4 ms·

Samsung Admits Galaxy Tab Sales Are 'Quite Small'

37 points by gamble 16y ago

xiaomai 16y ago
This doesn't come as a surprise to me. I was super excited for the Galaxy Tab when I first heard about it, but the price point is way too high. A non-apple tablet needs to be much cheaper to beat the iPad (I was thinking $300 for the wifi-only model would be fair). After hearing about Samsung's reluctance to update Android on the Galaxy phones, I don't think I would buy one of these even if the price did lower.
- sjs382 16y ago
  Exactly why I'm waiting for the Nook Color ROMs to become more stable. It's a great piece of hardware and the price is just right at $250. $500 is way too expensive, and all of the other Android tablets are just terrible.
- zachallaun 16y ago
  That the Galaxy Tab is priced as such is even more frustrated when you take into account the lack of OS development occurring at Samsung.
- aubergene 16y ago
  Yes, updates are critical, they need to work closely with the Android developers to get those updates out for all devices as quickly as possible, for about two years minimum. Main reason I got the nexus was because I know Google will push updates.
- evilduck 16y ago
  After hearing about Samsung's reluctance to update Android FTFY. They've got a bad track record with keeping Android updated regardless of model. The Galaxy line isn't their first.
- cookiecaper 16y ago
  As I understand it, Samsung isn't the reluctant party to update. Samsung bills .x upgrades to the carrier as feature releases and most others consider them maintenance releases, which means the carrier pays the phone manufacturer much less money. Verzion et al are trying to put the squeeze on Samsung by refusing to pay for 2.2 or 2.3 as feature releases, and thus give their competitors an edge, until Samsung relents and starts considering these releases as maintenance releases. Presumably such a problem doesn't exist on the Tab, since carrier permission isn't needed to distribute an update.
axod 16y ago
They just dropped the price 20% here. Getting more tempting...
- cryptoz 16y ago
  It's still not worth it at that price, IMO. The Tab was ahead of it's time, and now that its time is here it's behind. Wait for a real Honeycomb tablet; you'll be so upset if you don't.
dkarl 16y ago
It makes sense. Nobody has the credibility Apple has in this space. When Apple put iPads in the stores, everyone paid attention and took for granted it was something potentially great. Samsung has no credibility, so they are fighting against the tablet novelty and a huge history of "me-too" devices put out to compete with Apple. (I'm thinking of the "iPhone competitor" phones many companies put out that were nothing but cell phones with a color interface, a gimmicky touch screen, some horrid interface for playing mp3s, and a crippled browser.) Ordinary consumers will not feel comfortable buying non-Apple tablets until they have a better idea what a tablet actually is and how to shop for one.
- ergo98 16y ago
  "Ordinary consumers will not feel comfortable buying non-Apple tablets until they have a better idea what a tablet actually is and how to shop for one." Bizarre. The Tab hasn't sold well simply because it's not that great of a product (largely because it came with Froyo which is decidedly not ready for the form factor), sold at a really high price. I'm an Android guy, but I had zero interest in the device (just as I have no interest in the Nexus S). The upcoming Honeycomb devices are far more convincing, however.
  - dkarl 16y ago
    When expectations were on the order of millions of units, they must have expected some non-hacker consumers to buy the units for themselves or as gifts. Even if every Android guy and HNer in the world bought a Galaxy Tab, they still wouldn't sell a million without significant numbers of ordinary consumers deciding to buy one on the basis of ads, retail displays, and consumer electronics reviews. But that won't happen, because consumers won't pay several hundred dollars when they don't know how to distinguish a quality product from a crappy gimmick, especially when they know from past experience that (at least some) electronics manufacturers will rush to bring out a superficially similar competitor without waiting until they can replicate the technology. Imagine if there was no Android -- you think there would be no competitors to the iPad? Someone would toss together something worthless based on Windows CE or Palm OS and call it an "iPad killer." Consumers do NOT want to fall for that, and the only way they know how to avoid it is to steer clear of non-Apple tablets for now. Uptake of Android tablets will depend on tech-savvy folks buying them, showing them to their friends, who will buy Android tablets and show them to their friends, and so on. It will be slow.
SteveC 16y ago
The price is simply wrong (for me). I haven't bought an iPad because I think they're overpriced. If either of these devices were £250 ($400) I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I did it when Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle.
- irons 16y ago
  And yet, because the iPad is priced quite aggressively, you are not going to find yourself buying one for quite a while, and competitors like Samsung are between a rock and a hard place. It's kind of remarkable how Apple's used its old reputation as overpriced as a competitive weapon here. If you're expecting a wifi-only tablet to cost significantly less than an iPad, then the subsidized version of the same gizmo on a contract can't cost any more than a Happy Meal. Nobody can make money selling that device.
