Samsung's global Galaxy Tab sales lag behind Apple iPad at 600K

The numbers, detailed by The Korea Herald, show that Samsung's tablet has had a healthy start, but the device still lags behind the iPad. For comparison, Apple's Wi-Fi-only tablet sold more than a million units when it launched in the U.S. alone earlier this year, and before the 3G model launched.

The Galaxy Tab saw a much quicker international rollout than the iPad, debuting in Italy in mid-October. The 7-inch touchscreen tablet recently launched in the U.S. on Nov. 11, and is available through all four major wireless carriers.

The iPad debuted in the U.S. in early April with the Wi-Fi-only model, and the 3G version launched stateside a month later. International sales of the iPad were delayed as Apple struggled to meet demand, and the product launched on May 28 in Germany, the U.K., Australia, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and France.

The Galaxy Tab is noteworthy because it is the first major touchscreen tablet based on the Google Android mobile operating system. While Samsung modified Android to work on the larger tablet screen, Google is expected to introduce tablet-specific features in the next update to Android, codenamed "Gingerbread."

Another hopeful iPad rival, the HP Slate, sold just 9,000 units, it was revealed earlier this month. The Windows 7-based touchscreen device was given a hyped debut early this year before the iPad was introduced, in an attempt to steal some of Apple's thunder.