New 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 to Arrive This Month
Here is Samsung's latest 7-inch Android tablet, rolling out worldwide starting this month.
On Tuesday Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab 3, the 7-inch successor to the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablet that was released in April 2012. This new model will feature a thinner bezel than the previous model, measuring just 9.9-mm compared to the former tablet's 10.5-mm thickness. A Wi-Fi version will be made available globally beginning in May, and a 3G version will follow in June.
The specs reveal that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 will sport a dual-core SoC clocked at 1.2 GHz – possibly the 32-nm Exynos 4212 which has two ARM Cortex-A9 cores clocked between 1.2 GHz and 1.4 GHz. The former tablet has an OMAP4430 with two Cortex-A9 cores clocked at 1.0 GHz, but the company seems to be moving away from third-party SoC solutions.
In addition to the SoC, the new tablet will have a 7-inch TFT WSVGA screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution (169 PPI), a 3MP camera on the back and a 1MP camera on the front. Storage will consist of either 8 GB or 16 GB of internal space, and up to 64 GB of additional space via a microSD card slot. The tablet will also have 1 GB of RAM, backed by Google's Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" OS.
As for connectivity, the tablet will have a dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n component, meaning it will have access to both the 2.4 GHz (300 Mbps max) and 5.0 GHz network bands (450 Mbps max). The tablet will also support WiFi Channel Bonding, WiFi Direct, and include Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 2.0 connections. For the 3G model, the tablet will support HSPA＋21 / 5.76 Quad 850/900/1900/2100 (3G) and EDGE/GPRS Quad 850/900/1800/1900 (2G) networks.
Samsung said the Galaxy Tab 3 will come packed with Google's typical Mobile Services, the company's own ChatON mobile communication service, and both Samsung Kies and Samsung Kies Air which allows the user to backup and/or transfer data onto a PC or Mac, manage media files, install firmware and so on. Of course there's Samsung Apps for installing specific Android apps offered by Samsung, and the Samsung Hub.
"With the new Galaxy' Tab 3, Samsung has evolved its range of innovative tablets, making them smaller and easier to carry, while increasing the user experience overall," the company said. "Its compact, one-hand grip form factor ensures users can hold comfortably for hours as well as store in a pocket or small bag for reading and entertainment on the go."
Samsung didn't reveal how much the Galaxy Tab 3 will retail when it begins to arrive this month, but currently the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with 8 GB of storage and Wi-Fi only retails for $199.99 USD (Titanium Silver) and $219.99 (Garnet Red).
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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sundragon I wonder how this is going to stack up against a new Nexus 7... I have a feeling quite badly based on rumored specs.Reply -
boiler1990 Reply10745690 said:I wonder how this is going to stack up against a new Nexus 7... I have a feeling quite badly based on rumored specs.
The Exynos SoCs are incredibly fast, so it will certainly be interesting.
Samsung has to compete on price though. The Galaxy Tabs have always been a bit more than their competitors for no/less added value. TouchWiz is also annoying compared to the stock Android interface.
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livebriand The other issue with this is the 1GB of RAM - I have 1GB on my gnexus, and find Chrome killing other tabs all the time if I have too much stuff open at once (particularly desktop pages). Even the S3 has 2GB RAM (not the international version though).Reply -
tului I can understand them making a cheap tablet, but I'd like a 7" or 8" beast of a tablet. Beyond Galaxy S4 performance. It'd have more space for a battery and to dissipate heat, so you could get a bigger CPU in it. You'd also not need crap to shoehorn LTE into it. I'd like to see 4GB of RAM too.Reply -
samwelaye how is this even better than the falaxy tab 7.0 from last year... seems like all the same specs but the processor is a bit faster. same shitty screen resolutionReply -
zedon I still think these tablets have way too little storage. I won'tget one until an affordable one comes out with at minimum 64GB. That will probably be late 2014 or 2015, but I'll wait. By then they should have other stuff sorted out too.Reply -
jn77 "the new tablet will have a 7-inch TFT WSVGA screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution (169 PPI)" ; "Storage will consist of either 8 GB or 16 GB of internal space,"Reply
So, considering the compeditors are making tablets with 2560x 1600 (+/-) screen resolutions...... and the latest version of it comes in a 128gb internal memory option available..... Other than the fact I won't buy apple, why would I waste money on 4 years old tech.
Fix those problems and I might consider buying it. -
spiritmn77 This seems like something that you would by for a preschooler. The specs are way too low on both this and the Galaxy Note 8. I expect that Google Nexus will blow this out of the water and it will release in the next 2 months (not to mention the iPad). I don't understand Samsung's strategy at all.Reply