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GFXBench/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET
Samsung may be aiming to outgun Apple and Microsoft with a supersized tablet.
Called the Samsung SM-T670, a device leaked on benchmarks site GFXBench reveals several key features, including an 18.4-inch screen with 1,920×1,080 pixels, a 1.6 gigahertz Samsung Exynos 7 octa-core processor, 1.8 gigabytes of memory, 25GB of onboard storage and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The operating system is listed as Android 5.1.1, though the tablet could be running Android 6.0 Marshmallow by the time it’s released.
In early September, a Samsung video hinted at a big-screen tablet or a 2-in-1 device called the Galaxy View. The brief video said simply: “Start with the limits. Then push them.” Samsung promised it would offer a closer look at the device in October. Though Samsung hasn’t yet spilled any further details, the device leaked at GFXBench certainly could be the same one teased in the video.
Tablet sales have seen better days. More people are holding onto their existing tablets, while many new buyers are opting instead for big-screen smartphones. Weakening demand has hurt key industry players such as Apple and Samsung. How do you reverse that trend? Bigger screens. At least, that’s the goal. The hope is that large-screened tablets with attachable keyboards can serve as 2-in-1 devices, meaning both standalone tablets and laptop replacements, appealing to consumers as well as businesses.
At its iPhone launch event on September 9, Apple introduced the iPad Pro , a tablet with a 12.9-inch screen. In June 2014, Microsoft launched its Surface Pro 3 with a 12-inch screen and is expected to unveil the Surface Pro 4 at a launch event on Tuesday.
An 18.4-inch tablet sounds like a behemoth. Are the leaked specs to be trusted? That’s hard to say for sure. But known leaker Evan Blass, also known as @evleaks, tweeted that the specs are accurate, and Blass’s track record is pretty good. He also states that the device’s battery capacity will be 5,700mAh, which would provide plenty of juice per charge.
Assuming the specs are on the money, Samsung may also be aiming to compete on price as well as screen size. The View’s screen may be large, but some of its other specs are diminutive. A 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution for an 18.4 inch screen is paltry. In comparison, Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro sports a resolution of 2,732×2,048 pixels, while Microsoft’s 12-inch Surface Pro 3 provides one of 2,160×1,440 pixels. The View offers a front-facing camera but nothing in the rear. Still the 18.4-inch screen and the octa-core processor are impressive.
The iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 3 both start at $799, challenging Samsung to come up with the sweet price point for the Galaxy View.
Samsung did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.
