When Samsungs new Galaxy Tab S starts talking, WSJ Personal Technology Columnist Joanna Stern starts listening. Is it better than the iPad? Hear the debate.
SAMSUNG is about to take the battle to Apple head-on, confirming its first range of premium tablets will match or undercut the iPad on price when it arrives in Australia later this month.
The South Korean technology giant, and Apple's fiercest competitor, will release its potential iPad-killers in Australian stores on July 14 with strikingly similar prices to the leading tablet maker.
Of Samsung's six Galaxy Tab S tablet models, four match the price of corresponding iPads, one undercuts its Apple competitor by $19, and another costs just $1 more.
The largely matching prices come even though Samsung's tablets are thinner, lighter, more powerful and offer larger screens with greater resolution than Apple's current range, although technology experts warn winning over Apple users may not be simple.
Samsung product marketing director Jenny Goodridge said the Tab S range was designed to appeal to technology-loving consumers who wanted a high-end Google tablet — something Samsung had yet to deliver.
"What's been missing for Samsung has been a tablet that really matches the experience that Australians are getting from our smartphones," Ms Goodridge said.
SAMSUNG'S WEAPON: To beat the Apple iPad Air
Taking on Apple ... Samsung's Galaxy Tab S tablet was launched in New York this year. Source: Supplied
"The Galaxy Tab S will be our flagship tablet and we're hoping to have the same success we've had with the Galaxy S5, which is the number one selling smartphone in Australia."
The Galaxy Tab S range will include 10.5-inch and 8.4-inch tablets in white and bronze.
The tablets will be just 6.6mm thin — equivalent to "a stack of five credit cards," will feature eight-megapixel cameras, Super AMOLED screens with a higher resolution than that of an iPad's Retina screen, and bodies weighing less than their Apple equivalents at 465g and 294g respectively.
The Tab S tablets will also offer new software letting users take phone calls, send SMS messages, and control Samsung smartphones from larger screens.
Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi said Samsung's Apple-matching prices were far from accidental given its prices closely matched Apple's US pricing too.
Potential market leader ... the Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablet. Source: Supplied
He said Samsung's prices, plus its existing popularity in Australia, gave it an opportunity to seriously challenge the market leader.
"One of the big strengths for Samsung is that it has a large base of Galaxy smartphone users," he said. "Just like with the iPhone, Samsung phone users are more likely to look at Samsung products and tablets."
But despite similar prices, Mr Fadaghi said Samsung could face a tough battle convincing Apple users to swap their metal-backed tablets for "a plastic one," and convincing Google Android buyers to buy a high-end rather than budget tablet.
"To come into the market with a premium tablet is a bit risky, but if any company can do it, it's Samsung," Mr Fadaghi said.
Google Android tablets now dominate the tablet market, with 120 million sales last year, according to Gartner, compared to Apple's 70 million.
Apple retained its title of top tablet seller, however, with a 36 per cent share of the market compared to Samsung's 19 per cent.
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TABLET PRICES
Apple iPad Mini with Retina Screen vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
Wi-Fi 16GB: Apple $479 vs. Samsung $479
Wi-Fi 32GB: Apple $598 vs. Samsung $579
4G 16GB: Apple $629 vs. Samsung $629
Apple iPad Air vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Wi-Fi 16GB: Apple $598 vs. Samsung $599
Wi-Fi 32GB: Apple $699 vs. Samsung $699
4G 16GB: Apple $749 vs. Samsung $749
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