Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 aims to find the perfect balance between size and compactness

Good news for you, tablet fans, because, just as it was planned, Samsung officially announced the tablet that's probably going to hit the sweet spot between size and pocketability, at its Mobile Unpacked event, taking place at CTIA 2011 - get ready to greet the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9!

Obviously, the toy will be equipped with an 8.9-inch WXGA (1280x800) touchscreen, but what manages to get us even more excited is its unprecedented thinness of just 8.6 mm! That's 0.2 of a millimeter thinner than the Apple iPad 2, which is the current leader in this aspect. In addition, the device's weight will be fixed at just 16.5 oz (470 grams), making it one of the lightest full-sized tablets out there. So, um, yeah, just when we thought these devices can't get any thinner now, they actually did.

Thankfully, these outstanding achievements in the design department haven't been on the account of performance or functionality, as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is to sport a powerful 1GHz dual-core processor that's sure to keep things running smoothly. Additional goodies on the body of the Galaxy Tab 8.9 include a 3MP AF rear camera with LED flash, complemented by a 2MP shooter on the front for video chats. Data connectivity will be carried out through a quad-band (850/900/1900/2100) HSPA+ radio, capable of achieving speeds of up to 21Mbps.

On the software side of things, we're witnessing yet another shocker - although the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 will be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb, it will also feature a custom UI on top of it, dubbed TouchWiz UX. The new interface will treat users to a Live Panel menu that is going to allow them to have a customized view, filled with "digital pictures, favorite Web sites and social network feeds." A special application tray will take care to keep all the apps you need at your disposal. Samsung's Social Hub has also been revamped in order to be more suitable for tablets. For those who don't know what it's all about, the Social Hub aggregates email, IM, contacts, calendar and social networking into a single interface, thus providing you with a one-stop shop for almost all your socialization options on the device.

So, when would we be able to snatch one? Starting June 8, the 16GB version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 will cost you $469, while a 32GB-er will set you back $569. Looks pretty bearable, if you ask us.

source: Samsung