Samsung pulled off a surprise this week when it unveiled the dual-core Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, replacing in the weeks ahead the mild hit Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in the weeks ahead.

The agenda is obvious. The Tab 3 7.0 is but one of the litter of Samsung weapons that the South Korean tech giant intends to unleash this year, hoping that one of them will finally hurt the dominant iPad and its smaller version, the iPad Mini and the upcoming iPad Mini 2.

Still, the global tablet sales remain favourable to Apple. The first two predecessors failed to accomplish the mission set by Samsung and the indications are strong that the Tab 3 7.0 will suffer the same fate this year.

Below are the reasons why Samsung will remain searching for that elusive iPad killer despite the introduction of the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, which starts selling in late May bearing Wi-Fi and 3G signals.

Unattractive form factor

Looking at the stock images provided by Samsung, the Tab 3 7.0 was subjected to a major design revamp. It acquired a Home button on the centre-bottom part of the device with the menu and back capacitive keys on the left and right side respectively.

Users familiar with Galaxy handsets would have the immediate impression that this small tablet has been given the Galaxy S3-look, making it a clone of the bestselling smartphone though in an oversized render.

True, this new edition is an improvement of the Tab 2 7.0 with thinner bezel and less footprint but it's a doubt if iPad Mini fans will be swayed to switch. In quick comparison, the Mini easily exudes oozing sex appeal, which is an element that Samsung will likely achieve on its fourth try, maybe next year. Simply put, the GS3 is a fantastic-looking mobile but to supersize it into a tablet is a turn off.

Underwhelmed specs

The Tab 3 7.0 boats of a two-core CPU that spins away at a top-speed of 1.2GHz with 1GB of RAM supporting its processing might. Its 7-inch screen beams out a decent resolution of 1024 x 600, not HD and AMOLED by any means. The camera mix is only 3MP on main and 1.3MP on front.

These attributes generally exceed that of the iPad Mini but it should be a different story with the iPad Mini 2, which analysts believe will gain terrific upgrades from its predecessors. It seems Samsung was hardly forward-looking in releasing a Mini competitor that will only get mauled in fierce dogfight.

Not Key Lime Pie

The Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is on JellyBean 4.1, way behind from the latest version of the Android platform. The likelihood is, it will skirmish with an iPad Mini 2 that is powered by the fully-revamped iOS 7.

It will be a mismatch fight and there is no telling when the Android slate will catch up, that is by absorbing the Key Lime Pie that Google will start pushing out in a few months. Despite its dominance, the Android upgrade process is fraught by fragmentation. The safest for KLP to get into the Tab 3 7.0 should be mid-2014, which is the earliest. Note, however, that there is no assurance the tablet will be on Key Lime Pie at all.