Samsung must have been listening when Steve Jobs announced tablets under 7-inches would be “DOA,” as evidence suggests they will be releasing a 10.1-inch model. Wired got hold that the larger Galaxy Tab was on display at the FPD International Green Device trade show in China today and already the hype has begun.
Labeled an e-reader at the China conference, the specs suggest that it actually is a fully functional tablet. The magnified screen features a 1024 x 600 resolution, and will reportedly be very slightly thinner than the original 7-inch version.
Seven-inch tablets, despite Jobs claims of their insignificance, have done reasonably well on the market. However, limitations within the current version of Android prevent tablets from playing nicely at the resolutions associated with screens over 7 inches. A 10-inch version of the Galaxy Tab would presumably alleviate this issue with Android 3.0. And let’s not forgot that the Galaxy Tab fully supports Flash, whereas the iPad has to rely on the Skyfire app as a workaround.
But what about not fixing something that isn’t broken? It’s still a fairly new product, and Samsung reports its tablet has been selling well. Whether or not consumers really are perfectly happy with their 7-inch tablets or are pining for a bigger, non-Apple option will have to wait, as the 10-inch Galaxy Tab is still in its very early stages.
