Samsung shows off Android-powered Galaxy Tab 8.9

Samsung is holding an event tonight in New York City to show off its new Galaxy Tab 8.9 Android tablet. Billed as one of the world's "thinnest tablets" when it was first introduced back in March at CTIA 2011, the Tab 8.9 measures just 0.34 inches deep (the iPad 2 is 0.35 inches deep) and has a solid, premium feel.

Features are similar to the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but on a smaller scale. Inside you'll find Android 3.1 Honeycomb, a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera, Samsung's Media and Reader Hubs, access to music downloads, a virtual keybaord with Swype, Polaris Office, media sharing, a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video calls, a dual-core processor, 1080p HD video playback, and a WXGA (1,280x800) touch screen.

The device also has Samsung's new TouchWiz UX for tablets, which includes a photo editor, a quick panel for accessing connectivity options and notifications, advance cut and paste functionality, a magazine-like widget for access to weather and e-mail, and a shortcut menu overlay for quick access to priority features.

Availability for the U.S. market begins October 2, but we do know that the 16GB edition will carry a $469 price tag and the 32Gb version will cost $569. Samsung also unveiled an LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 8.9 last month, but no carrier support has been announced just yet.

Source: CNet