cdibona 16y ago
I will only say this about the Tab: They're crazy durable. I've dropped mine an absurd number of times from absurd heights. That gorilla glass is something.
- nitrogen 16y ago
  Interesting. Maybe the Tab can find niche use in harsh environments like warehouses or factory floors.
  - iuygthn 16y ago
    Touch screens suck in those environments. We used to use a fancy touchscreen gadget in mining - where everything is covered in water, oid, dust and you wear gloves - genius idea!
    - nzmsv 16y ago
      There are touchscreen technologies that claim to work in these kinds of environments. Namely, infrared and surface acoustic wave. But I don't know how well they actually hold up in the real world.
zyb09 16y ago
Well I'm definitely on the Android side of things, but never would I recommend buying the Galaxy Tab over the iPad. The iPad got accused of being just a bigger iPod Touch, but here they've literally just put a phone OS, which isn't even the latest anymore, on a bigger screen. On top of that it's also smaller and more expensive than the iPad. Things will get interesting with the arrival of Android 3.0 tablets, but for now I'd rather stay away from the Galaxy Tab.
- TomOfTTB 16y ago
  I agree. The fact that they wouldn't or couldn't confirm Honeycomb would work on the Tab pretty much killed it for any informed consumer.
- NathanKP 16y ago
  The galaxy tab is frankly quite terrible. I tried one out in the local T-mobile store and was surprised at how awkward it felt. The keyboard was rather inaccurate and it was hard to do basic things like change the URL in the browser. Overall the experience felt very non intuitive, even though the interface looked polished. Don't be deceived by the pretty screenshots, actually using the Galaxy tab is a pain.
- rberger909 16y ago
  This product was doomed to fail because both sides of the tech spectrum are over looking it. Those with some tech knowledge know the Android OS it uses isn't meant for tablets. Those with Little to no tech knowledge know that the next iPad is coming out and they are looking past the Galaxy Tab. I know Samsung wanted to get in the market ASAP but a couple months wait would have helped them immensely.
blazer 16y ago
I own a Galaxy Spica (i5700). I honestly dont like a "Big Screen Android".
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
aubergene 16y ago
I would have bought one, if it worked as a phone as well. I barely use the phone, but I don't want to have to carry a separate phone with me. It could be a trifle thinner, but it just about fitted in my inside jacket pocket
Aegean 16y ago
The reason is it is the second best. It doesn't solve the problems the ipad solves any better. If it tried to solve only slightly different problems, it could still have a good market share even if it wasn't as famous as the ipad.
cletus 16y ago
I knew the Tab numbers were fishy. in fact, I said as much today [1]. I've just never seen one in the wild and I had a hard believing Android had garnered a 22% segment of last quarter shipments. I too agree the lack of a competitor for the $499 16GB Wifi iPad. Plus I'm still not convinced the 7" form factor is going to have mass appeal. Android manufacturers really do themselves a disservice with these kinds of lies ("mistruths" or "exaggerations" if you prefer). I would be surprised if the iPad's market share was less than 90% of last quarter and 95% of total. [1]: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2161624 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2161624
strlen 16y ago
I like my Tab for several reasons: The form factor (it's perfect for reading eBooks at the gym or elsewhere), and the fact I can do what I'd like to easier with Android than with iOS. It does indeed feel like "just a big Galaxy S" (that will change with future tablets), but an Android phone feels a lot more like a real computer than an iOS device: I have a file system on it, I can copy files (eBooks, PDFs, media) to it manually from my Linux desktop, I can use an alternative media player (Winamp) or an alternative music store (Amazon MP3). Perhaps these benefits make no sense to a regular consumer, but to a nerd like myself this is a major benefit: the iPad, to me, provides very little of the functionality that I'd look in a device of its size, the Galaxy Tab provides what more of what I am looking for. It's true that there will better Android Tablets "tomorrow", but there will be even better ones "day after tomorrow". I wanted to read papers and eBooks, comfortably browse the web and watch video lectures at the gym; Galaxy Tab provides it now, there's no need for me to have the latest revision for that (I ran my entire site on a 40 mhz Sparc 10 running OpenBSD well into mid-2000s, as it handled mail, DNS and static web files just fine).
- dpcan 16y ago
  I also like my Tab for the same reasons. It actually fits in the pocket of my jeans in a pinch. It's kind-of like putting a book in my pocket, but at least my hands are free. The battery life on mine is ridiculously GOOD. I charge it maybe once a week, but I play games on it at night, I surf the web on it at various times throughout the day, and I'll read my books on it too. I'd personally recommend the tab to anyone wanting a tablet. Maybe not to people who are in love with some of the games on iPhone, but otherwise, it's just slick and wonderful. And dare I say ... FLASH. I can actually view Flash on websites when I need to. It's rare, but I can if I have to and that's a nice thing. EDIT: Some Flash works. I can't watch Hulu yet for example. Not sure if that's a Flash thing or a Hulu thing.

