The other day, Samsung sent two heavy blows Apple’s way after lifting the curtain on a double helping of Galaxy tablets even thinner than iPad 2 at the CTIA 2011 show.

The Honeycomb-sporting Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 lived up to speculation claiming it was thinner than its fruity rival, with an 8.6mm body. However, the tech world wasn’t entirely surprised to see that Sammy had shaved some weight off its bigger brother, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 too.

Rumour had it that alarm bells rang in Samsung HQ after Apple unveiled the 8.8mm iPad 2 at the start of this month and the spurred the Korean firm into action, making10 inch offering even thinner in a bid to keep the pressure on Steve Jobs and Co. But why let a perfectly good tablet go to waste?

To avoid confusion once the two versions of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 hit the market, Samsung has renamed the original and slightly thicker version, the Galaxy Tab 10.1V. Some tech sites are claiming that the UK will only get the Galaxy Tab 10.1V rather than its thinner counterpart but Samsung told Know Your Mobile that the new tab “isn’t replacing the initial one announced at MWC”.

So, there you have it! UK release dates for the latest devices in Samsung’s galactic tablet range are a little sketchy at the moment, especially with Google reportedly holding back any devices with custom UI’s over Honeycomb (both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 have Samsung’s TouchWiz software on top). We’ll let you know what happens.

Google has reportedly stopped manufacturers from putting their own custom skins on top of its latest version of Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The revelation comes from an LG spokesperson who explained at the Droidcon conference in Berlin that the Korean firm has been given the red light by Google to make adjustments to the Android 3.0 interface for the time being.

The news provides a reasonable explanation as to why HTC’s Flyer tablet (apparently due out next month), has Android 2.3 Gingerbread rather than the tablet-optimised version of Google’s hugely popular OS. The same could also be said for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 which has been slimmed down from the original version announced at Mobile World Congress. While its thicker counterpart is pure Honeycomb, the 8.6mm model of the upcoming tablet will come with Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI.

While the pieces of this particular puzzle seem to fit together nicely, Google is apparently readying a version of Honeycomb that will allow custom UI’s, however, there’s no word on a release date at the moment. Funny that, because Samsung has kept quiet on when exactly the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and the newly-revised Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be coming out too.

Apple is bound to be pleased about Google holding back the release of several big name tablets, especially now the iPad 2 is out of the door. Up until now, Android has been renowned as being the easy going platform but with Google tightening the reins on what manufacturers can and can’t do to the UI, will it end up being a costly mistake for Apple’s biggest operating system rival?