UNINNOVATE / Engineering At Its Finest / Since 2006

Samsung released the Galaxy Tab this week in the US. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is tablet similar to Appie’s iPad, except that it’s slightly smaller in size and runs the Google Android operating system. According to reviews, it is a solid product and is the first real contender to the iPad.

The Galaxy Tab has mobile connectivity with 3G data and voice capabilities. But while the European versions of the Galaxy Tab can make phone calls, the US version cannot. Reportedly based on demands from US cell phone carriers, Samsung removed the ability to make telephone calls from the US version of the product.

While Samsung may choose to manufacture a different product with different internal hardware for different markets, that is not the case with the Galaxy Tab. The product does not lack the internal hardware to make voice calls. In fact, the Verizon version of the Galaxy Tab allows you to make an initial phone call from the Galaxy Tab to activate the device when you first open it, proving it has the capability. After the device is activated, it no longer allows calling.

Why did Samsung spend R&D effort to remove features from their flagship tablet product and make there product less attractive? The Samsung Galaxy Tab is too big for most people to use it as a main mobile phone since it doesn’t fit in your pocket. It’s not likely to cut into traditional phone sales. However, the near monopolistic control that the four major US phone carriers exert on the market has resulted in the US getting yet another inferior cell phone product with an artificially limited feature set.