CTIA Hands On Extravaganza: LG Optimus 3D and G2x, HTC Flyer, HD7S, EVO 3D, and Galaxy Tab 10.1, 8.9

Galaxy Tab 10.1, 8.9

Earlier in the day Samsung had mechanical prototypes of the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 on display behind glass cases. The functional prototypes of both tablets were thicker versions just designed to showcase the new tablet focused TouchWiz UI.

I finally got some hands on time with the mechanical prototypes of the new Tabs. While the devices were still not functional, they were of a representative size and weight to what will eventually ship this summer.

Galaxy Tab 8.9 (top) vs. the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 (bottom)

The new Galaxy Tab 10.1 feels great. It feels distinctly next-generation, similar to what we thought about the iPad 2 in our review. The next-gen feel really has to do with the thickness of the device, which at 8.6mm is as close to perfect as you can hope for in 2011.

The 8.9 is really what takes the cake in my opinion. The mechanical sample of the 8.9 is just as thin as the 10.1 yet much smaller thanks to its smaller (but just as high-res) screen. While I don't believe it's small enough to be as portable as a smartphone, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 sure feels small enough to genuinely challenge my notion of exactly how portable a tablet can be.

Ignore the SIM slot on the 8.9 prototype - the only versions that have been announced thus far have WiFi enabled. Kudos to Samsung for being aggressive both on pricing and dimensions with the new Galaxy Tabs. At this point I'm more curious about what the rest of the Honeycomb competitors will do. Is it possible that Samsung's competitors also had thinner contingency plans in place?

If you're wondering what will happen to the old, thicker Galaxy Tab 10.1 announced at MWC - it's going to Vodafone as an exclusive. All other carriers will get the new 10.1 as early as June 8th.