Samsung Electronics this week introduced two new versions of its popular Galaxy Tab slates with larger screens. The maker of consumer electronics claims that its new tablets are the thinnest in the industry. The novelties are based on Google Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system specifically designed with tablets in mind and are projected to offer better user experience compared to the Galaxy Tab 7".

“The Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 are remarkable examples of Samsung’s constant innovation and show our dedication to designing premium tablets that fit the unique needs of consumers around the world. By combining Samsung’s innovations in design and display with our exciting new user experience, we’ve created a new class of products that will lead the tablet market," said JK Shin, president and head of Samsung’s mobile communications business.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab slates are powered by a dual-core ARM system-on-chip (presumably Nvidia Tegra 2 with high-performance GeForce integrated graphics), are equipped with 8.9” or 10.1" multi-touch LCD screens with 1280*800 resolution; 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of flash storage; USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and HSPA+/EDGE/GPRS connectivity. The new slates feature a 3MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera.

The devices are based on Google Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system designed with tablets in mind and thus providing user interface more suitable for slates than previous Android 2.2 and 2.3 versions. The new interface includes an application tray (Mini Apps Tray) of commonly used features such as task manager, calendar and music player which can be launched while other major applications are also in use, including large file downloads and document editing.

The new tablets can playback full-HD (1080p) video encoded using MPEG4, H263, H264, Divx, Xvid at 30fps, supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, MIDI, AMR-NB/WB audio as well as Adobe Flash 10.2.

The Galaxy Tab 8.9" and 10.1 are pre-loaded with Readers Hub and Music Hub giving consumers instant access to more than 2.2 million books, 2,000 newspaper (49 languages), 2,300 magazines (22 languages), and 13 million songs. The devices are also designed with Samsung’s Social Hub, which will aggregate email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface.

The 10.1 version is equipped with 6800mAh battery and weights 595g, whereas the 8.9" model sports 6000mAh battery and weights 470g. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Tab 10.1" and 8.9" are the world’s thinnest media tablets, measuring just 8.6 millimeters.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9" with 16GB memory will cost starting from $469, while the version with 10.1" will carry $499 price-tag. Both will be available starting from June 8, 2011.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy Tab