Samsung has pretty much all screen sizes covered when it comes to Android devices, from 4-inch phones to its 5-inch phoneblet, right up to the 7.7, 8.9, and 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab models. Not wanting the world to think it had given up on the original Galaxy Tab’s 7-inch design, Samsung has officially outed a successor to the first carrier-bound Android tablet that enjoyed appreciable consumer success.
Meet the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. It has matured quite a bit, now featuring a 1.2GHz Samsung Exynosdual-core processor and a full gigabyte of RAM. Unlike the Galaxy Tab 7.7, 8.9, and 10.1, the 7.0 Plus uses a PLS LCD touchscreen that offers 768×1024 pixel resolution. There’s a more pedestrian 3 megapixel rear-facing camera (with LED flash), though the front-facing camera still packs a 2 megapixel sensor. The 7.0 Plus will come in 16GB and 32GB flavors (both with microSD expansion). 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in, and it’s ready for use on GSM and HSPA networks. Android 3.2 and Samsung’s custom TouchWiz UX are also on board.
In addition to a lower-resolution camera and display, Samsung has opted to equip the 7.0 Plus with a substantially smaller battery. Whereas the 7.7 packs 5100mAh, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus only offers 4100mAh. While no official pricing has been revealed, these three features might indicate that Samsung is positioning the 7.0 Plus as a low cost Android tablet option for wireless carriers. Based on how reactions have been to $500-plus tablet announcements, you’ve got to believe people are expecting more budget-friendly options.
Now someone just has to deliver. Maybe that someone is Samsung, and maybe the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus will offer consumers a bargain-priced HSPA-ready option when they go looking for a tablet to take home. Austria and Indonesia will get the first Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus units next month, with a global rollout to follow.
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