Samsung’s New Galaxy Tabs Hit India, But ZTE Alternative is Half the Price

Reliance 3G Tab

The past couple of days have been good to tablet lovers in India, as a couple of new offerings were announced from Samsung and ZTE. The former just announced the launch of two new Galaxy Tabs, the 750 and 730 models (known as the 10.1 and 8.9 elsewhere). While ZTE is partnering with Reliance Communications on the Reliance 3G Tab.

Of course, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is the more attractive device, with both models featuring 3G connectivity, powered by a 1Ghz dual-core processor and sporting a gigabyte of RAM. The 750 and the 730 are priced at a steep Rs 36,200 ($800) and Rs 33,990 ($750).

And this is where ZTE holds an edge. Reliance is to sell the budget Chinese-made 7-inch tablet for 12,999 (or about $287). It will also come with a 3G plan discounted at 50 percent. The specs clearly can’t compare with the Galaxy, as it has just a 800Mhz processor and 512 megabyte of RAM. It comes with a four gigabyte memory card, but can accommodate up to 32 gigabytes. It will run on Android 2.3 and can also function as a phone, which may attract some users.

Like in many other countries, the tablet space is getting pretty crowded in India, with Blackberry, MSI, Acer, HTC, and Motorola all vying for position. But the offerings from Samsung and ZTE are both especially attractive in their own way — Samsung for its superior quality, and ZTE for its affordability.

Earlier today we reported about ZTE’s latest offerings in Indonesia. It seems the Chinese manufacturer is stepping up its game in emerging Asian markets. We’ll see how it stacks up against the rest of the competition in India.

Reliance 3G Pad