Tablets could take center stage for Samsung next weekend at the Mobile World Congress, where the electronics giant looks like it could take the wraps off the Galaxy Tab S3.
That report comes from a Korean news agency, citing sources who claim to have knowledge of Samsung's plans for the February mobile trade show. With Samsung largely expected to wait until March to show off its latest Galaxy S smartphone, the Galaxy Tab S3 could be the focal point for Samsung at MWC.
According to the report's sources, also reported on by SamMobile, Samsung plans to offer a tablet with a 9.6-inch display featuring a 2048 x 1536 resolution. The tablet will offer both Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity and run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM, the report says. On the rear, look for a 12-megapixel camera while the report expects the Galaxy Tab S3 to feature a 5-megapixel camera on the front.
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On February 21, prominent Android device render-leaker Evan Blass tweeted a render of the Tab S3 with its attachable keyboard. Close inspection shows that Samsung removed the row of Function keys at the top of the keyboard and used the vertical space it gained to make the rest of the keys larger.
The Galaxy Tab S3 is said to be shipping with Android 7.0 Nougat, and should be thinner than its predecessor, though its exact dimensions weren't revealed by the report's sources.
Samsung last offered a Galaxy Tab in 2015 with the Galaxy Tab S2, which came in both 9.7- and 8-inch versions. The overall market for tablets since then has been a challenge for device makers, with customers slow to upgrade their tablets. Last year, market research firm IDC predicted slumping sales until 2018, when it expects more customers to be ready for an upgrade.
Still, tablet makers may be hoping to spur renewed interest in tablets this year. Besides Samsung's rumored plans for the Tab S3, Apple is said to be planning updates this year for its iPad Pro and iPad Air lineup.
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