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Enlarge ImageAndrew Hoyle/CNET
BERLIN — Samsung may not be done with product launches for the year.
The South Korean company on Thursday teased what appeared to be a big-screen tablet or a 2-in-1 device called the Galaxy View. The brief video — which came at the end of a press conference here detailing Samsung’s new wearable, the Gear S2 smartwatch — said, “Start with the limits. Then push them.”
That was it. Samsung said it will provide a closer look in October.
Rival Apple, meanwhile, reportedly has plans to show off a large-screen tablet of its own, dubbed the iPad Pro, during an event next week. That device is expected to have a 12.9-inch screen.
The tablet market has been having a tough time lately. Sales of Apple’s iPad have fallen year over year for six straight quarters, and Samsung’s sales have also struggled. Research firm IDC last month forecast that tablet shipments worldwide will decline 8 percent this year.
See also
- CNET’s take on the Gear S2
- Gear S2 propels Samsung into sleeker design, focus on apps
- Apple said to be unveiling iPad Pro during next week’s event
- Barnes & Noble’s latest Nook is a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Tablets were the hot market just a few years ago, but interest has waned with the industry offering few reasons to upgrade. Consumers have been holding onto their older tablets or have been opting for bigger-screen smartphones.
So far, Apple’s biggest changes have been to make the iPad slightly thinner and lighter. Samsung, which once held splashy events to launch its Galaxy tablets, now quietly announces them with an emailed press release, as was the case Thursday with the Galaxy Tab S2 Nook .
As the tablet market slows, it’s believed that larger tablets — such as an iPad Pro — could shake things up, giving businesses and power users a reason to buy a new device. Multitasking and split-screen capabilities in a larger device could appeal to business users who need to do several tasks at once.
Samsung Gear S2 and S2 Classic show off spinning style (pictures)
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Many big businesses have been scooping up hybrid devices, also known as 2-in-1s, that convert between tablet and laptop. Two years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook famously compared hybrids to combining a toaster and a refrigerator, but market watchers believe an iPad Pro would pair well with a keyboard to serve as an alternative to a full-fledged computer.
Apple could show off the iPad Pro during its product launch September 9 in San Francisco. The company on Wednesday declined to comment on a report it would introduce the tablet at the event.
On Thursday, Samsung introduced its Gear S2 smartwatch and various Internet of Things- focused devices and appliances during press events at the IFA electronics show here. The smartwatch is Samsung’s seventh wearable but its first in the past year. It’s also Samsung’s first round smartwatch and its first wearable since Apple released the Apple Watch in April.
For the rest of the news from IFA 2015, check out CNET’s complete coverage.
Updated at 8 p.m. CET with background information.
