Verizon Wireless Gets LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1

Can consumers handle another flavor of the Galaxy Tab 10.1? Verizon Wireless thinks so.

Verizon has another model on the way -- a couple of them, actually. The first LTE-enabled Tab 10.1 will ship to VZW on July 28th, bringing 4G speeds to a white or grey 16GB/32GB slate. Other than the LTE radio, the specs and shape remain the same, but we suspect that battery life will take a hit if you're using LTE heavily (much like the Thunderbolt does). Users will still get 802.11/b/g/n, Android 3.1, Flash 10.3 support, Tegra 2, a 10.1" HD display, and a two-year contract.

Yes, a contract.

There's no way to buy the LTE Tab 10.1 without a contract, as you can with the iPad 2. That means that you'll still have to pay $529.99 for the 16GB or $629.99 for the 32GB, as well as sign on for a two-year agreement. Users will have three monthly data options: $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB and $80 for 10GB. Pre-orders are open now, but with prices like these, it's unlikely that too many customers will jump on them.

Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 With 4G LTE Available At Verizon Wireless

4G LTE and Wi-Fi Models Available; 8.6 Millimeters Thin and Weighing in at 1.25 pounds

BASKING RIDGE, NJ - Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 with 4G LTE will be available July 28 in either Metallic Gray or Glossy White in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com/SamsungTab4GLTE.

Key features:

* 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
* Android™ 3.1 Honeycomb platform – supports Google™ Mobile Services including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™, Google Search™, Google Maps™, Google Movies™, Google Books™ and Android Market™
* Adobe® Flash® 10.3 technology
* NVIDIA® Tegra2 dual-core 1 GHz application processor
* 10.1-inch HD touchscreen display with WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution
* 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat capabilities
* 1080p HD video playback on a HD TV or other 1080p HD device
* Samsung Media Hub – offers a vast lineup of critically acclaimed films and TV programs for rent or purchase. Media Hub has been redesigned, allowing customers to playback Media Hub content on their TV through an HDMI adapter (sold separately). Purchased content can be shared with up to five devices enabled with Media Hub at no extra cost.

Pricing and data plans:

* Verizon Wireless will offer two 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 models both priced with two-year customer agreements: $529.99 for the 16GB model and $629.99 for the 32GB model.
* Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 customers will have the option to choose one of the following mobile broadband data plans:
o $30 monthly access for 2GB monthly allowance
o $50 monthly access for 5GB monthly allowance
o $80 monthly access for 10GB monthly allowance
* A 16GB Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will also be available online at www.verizonwireless.com on July 28 for $499.99. The Wi-Fi-only model will be available in Metallic Grey.

Samsung Media Hub Credit:

* For a limited time, Verizon Wireless customers will get a free $25 Media Hub credit from Samsung with their Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 purchase, good towards TV program purchases. Restrictions apply, see inbox insert for additional details or visit www.samsung.com/VerizonTabPromo.