Samsung, in its continuing effort to force people to make phone calls with larger and larger devices, has announced the third-generation Galaxy Tab. The 7-inch tablet will use a 3G connection for data, and will also double as a hella huge phone.
Specifications on the Galaxy Tab 3 suggest Samsung intends to undercut the $329 starting price of Apple’s iPad mini, though pricing has not been announced. The Galaxy Tab 3 will mark Samsung’s second mid-sized tablet entry for 2013, following the release in April of its Galaxy Note 8.0, a stylus-enabled affair that competes more directly with the iPad mini in terms of screen size and capabilities.
The new device will feature a 7-inch display with a 1,024 by 600 pixel resolution. It will be powered by a 1.2GHz processor, and will have the option for 8 or 16 GB of internal storage. The device will have a rear-mounted 3-megapixel camera, with a 1.3-megapixel shooter on the front. It will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean installed.
Samsung highlighted the Galaxy Tab’s “easy handgrip and portability.” The device features a thinner bezel than its ancestors.
Samsung will offer a model of the Galaxy Tab 3 with 3G connectivity, which will allow the tablet to make and receive phone calls like a smartphone. 4G wireless connectivity will not be offered by the new device.
The Galaxy Tab 3 is set to be released globally in May, with a Wi-Fi only model being offered at that time, with a 3G phone call capable model following up with a June debut.
