Samsung at MWC 2017: Productivity-Focused Tablets Make Up for Samsung Galaxy S8 Absence
Despite the absence of the highly anticipated Galaxy S8, Samsung was still able to put on a talked-about event at the Mobile World Congress 2017. In an event on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung presented their newest productivity-focused tablets.
The new Galaxy Tab S3 runs with the Android Nougat, while the Galaxy Book 10 and Galaxy Book 12 tablets are powered by Windows 10 operating systems. All the tablets can be attached to a keyboard and supports the use of Samsung's own stylus called the S pen, which makes it comparable to Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets.
During the event, Samsung recognized the growing number of consumer demands for tablet laptops. Samsung senior manager of product marketing Hassan Anjum said (via Venture Beat): "Consumers want to be able to do more with tablets. We're seeing the rise of the category of 2-in-1 detachable tablets... There are a lot of tablets out there, but we're seeing a shift in preference to do more in productivity."
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Aside from the operating systems featured in the productivity-focused tablets, there are several other significant differences in terms of specifications.
Galaxy Tab S3
It is important to note that the Galaxy Tab S3 is the latest refresh for the company's Galaxy Tab line since 2014 and it debuted with a combination of glass and metal bodywork – which is something new for the product line as well.
The Galaxy Tab S3's screen measures 9.7 inches and sports a Super AMOLED display panel with a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel resolution.
In terms of memory capacity, the Galaxy Tab S3 runs with 4 GB of random access memory and an internal storage of 32 GB that can be expanded to 256 GB through a microSD slot. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 that has four cores running at 2.2-gigahertz clock speed.
Galaxy Book 10 and Book 12
The Samsung Galaxy Book tablets, which reportedly promise a "PC-like performance," have 10.6-inch and 12-inch screen options.
In terms of screens, the bigger Galaxy Book 12 sports a Super AMOLED display that is the same as the Tab S3, while the smaller Galaxy Book 10 has a Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Display (TFTLCD). At the same time, the bigger variant sports a thinner dimension but both of them weigh the same.
What probably makes Samsung confident that the Galaxy Books will deliver a PC-like performance is the fact that they run using Intel's Kaby Lake processors that has 14-nanometer plus (14nm+) manufacturing process.
However, the Galaxy Books differ in memory capacities. The 10.6-inch variant comes with a 4 GB RAM and either a 64 GB or 128 GB internal memory. On the other hand, the 12-inch pro tablet offers RAM options of 4 GB and 8 GB while read-only memory selection is either 128 GB or 256 GB. Both have microSD slots for memory expansion.
Unfortunately, Samsung left out vital bits of information such as the tablets' pricing and when it will be released in the United States.
