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These leaked specs of the world's first 5G tablet sure sound familiar

Published: Jan 09, 2020, 3:05 AM

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These leaked specs of the world's first 5G tablet sure sound familiar

It shouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone the least bit familiar with the mobile industry that very few phones have seen daylight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. Most of the mobile-related announcements that did take place at CES 2020 unsurprisingly centered on 5G connectivity and especially new ways to bring those improved cellular speeds to a wider audience around the world.

But more affordable 5G-enabled handsets are just a piece of a larger puzzle also bound to include tablets... eventually. The world's first slate with 5G support has been in the rumor mill since October, and after its own manufacturer confirmed its impending release just last week without offering any details beyond a completely predictable name, said details seem to have been fully disclosed by an unknown source.

There's a good chance Samsung either accidentally put the Galaxy Tab S6 5G on display or voluntarily showcased the powerhouse to a small group of people at the ongoing CES trade fair, although it's also possible the freshly leaked photograph starring a complete list of features is from a different event altogether. Either way, we have no real reason to doubt the authenticity of this picture, particularly because that spec sheet sounds awfully familiar.

No changes from the Wi-Fi and 4G LTE-only variants?

Just like the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G but unlike the Galaxy S10 5G, it appears that Samsung's fast-approaching Galaxy Tab S6 5G will ape every single feature of the non-5G 10.5-incher. We're talking the same exact size and WQXGA (2560 x 1600 pixels) resolution for an undeniably beautiful Super AMOLED display, as well as no upgrades whatsoever planned in the camera, memory, processor, and battery departments.

That means that if you hoped Samsung would rival the versatility of the triple rear-facing camera setup on the upcoming new iPad Pro duo, you may have to wait for a proper Galaxy Tab S7 sequel to the Tab S6 to potentially go beyond the 13 + 5MP dual shooter arrangement. A more disappointing although not entirely shocking snub will apparently see Samsung retain the Snapdragon 855 SoC rather than embrace the hot new 865 silicon expected to power the Galaxy S20 handset family.

This will obviously be paired with a 5G-capable Snapdragon X50 modem this time around, as well as the same old 6GB RAM count and 128 gigs of internal storage space. We can't help but wonder what kind of impact the high-speed modem will have on the endurance of the unchanged 7,040mAh battery, although Samsung seems to be touting a pretty solid 15 hours of video playback time between charges.

Last but not least, the Galaxy Tab S6 5G is set to retain its forerunner's mind-blowing 5.7mm profile, as well as the 244.5 and 159.5mm measurements for height and width respectively.

Pricing and availability expectations

Samsung was kind enough to make the Q1 2020 commercial debut of the Galaxy Tab S6 5G official last week, but only for Korea. It would certainly be a shame if the US never got the world's first 5G tablet, but given the popularity of the Galaxy S10 5G and Note 10+ 5G on carriers like Verizon, we fully expect the slate's availability to be expanded stateside... at some point in the not-so-distant future.

A good starting point to try to guess the price tag of a prospective US-specific Tab S6 5G edition is naturally the 4G LTE-enabled variant, which normally costs $730 at the nation's largest wireless service provider. An increase of $100 or even $200 is most likely in the cards, based on the $1,100 and $1,300 tags of the "standard" Note 10+ and Note 10+ 5G respectively.

A $900 or so Android slate definitely sounds like a tough sell, but at least for the time being, there are no words on any plans devised by Apple to release a 5G-capable iPad in the near future.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.