Samsung on Thursday officially launched its second-generation Galaxy handset, the S II, and its long-awaited and highly anticipated 10.1-inch Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, in SA. The products are seen by many as the most direct challengers to Apple, with its iPhone and iPad devices.
Although the S II has been available since the beginning of the month, until now the new Galaxy Tab hasn’t been available to SA consumers despite having been launched in international markets in May.
The top-of-the-range Galaxy Tab 10.1, which includes 32GB of built-in storage, is expected to retail for R7 599. That’s about the same as a 64GB iPad 2 with 3G, but includes the option of expanding the storage using microSD cards — an option not available on the Apple tablet.
Samsung is clearly hoping to capture some of Apple’s market share with its new devices. The Galaxy S II is seen as one of the Android devices with the best chance of attracting potential iPhone customers and has received rave reviews, including one from TechCentral.
Meanwhile, the Korean electronics giant is also offering an application to SA customers that it has been promoting fiercely elsewhere: Kies Air allows users to sync their phones, assuming they’re either a Samsung Galaxy S or S II, wirelessly with a PC.
The application allows PC users to access their smartphone over Wi-Fi and view call logs, videos, photos, bookmarks, and instant messages, as well as send SMSes from the computer’s browser. For now the application is only available for Windows, so Mac users won’t be able to utilise the facility.
Keep an eye on TechCentral for a comprehensive review of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. — Craig Wilson, TechCentral
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