Samsung has introduced a new tablet, a new smartphone and a combination of the two – the Galaxy Note – at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.
Samsung said the Note represented a new category with its 5.3in HD Super Amoled display, ignoring the fact that Dell has been unsuccessful with a 5in Android device – discontinuing the Dell Streak last month.
The Note adds a pen, with similar drawing and annotating apps to the larger HTC Flyer tablet. It has a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, 4G connectivity options, weighs just 175g and is only 9.6mm thick.
The display is big enough to allow a split-screen interface with some apps. New gestures are incorporated – swiping a hand across the display takes a screenshot or covering it with a palm pauses any video.
Samsung said it had carried out a year of consumer research before coming up with a device that had greater portability than a tablet and added smartphone features. It did not announce pricing or availability details.
The Korean company introduced the 7in Samsung Galaxy Tab as its first tablet at the IFA show a year ago and has since launched 8.9in and 10.1in models.
At IFA this year, it introduced an updated version of the original Tab with a slightly larger 7.7in display. It is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and has perhaps the sharpest and brightest tablet display with the introduction of Samsung’s Super Amoled Plus technology. It has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and double-speed Wi-Fi connectivity with its channel-bonding technology. Battery life is said to be up to 10 hours in video-playback mode. Samsung also adds a Game Hub to its Reader, Music and Social Hub services with the 7.7.
The new smartphone is the Wave 3, which features the 2.0 version of Samsung’s own Bada operating system. It has a 4in screen and 4G connectivity.
Other product announcements at its press conference included the Series 7 Chronos, a thin and light laptop to complement its Series 9 models, and two new cameras – the Multiview MV800, with a versatile touchscreen, and the NX200 – a 20.3Mp interchangeable lens camera.
