Samsung Launches New Tablet Sizes at Spring Line Show in New York
Samsung has splintered the tablet market with the introduction of four- and five-inch “ultraportable” models designed to provide “more choice” to consumers, the company said at its spring line show in New York. “We wanted to deliver solutions for different sets of users,” Tim Baxter, president of Samsung America, told us. Prices haven’t been set for the handheld devices, which squeeze into the Galaxy lineup between the company’s smartphones and its 7-inch tablet. Scheduled for May delivery, the ultraportables will be Wi-Fi-only models, Baxter said, and there are no plans now for 3G versions. The models are designed for the “youth market,” he said, but also for any consumers “looking for a second device” who want to stay connected with social media through a product small enough to fit in a purse or pocket and not requiring a wireless data plan.
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Responding to our question about how Samsung plans to gain ground on Apple, which Forrester Research estimates will account for 20 million of the 24.1 million tablets Americans will buy this year, Baxter said with “choice and connectivity.” Samsung is pushing connectivity in all its products, including appliances, home and wireless, through DLNA-based open standards and the AllShare app for Samsung devices, he said. Both Galaxy ultraportables support the DivX, Xvid, WMV, MPEG4 and H.264 video formats. Audio support includes MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg, and Flac, the company said. On-board memory is 8 GB, and 32 GB can be added with a microSD card. Both devices sport front and rear cameras for videoconferencing. The 5-inch model adds a flash.
Samsung also took the wraps off a Series 7 hybrid PC that’s part netbook, part tablet. The 2.88-pound hybrid, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, features Windows 7 Home and packs an integrated keyboard. No price has been set and delivery is planned for spring, a spokeswoman said. The company didn’t show new netbooks, a category that analysts have said will take a serious hit from skyrocketing tablet sales. Baxter told us Samsung will continue it current netbook lineup but the category “is shrinking.” There are no plans to discontinue the category, because there are still consumers “who want a productivity solution” in that form factor, he said.
In audio, Samsung showed a 7.1-channel AV receiver with an integrated 3D Blu-ray player and Internet services. The HW-D7000 will ship in May with a suggested retail price of $599, the company said.
Samsung debuted a docking station alternative, Central Station, which allows users to connect a notebook PC to a 23- or 27-inch monitor and all peripherals without cords. Users plug a USB wireless connector into a laptop port, and the display, keyboard and all connected devices automatically sync with the PC from up to 3 feet away, the company said.
Samsung’s first “ultrapremium laptop,” the 13-inch Series 9, begins shipping Thursday through Best Buy at $1,649 for the Windows 7 Home Premium version and $1,699 for Windows 7 Professional. It will roll out to additional retailers in April, along with an 11-inch version, according to Doug Albregts, vice president of enterprise business development. The 2.89-pound, 13-inch laptop is encased in a lightweight alloy and measures 0.5 inches thick, he said.