Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)= UPDATE 06/09/2011 =
It appears that AT&T has started offering a data-only plan; as of the time I originally wrote this they did not. However, they've also bought T-Mobile since then, meaning that now you've actually got only ONE choice to get it online. I do notice that their data-only plan looks a lot like T-Mobile's old one.
Coincidence? You decide.
I'll leave this review up for awhile - my Galaxy is currently out on loan, when I get it back I just might try AT&T again.
= ORIGINAL REVIEW =
I won't take the time to review the features of this tab - there are plenty of reviews available. It's a great device & the Droid OS rocks. My comment has to do with the connectivity.
If you buy an unlocked tab you've got very few choices for getting it online. You can go with Verizon - but in order to do so you need to get an external device ("Mifi"). It's basically a low power wifi hub. Hackers will love you and strangers will ask to use your bandwidth.
There are only two carriers which can get you online with a SIM card (itty bitty card that fits neatly inside the Tab)
One of them is AT&T. But they won't sell you a data-only plan, you need to get voice as well and that gets spendy quick. While the Galaxy Tab can be used as a phone, it's real clumsy unless you use a bluetooth headset with it. If that works for you - great. But if not you've only got one other choice:
T-Mobile. And if you can't get any bars in your area (I can't) your Galaxy Tab is just a really expensive calculator. (Except that it doesn't actually come with a calculator)
Word to the wise: find a T-Mobile or AT&T phone & try it out in your area BEFORE you buy.= CUSTOMER SERVICE QUESTION =
If you buy a locked tab, you're locked into a specific carrier. I don't like to be locked in when I buy a computer this exensive. Should you have a billing dispute or other problem, you're still contractually obligated to pay them for the entire two years. (The fine print varies per carrier. Maybe you'd have to pay them for the hardware to wiggle out - either way the operative word is "pay")
With an unlocked device, you can take your business elsewhere at no cost to you.
I've got still got an old phone I got during the days of Ma Bell, and it works with Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, or Joe Bob's hometown phone company. Why can't cell phones do the same thing? = TECH SIDEBAR =
The galaxy doesn't care whether it's used for voice or data, it's the carrier who decides what services to supply.
The unlocked Galaxy Tab has all the hardware built-in to use it as a phone and/or internet client on a GSM network. The carrier must supply a SIM card to identify your account (SIM stands for "Subscriber Identity Module")
An unlocked Tab does not have the hardware necessary to connect to a CDMA network. Hence, the external device for Verizon to provide that functionality. (The mifi box supplies the internet connection & the Galaxy picks it up via wifi)
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Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tablet Unlocked Android Powered with 3 MP Camera, 7-Inch Touchscreen, 16GB Memory--International Version with No Warranty (White)
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