Telstra slashes Samsung Galaxy Tab to just $299

Telstra is now selling the original Samsung Galaxy Tab for just $299

Once offered as a premium device that cost almost $1000, Telstra today slashed the price of the original Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet to just $299.

Read our comprehensive Samsung Galaxy Tab review and check out our Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad tablet showdown.

Telstra's website currently lists the Galaxy Tab for $299 outright with free delivery, though the offer is only available to customers who purchase the tablet online.

The dramatic price cut comes just a week after Telstra slashed the outright price of the Galaxy Tab to $408 from $999. Telstra previously sold the Samsung Galaxy Tab on $29, $49 and $79 plans across 24 month contracts, with a total minimum spend ranging from $1296 to $2256, depending on plan and repayment options.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab received mostly positive reviews when it launched in Australia in late 2010, however was criticised for its high price and lack of native apps that supported the larger 7in screen size. The Galaxy Tab was considered the first realistic challenger to the original Apple iPad, but Samsung admitted in January that global sales were "quite small".

The price cut of the original Galaxy Tab comes as a number of tablet devices are set to hit the Australian market alongside the iPad 2. Vodafone will exclusively launch a larger version of the Galaxy Tab — the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v — on May 4, while RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, described by the company as the world's first "professional grade" tablet will be available in the coming months.

Telstra is also rumoured to be launching the Motorola Xoom tablet in mid-May according to local Android blog Ausdroid.