As I mentioned below, we will be at the US release of the Tab, and now here is some great news for Kobo. From the Samsung press release:
As a new category of device, the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a wealth of mobile experiences. Its striking 7” TFT-LCD display delivers exciting mobile experience for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. In design, its light (380g) build provides perfect portability, with its svelte dimensions making it easy to grip and use. Supporting the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab fully supports swift, seamless viewing of every single page of the web.
The ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials. At the same time, Samsung unveils ‘Media Hub,’ a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,’ an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab has made rich communication truly mobile; it presents a level of converged technology that moves beyond mobile or PC to an entirely new category. Users have new powers to consume, create and communicate from wherever they are.
Powerful, always-on communication
With 3G HSPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® 3.0, the Samsung GALAXY Tab enhances users’ mobile communication on a whole new level. Video conferencing and push email on the large 7-inch display make communication more smooth and efficient. For voice telephony, the Samsung GALAXY Tab turns out to be a perfect speakerphone on the desk, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth® headset.
Powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is designed to deliver high performance whenever and wherever you are. At the same time, HD video contents are supported by a wide range of multimedia formats (DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 and more), which maximizes the joy of entertainment.
From the Kobo blog:
It’s a good feeling to be first, and that’s why today is a really exciting day for readers around the world and everyone at Kobo. After much speculation, the new Samsung GALAXY Tab has just been announced by Samsung’s CEO in Berlin, and Kobo is THE eReading application powering the ‘Readers Hub’ on the new Android tablet. Samsung GALAXY TabThis partnership is an industry first for Kobo and Samsung, offering the first eReading experience on an Android Tablet to readers worldwide. … This is a HUGE WIN for Kobo! Samsung is a global leader – a world class organization that touches billions of consumers worldwide. The GALAXY Tab is an amazing device and will be a real contender in the marketplace as consumers everywhere adopt tablets. To have been selected as THE eReading application that powers the ‘Readers Hub’ on this device is simply incredible.
Kobo is demonstrating they do not intend to roll over and die just because Amazon has a Kindle 3. Kobo is making some bold, impressive moves, leveraging their content assets and making strong hardware relationships. Opening the New York content office; rolling out the Literati colour e-reader in 7,000 locations in October at $159; and now this deal with Samsung giving them additional global reach on what will be the first widely distribute Android tablet … these folks are rocking right at the moment.