The Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Korea: SEC) 4G LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1 -- with Wi-Fi -- will be offered at US$529.99 for the 16GB model and $629.99 for the 32GB model with a two-year contract. A 16GB Wi-Fi-only model will also be offered by Verizon for $499, the same starting price as the Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad 2 and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.
Verizon is offering the Tab with several levels of data pricing: $30 a month will pay for 2GB of data downloads, $50 buys 5GB a month, while 10GB a month can be had for $80.
See more on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 technical specifications here.
The Samsung Tab beats the Motorola Mobility LLC Xoom LTE update onto the Verizon network. The Xoom 4G module has reportedly passed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) , so should be available soon, although it was originally slated for a second-quarter release. Verizon has now dropped the price of the Xoom with a two-year contract by $100 to $499.99.
Why this matters The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first LTE tablet available in the U.S. The Verizon 4G LTE network now covers 102 cities and towns in the U.S. and should be available in 175 markets by the end of the year. 4G Galaxy Tab users can can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbit/s in 4G mobile broadband coverage areas.
Expect more LTE tablets from Verizon soon. (See Verizon Upped LTE Spending in 1H'11.) For more Read up on LTE tablets:
- Where Are the LTE Tablets?
- Imagining the LTE iPad
- New Product Recap: June 2011
- RIM Delays 4G PlayBook to the Fall
- Moto Ships 250K Xooms But Waits on LTE
- iSuppli: Why Xoom Has to Go Back for 4G
- Verizon Lets Users Xoom for $600
— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile
I'd be ticked off if I bought the Xoom hoping to be ahead of the curve on LTE. I wonder how many people fit that bill though...