3 to sell Samsung Galaxy Tab, offers £20-a-month HTC Desire

Mobile network 3 has announced it will sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and has also revealed how much it will charge for voice calls and mobile Internet use on the device.

3 will be offering two SIM-only voice and data packages. One will cost £10 a month and include 100 any-network minutes, 3,000 texts and 1GB of data. A £15-a-month package offers 300 any-network minutes with the same amount of texts and data.

If you just want to use mobile broadband, you can get 5GB of data monthly for £15. By way of comparison, you can get 10GB of data on the iPad from 3 for the same amount of money. On 3, 1GB of data on the Tab will set you back £7.50 a month, the same as for the iPad.

These are rolling contracts, so you'll have to pay for a full-priced Tab first, but you won't be locked into a long-term deal. Frustratingly, 3 wouldn't reveal how much it was going to sell the Tab for.

Vodafone will also be carrying the Tab. It's almost certain the operator will offer subsidised deals, although that means you'll be tied into a contract.

We've already seen indications of how much an unlocked Tab may be, with prices so far coming in at over £600 for the 16GB version, making it more expensive than an iPad with equivalent specs (£530).

The Tab has been viewed as the first real competitor to the 9.7-inch iPad. It offers a 7-inch screen, the Android 2.2 operating system and a 1GHz processor. We took a first look at the Tab at trade show IFA, and we liked what we saw, but we'll have to get our hands on a review sample before we can give a definitive verdict.

3 is also offering the very well received HTC Desire smart phone for £20 a month on a 2-year contract, with a £40 up-front payment. It's probably being offered cheaply due to the launch of a new Desire in around a week's time. For your £20, you'll get 900 any-network calls or texts, and 1GB of data.

Do the Tab tariffs sound good to you? Does the prospect of a cheap HTC Desire fill you with boundless joy, even if you are tied into a lengthy contract? Spill your brain syrup in the comments section below.