Samsung to release Galaxy Tab 10.1 as planned

SEOUL (Yonhap) - Samsung Electronics Co., the world's second-largest maker of mobile phones, said on Saturday that it will release the latest generation of its tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, as scheduled, denying speculations that it might postpone its release to make improvements.
Samsung last month unveiled a new tablet PC featuring a 10-inch screen that uses the Android platform. Powered by the new version of Android Honeycomb software, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 features a larger screen, thinner body and faster processor than the previous model, which had a 7-inch display.
Apple Inc., however, effectively set a new bar for competitors by unveiling the iPad 2 this week. Touted by Apple CEO Steve Jobs as "dramatically thinner" than the previous iPad, the new tablet is 2.1 millimeters thinner than the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Lee Don-joo, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile division, acknowledged on Friday that Apple posed a new challenge for the South Korean company by making the iPad 2 "very thin," but vowed to deliver a quality product to consumers.
"We will continue to make every effort to provide the most powerful, well-designed and productive mobile device to customers," said Lee.
A spokesman for Samsung said that the release plan for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has not been affected, adding however, that it is Samsung's policy not to disclose its launching schedule.
Local media have reported that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be released globally before the summer.