AT&T Attaches Big Price Tag to Samsung Galaxy Tab

Big Samsung Galaxy Tab news out today: U.S. Cellular which plans to trial LTE services next year and AT&T Mobility both will offer the Android-based tablet later this month. The difference is that U.S. Cellulars will be a heckuva lot cheaper.

AT&T will charge $649.99 for the Galaxy Tab, the highest cost out there (Verizon Wireless has a $600 price tag). U.S. Cellular, on the other hand, will charge $399.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract. The Chicago-headquartered wireless provider will charge either $14.99 for 200MB of data per month or $54.99 for 5GB. The latter is recommended for subscribers who wont be using Wi-Fi hotspots most of the time. Without a contract, the U.S. Cellular Galaxy Tab will go for $600.

There doesnt seem to be a no-contract option at AT&T. But, for $14.99 per month, youll get 250MB of data and, for another $10, a total of 2GB. There is a major benefit to AT&Ts option: users get free, unlimited access to the carriers Wi-Fi networks.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab so far is the major contender to Apples iPad. The Galaxy Tab is based on Googles Android mobile operating system. U.S. Cellular will sell the device starting Nov. 19, while AT&T will have it as of Nov. 21. Verizon and Sprint Nextel started selling the Galaxy Tab earlier this month.