Optus opens Galaxy Tablet registrations

Optus plans to give first dibs on the Samsung Galaxy tablet to its Galaxy S smartphone customers.

The carrier sent "exclusive" invitations by text message yesterday, linking to a mobile webpage it had established to take orders.

Customers were required to respond "before November 4th", the carrier said.

"The Optus team will call you back week commencing 8th November 2010 to fulfill your order," the text message said.

"Please note Optus plan information will be available soon".

No price details were announced; however, reports at the device's launch said the outright price would be $999.

The news came as Telstra moved into gear promoting its own-branded Android tablet device, which cost $299, including 3GB of data.

However, once that quota ran out, it would cost users of Telstra's tablet $40 a month for just 1GB of prepaid data.

The Galaxy tablet and Telstra's T-Touch Tab would be competing in an increasingly crowded market. Apple's iPad was a key rival, as well as newer devices like the Dell Streak and the RIM Playbook.

iTnews has previously published a comparison of all of the tablet devices here.