Samsung VP Calls Their Own Tablet "Inadequate"

The iPad 2 announcement has met with favorable reviews pretty much across the board, with consumers and tech writers alike finding much to cheer about with the lighter, faster tablet. Praise came from an unfamiliar source on Friday, though, as the vice president of one of Apple's main competitors called his own product "inadequate" in comparison. Samsung VP Lee Don-joo also signaled that they might have to lower the price of the Galaxy Pad 10.1 to compete.

Lee, the executive vice president of Samsung's mobile division, told the Yonhap News Agency in South Korea that they "will have to improve the parts that are inadequate" of its forthcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1, and indicated that they were somewhat surprised that the new iPad had better performance in a new form factor at the same price. "Apple made it very thin," Lee said. 

Samsung has been preparing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to compete directly with the iPad. The company currently makes the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which costs as much as $900 US without a contract. The iPad's continued low price creates a real obstacle to acceptance of Samsung's offerings, which is even more the case with the larger Galaxy Tab. "The 10-inch was to be priced higher than the 7-inch," Lee said, "but we will have to think that over." 

The Motorola Xoom, considered by many to be the most serious competitor to the iPad, costs $799 without carrier subsidy, or $599 with a two-year contract. A comparably equipped iPad retails for $729, and pundits have argued that the Motorola tablet's pricing and the lack of an entry-level model "will shoot it in the foot." Samsung may yet have an opportunity to save some toes, but it will need to be a lot more aggressive than it has been on price.