Samsung's next big tablets get a fresh batch of leaked renders and specs
While Samsung is undoubtedly working on a high-end Galaxy Tab S8 to rival Apple's hot new iPad Pro (2021) duo, the mid-range Tab S7 Lite and Tab A7 Lite have made far more headlines of late, strongly suggesting their official announcement is rapidly approaching.
Although we still don't know exactly when the world's second-largest tablet vendor might be planning to release its next budget-friendly iPad alternatives, these are in the limelight once again thanks to none other than Google (via 91mobiles) and prolific leaker Evan Blass.
Modest specifications, decent design, unknown price
If you thought the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite was an open book before today, wait until you see what the Google Play Console has just revealed about the watered-down sibling of last year's 10.4-inch Tab A7 with Snapdragon 662 inside.
Powered by a significantly humbler MediaTek Helio P22T processor, this was already expected to sport a compact 8.4-inch display, and now we know its resolution - 1340 x 800 pixels. That's a somewhat unusual combination, but while unsurprisingly inferior to the 2000 x 1200 pixel count of the "full-sized" Tab A7's screen, the two numbers confirm the bezels will be thinner than what 2019's low-cost Galaxy Tab A 8.0 had going for it.
Naturally, the Tab A7 Lite will also come with a little more memory on deck, hopefully starting at 3GB RAM, while running Android 11 on the software side of things out of the box and packing the same old 5,100mAh battery, at least according to previous gossip.
Predictably enough, the render disclosed by Google now is pretty much identical to what Evan Blass leaked last month, confirming the aforementioned screen bezels will not be quite as thin as on the Galaxy Tab A7 and suggesting future Tab A7 Lite buyers will need to make do without a fingerprint sensor.
Speaking of Evan Blass, we'd be remiss not to also share with you the legendary leaker's latest dump of Galaxy Tab S7 Lite renders.
How low can this S Pen-wielding giant go?
These high-quality press images showcase the impending upper mid-end slate in all its glory alongside a built-in S Pen and some optional book cover accessories. Unfortunately, these don't seem to include a productivity-enhancing keyboard, although the integrated stylus holder on the inside of the sleek and colorful covers is definitely an extremely nice touch.
It remains to be seen just how low Samsung will be able to keep the price point of this 12.4-inch colossus, especially with the aforementioned S Pen most likely included as standard even with the cheapest Galaxy Tab S7 Lite models, not to mention optional 5G connectivity also on deck.
Granted, the 5G-enabled Tab S7 Lite is obviously tipped to come with a vastly inferior Snapdragon 750 chipset compared to the 865 beast powering the Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G-capable Tab S7 and S7+ variants. Still, it seems highly unlikely this bad boy will cost anything less than $500 in an entry-level model, making its life incredibly difficult against the likes of Apple's $600 and up iPad Air (2020).
Bizarrely enough, Samsung is reportedly not working on a smaller version of the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite, which could create an inexplicably large void between the modest and diminutive Tab A7 Lite and this gargantuan mid-ranger. On the bright side, that probably means the 10.4-inch Galaxy Tab A7 and S6 Lite are not only sticking around for a little while longer, also looking destined to get even higher discounts than the ones offered in recent months.
Things that are NOT allowed: