Samsung's new 7" Galaxy Tab 3 to take on Apple's iPad mini, and take phone calls

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Samsung on Monday announced its new third-generation Galaxy Tab, a modestly equipped 7-inch tablet with a 3G-enabled variant that will also double as a phone.

Galaxy Tab 3


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 tablet will include a 7-inch display at a resolution of 1,024 by 600 pixels, and it will be backed by a 1.2-gigahertz processor and options for 8 or 16 gigabytes of internal storage. The Galaxy Tab 3 will also sport a 3-megapixel rear camera, plus a 1.3-megapixel forward-facing lens. It will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

One of the key features of the Galaxy Tab 3 highlighted by Samsung was the "easy handgrip and portability" with its new 7-inch-class tablet. It features a thinner bezel than the previous-generation Galaxy Tab 2.

Perhaps most interesting about the Galaxy Tab 3 is the 3G model, which will be able to take phone calls like a smartphone. Unlike Apple's iPad mini, the Galaxy Tab 3 will not offer high-speed 4G LTE wireless connectivity.

Samsung announced that the Galaxy Tab 3 will launch globally beginning in May with the Wi-Fi-only model. The 3G-capable version with phone call functionality will debut in June.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 154
    damn_its_hotdamn_its_hot Posts: 1,209member
    I thought this was a joke! Seriously, a phone? Well this is one part of the market they will "dominate" for sure. lmao
  • Reply 2 of 154
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member


    Taking phone calls is definitely a good option. But, how do people carry them while talking on call? I mean... I dont understand Samsung way, but people are buying them. I am seeing Samsung Galaxies now how I used to see iPhones when it arrived initially.

  • Reply 3 of 154
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    According to Forbes, Samsung is planning to release a larger tablet called [no joke here] Galaxy Tab 3 Plus. This one will have a pimped out spec sheet so the tech blogs can call it an iPad killer. Not sure what the point of it is though when they make the Nexus 10. Unless that doesn't make them any money?
  • Reply 4 of 154
    I've never figured out why the iPad cannot receive calls.

    Time for Apple to change that.
  • Reply 5 of 154
    hmmhmm Posts: 3,405member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Damn_Its_Hot View Post



    I thought this was a joke! Seriously, a phone? Well this is one part of the market they will "dominate" for sure. lmao




    It's not the primary function of the device or intended to displace a primary phone. You're just viewing this in limited terms. If the iPad had the ability to answer calls that you would normally take on your iphone, wouldn't you consider that a feature?

  • Reply 6 of 154
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post



    I've never figured out why the iPad cannot receive calls.



    Time for Apple to change that.


     


    Because its a stupid idea. I think this bigger phablet thing is just a fad like netbooks were.

  • Reply 7 of 154
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member


    Excellent choice of background image to work with the weather widget.  Who doesn't love multiple layers of sky, and levitating grass?

  • Reply 8 of 154
    huffcwhuffcw Posts: 53member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by macxpress View Post


     


    Because its a stupid idea. I think this bigger phablet thing is just a fad like netbooks were.


     



     


    With a bluetooth handset or headset it could work well -- and eliminate the need for two different devices that essentially do a lot of the same things. 

  • Reply 9 of 154
    macxpress wrote: »
    I've never figured out why the iPad cannot receive calls.


    Time for Apple to change that.

    Because its a stupid idea. I think this bigger phablet thing is just a fad like netbooks were.

    Not a "stupid idea" for everyone... I am 73 years old, retired... I receive/make only a few calls per day. During the grandkids soccer season (6 practices and 3 games per week) I carry an iPad and an iPhone. The phone calls are only used to co-ordinate pickups and game times, etc.

    If the iPad could make/receive phone calls, I could carry only one device.. The iPad screen and kb better serve my old eyes and fat fingers!

    BTW, As you mature you care more about results than how you look to others...
  • Reply 10 of 154
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member


    No thanks. The future lies elsewhere.

  • Reply 11 of 154
    hydrhydr Posts: 146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post



    I've never figured out why the iPad cannot receive calls.



    Time for Apple to change that.


