Various retailers have started putting prices on the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab. It’s bad news if you thought it would be cheap, as, so far, it costs more than a 16GB iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G.
UK retailer eXpansys has priced the 16GB Tab at £680, with a release date of 11 October. The German version of Amazon offers it at €799, which converts to around £665. Clove Technology has pinned a £617 price tag on the device.
These prices are for the unlocked version of the Tab. Once the networks get their hands on it, the Tab will be subsidised, although this probably means lengthy contracts that could end up being more expensive in the long run. The aforementioned prices aren’t the manufacturer’s recommended retail price either — Samsung has made no firm statement on pricing yet — so they may be subject to change.
As well as currently costing more than an equivalent iPad (£530), the 16GB Tab is more expensive than competing Android tablets. ViewSonic’s 10-inch ViewPad 100 offers 16GB of storage, plus multi-touch and Wi-Fi (but not 3G) support, for £550.
Perhaps the expense will be worth it. We took a look at the Tab at the IFA trade show and felt it does everything the iPad does and much more besides.
Until we get some review time with the Tab and final pricing details, we can’t make any definitive judgements. But we’ll put the question out there, nonetheless — would you pay more than £600 for the Tab?