The first tablet to offer a serious alternative to the iPad has come a long way. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, which originally debuted in late 2010 and quickly earned status as Android’s de facto tablet offering, is now in its third generation of products. Fittingly, it comes in three sizes — with screens that measure 7, 8 and 10.1 inches — and they’re all coming to the U.S. on July 7.
Of course, there are tons of other Android tablets now, and the Tab has evolved into Samsung’s entry-level “consumption” tablets, leaving the high end to the company’s premium Note line, which adds more features and processing power (not to mention a stylus) for people interested in “productivity” from their tablets.
The Tab, on the other hand, is all about kicking back and enjoying some good old-fashioned content. All the models include an infrared blaster for controlling your TV as well as preloaded remote-control software.
Part of the package is Samsung’s WatchON app, which displays TV content visually, letting you browse shows as if they were Pinterest pins. The search function integrates with more than just your TV’s content, surfacing shows from digital video services as well.
All three models come in white or dark brown, which Samsung calls “Gold Brown.” If you see it in the dark, you’ll think it’s black.They’re all Wi-Fi models; any carrier partnerships for 3G or 4G connectivity will come later.
Here’s the rundown on the three models:
Galaxy Tab 3 7.0
The littlest of the Tab 3 line, the 7.0 sports a 7-inch LCD with 1,024 x 600 resolution. The chip inside is a Marvell dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. There’s only 8GB of storage, but you can augment that with a microSD card. Although it’s the lightest of the three at 10.6 ounces, its 0.39 inch thickness is actually thicker than the Tab 8.0. It runs Android 4.1 and costs $199.
Galaxy Tab 3 8.0
With its 8-inch screen and ultra-thin (0.29 inch) casing, the Tab 8.0 is clearly targeting the iPad mini. At least this model runs Android 4.2, backed by a Samsung 1.5GHz dual-core Exynos processor with 1.5GB of RAM. Screen resolution is 1,280 x 800, and there’s 16GB of built in storage, plus a microSD slot. Price is $299.
Galaxy Tab 3 10.1
The daddy of the line, the Tab 10.1 is notable for being the first mainstream Android tablet to pack an Intel processor, an 1.6GHz dual-core Atom chip with 1GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.2 and has 16GB of storage, plus a microSD slot. The 10.1 is also thinner than the 7.0 — just 0.31 inch — and weighs 1.1 pounds. Like the Tab8.0, the screen resolution is 1,280 x 800, and it costs $399.
After Eight
Although Samsung is offering three models in its new Tab line, it’s clear where the focus is: The 8.0 model is the thinnest, has the best camera and has the largest pixel density. It also happens to be $30 cheaper than the iPad mini, a tablet it actually bests with a couple of specs.
Watch for reviews of the Galaxy Tab 3 devices in the coming weeks, and let us know which one you like the best in the comments.
