Samsung 8.9in Galaxy Tab signals end for 7in model

Samsung is set to unveil a new version of its popular Galaxy Tab device on 22 March at its Unpacked event in Orlando.

A single picture showing what appears to be a slimmer version of the Android tablet has been posted on the Samsung Mobile Facebook page and, judging by the 'What's your Tab life? 78910' caption, the device is likely to have an 8.9in form factor.

It is unsurprising that Samsung has chosen to release details of yet another tablet, with the aim no doubt of diverting publicity away from the much-hyped iPad 2, which was unveiled last week.

However, the forthcoming 8.9in Tab is likely to signal the end of the 7in model and could also hinder Samsung's efforts in the tablet market, according to Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.

"The 7in Tab is not going to sell anymore and I think Samsung will just finish off the stock given that the OS cannot be upgraded," Milanesi told V3.co.uk.

"I believe that the difference between the 8.9in and the 10in form factors is not enough to matter, and Samsung will end up having two devices competing with one another."

Vendors need to think very carefully about how to position tablets in their current portfolio, Milanesi continued, or risk overcrowding the market.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab 10.1 at MWC in Barcelona, a device that will run on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and compete directly with the Motorola Xoom to attract users of the Google platform.

Competition in the tablet market is set to intensify when the HP PalmPad, HTC Flyer and BlackBerry PlayBook devices also start arriving at the end of the second quarter.

It is likely that more information about the latest Galaxy Tab will surface ahead of the 22 March announcement, and V3.co.uk will post any further details when they emerge.