On the heels of Verizon Wireless’ move to bring Samsung’s Galaxy Tab to its network with no contract, Sprint Nextel has countered with a much lower price for the device. Last week, Verizon said it would offer the tablet for $599.99 on Nov. 11.
Sprint or Verizon? or iPad?
Sprint will offer the special pricing on the Galaxy Tab with new service or an eligible upgrade and a two-year service agreement on the 3G Tablet Mobile Broadband Plan. Sprint offers a 2GB data plan with unlimited messaging for $29.99 per month, or a 5GB data plan with unlimited messaging for $59.99 per month.
Despite Sprint’s $400 price, Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis, is betting most customers would rather have an iPad than a Galaxy Tab. In the battle for Galaxy Tab customers, though, he said customers have plenty to consider when making a decision about where to buy the device.
“In all likelihood, consumers who are attracted to the smaller form factors or specifically want an Android device will be choosing the carrier first and pricing second,” Greengart said. “If the carrier doesn’t matter, then they are going to decide whether they intend to use this with a data plan or not. If they are going to use it with a data plan, they will…