By Sven Grundberg
BARCELONA--Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE) Sunday brought
yet another product into the increasingly crowded market of tablet
computers, stepping up its efforts to compete with Apple Inc.'s
(APPL) hugely successful line-up of iPads.
On the eve of the Mobile World Congress, which starts in
Barcelona Monday, the South Korean company launched its eight-inch
tablet, called the Galaxy Note 8, which it will start to sell
globally in the second quarter of this year. The device, which runs
the latest version of Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android operating system
and comes with a stylus pen, will compete directly with Apple's
7.9-inch iPad Mini, which the U.S. technology giant started selling
in October last year.
In recent months, Apple's rivals have been releasing a flood of
tablets powered by Google's Android operating system, as well as
Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Windows 8 software that is designed to
work with touch screens. The iPad Mini was launched as a
counteroffensive, amid intensified efforts to dominate the tablet
market pioneered by Apple.
Samsung already sells a wide array of tablets, including the
seven-inch screen Galaxy Tab 7.0, as well as several tablets with
screen sizes around 10 inches, such as the Note 10.1 and the Nexus
10 that it constructed in close cooperation with Google.
Additionally, the company's Galaxy Note 2 device, which has a
5.5-inch screen, is a hybrid between a tablet and a smartphone,
belonging to a category of products dubbed "phablets."
Despite its already large offering of tablets and super-sized
smartphones, the South Korean company appears to expect the
eight-inch tablet will become a vital part of its product
portfolio. The company said the new Galaxy Note 8.0 will bring
"fresh life into the [tablet] category" and that the device brings
a perfect mix of "portability and everyday productivity."
While having made great strides with its range of
Android-running Galaxy smartphones in recent years, Samsung hasn't
been as successful with its push into the tablet market.
According to data from Strategy Analytics, a technology market
research firm, Apple maintained its strong leadership of the tablet
market last year, despite the launch of dozens of new Android
models by numerous brands, such as Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Samsung
and Asus (2357.TW).
Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple had a 58% market share
of the global tablet market in the fourth quarter last year,
measured by shipments, while tablets running Android had a 39%
market share. A persistent problem for Android tablets is the few
number of tablet-applications available for Google's software
platform.
Write to Sven Grundberg at sven.grundberg@dowjones.com
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