Samsung Galaxy Tab to cost $200-$300?

In all the news surrounding the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Tab, the one missing piece of information was price. Some early rumors suggested it would cost upwards of $1200, but a new report by the Wall Street Journal says the US price will be between $200 and $300. The report goes on to say that the price will vary based on carrier subsidy.

It remains to be seen whether that price range is before or after subsidy. Will it cost $300 off contract, and maybe $199 on contract? Or will the $300 price be with a contract, and the contract free price be much higher? Samsung is reportedly in talks with "multiple US carriers," so we will likely see more than one version of the Tab launch in the US very soon.



In a disappointing turn, Samsung has said nothing about a WiFi only version of the Tab for those who don't want/need 3G data. A WiFi only version could potentially be cheaper and wouldn't require a contract. But it also wouldn't be able to access data on the go, meaning services like Google Maps Navigation, and augmented reality wouldn't be as easy. It's understandable that Samsung wouldn't want to put out a version that wasn't fully capable of accessing all advertised features. Still, for those who don't want another contract, the Tab is looking to not be a viable option.

I have yet to be convinced that I need a tablet at all, Android or otherwise. I don't really see how a tablet would benefit me personally, aside from making it easier to surf the web from the couch. Sure, it looks really cool, and the gadget nerd in me wants one just because. But a tablet that requires a new contract is not at all interesting to me, and neither is one that's really expensive. We'll have to wait and see just how expensive the Tab ends up being, but it's not looking good. At least not for me.

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Yeah, same here. If I wanted a computer that size I would get a netbook. These are really just ginormous phones--even more so since they require a contract. No thank you.