Samsung says it has sold more than 600,000 Galaxy Tab Android tablets worldwide, according to a Korea Herald report. The figure represents the first 30 days of sales of the tablet, which is available in more than 30 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. The number keeps Samsung on track for its target of one million devices sold by the end of this year.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch Google Android tablet that competes with Apple's popular iPad, was launched in mid-October in some European countries, and arrived in the United States on four wireless carriers in mid-November. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile now sell subsidized and unsubsidized versions of the Samsung tablet, starting at $400 with a two-year contract.
The pricing and tariffs for the Galaxy Tab on the four carriers compared.
Despite some shortcomings, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is widely seen by reviewers as a worthy competitor to the iPad, which has been purchased by more than 7.5 million users since it launched in April. The Tab also has some advantages over the iPad, such as dual cameras and Adobe Flash support, alongside wider availability on several wireless carriers in the US. The Galaxy Tab comes in two flavors in the US, with a CDMA radio chip for Verizon and Sprint, and a 3G chip for AT&T and T-Mobile, alongside Wi-Fi connectivity.
Meanwhile, Samsung also promised a Wi-Fi-only version of the Galaxy Tab, to complement the Wi-Fi+3G version now on the market. Apple's iPad also comes in two versions, one with Wi-Fi only, and one with Wi-Fi+3G. BestBuy was expected to sell the Wi-Fi-only Galaxy Tab this month, but a pullback notice from the retailer quotes a "manufacturer delay" for the product. The nature of the delay is unclear, so this leaves only the carrier-supported 3G Samsung Galaxy Tab models on offer this month.
Can the Samsung Galaxy Tab beat the iPad in sales this holiday season? Sound off in the comments.