Samsung Galaxy Tab Tops 1 Million Units Sold

Samsung confirmed it has sold more than 1 million Apple iPad rival Galaxy Tab tablet computers worldwide, up from 600,000 just two weeks ago. The holiday rush helped sales.

Samsung has sold more than 1 million Apple iPad rival Galaxy Tab tablet computers worldwide, a significant jump for a product that notched 600,000 units sold two weeks ago before the Thanksgiving holiday rush.

Samsung spokesperson Kim Titus confirmed the milestone to eWEEK Dec. 3, but declined more details about where sales of the Android 2.2-based machines proved the highest.

U.S. carriers Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile began offering the Tab at various price points-some with contracts, some without-since mid-November. A Black Friday sales rush for holiday shoppers in the United States Nov. 26 likely spurred Tab sales in the country.

Normally, 1 million units shipped of a newfangled, unproven computer that launched only two months ago outside the United States would be great reason to celebrate.

But Apple started this market in April and has a comfortable head start. Apple shipped 1 million iPads in less than one month from April to May, and 4.19 million units in the company's fourth quarter, ending Oct. 19.

Still, coupled with the fact that Samsung has sold more than 5 million Samsung Galaxy S phones worldwide (3 million in the United States), the Tab news shows the Android model is working for the consumer electronics maker.

eWEEK tested the Tab from Verizon Wireless, which sells for $599 without contract, and found the experience to be an enjoyable one, albeit different from the iPad.

The Tab sports a 7-inch screen, too small for some people, but just right for others. The Tab's video cameras were also subpar, though the iPad has no camera.

As a portable machine for Web browsing, typing e-mails and using Web applications, the Tab excels. Consumers will likely pick up more Tabs as Christmas approaches.

The outlook for iPads and Android tablets is great in 2011.

While the iPad has cornered 90 percent or so of the market to date, IMS Research expects Android tablets will make up 15 percent of the worldwide market in 2011, nibbling at Apple's iPad share similar to the way Android smartphones gained on Apple's popular iPhone.