4G Galaxy Tab 10.1 ships today, major update in August

Samsung has announced that the LTE version of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet will be available from Verizon starting today. The 16GB model will sell for $530 with a two-year contract while the 32GB variant will retail for $630 under the same conditions. Users can choose one of three data plans: $30 per month for 2GB; $50 for 5GB; or $80 for 10GB -- which they'll be able to burn at download speeds between 5-12Mbps in areas with 4G coverage.

The Wi-Fi-only model, which has been on sale in the U.S. since last month, will also be available at Verizon stores priced at the regular $500 for 16GB or $600 for 32GB. 4G or not, the device itself arguably the best Android-based tablet on the market, featuring a 10.1-inch HD touch-screen display with 1,280-by-800 resolution, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor, front and back facing cameras, as well as Android 3.1 Honeycomb.

It's also the thinnest tablet on the market at 8.6 millimeters thick, just a hair less than the iPad 2's 8.8 millimeters, while weighing in at just 1.25 lbs. The addition of LTE connectivity will give Samsung the upper hand on another front.

In a separate announcement Samsung invited members of the press to the unveiling of a "major software update" next month, which is expected to bring a fully customizable TouchWiz UX, Live Panel, Mini-Apps, and a redesigned interface for the Samsung Media Hub. It will also include some preloaded apps and various enterprise offerings.