Samsung is boosting its Galaxy range of mobile devices with today’s local launch of the Galaxy Tab 3 range, a line-up that adds to Samsung’s Note tablet range and sees the brand pushing into a more aggressively-priced section of the market.

Comprising three tablets, including the Tab 3 7-inch, 8-inch and 10.1-inch models, the range targets a new point in the market (all three come under the $400 price point) and meet different consumer needs with more choices of device. That’s according to Samsung Electronics Australia vice president of telecommunications, Tyler McGee, who spoke at the launch today.

“To cater to the diverse needs of Australians, the Galaxy Tab 3 represents the next evolution of our highly successful Galaxy Tab 2 range, offering consumers more of what they have come to expect from the Galaxy brand, with an array of options in terms of size, local content and features,” said McGee.

“The marketing activity that we will do with the Tab 3 range is very targeted at addressing three categories, whether it’s around the affordability of the Tab 3 7-inch or the portability of the Tab 3 8-inch and the fact that we’ve added some of the exciting features out of the Galaxy S4, including S Translator and Trip Advisor” he added. “Then with the Tab 3 10.1-inch, it’s really focused on the family and being able to share great content in a home environment, including games, movies, music and so forth.”

While affordability is the order of the day with the Tab 3 range, Samsung will still maintain its Note range, which McGee said was positioned “in the premium end of the category” and offered features that were communicated differently to consumers when compared to Tab 3.

While the Note tablets offer quad core processing and higher-end features such as 5-megapixel cameras and the option of 32GB built-in memory, the lower price points on the Tab 3 models reflect more entry level features (see below for a list of specs). The Tab 3 8-inch, for example, is the only device of the three to offer a 5-megapixel camera, and all three are powered by dual core processors.

That said, McGee said more Australians were using tablets than ever before, and they had demonstrated a desire for more options when purchasing a tablet — a demand that Samsung was catering to.

“As the market has broadened, we’ve noticed changes to the way Australians are using tablets and an increased demand for choice in terms of screen size, specs, content and price points,” said McGee. “Some of our competitors offer just one or two tablets in their range, but we offer a selection of tablets for your lifestyle.”

The three devices are set to roll out into stores in the coming weeks, with pre-sales available from today through Samsung. 4G models are also set to be launched through Samsung’s carrier partners in Q3, according to McGee.

Specs:

Galaxy Tab 3 7-inch — RRP $249
-1.2GHz Dual Core processor
-7-inch WSVGA TFT display (1024×600, 169 PPI)
-3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera
-1080p video playback (at 30fps)
-Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0
-8GB memory, expandable with microSD up to 32GB

Galaxy Tab 3 8-inch — RRP $349
-1.5GHz Dual Core processor
-8-inch WXGA TFT display (1280×800, 189 PPI)
-5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera
-1080p video playback, 720p video recording (both at 30fps)
-Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0
-16GB memory, expandable with microSD up to 64MB

Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch — RRP $399
-1.6GHz Dual Core processor
-10.1-inch WXGA TFT display (1280×800, 189 PPI)
-3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera
-1080p video playback, 720p video recording (both at 30fps)
-Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0
-16GB memory, expandable with microSD up to 64MB

Designed to fit easily in one hand, according to Samsung, the Tab 3 7-inch is an entry-level tablet ideal for everyday internet browsing.