Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab here
New model expected to fuel competition in tablet PC market
By Kim Yoo-chul
The competition for the nation’s tablet PC market is expected to heat up in the coming months after Samsung Electronics unveiled its first-ever tablet Galaxy Tab Thursday.
But it’s unclear whether the 7-inch and pocket-sized digital device is able to compete with Apple’s iPad as the U.S. company is dominating the emerging market for tablet PCs. Apple’s iPad is set to make its local debut this month.
Samsung has been inspired by initial positive responses from consumers in its strategic markets of the United States and Europe, fueling confidence for the new device.
``The demand for the Galaxy Tab was strong backed by a positive consumer response. Samsung has no problem in exceed one million in sales within this year,’’ said Shin Jong-kyun, the chief of Samsung’s Mobile Division, in a press conference to launch the tablet in Korea.
``The local debut of the Tab had been delayed a little bit. But there is little doubt it will attract domestic consumers just like the popular Galaxy S,’’ the executive said.
The device features Google’s Android 2.2 operating system with TouchWiz 3.0 on a 7-inch LCD display. It has 4,000 mAh (Milliamp Hour) battery and is also equipped with rear-facing 3-megapixel camera with flash, in addition to full high-definition (HD) video playback, Samsung said in a statement.
SK Telecom, the nation’s top mobile carrier, will begin selling the Tablet from next week from 300,000 won for the entry model on a contract basis, though SK spokeswoman Cindy Kang failed to confirm this.
The competition in the tablet PC market is accelerating much faster with handset and PC majors jumping into the new category, taking a cue from the popularity of the iPad _ the 9.7-inch touch-screen tablet with advanced AM OLED display that started selling in April.
The total market increased to 4.4 million tablets during the third quarter of this year from 3.5 million in the previous quarter, according to the research firm Strategy Analytics (SA). Samsung expects the global tablet market to reach 50 million by the end of 2011 with it aiming to sell over six million.
In a back-up move to foster the business, Shin said Samsung will offer future updates to Android OS, Gingerbread and Honeycomb but at ``the right time.’’
``Users of the Galaxy S smartphones will receive the Android 2.2 Froyo update by next week,’’ Shin added.
The Korean tablet PC market will see much competition as Apple’s iPad is set to make its local debut this month with a suggested retail price of around 200,000 won on contract, a top-ranking KT executive told The Korea Times.
Still, LG Electronics is nowhere to be seen in the ``tablet war’’ for the time being _ it has a plan to jump into the market with an 8.9-inch display, tentatively named the ``LG Pad’’ from the first quarter of next year.
``Various-sized tablets will come onto the market, in addition to the existing 7-inch and 10-inch models. For business sustainability, Samsung is preparing to expand tablet models with different-sized displays,’’ said Shin.
AM OLED shortage
When asked on the tight supply of AM OLED displays, the Samsung executive said the situation will improve from the latter half of next year.
AM OLED screens are advanced and energy-efficient displays, which are currently being used in the Galaxy S and the iPad. Samsung has had trouble increasing the sale of the Galaxy S due to a shortage of the high-premium panels.
Samsung Mobile Display (SMD), a 50:50 joint venture with Samsung Electronics and Samsung SDI, handles the AM OLED display business.
``It’s true that Samsung was troubled by tight AM OLED supply, however, the situation will be improved as SMD is boosting panel output,’’ according to the executive.
When asked about the target for smartphone sales, Shin said it is targeting to double the number of shipments to 40 million, at least, from this year’s estimated sales of 20 million.
국내 태블릿PC 시장 후끈 달아오른다
삼성전자의 첫번째 태블릿PC인 갤럭시탭이 국내 시장에 본격 출시되면서 태블릿PC 경쟁이 격화될 것으로 보인다.
신종균 삼성전자 무선사업부장(사장)은 4일 삼성전자 서울 서초사옥에서 열린 갤럭시탭 출시 기자간담회에서 ``많이 성원해주신 고객들이 갤럭시탭을 사랑해줄 것으로 생각한다’’며 ``지난달 부터 유럽 등 일부 국가부터 출시했는데 갤럭시S 못지않게 반응이 좋다’’고 말했다.
신 사장은 ``금년 말까지 100만대 판매는 문제 없을 것’’이라며 ``태블릿PC 시장에서 주도권을 이어가기 위해 전 세계 160여 개 이통사를 통해 공급할 예정’’이라고 덧붙였다.
갤럭시탭은 다음주 중 SK텔레콤을 통해서 출시될 예정이다. 가격대는 아직 정확하기 밝혀지지는 않았지만 SK텔레콤 관계자는 ``통신사 2년약정 가입 시 20만원 후반~30만원대에 구입할 수 있을 것’’이라고 말했다.
갤럭시탭은 안드로이드 OS를 탑재한 7.0형 태블릿으로는 처음으로 구글의 인증을 획득, 안드로이드 마켓의 다양한 애플리케이션을 이용할 수 있다.
또, 삼성앱스를 통해 국내 환경에 특화된 다양한 전용 애플리케이션도 제공할 예정이다.
우선, 신문, 잡지, 도서, 만화, 연구소 보고서 등을 분야별로 하나로 모은 ‘리더스 허브’를 기본 탑재해 소비자가 손쉽게 각종 자료와 컨텐츠를 찾아볼 수 있도록 했다. 또한 국내 유명 강사의 동영상 강의(스마트 에듀, EBS 수능 등)를 제공하는 한편, 다양한 어학사전을 기본탑재하고 중.고교 교과서도 다운 받을 수 있도록 해 교육에도 변화를 가져올 것으로 보인다.
업계에서는 애플의 아이패드가 KT를 통해서 이달 말 출시되면서 국내 태블릿PC 시장을 놓고 주도권 싸움이 격화될 것으로 보고 있다.
KT측도 아이패드를 갤럭시탭과 비슷한 조건에 내 놓을 것으로 알려졌다.
신 사장은 그러나 향후 7인치 이외의 태블릿PC를 내 놓는 것과 관련해서는 가능성을 열어뒀다.
또 3세대 통신 기능을 빼고 와이파이(무선인터넷)만 탑재한 모델 출시 여부와 관련해서는 ``올해 말까지는 이통사들과 함께 출시할 것’’이라고 말했다.