Samsung may release the new premium Galaxy Tab S3 at the Mobile World Congress at the end of February. The Galaxy Tab S series has been a solid flagship performer in the Android space.
It has gained the US Federal Communications Commission approval which is required before any device with a modem (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE) can be sold in the US and it has briefly appeared in GFXBench tests as model SM-T820 and SM-T825 (LTE). There may also be an 8” version.
The Galaxy Tab S series is the flagship Android tablet with AMOLED screen, a high-end processor (looks to be a Qualcomm 820/1, not Samsung’s Exynos) and a 9.6”, 4K, 4:3 ratio screen – not 16:9 in the S1 and S2. Going back to 4:3 ratio (remember the old CRT monitors?) means a better fit for A4 paper display so it is more suitable for office use and it will have small black bars on top or bottom of any 16:9 movie.
It will have 4GB RAM, 32 or 64GB of UFS 2.0 storage, microSD slot, USB-C, fast charge, 3.5mm audio, optional keyboard/cover and Android 7.0. The rear camera appears to be a 12.8MP and 5MP on the front upping the ante for tablets used as cameras.
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Android tablets – all brands – have been the big losers in the tablet wars, with the premium market now largely a two-horse race between Windows 10 hybrids and iPad/Pro.
The Galaxy Tab S2 sells for around $500 for 32GB/Wi-Fi and $730 for32GB/LTE. That is a big ask when the perfectly acceptable Galaxy Tab A sells for under $400 and Lenovo has offerings from under $200. Generics cost even less.
Microsoft's announcement that Windows 10 and x32 apps will run natively on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and later processors means it can provide full-fat Windows on similarly priced tablets. This has affected sales of Android tablets.
Also playing a role is Microsoft's announcement of a range of US$198, x86 notebooks and hybrids devices designed to take on Chrome initially in the education market but that will mean kid-proof, 10” notebooks/hybrids from under $300.