Tesco gets an unlocked Galaxy Tab

UK SUPERMARKET Tesco will be selling an unlocked version of Samsung's Galaxy Tab at Tesco Direct.

The hugely anticipated Galaxy Tab tablet is on offer at the retail giant despite Samsung's initial claims that it would only sell its "smart media device" on tariffs via mobile operators.

The 16GB model of the Galaxy Tab is due to launch on 1 November and Tesco Direct has a pre-order webpage up. It is selling a relatively reasonable £529 or, for all you Tesco shoppers out there, 1,058 Clubcard points.

The Galaxy Tab is thought to be one of the first mobile devices that might stand a chance of breaking Apple's virtual Ipad tablet monopoly. Like the Ipad, it isn't cheap with prices anywhere from £500 at the Carphone Warehouse to a wallet-aching £800 when it first appeared on Amazon.

Of course, one big difference is that the Galaxy Tab, as opposed to Apple's Ipad, will let users access the full range of online content available on websites that use Flash.

We're a little surprised to see Tesco getting in on the action because Samsung initially tied the Galaxy Tab to telecom vendors. But Carphone Warhouse dived in out of nowhere with the first UK price listing. There you can spend £499 for a tenner a month thirty day contract or buy it for £529 unlocked.

The INQUIRER also reported last week that O2 was telling everyong who would listen everything about having the Galaxy Tab on its books. Everything except the price, that is.

So how did Tesco Direct manage to secure a deal to flog the unlocked Galaxy Tab for £529? At press time Samsung had not yet responded to that question. µ