Update: Samsung has now confirmed it will announce the Galaxy Tab S3 in September thanks to a listing on its support website, but when exactly is currently unclear.
Android tablets may feel like a dying beast but the latest rumors suggest Samsung hasn’t given up on them just yet.
Samsung is set to make a follow-up to 2015’s Galaxy Tab S2 with the – you guessed it – Galaxy Tab S3. We gave the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 four stars citing a lighter design, the 4:3 display ratio and improved TouchWiz software as the highlights.
It wasn’t without issues though as the spec upgrade was only small and we weren’t all that impressed by the battery life. But the Galaxy Tab S2 is still in a respectable third place in our best tablets list – so if Samsung gives it some impressive upgrades for the Tab S3 it may be ready to take the top spot.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Samsung’s latest flagship Android tablet
- When is it out? Possibly September 1, maybe IFA 2016
- What will it cost? Expect it to start at US$399, £319, AU$499. It’ll be more for higher storage versions.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 release date
Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S2 in July last year, but didn’t release the tablet until September.
An official listing on the support section of Samsung’s website has referenced the Galaxy Tab S3 suggesting it will be ready to be released in September this year. We may see it announced at IFA 2016 when Samsung is planning a press conference where we also expect to see the Gear S3 smartwatch.
Tech journalist Eldar Murtazin has also tweeted that it’s “probably” coming on September 1.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 specs and rumors
Not much is known about the spec of the Galaxy Tab S3, but a leaked picture from a trusted source seemingly confirms the design of the new tablet.
And shock, it looks quite a lot like the Galaxy Tab S2 did. There’s a home button at the bottom of the front of the screen, the 4:3 display ratio is still around and it’s a plastic back once again.
We quite liked the design of the Galaxy Tab S2, so this isn’t much of a problem. But we’d like to see a spec upgrade inside the tablet to make it a worthwhile update.
The pictures just show one size of the tablet, though it’s rumored that there will be both an 8-inch and 9.7-inch version like there was on the Galaxy Tab S2.
One rumor suggests it’ll boast a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with 3GB of RAM, a 4,000mAh battery and 32GB of storage. Leaked benchmarks also gave the tablet a multi-core score of 4,275 – which is lower than the Galaxy S7, but still impressive.
Another rumor points toward the Galaxy Tab S3 coming with an 8MP rear camera and 2MP on the front for your selfies.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 price
The price of the Galaxy Tab S3 will come down to a lot of factors. The Galaxy Tab S2 cost US$399, £319, AU$499 for the smallest storage size and 8-inch version of the tablet.
It was US$499, £399, AU$599 for the 32GB 9.7-inch version of the tablet. We’d expect similar pricing this year, but there may be a few differences and it’ll likely be even more if you go for a larger storage size model.
Source: techradar.com
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Personally, Ill only consider upgrading if comes with a 16:10 aspect ratio. I'm also hoping Samsung supports their tablets longer because it seems like they stop pushing any kind of major firmware and software upgrades just after 2 years while iPad's still receive major support up to almost 5 years later.
Are none of the professional sites reporting this going to point out that the renders of the S3 model are clearly 16:10 screen AR and not 4:3 as listed? I'm hoping that the listed specs are wrong and that it does turn out to be 16:10 like the first Tab S.
That's because that's not a render. Those are real pics of Samsung's Tab A, already on the market. 99% of "Tech" sites are nothing more than blogs run by copy and paste monkeys.
I like watch movies, so I prefer a 16:10.
The most important thing is a midrange price point. These are not high end specs anymore and you don't need top tier specs. The s2 is way overpriced…they need to knock 100$ off
Most of all = Quick Charging! My Tab S2 takes 3-4 hours to charge.
Bring back the battery from the Galaxy Tab S too. There was no solid reason to make the Tab S2 slimmer and greatly reducing the battery.
And an improved keyboard, drop the touchpad as it's so poor don't bother and make the keys bigger with the extra space. £100 for it is overpriced too.
I noticed that too.
But 4:3 is so much a better ratio for tablets. It was one of the major reasons I picked up the Tab S2.
Something between 16:10 and 4:3 would be ideal for most people I believe.
Just wish updated specs included more memory, faster processing speed and better battery life. Could update the video a bit and cut out some of the excess bloatware but why do the tablets all have to keep upgrading the camera. Do people really take a lot of photos with a tablet and not their phone. Seems so cumbersome and just adds to the cost.
And nobody else can see the strange spacing of the back and task view buttons? Btw if it's not 4:3 I'm not buying it.
Why aren't the tablets fitted with the latest and best chipsets? You don't see Apple giving their iPads mid range or last gen chipsets…
I hope it's a 16:10 too, then I might consider upgrading my Tab S