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Samsung's next big tablet could bring a big branding change and major upgrades

Updated: Jun 10, 2020, 7:15 AM

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

After seeing the designs and key specs of two upcoming Samsung slates leaked in the last few weeks, it's time to talk about a third new Galaxy Tab product on the horizon. Although we know a lot less about this cryptic tablet, its purported SM-T970 and SM-T975 model numbers (for Wi-Fi-only and cellular-enabled variants respectively) tell us enough to boost our excitement way beyond the levels generated by the Tab S6 Lite and Tab A 8.4 (2020) so far.

Yes, we're looking at a high-end device here, set to follow in the footsteps of last year's Galaxy Tab S6 powerhouse, which in turn came after 2018's Tab S4 and the early 2019-released Tab S5e mid-ranger.

While common sense would normally dictate Samsung's next flagship slate be labeled the Galaxy Tab S7, the folks over at GalaxyClub in the Netherlands (translated here) and SamMobile have a different theory that actually sounds better, creating an opportunity for the company to bring a semblance of order to its extensive and somewhat confusing Android-running product portfolio.

A Galaxy Tab S20 to go with your Galaxy S20?

Because Samsung's tablet release and branding strategy has never been particularly... coherent, it was hard to anticipate if a 2020 sequel to the high-end Galaxy Tab S6 would even happen. After all, the tech giant never released a Tab S5, although the Tab S6 did arrive exactly one year on the heels of the Tab S4, jumping directly from a Snapdragon 835 to a Snapdragon 855 processor.

Imagine the beautiful design of the Galaxy S20 Ultra on an even larger screen

But now that we know the SM-T970 and SM-T975 are in the "early stages" of development, we can definitely count on seeing the two mystery high-enders unveiled no later than August. While said mystery continues to surround both the official name and specifications of the upcoming flagship tablet, the aforementioned model numbers seem to suggest a major upgrade or change of some sort is being planned.

SM-T970 is not exactly the logical continuation of a device roster previously including SM-T830 and SM-T835 model numbers for the Galaxy Tab S4, SM-T860 and SM-T865 aliases for the Tab S6, and SM-T866 as far as the Tab S6 5G is concerned. This is just a guess, but Samsung appears to have more than a minor upgrade and design refresh in the pipeline.

Given the company chose to skip a bunch of digits to reflect the groundbreaking new technologies of the Galaxy S20 lineup, a similar jump from the Tab S6 to a Galaxy Tab S20 is clearly not out of the question. Of course, the move is also far from guaranteed, relying largely on assumptions and guesswork.

What could the Galaxy Tab S20 or Galaxy Tab S7 bring to the table?

A cool name does not a great product make, so if Samsung is indeed planning to radically revise its tablet lineup's branding, the company will need the design and features to match this major change in strategy.

A Galaxy Tab S20 would have to look as similar as possible to an S20-series handset for the new branding strategy to work, although the idea of putting a 108 or even 64MP rear camera on a tablet is... pretty dumb. But Samsung could definitely expand the Infinity-O design to a larger display, further reducing the bezels of its priciest slate and squeezing the front-facing shooter into a tiny hole at the top of the 10-inch or so AMOLED screen.

Samsung's next big tablet will have to go up against the iPad Pro (2020) duo

Like the freshly unveiled iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 (2020), the Galaxy Tab S7 or Tab S20 could also add a third camera at the back for 3D depth sensing tricks. After all, the Galaxy S20+, S20 Ultra, and Note 10+ already share these super-advanced Time-of-Flight capabilities. Another cool feature Samsung's next-gen flagship tablet could borrow from the company's best phones is a sharp display with a blazing fast 120Hz refresh rate, although it's probably wise to not get your expectations so high.

You have to think of the price point too, especially if you feel the Galaxy Tab S6 is a little on the steep side of things at $650 and up.

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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'.