True to the leaks, Samsung has indeed launched the Galaxy Tab S3 at MWC 2017. Despite not wearing the "Note" label, the device is surely aimed at fans of the series, and anyone with a penchant for productivity devices, as it comes with the fabled S-Pen stylus accessory closely affiliated with the Galaxy Note brand. Not only that, however, but the slate also has a detachable keyboard accessory to make it a true transforming hybrid device.
The tablet is a 9.7in slab measuring 169 x 237.3 x 6mm and weighing in at 429g (435g for the LTE edition). Looks wise it's nice and slick looking with Samsung's familiar design language, but little touches such as a flush-fitting glass back (no camera bump) and a metal frame give it a premium, professional aesthetic. The display resolution is 1536 x 2048 pixels and, of course, it's a Super AMOLED panel for sharp, colourful and bright visuals, but it also supports 10-bit HDR.
Inside the Galaxy Tab S3 pushes the boat out relative to most other tablets on the market, it's got a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU with 4GB of RAM so whether you're in full productivity mode via the S-Pen and multi-window multitasking, or playing the latest 3D games, you should be nicely covered. There's 32GB of onboard storage and microSD support, and a 6,000mAh battery cell. You also get four speakers tuned by AKG, full Wi-Fi support, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Type-C USB port, dual-microphones, and of course the LTE model has a SIM tray.
Cameras aren't really a major part of tablet specs, but nonetheless Samsung has implemented a 13MP primary with an f/1.9 aperture and LED flash, and a 5MP secondary with an f/2.2. Frankly we would have thought this was better the other way round considering tablets, laptops and hybrids are usually used primarily for video calling, but hey.
On top of all this there's the accessories. The Galaxy Tab S3 has a set of pins, ports, and magnets along one edge to allow for the keyboard accessory to dock. While it's no Windows hybrid, Samsung has opted for Android Nougat as the OS and has layered its own UI on top with some bespoke features to enhance productivity. Then there's the S-Pen stylus, which Samsung has embedded with all the features Galaxy Note fans will be familiar with, including drawing, editing, and signing documents, putting it on equal footing with the Apple Pencil and Surface Pen.
Head over to page two for the brief set of pre-launch rumours...
It's well established by now that Samsung won't be launching the Galaxy S8 flagship at MWC 2017 in Barcelona this February, instead it'll be waiting until later in March, and the phone won't hit the market until sometime in April. Depending on who you believe, the Galaxy S8 may actually be present at the expo, but it'll allegedly only be showcased behind closed doors in a private viewing for Samsung partners, investors, distributors, retailers, and carrier networks.
HOWEVER, Samsung will indeed be throwing some meat into the crowd for us plebs at the expo, in the form of the brand spanking new Galaxy Tab S3 tablet. Some new and very official looking product/press renders have hit the web and include a fancy pants detachable keyboard accessory - this latest leak comes via reliable Twitter tipster Evan Blass, aka @evleaks.
Previous leaks have indicated the device will indeed be a kind of 2-in-1 transformer tablet-come-laptop hybrid affair, complete with an S-Pen stylus included. The slate has already been certified by the US FCC, has received its Bluetooth certification, and Wi-Fi certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance. Leaked specs so far include the following:
- Display: 9.7in 2048 x 1536 Pixels
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB Onboard
- Cameras: 12MP Primary, 5MP Front-Facing Secondary
Samsung's press conference for MWC 2017 kicks off on February 26, so expect this tablet to be unwrapped then and there. More as we hear it.
