CTIA in Brief: Samsung adds two tablet sizes to vex Apple

Orlando – Samsung today introduced two new tablet options in its Galaxy Tab line as well as new software interfaces built on top of Google Android that shows it trying to both follow Apple’s zigs as well as zagging in new directions.

At a press event at the CTIA event here, Samsung officials showed off the new Galaxy Tab 10.1, a ten inch, 8.6 mm thick, 595 gram tablet it claims is the world's thinnest, lightest 10-inch tablet, topping the Apple iPad, the most potent competitor at that size. It also unveiled the new Galaxy Tab 8.9, an 8.6 inch tablet, similarly thin and light. The pair joins the initial and currently available Galaxy Tab, which checks in at 7 inches.

The Galaxy 10.1 will be available June 8 in a 16Gb Wi-Fi version for $499 and a 32Gb Wi-Fi version for $599. The Galaxy 8.9 checks in with the same hard drive versions with Wi-Fi for $469 and $569 respectively. It will be available this summer. As for mobile broadband, Samsung said it will initially deliver HSPA+ connectivity for the devices, followed by LTE and mobile WiMax versions of both tablets at a later date.

From a pure hardware perspective, Samsung seems intent on trumping its main rival Apple by offering three sizes of tablets versus Apple’s (at least for now) one. The Tab devices also include HD ready screens and surround sound speakers.

The Motorola Xoom made the biggest splash among new tablets at CES, while the Dell Streak was an early small-scale tablet option and the RIM Blackberry Playbook could be the next tablet contender.

Samsung also debuted some software innovations, though those won’t be immediately available for current Galaxy Tab devices. The TouchWiz user interface adds custom live widgets and other features to the home screens of Android 3.0-based tablets, while a new version of its Social Hub integrated inbox app will debut soon combining email, IM and social media feeds. Samsung is also delivering entertainment content to the tablet via its own Reader Hub (books, newspapers and magazines) Music Hub applications.