Samsung Shines with Galaxy of Gizmos

Samsung, a leading consumer electronics company, has unveiled the latest additions to its Samsung Galaxy line of handheld and portable devices. The two new Galaxy Tab 2 products and two new Galaxy Players promise flexibility and connectivity to the full Samsung ecosystem of products, apps and services.

The Galaxy Tab 2 Series, available in both 10.1″ and 7.0″ screen sizes, are dual-core tablets running the latest version of Android – Ice Cream Sandwich. The devices feature an integrated IR blaster for universal remote capabilities, as well as an easily accessible memory card slot for convenient loading of multimedia files in a range of supported file formats.

The new tablets offer content access in a sleek design that can maximize the home entertainment experience. The Smart Remote App and built-in IR Blaster turns the Tab 2 into a universal smart remote, helping users easily find their favorite shows.

Users can choose from more than 450,000 apps, access favorite movies and TV shows from Google Play or Media Hub, and surf web pages with Adobe Flash support.

In addition, the Galaxy Tab 2 products are fully Google certified for complete access to Google Play (formerly Android Marketplace) and priced at $399.99 and $249.99.

Samsung is not alone in the hot tablets market. Toshiba has announced the expansion of its Excite family of Android-powered tablets with three new display sizes – 13.3-inch, 10.1-inch and 7.7-inch. (Read: Toshiba Gets Excited with its New Excite Tablets)

Moreover, Toshiba has introduced Excite 10 LE, which is claimed to be the world’s thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet measuring 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing 1.18 pounds (535g).

The consumer interest in tablets has particularly soared after the recent launch of Apple’s new iPad. Although iPad has been driving the market, many me-too players are also making hay in the boom being witnessed for this category of mobile gadgets.

Digital market researcher comScore says tablets quickly rose in popularity in 2011, taking less than two years to account for nearly 40 million tablets in use among U.S. mobile users and outpacing smartphones which took 7 years to reach the same.

It says by the end of 2011, nearly 15 percent of U.S. mobile users also had tablets – a trend seen across other markets as well. (Read: Are Tablets Really Selling Like Hot Cakes?)

The new Excite tablets boast thin-and-light designs, brilliant displays, quad-core performance as well as a full range of essential ports and smart features.

[ Also Read: Which Tablet is Good for Your Child? ]

Moreover, Samsung believes that with the two new Galaxy Players, available in 4.2 inch WVGA screen or 3.6 inch HVGA screen variants, gaming, videos and music are more fun than ever.

You can connect them to Wi-Fi hotspots. Users also can play their own video and music in a variety of formats, connect to other devices using USB 2.0 or Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity, or simply load the device via a micro SD card. The device runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Plus, dual-stereo speakers (on the Galaxy Player 4.2) will deliver music, video or gaming experience – anywhere.

The new Galaxy Tab 2 and Galaxy Players will be available for purchase at a variety of retailers including Best Buy, Amazon, Tiger Direct and others.

The Galaxy Player 3.6 is available now for $149.99 exclusively at Best Buy and soon at other retailers. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 will be available for preorder today, April 12, at $249.99, and for purchase on April 22.

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 will both be available for pre-order on May 4 and for purchase on May 13, at $399.99 and $199.99 respectively.