Samsung Galaxy Tab II - 10.1" Screen with Android 3.0 Honeycomb and 1GHz Chip

Samsung is about to unveil the latest update to its iPad-rivalling Samsung Galaxy Tab II at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab II will run Android 3.0 Honeycomb at 1280 x 800 resolution and on a 1GHz processor. Also rumors are saying that it'd have an 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording as well. Looking at the pre-official event photo, it seems to be bridging the gap between the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Apple iPad, at least appearance wise.

Looks like Samsung has taken Steve Jobs' comments pretty seriously. The Apple CEO previously condemned the Samsung Galaxy Tab I because of its size, claiming at 7", it's too small. Now we'll need to see how the market responds to the Galaxy Tab II powered by Android 3.0 Honeycomb and whether it can compete with the iOS experience.

HTC Magic with Android to Vodafone (T Mobile G2?)

Looks like we are having a big announcement from my beloved HTC! The HTC Magic is official. It will be powered by Google's Android OS and become the 1st phone with a full touch screen Android. HTC Magic will have a 3.2-inch HVGA screen at the center front (Half VGA, doubling up on the standard Quarter VGA (QVGA), HDSPA, GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera (but no flash?!?!), and a G1-style trackball. This will clearly set the platform to be the upcoming T Mobile G2 I presume. Details on pricing and availability will be gleefully revealed by Vodafone later. Its touchscreen is capacitive, much like the Apple iPhone.

Here are the specs for the HTC Magic:

• Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201a, 528MHz.
• Memory: 512MB ROM, 192MB RAM.
• Dimensions: 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.45-inches.
• Weight: 4.18 ounces with battery.
• Network: HSPA/WCDMA 900 / 2100MHz (no love for the US of A) with 2Mbps up, 7.2Mbps down; quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz.
• Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD HVGA 480x320
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, mini USB, and GPS
• Input: Trackball with Enter button, Capacitive touchscreen with on-screen keyboard (both portrait and landscape)

Personally, I am disappointed that HTC decided to leave out the flash for the camera and only equip it with a 3.2MP camera. Cameras in HTC tend to fare pretty bad compared to Sony Ericsson's stellar CyberShot inclusion. Also, it'd been nice to see them release a version of the G2 with a slide-out keyboard for a change (or as an option to those who prefer to type quick instead of the ever-annoying touchscreen keyboard - like me).

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