We'd heard an August launch was on the cards, but now we know that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 will go on general release in the UK in just under six weeks time, on Thursday, Aug. 4. In the UK, the Tab will launch with Android 3.1 Honeycomb, and we'd expect to see TouchWiz on there out of the box too, as it's featured heavily in Samsung's European promo materials.
The 3G version will also ship with a HSPA+ capable radio, though that won't do you much good in the UK just yet, as British networks have yet to roll out this technology. There's no mention of any price point, but we'd be surprised if the Wifi-only version exceeded the iPad 2's £400 asking price.
Press release is after the jump. Check out our review of the limited edition Google IO Galaxy Tab to see what you can expect from the retail version.
UK LAUNCH ANNOUNCED FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 10.1
Samsung announces its slimmest, lightest and smartest tablet will hit UK shops in August
24th June 2011, London, UK – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd today announced the latest in its Galaxy Tab range, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, will be available in the UK on 4th August 2011.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes in both 3G and WiFi only versions and launches with latest version of Android, Honeycomb 3.1, which is designed specifically for tablet devices.
The latest addition to Samsung's Galaxy Tab range features a 10.1 inch crystal clear WXGA TFT LCD screen, weighs only 565 grams and is the world's thinnest mobile tablet of its screen size measuring just 8.6 millimetres.
Supporting network speeds of up to 21Mbps and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 is equipped to deliver fast mobile download speeds and reduce data transfer time. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 includes a 1GHz dual core application processor, with the latest NVIDIA® Tegra 2™ chip, ideal for entertainment such as movies, games and e-books, browsing the web or staying connected with email or messaging services. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 also has a 3 megapixel rear and 2 megapixel front camera with 1080p HD video and Flash playback and is available in both black and white.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes packed with content and services, pre-loaded with Samsung's Readers Hub and Music Hub, providing instant access to more than 2.2 million books, 2,000 newspapers, 2,300 magazines and 13 million songs. Also built in is a specialised tablet version of Samsung's Social Hub, which integrates email, instant messaging, mobile contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 also delivers console quality gaming, with Gyroscope and Accelerometer for interaction and motion control, powered by 'mobile super chip' NVIDIA® Tegra 2™ for mind-blowing graphics.
Simon Stanford, Managing Director, Mobile, Samsung UK and Ireland said: "The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the latest example of Samsung's ongoing innovation in this market and commitment to the Android platform. Our Galaxy family all feature a premium design, excellent screens and are packed with compelling entertainment features. We plan to deliver exciting new user experiences and lead the tablet market in the months and years to come."
In addition to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 announcement, Samsung has also confirmed that the next in the Galaxy Tab range, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, will also be available later this year in the UK. Like the 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is incredibly slim and light at just 8.6 mm and 470 grams.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 join the original 7inch device to provide a range of Samsung tablets for consumers to choose from. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available in a range of UK retailers alongside a portfolio of accessories on 4th August 2011.
