Galaxy Tab sales top 600K units, Samsung says

Samsung Galaxy Tab is a hit among consumers – to the tune of 600K units sold globally.

Samsung has sold more than 600,000 Galaxy Tab units worldwide, according to a new report in the Korea Times. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs on Google's Android operating system, is currently available in more than 30 countries, including the US, England, and India. Although Galaxy Tab sales still lag behind those of its chief competitor, the Apple iPad, Samsung reps are bullish on the prospects of the Galaxy Tab.

"We believe tablet PCs will take over a bigger portion of the market next year,” Samsung exec Shin Jong-kyun said recently, the Korea Times reported. “For this year, we’re projecting to sell up to 1 million units."

The Galaxy Tab is currently sold in the US through Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint, all of which offer varying data plans for the device. AT&T, for instance, sells the Galaxy Tab for $649, and does not require consumers to sign a contract; plans start at $15 for 250MB of data a month. By comparison, T-Mobile sells the Galaxy Tab at the subsidized price of $400, providing consumers sign a data contract, but monthly plans start at $25 for 200MB of data.

The tablet computer market, of course, is still dominated by Apple, which has reportedly sold upwards of 7 million iPads so far. Last week, Brian Marshall, an analyst with the firm Gleacher and Company, looked at reports from parts manufacturers in Asia and predicted that Apple would release an "iPad 2" sometime in 2011.If Marshall's prediction proves accurate, competitors such as Samsung would likely be nudged (temporarily) out of the spotlight.

"I think April is the proper time-frame for an iPad 2," Marshall told Computerworld. "Since I'm projecting that Apple will release a CDMA iPhone in March, both will help to equalize Apple's seasonality." Marshall says that the iPad 2 won't get a sweeping redesign, but it will certainly get front- and rear-facing cameras. "It will be the same form factor, but with dual-camera functionality," he said.