eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Samsung will officially unveil its Media Hub application Sept. 16 in New York City, along with a device that could be either the Galaxy Tab or Samsung Fascinate.
An invitation to the event, which will take place at the Time Warner Center in Midtown, refers to an “announcement” of an “Android-powered device” along with the debut of Media Hub, which will offer downloadable movies and other content for Samsung’s smartphones.
That Android-powered device could be the Samsung Fascinate, a version of the company’s Galaxy S smartphone due on Verizon. It could also be the first U.S. appearance of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a tablet PC reportedly scheduled to first roll out in Berlin Sept. 2, ahead of the IFA 2010 electronics trade show.
Samsung currently offers a quic??Ãk glimpse of the Galaxy Tab via a 20-second promo clip on a corporate Website. In addition to running Android 2.2, the tablet will reportedly include a 7-inch screen, Web browsing and video-calling capability.
The Galaxy Tab will place Samsung in direct competition with a number of other companies for a share of the burgeoning tablet PC market. Hewlett-Packard plans to release tablets running both its newly acquired Palm WebOS and Windows 7, while Dell recently issued the 5-inch Streak running a modified version of Android. Those companies, along with a handful of others, all want to challenge the Apple iPad, which sold more than 3.2 million units in the third fiscal quarter of 2010, and retains first-mover advantage in the consumer tablet space.
Samsung’s other aggressive moves in the mobile space revolve around its Samsung Galaxy S line of smartphones, which boast a Super AMOLED screen, 1GHz processor and Android 2.1 operating system. Model variants include the Samsung Vibrant on T-Mobile, the Samsung Captivate on AT&T, the Samsung Epic 4G on Sprint and the Samsung Fascinate on Verizon. That last one is rumored to make its debut sometime in early September, which would place it within the timeframe of Samsung’s invitation-unless postings from blogs such as Boy Genius Report prove correct, and the street date is Sept. 9.
The Galaxy S focus on multimedia positions it competitively against not only the Apple iPhone, but also Motorola’s Droid line. Once its Media Hub is activated, comparisons with those platforms will likely be more accurate; for now, those using the phones need to rely on YouTube and some other apps for multimedia content.