New Gadget 2011

Samsung announced Thursday morning that its latest Android tablet is slated for release next week, but initially only to Manhattan-based customers.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 hits the shelves in New York City's Union Square Best Buy on June 8, exclusively available from the store for over a week. The tablet won't roll out in wider release until ten days later, on June 17.

Initially available in a Wi-Fi only version, the new Galaxy Tab's price is on par with Apple's iPad 2 Wi-Fi version; Both cost $500 for 16 GB of storage, and $600 for the 32 GB model.

Verizon announced there will also be a 4G version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on its LTE network, available for pre-order on June 8. Though the company hasn't given a ship date for 4G tablets pre-ordered that day, it's interesting to think that Samsung will be the first to release a 4G-capable device.

Motorola's Xoom � the flagship tablet for Android's tablet-optimized Honeycomb operating system � promised 4G connectivity on Verizon's network, but didn't launch with it. Xoom owners are waiting to mail in their devices for a 4G upgrade, though Motorola and Verizon haven't announced when the process will begin.

4G-enabled versions of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 cost $530 and $630 for the 16 and 32 GB models, respectively.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 enters the already-clogged tablet market with a list of specs similar to others. It's powered by Nvidia's dual-core Tegra 2 processor, has front and back-facing cameras, and as the name suggests, a 10.1-inch display.

But with a svelte 8.6 mm waist, Samsung's is currently the thinnest tablet offering from manufacturers, even skinnier than the iPad 2's 8.8 mm. And unlike a number of other devices we've seen, the new tablet will ship with Android version 3.1 (Honeycomb). Currently, the Xoom is the only device running Android 3.1.
source: Gadget Lab