windows 8, and a stronger, hybrid device including the associated bells and whistles.
The first of the line-up, announced today at IFA 2012 in Berlin, is the Samsung ATIV Tab, which is designed for those looking for a user-friendly, entry-level Windows 8 slate. As such, it will run Windows 8 RT, and pack in a bunch of reasonably-strong specs to keep things ticking over including a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM.
There’ll be an 8,200mAh battery, which is reasonable, while the 1366 x 768, 10.1 inch display won’t be too shabby without setting the world alight. You’ll be able to pick one up with either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, and also included is the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 port and NFC.
Meanwhile, the Series 5 and Series 7 Slates will offer S Pen-based apps, as well as optional keyboards, potentially creating that rich, hybrid experience offered by the high-end Surface and earlier-announced Sony VAIO Duo 11. Docked with the keyboard, it looks uncannily like a MacBook Air with a black bezel, although has the obvious advantage of doubling up as a tablet.
The Slate 7 is the higher-end of the two, and is aimed towards the power-hungry business end of the scale. The Slate 7 offers a 1080p display, which leaves the Slate 5’s 1366×768 effort playing second fiddle, while also offering up to 4GB of ram – double what you’ll be able to get with the Slate 5.
Like the other tablet-plus-ultrabooks floating around, it’ll be an SSD affair from the get-go, and both Slate devices will come with an S Pen – allowing you to unleash your creative genius whenever you’re feeling inspired (or just wish to scribble).
Media Hub is also included as standard, which basically means if you buy a movie on one Samsung device (the Galaxy S III, for example), you can easily watch it on your Slate 5 or Slate 7.
Both will, presuming a hitch-free production, arrive along with Windows 8 on October 26th, with the Slate 7 costing $1,199. The Slate 5 will cost $749 with the keyboard (Slate 7 receives it as standard), although if you don’t buy into the ultrabook malarkey, you can have yourself a Slate 5 for $649.
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