Leaked images show 7" 'Galaxy Tab Plus' with HSPA+ radio
updated 10:20 pm EDT, Tue September 20, 2011
Design does not match Tab 7.7 shown ahead of IFA
As Samsung prepares to launch the Galaxy Tab 8.9, leaked images suggest the company is also readying an update to its seven-inch tablet. The device, which is said to be labeled the "Galaxy Tab Plus," appears to offer a form similar to the original Galaxy Tab 7, but with '4G' hardware that enables it to connect to HSPA+ networks.
Screenshots also suggest Samsung has diverged from Android 2.2, which is geared for smartphones, and loaded the Plus variant with Android 3.2, the latest tablet-optimized version of Google's mobile OS. Unnamed sources have told TMoNews the stock Android OS is paired with an adaptation of Samsung's TouchWiz UI overlay.
Interestingly enough, the Tab Plus design appears to be slightly different than the Tab 7.7 that was formally introduced early this month. Both share a gunmetal-color back panel, however the brushed finish on the Tab 7.7 is interrupted by what appears to be gray plastic on the top and bottom edges. It is unclear if the Tab Plus was redesigned to distinguish itself from the iPad amid an ongoing legal dispute with Apple.
Samsung has yet to officially unveil the Galaxy Tab Plus.
