Larger, sharper Samsung tablets out in US Feb. 13

NEW YORK — Samsung’s new line of tablets will go on sale in the US on February 13.

Samsung Electronics Co. began taking orders for the devices on Tuesday. Announced at the International CES gadget show in Las Vegas last month, the new “Pro” tablets feature touch screens that are among the sharpest available.

Samsung is also making models with screens measuring 12.2 inches (31 centimetres) diagonally — larger than the main iPad and other full-size tablets. The larger display comes with the ability to show four apps on the same screen at once, compared with two for other Samsung devices. IPads and most Android tablets allow for only one at a time.

A 12.2-inch Note version of the tablet comes with a pen and starts at $750. A pen-less Tab version costs $100 less, but won’t be available until March. Samsung is also selling an 8.4-inch (21-centimetre) Tab version for $400 and a 10-inch (25-centimetre) Tab for $500. Both will be available this month.

All of the new tablets have displays with 2,560 pixels by 1,600 pixels. That matches the resolution on the full-size version of Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle Fire HDX, but it is more than what iPads and Android rivals typically offer.

Samsung is expected to unveil a successor to its flagship Galaxy S4 phone soon, possibly later this month at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain.