Samsung has launched a tablet with a keyboard that runs Windows, and an Android flagship tablet on Sunday, as it steps up its challenge against Apple's iPads, hoping to keep users hooked on its brand following the Note 7 disaster.
The South Korean electronics giant Sunday took the wraps off the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Book tablets at the Mobile World Congess (MWC) trade show in Barcelona.
Galaxy Tab S3
- Can play content in high dynamic range (HDR). This is video content filmed in way to make the contrasts sharper, giving a better depth to the picture
- Four speakers located on the corners of the device. It gives a surround sound effect. The speakers are made by AKG, which is owned by Harman, a company that Samsung bought last year
- Runs Google's Android 7 operating system
- Weighs 430 grams
- 13 megapixel camera on the rear and a 5 megapixel front-facing camera
Galaxy Book
- Comes in a 10.6 inch and 12 inch version
- Runs Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system
- Comes with a detachable keyboard
- 13 megapixel camera on the rear and a 5 megapixel front-facing camera
There is also a detachable keyboard for the Tab S3 but this is sold separately. Samsung also unveiled a redesigned S Pen, a stylus that can be used on both devices.
The tablet market has been struggling in recent times. Shipments of tablets fell 20.1 percent to hit 52.9 million units, according to IDC. Samsung is the second-biggest vendor by market share, behind Apple. But one part of the tablet market that is thriving is the so-called 2-in-1 category, which refers to tablets with detachable keyboards. This is what Samsung is hoping to tap into with the new devices.
Samsung's Galaxy Book pits it against Apple, which in 2015 unveiled the iPad Pro, a product that supports a keyboard and stylus known as the Apple Pencil.
MWC is usually the event at which Samsung launches its latest flagship phone, but following the saga involving the exploding Note 7 phones, the South Korean firm has decided to delay the launch of a new handset. Instead, it is hoped that the launch of the two new tablets will keep consumers interested in the brand ahead of the launch of its Galaxy S8 smartphone.
