Tablets may well have their spot being eroded by the onslaught of just how many foldable phones are coming, but if you’re after a big and powerful tablet, there’s a clear choice in the Apple camp. What about the Android one?
Interestingly, there actually isn’t a lot to choose from, unless you happen to be looking for the low-end.
If you’re after something that simply works, there seem to be plenty of choices across the low and even in the mid-range. Once you feel the need to jump into something high-end, however, and the choices outside of Apple get a little Windows-y, with laptops that also double as tablets. Android doesn’t have a heap in this category.
One range that has been consistent, however, is Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, which over the years has basically been the tablet to match Apple’s best, but in all the ways an Android would do things.
They’re as thin, as fast, offer a screen as good, and also tend to be as expensive. The problem is they don’t always have a lot of exciting reasons to consider one over the competitor, and iPads can make a great middle ground option for someone who likes Android as a phone, but still wants to indulge in Apple in some form or another.
This year’s Galaxy Tab might keep them on Android, however, as features look set to improve the formula, boosting the battery life from 18 hours on the Tab S11 last year to a max of 21 on this year’s Tab S12+, while the Tab S12 Ultra will hit up to 23 hours, making it potentially capable of surviving some of the longest flights.
The hardware in each is being upgraded, with the Mediatek Dimensity 9500 and a minimum of 12GB RAM powering the 12.6 inch Tab S12+ and the 14.6 inch Tab S12 Ultra, models you may as well want to label 13 and 15 inches, because they’re close to both.
They will both be quite similar, with cameras on the front and back, Dynamic AMOLED 2X screens, and a thickness close to the 5mm mark, hitting 5.3mm on the 12.6 inch Tab S12+ and 5.1mm on the 14.6 inch Tab S12 Ultra. Australia won’t be getting a standard Tab S-model this year, it seems; only plus and ultra for locals.
What you will see is water resistance, as IP68 water and dust resistance makes itself comfortable on the Tab S12 range, something Apple’s iPad range misses out on, even while every one of its iPhone models has supported for years.
The range will also focus on creatives in two ways, offering Adobe’s Photoshop for the first time on an Android tablet, and coming preloaded on those devices made to work with Samsung’s S-Pen.
Unsurprisingly, Samsung’s S12 tab models will also arrive with the S-Pen, a stylus that actually isn’t an optional extra in the box, but is optional to use. There will also be keyboard cases that are optional extras, however, and they can get pricey, with the Slim Ultra Book Keyboard Cover costing between $329 and $399 depending on the size of tablet, and $499 for the “Pro” keyboard being made available for the Tab S12+.
It’s a pricey set of accessory for a fairly pricey tablet, launching in October from $1999 in the plus variety, while the Ultra model will start from $2299, with just one colour for the range: grey.
While late October will see this option launch in Australia, an arrival date of next year has been penned for an arrival announced alongside: a new Bluetooth tracker.
The Galaxy SmartTag 3 will use a circular form-factor like the Apple AirTag, but is made to be smaller and actually work across operating systems, supporting Android and iOS, making it handy for households that use both major operating systems.
The tag will also feature ultra-wideband technology like the AirTag to let supported devices narrow in on a location using their phone rather like a GPS or compass, allowing them to get closer and find that item without needing to go to the map.
Like the Tab S12, the SmartTag 3 will be water resistant, set to IP67, and may even work as a button for some smart devices, working as a form of control for gadgets supporting the “SmartThings” system, such as home appliances.
There’s no word on an official launch or price in Australia just yet, but 2027 has been penciled in as to when we can expect the SmartTag 3.
