SEOUL: South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Friday it has formed a partnership with US entertainment giant Marvel in an effort to promote its new tablet PC Galaxy Tab S.

The partnership was announced at a launch event in New York City for the Galaxy Tab S. 

The two firms will cooperate in the development and marketing of digital content for Galaxy Tab S users. 

“Under the strategic partnership, Galaxy Tab S users will be able to access over 15,000 Marvel Comics for three months with free membership to the firm’s ‘Marvel Unlimited’ applications,” the company said in a press release. 

The Galaxy Tab S, which will be rolled out across the world in July, is the tech giant’s thinnest and lightest tablet PC model.

The device comes in two sizes, 8.4-inch and 10.5-inch displays. Users will be given a choice of Wi-Fi editions or Long Term Evolution versions, the tech firm said. 

The 10.5-inch version of the 6.6 mm-thin device will weigh only 465 grams, lighter than any of its tablet PCs released earlier in similar sizes. The 8.4-inch edition weighs 294 grams.

“The tablet is becoming a popular personal viewing device for enjoying content, which makes the quality of the display a critical feature,” said Shin Jong-kyun, who heads Samsung’s IT & Mobile Division. 

Along with the tablet’s super active mode organic light-emitting diode display, its “Adaptive Display” feature automatically adjusts screen brightness depending on the application in use.

Samsung’s magazine service “Papergarden” was included with the Galaxy Tab S for the first time.

The digital interactive service makes available a wide range of popular magazines in vivid and true-to-life colors. 

The tablets will be powered by Google Inc.’s Android 4.4, or KitKat, and are equipped with 8-megapixel and 2.1-megapixel cameras on the back and front, respectively.

They will hold a 4,900 mAh capacity battery and will come in two colors: bronze and white.Prices start at $399 for the Galaxy Tab 8.4 and $499 for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2014