Samsung teases separate Galaxy Tab S6 and Watch Active 2 announcements

The Galaxy Note 10’s unveiling is now just eight days away but, as it turns out, Samsung also has a couple of pre-event announcements up its sleeves for July 31 and August 5. The company hasn’t yet confirmed the names of its new products, but a new teaser video certainly gives us a good idea. 

In a bid to keep the spotlight on its new flagships next week, Samsung will be digitally announcing what should be the Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Watch Active 2. The devices have been designed with the “ever-evolving mobile lifestyle in mind” and feature all of the “latest technologies” that’ll help users stay connected while “managing their creativity and wellness.” The latter appears to be a reference to the Galaxy Tab S6’s S Pen support and the Galaxy Watch Active 2’s array of health and fitness-focused features. 

Acting as the highly anticipated successor to last year’s Galaxy Tab S4, reports suggest Samsung’s next-gen tablet will inherit the former’s 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display but also introduce some rather important changes that’ll make it a more direct iPad Pro competitor.

Specifically, the tablet is expected to arrive powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage as standard. This configuration is similar to that of entry-level Galaxy S10 models and therefore means there should be zero performance issues. If you’re still unsure, though, rumors suggest a separate 8/256GB model is in the works too. Regardless of the variant chosen, microSD cards of up to 512GB will be supported.

Leaked renders suggest Samsung will be ditching the Galaxy Tab S4’s premium glass build in favor of a unibody aluminum alternative. This includes an elongated cutout along the left side of the rear which houses the tablet’s S Pen when not in use. It’ll reportedly connect magnetically and charge via a connector. Details about the stylus itself are scarce at the minute but it should be very similar to the Galaxy Note 10’s in terms of functionalities.

Completing the Galaxy Tab S6’s setup will be a dual-camera setup on the rear, Android 9 Pie and One UI pre-installed, a 7,040mAh battery, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and optional 4G LTE support.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

The original Galaxy Watch Active is just five months old but its popularity among consumers seems to have led to a change of heart at Samsung. Rather than releasing a successor to last year’s bulky Galaxy Watch as expected, the company is reportedly going all-in with its Watch Active series and has chosen to create a significantly more advanced second-gen model.

Fitness should continue being one of the Galaxy Watch Active 2’s main focuses and Samsung probably has several new features in the works which prove this. But with health becoming increasingly more important to consumers, Samsung’s next wearable is expected to take things to the next levels with the help of an ECG app. Reports suggest it’s not yet approved by the FDA and won’t launch until early 2020, but once it does users will have access to electrocardiograms on their wrist. In the meantime, new features that’ll be available straight out of the box should include the ability to alert users of unusually high or low heart rates.

Another new feature seemingly coming to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is “Touch Bezel.” The latter replaces the rotating bezel found on last year’s Galaxy Watch and essentially means users can swipe a finger around the display to navigate the UI. On one final note, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is expected to land in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm – and should be available to purchase in a range of colors with different band options.