For the past few months, Apple and Samsung have been engaged in a legal battle over Samsung’s opposition to Apple’s iPad. Previously banned in Australia by Apple’s lawsuit, an appeal has now overturned that banning, giving Samsung an opportunity to get the Galaxy Tab 10.1 out in time for Christmas.
Released in the US in June, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is said to be one of the best competitors to the iPad out there, fitting in all of the staples we’re used to seeing in tablets – Bluetooth, WiFi, 1GHz Tegra 2, front and rear cameras – into a body that manages to be lighter and thinner than Apple’s second-generation iPad.
Previously, a version of the 10.1 was available in Australia through the Vodafone network. This model – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v – shared many of the specifications seen on the banned model, but was thicker, featured a plastic back, and was locked to the Vodafone network.
While it’s expected that Samsung will have a new tablet just around the corner at either CES in January or Mobile World Congress in February, this could potentially give Samsung a entry to the 10 inch tablet market in time for the holiday season, a market the company has mostly been missing from locally.
Based on the decision passed, Samsung will be able to sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1 locally from 4pm on Friday.
It’s not completely over, however, as it looks like Apple will be appealing the decision, hoping to get this decision overturned and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned once again.
I’d wait for Samsung’s next tablet – which will be much better than the 10.1 – with a faster Tegra processor, etc. It’s probably just a few months away…
I think Apple must be a bit scared of Samsung’s new tablet and so they should as itunes can be a real pain to use sometimes were as android is so simple and at half the price