Samsung has been making “Waves” in the mobile computing “Galaxy” for quite some time now. Its foray into the android world through Galaxy is said to be a tough rival to iphone in many aspects, while the wave is truly making waves with its Bada(meaning Ocean) OS, which is an open operating system. And we expect more from the Korean manufacturers.
Their latest venture into mobile computing devices, takes iPad head on. And improves on it. In one of my previous post, I had mentioned how dell streak was set to be the competitor to iPad. But the mobile computing world didn’t seem to be as enthusiastic about dell streak as they are towards Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tablet.
The P1000 features a 7 inches display,versus the 9.7 inches of the bulky iPad. Weighing 380 gms, it is half the weight of the apple version. It runs the open Android 2.2 Froyo while iPad had its proprietary iOS. The processor speed is 1GHz in both the tablets.
The USP of the Samsung P1000 is , its also a phone!! Yes, just like dell streak, it has phone capabilities inbuilt. Of course, you cannot put it up to your ears to make or receive a call, given its size. But this is one very important added feature in the tablet, and people who would like to go mobile with computing power, will surely have a thought about it.
It is up to the pricing slot which will decide the popularity of this device. The iPad is priced at 499$ minimum, without 3G communication while the lowest capacity(16 GB) 3G version comes for 629$. A competitively priced P1000, might take away the market from iPad from developing countries. And Android Froyo, with its thousands of applications, will add value to this device.
Quick comparison: (Specifications taken from GSMArena and Apple websites. For detailed features, visit the respective websites)
| Specs | P1000 | iPad | Streak |
| Operating System | Android 2.2 | Apple iOS | Android 2.1, (Upgradable to 2.2) |
| Processor | 1 GHz Hummingbird CPU with PowerVR SGX540 graphics accelerator | 1GHz Apple A4 | Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz processor |
| Size | 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, 380g | 242.8 x 189.7 x 13.4, 680 gm(730 gm 3G Version) | 152.9 x 79.1 x 10 mm, 220 gm |
| Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 |
UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) |
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 900 / 2100 HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 |
| Display | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 600 x 1024 pixels, 7.0 inches |
9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology.
1024 x 768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi) |
TFT capacitive touchscreen 480 x 800 pixels, 5.0 inches |
| Memory(Internal) | 16/32 GB, 512 MB of RAM | 16/32/64 GB | 16 GB storage, 512 MB ROM, 512 MB RAM |
| Memory(Expandable) | upto 32 GB, microSD | None | upto 32 GB, microSD |
| Battery Capacity | Standard battery, Li-Po 4000 mAh | Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network |
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1530 mAh |
| Camera | 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus, LED flash | None | 5 MP, 2592?1944 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash |
| Secondary Camera | Yes, 1.3 MP | None | VGA videocall camera |
| Video Playback | MP4/DivX/WMV/H.264/H.263 player | H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format | MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player |
So now we wait for this device to come out in market, to gauge whether its hardware packs the punch to knock out iPad. Of course, apple is a brand in a different league, a league of its own, with dedicated followers. The competition will be in the masses.