    Totally agree. I would love for my ipad mini to have phone features. It has all the chips for it, why not?

  • Reply 12 of 154
    buzzzbuzzz Posts: 84member
    Well those who likes Android will stick with Android and those who likes Apple will stick with Apple. It doesn't really matter how many different sizes of tablets Samsung makes.
  • Reply 13 of 154
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I thought this was a joke! Seriously, a phone? Well this is one part of the market they will "dominate" for sure. lmao

    I have always laughed at giant phones too. However, perhaps an iPad couldn't also come in a variant that was at least phone capable. I'm not saying you'd use it as a phone but there maybe some situations where at least being able to use an iPad to make a conference call or something like that might be useful. mmmm ... then again (he said arguing with himself) I guess it would be a retro step given you could use video and speech on the current iPad anyway. Then again, dealing with messages, voice mails etc on a larger screen would be great when I can't find my glasses! :D
  • Reply 14 of 154
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member


    It could make sense only if two devices could share the same phone number. If you need to pay for s separate plan then it it doesn't make sense

  • Reply 15 of 154
    isaidsoisaidso Posts: 750member


    Sorry It's NOT a bad idea as some here are saying. I always said iPad Mini with Voice service should be Apple's answer to the phablet.


    Anybody trying to figure out how you would handle calls with the thing isn't too bright.

  • Reply 16 of 154

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by huffcw View Post


     


    With a bluetooth handset or headset it could work well -- and eliminate the need for two different devices that essentially do a lot of the same things. 



    You'd still need two devices... 


     


    I'm going to start walking around with my iPad mini held up to my face just to see what kind of looks I get. When people ask what it is, I'll tell them it's the new Samesung Super Duper Mega Galaxy S X V I I I, X V X V I I... 


     


    In all seriousness, the specs on this thing look pathetic, so of course it'll be cheaper. The Android queens aren't going to win any spec wars with this thing, and it ships with the OLD Android 4.1, when Key Lime Gangrene Pie is coming out next month. 


     


    Keep an eye out! Your local Verizon and AT&T stores will be more than happy to sell them for $100 off when you sign your life away with a 2 year contract on one. 


     


    If Samesung really wants to be the Apple of Android, they really missed the part about only making a few devices, and make them well. 

  • Reply 17 of 154
    realistic wrote: »
    It could make sense only if two devices could share the same phone number. If you need to pay for s separate plan then it it doesn't make sense

    Need at least 3 cell phone carrier options:
    • iPhone only number/plan
    • iPad only number/plan
    • iPhone and iPad shared number/plan


    Possibly... iPhone and iPad separate number/plan


    Edit: when you think about it, the number/plan should designate the individual -- not the device!
  • Reply 18 of 154
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    I've never figured out why the iPad cannot receive calls.

    Time for Apple to change that.

    It may have to do a little with pricing. Making calls, even just with Bluetooth means adding additional licenses. Especially if they want to support both CDMA and GSM in one unit which is the smarter way to go. So until they can get the component prices down to offset those costs they likely to really look at the idea. Particularly without solid numbers that folks are getting and using phablets in droves.
  • Reply 19 of 154
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    hmm wrote: »

    It's not the primary function of the device or intended to displace a primary phone.

    Disagree. Seems rather clear that Samsung is selling these phablets as your primary phone, replacing the need to carry two items.
  • Reply 20 of 154
    damn_its_hotdamn_its_hot Posts: 1,209member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hmm View Post




    It's not the primary function of the device or intended to displace a primary phone. You're just viewing this in limited terms. If the iPad had the ability to answer calls that you would normally take on your iphone, wouldn't you consider that a feature?



     


    I don't think so. I've thought about this before.


     


    How does one use it? I can't see holding it like a phone to your head. If you have to have some sort of ear phones/mic then its is more of a hassle. It wouldn't seem to be the best for use as a speaker phone either.


     


    My other concern is that the carriers then start charging more for connectivity. I like being able to buy just a data connection for a month at a time. I cannot see things staying that way if it is all of the sudden also a handset.


     


    Each to his own, but I don't see Apple moving in this direction and I am fine with that.

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