Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) will launch Samsung's Android-powered GalaxyTab tablet for $399 with a two-year contract--$200 less than what Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) is asking for the gadget.
The nation's No. 3 carrier said it will start selling the tablet Nov. 14 for $399 when paired with a two-year contract. Customers will be able to choose a 2 GB data plan with unlimited messaging for $30 per month or a 5 GB data plan with unlimited messaging for $60 per month. Sprint spokesman Mark Elliott confirmed to FierceWireless that Sprint will offer the GalaxyTab without a contract for $600.
The tablet has been heralded as the strongest challenger to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad during the holiday shopping season.
Verizon will launch the GalaxyTab for $599 Nov. 11. Customers will not have to sign a contract with Verizon, and the carrier is offering 1 GB of data for $20 per month with the tablet.
AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) and T-Mobile USA also are expected to launch the GalaxyTab, though they have not said when or provided pricing details. Samsung is expected to release a WiFi-only version of the gadget as well.
The iPad ranges in price from $499 to $829 depending on storage and whether it has 3G connectivity. Apple sold 4.19 million iPads during its latest quarter, higher than the 3.27 million it sold during the tablet's first quarter of availability. The number missed analysts' estimates of 4.7 million.
Samsung's 7-inch tablet runs Android 2.2 and has a Cortex A8 1 GHz processor, a 3-megapixel camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting, access to the Android Market, support for Adobe Flash 10.1 and WiFi.
For more:
- see this release
- see this Phone Scoop article
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