Samsung’s Galaxy Tab—Big Phone or Small Tablet?

Samsung recently shed some light on their much anticipated iPad rival, the Galaxy Tab. The Galaxy series is the first implementation of the Android OS that I’m actually excited about (Yes, that means Flash is enabled, along with apps from the Android store). The new toy has many of the same features as the iPad, but with a few advantages.

For one, it has a built in phone feature. I immediately pictured a more modern version of Trigger Happy TV’s Big Phone Guy, but soon discovered that’s not the case. As it turns out, there is no earpiece on the device, only a speaker phone with an optional bluetooth or standard headset input. It seems as though the intent is to use it for face chat, as indicated in the official promo commercial…

Which brings us to the next advantage. A built-in 1.5mp video camera on the front side, along with a 3mp photo camera with a flash on the back.

The form factor is somewhere between the iPhone and iPad, with the actual dimensions being about 7″ x 5″ x 0.5″. This could arguably be an advantage or disadvantage from the iPad. Personally, I prefer the smaller size as it’s more portable and gives it a higher pixel density. But on the flip side, that’s what the iPhone or Galaxy S is for, so I guess its depends on the intended use.

Of course, the iPad has its advantages too. One of which being that it has a longer battery life. No actual specs have been released for the Galaxy Tab on that yet, but rumors say it doesn’t quite meet up to the eight hour mark that Apple reaches.

No official release date has been announced for the US, but Europe should start to see them surfacing within the next month. And no word yet on which carrier to look forward to for service contracts.

For more technical details, see Engadget’s hands-on preview.