37 points by gamble 16y ago

This doesn't come as a surprise to me. I was super excited for the Galaxy Tab when I first heard about it, but the price point is way too high. A non-apple tablet needs to be much cheaper to beat the iPad (I was thinking $300 for the wifi-only model would be fair). After hearing about Samsung's reluctance to update Android on the Galaxy phones, I don't think I would buy one of these even if the price did lower.

sjs382 16y ago
Exactly why I'm waiting for the Nook Color ROMs to become more stable. It's a great piece of hardware and the price is just right at $250. $500 is way too expensive, and all of the other Android tablets are just terrible.
zachallaun 16y ago
That the Galaxy Tab is priced as such is even more frustrated when you take into account the lack of OS development occurring at Samsung.
aubergene 16y ago
Yes, updates are critical, they need to work closely with the Android developers to get those updates out for all devices as quickly as possible, for about two years minimum. Main reason I got the nexus was because I know Google will push updates.
evilduck 16y ago
After hearing about Samsung's reluctance to update Android FTFY. They've got a bad track record with keeping Android updated regardless of model. The Galaxy line isn't their first.
cookiecaper 16y ago
As I understand it, Samsung isn't the reluctant party to update. Samsung bills .x upgrades to the carrier as feature releases and most others consider them maintenance releases, which means the carrier pays the phone manufacturer much less money. Verzion et al are trying to put the squeeze on Samsung by refusing to pay for 2.2 or 2.3 as feature releases, and thus give their competitors an edge, until Samsung relents and starts considering these releases as maintenance releases. Presumably such a problem doesn't exist on the Tab, since carrier permission isn't needed to distribute an update.

axod 16y ago

They just dropped the price 20% here. Getting more tempting...

cryptoz 16y ago
It's still not worth it at that price, IMO. The Tab was ahead of it's time, and now that its time is here it's behind. Wait for a real Honeycomb tablet; you'll be so upset if you don't.

dkarl 16y ago

It makes sense. Nobody has the credibility Apple has in this space. When Apple put iPads in the stores, everyone paid attention and took for granted it was something potentially great. Samsung has no credibility, so they are fighting against the tablet novelty and a huge history of "me-too" devices put out to compete with Apple. (I'm thinking of the "iPhone competitor" phones many companies put out that were nothing but cell phones with a color interface, a gimmicky touch screen, some horrid interface for playing mp3s, and a crippled browser.) Ordinary consumers will not feel comfortable buying non-Apple tablets until they have a better idea what a tablet actually is and how to shop for one.

ergo98 16y ago
"Ordinary consumers will not feel comfortable buying non-Apple tablets until they have a better idea what a tablet actually is and how to shop for one." Bizarre. The Tab hasn't sold well simply because it's not that great of a product (largely because it came with Froyo which is decidedly not ready for the form factor), sold at a really high price. I'm an Android guy, but I had zero interest in the device (just as I have no interest in the Nexus S). The upcoming Honeycomb devices are far more convincing, however.
- dkarl 16y ago
  When expectations were on the order of millions of units, they must have expected some non-hacker consumers to buy the units for themselves or as gifts. Even if every Android guy and HNer in the world bought a Galaxy Tab, they still wouldn't sell a million without significant numbers of ordinary consumers deciding to buy one on the basis of ads, retail displays, and consumer electronics reviews. But that won't happen, because consumers won't pay several hundred dollars when they don't know how to distinguish a quality product from a crappy gimmick, especially when they know from past experience that (at least some) electronics manufacturers will rush to bring out a superficially similar competitor without waiting until they can replicate the technology. Imagine if there was no Android -- you think there would be no competitors to the iPad? Someone would toss together something worthless based on Windows CE or Palm OS and call it an "iPad killer." Consumers do NOT want to fall for that, and the only way they know how to avoid it is to steer clear of non-Apple tablets for now. Uptake of Android tablets will depend on tech-savvy folks buying them, showing them to their friends, who will buy Android tablets and show them to their friends, and so on. It will be slow.

