Samsung lifts lid on Galaxy Tab specs

Samsung's Galaxy Tab took IFA 2010 by storm when it was launched yesterday, and the Korean electronics firm has been keen to play up the powerful capabilities hidden beneath its sleek exterior.

The Galaxy Tab is slim and light at 380g, but can provide over eight hours of video with its 4,000 mAmp battery, according to Thomas Richter, Samsung Telecommunications Europe portfolio management head.

A Super TFT display was selected for this battery life, as it is more power efficient compared to the better quality Amoled, and less expensive.

The battery was the reason for another design choice: the 30-pin connector which was needed to ensure that the battery could be charged in good time.

Describing the Tab as a "smart media" device, Richter said that its phone function can be used with a Bluetooth headset and the Tab can act as a speakerphone.

The front and back 3-megapixel cameras, meanwhile, can be used for videoconferencing, and an augmented reality function is available to enhance navigation.

J K Shin, mobile communications business president at Samsung, said that weight is "critical to consumers", and that demand for portability drove the slim form factor design, the choice of phone functions and the front and back cameras.

The Tab will be sold only through network operators in Europe from next month, and Vodafone has already confirmed that it will carry the device in several regions. Deals with the networks will decide what music and media online services will be available. The device has what it calls a music hub and a reader hub for online music and newspapers and magazines.

The network deals will also determine whether the Tab will get Android Gingerbread as a future operating system, which Samsung would like it to have. The networks could also offer a different colour Tab, which now comes only in white and black.

What the Tab does come with now is an SD card slot for cards up to a maximum of 32GB, and it can be used as an e-reader. Accessories will include desktop, car and keyboard docks, a leather case, an HDMI output cable and a carrying case.