Odd new report predicts no 'basic' Galaxy Tab S10 model from Samsung this year

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Odd new report predicts no 'basic' Galaxy Tab S10 model from Samsung this year
If you're into Android tablets with large screens, premium designs, and high-end specifications, you might be more excited about the prospect of Samsung releasing a new Galaxy Tab S10 family... eventually than the fast-approaching announcement of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.

But if you're hoping to be able to buy a Tab S10-series device at a reasonable price, part of your hopes are crushed today by a surprising new Korean media report (translated here). This anticipates a rather curious strategy change for the world's number one smartphone maker and number two tablet vendor, as last year's Galaxy Tab S9 trio could be followed by a somewhat unusual duo lacking a "basic" model.

Are you a Tab S10+ or Tab S10 Ultra person?


That's the key question you may need to answer relatively soon if you want to keep up with Samsung's latest industry trends and own a new and improved Galaxy Tab in late 2024 or early 2025. It's apparently not a coincidence that only the Tab S10 Plus and Tab S10 Ultra have made noise in the rumor mill over the last couple of months, with the absence of a "vanilla" Galaxy Tab S10 version being easily explained by its... inexistence.

The obvious philosophical question on our minds right now is whether or not the Tab S10+ and Tab S10 Ultra can exist without a "standard" Tab S10. One possible answer is that tech giants such as Samsung sometimes work in mysterious ways, revising release strategies and product branding to better compete against uber-successful arch-rivals like Apple.


And if Apple can achieve market-leading success with an iPad Pro duo composed of 11 and 13-inch models, Samsung purportedly thinks its best chance to vie for the throne this year is with two rather than three Android-powered giants.

The Galaxy Tab S10+ and Tab S10 Ultra are naturally expected to dwarf Apple's 2024-released iPad Pros with M4 power, most likely sporting the same (or very similar) 12.4 and 14.6-inch screen sizes as the Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra. The gargantuan displays will undoubtedly retain the state-of-the-art AMOLED technology of their predecessors, but with Apple also switching from LCD to OLED at last, that may not give Samsung much of an advantage anymore.

Could the Tab S10+ and Tab S10 Ultra be cheaper than their forerunners?


In short, yes. In long, it's obviously too soon to know, but if the rumors (reiterated today) of MediaTek chip adoption prove accurate, we could definitely see Samsung reduce the (extravagant) prices of the Galaxy Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra for the two's successors this year.

Granted, it remains unclear if the Galaxy Tab S10+ and Tab S10 Ultra will come packing MediaTek processing power around the world or only in certain markets. What's clear is the markets that will get the (slightly) underpowered variants should maximize the value equation by keeping production costs and retail prices in check compared to possible Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 models.

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The MediaTek SoC expected to be fitted inside the Tab S10 Plus and Tab S10 Ultra is of course a top-of-the-line Dimensity 9300 Plus, and in combination with as much as 16GB RAM, that should provide a more than satisfactory level of raw overall performance for the vast majority of prospective buyers.

While the rest of the specs are technically unknown, those recently leaked Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra renders strongly suggest Samsung's flagship tablet design will go virtually unchanged, and the same may well happen under the hood of the company's iPad Pro alternatives.

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