SteveC 16y ago

The price is simply wrong (for me). I haven't bought an iPad because I think they're overpriced. If either of these devices were £250 ($400) I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I did it when Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle.

irons 16y ago
And yet, because the iPad is priced quite aggressively, you are not going to find yourself buying one for quite a while, and competitors like Samsung are between a rock and a hard place. It's kind of remarkable how Apple's used its old reputation as overpriced as a competitive weapon here. If you're expecting a wifi-only tablet to cost significantly less than an iPad, then the subsidized version of the same gizmo on a contract can't cost any more than a Happy Meal. Nobody can make money selling that device.

cdibona 16y ago

I will only say this about the Tab: They're crazy durable. I've dropped mine an absurd number of times from absurd heights. That gorilla glass is something.

nitrogen 16y ago
Interesting. Maybe the Tab can find niche use in harsh environments like warehouses or factory floors.
- iuygthn 16y ago
  Touch screens suck in those environments. We used to use a fancy touchscreen gadget in mining - where everything is covered in water, oid, dust and you wear gloves - genius idea!
  - nzmsv 16y ago
    There are touchscreen technologies that claim to work in these kinds of environments. Namely, infrared and surface acoustic wave. But I don't know how well they actually hold up in the real world.

zyb09 16y ago

Well I'm definitely on the Android side of things, but never would I recommend buying the Galaxy Tab over the iPad. The iPad got accused of being just a bigger iPod Touch, but here they've literally just put a phone OS, which isn't even the latest anymore, on a bigger screen. On top of that it's also smaller and more expensive than the iPad. Things will get interesting with the arrival of Android 3.0 tablets, but for now I'd rather stay away from the Galaxy Tab.

TomOfTTB 16y ago
I agree. The fact that they wouldn't or couldn't confirm Honeycomb would work on the Tab pretty much killed it for any informed consumer.
NathanKP 16y ago
The galaxy tab is frankly quite terrible. I tried one out in the local T-mobile store and was surprised at how awkward it felt. The keyboard was rather inaccurate and it was hard to do basic things like change the URL in the browser. Overall the experience felt very non intuitive, even though the interface looked polished. Don't be deceived by the pretty screenshots, actually using the Galaxy tab is a pain.
rberger909 16y ago
This product was doomed to fail because both sides of the tech spectrum are over looking it. Those with some tech knowledge know the Android OS it uses isn't meant for tablets. Those with Little to no tech knowledge know that the next iPad is coming out and they are looking past the Galaxy Tab. I know Samsung wanted to get in the market ASAP but a couple months wait would have helped them immensely.

blazer 16y ago

I own a Galaxy Spica (i5700). I honestly dont like a "Big Screen Android".

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

aubergene 16y ago

I would have bought one, if it worked as a phone as well. I barely use the phone, but I don't want to have to carry a separate phone with me. It could be a trifle thinner, but it just about fitted in my inside jacket pocket

Aegean 16y ago

The reason is it is the second best. It doesn't solve the problems the ipad solves any better. If it tried to solve only slightly different problems, it could still have a good market share even if it wasn't as famous as the ipad.

cletus 16y ago

I knew the Tab numbers were fishy. in fact, I said as much today [1]. I've just never seen one in the wild and I had a hard believing Android had garnered a 22% segment of last quarter shipments. I too agree the lack of a competitor for the $499 16GB Wifi iPad. Plus I'm still not convinced the 7" form factor is going to have mass appeal. Android manufacturers really do themselves a disservice with these kinds of lies ("mistruths" or "exaggerations" if you prefer). I would be surprised if the iPad's market share was less than 90% of last quarter and 95% of total. [1]: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2161624 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2161624

strlen 16y ago

I like my Tab for several reasons: The form factor (it's perfect for reading eBooks at the gym or elsewhere), and the fact I can do what I'd like to easier with Android than with iOS. It does indeed feel like "just a big Galaxy S" (that will change with future tablets), but an Android phone feels a lot more like a real computer than an iOS device: I have a file system on it, I can copy files (eBooks, PDFs, media) to it manually from my Linux desktop, I can use an alternative media player (Winamp) or an alternative music store (Amazon MP3). Perhaps these benefits make no sense to a regular consumer, but to a nerd like myself this is a major benefit: the iPad, to me, provides very little of the functionality that I'd look in a device of its size, the Galaxy Tab provides what more of what I am looking for. It's true that there will better Android Tablets "tomorrow", but there will be even better ones "day after tomorrow". I wanted to read papers and eBooks, comfortably browse the web and watch video lectures at the gym; Galaxy Tab provides it now, there's no need for me to have the latest revision for that (I ran my entire site on a 40 mhz Sparc 10 running OpenBSD well into mid-2000s, as it handled mail, DNS and static web files just fine).

dpcan 16y ago
I also like my Tab for the same reasons. It actually fits in the pocket of my jeans in a pinch. It's kind-of like putting a book in my pocket, but at least my hands are free. The battery life on mine is ridiculously GOOD. I charge it maybe once a week, but I play games on it at night, I surf the web on it at various times throughout the day, and I'll read my books on it too. I'd personally recommend the tab to anyone wanting a tablet. Maybe not to people who are in love with some of the games on iPhone, but otherwise, it's just slick and wonderful. And dare I say ... FLASH. I can actually view Flash on websites when I need to. It's rare, but I can if I have to and that's a nice thing. EDIT: Some Flash works. I can't watch Hulu yet for example. Not sure if that's a Flash thing or a Hulu thing.