We got our first look at the newest tablet entry from Samsung back at MWC 2017 last month. Much like every other Samsung product ever released in this space, we knew it was coming due to a ton of leaks (which were mostly right). The New Galaxy Tab S3 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 9.7″ AMOLED 2048 x 1536 display, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage and Samsung is pricing it as a competitor to the iPad Pro.
We now know that Samsung will match Apple’s $599 price-point for the 9.7″ iPad Pro due to the listing that popped up on Best Buy’s website today. While we know that the Galaxy Tab S3 will compete on price, what may give it the leg up is the included S-Pen. If you’re a Samsung Galaxy Note fan you’ll know all about the little Samsung stylus and the fun you can have with it. Apple also sells a style, the Apple Pencil, but it doesn’t come included with the iPad and will run you an extra one-hundred-freaking-dollars. I actually had to check a few different sources because I couldn’t believe how expensive a stylus from Apple is. Wow.
Anyway, back to the Galaxy Tab S3. Interest in Android tablets is waning, but Samsung seems to be going for the working class with the Tab S3. The stylus should be great for productivity and it will have a hand up in things like expandable storage and display technology (AMOLED vs. LCD). What we don’t know is how much the Galaxy Tab S3 with cellular connectivity will run and the release date. We’d imagine both of those details will pop up soon.
If Samsung is going to go after the Apple iPad Pro 9.7″ with the Galaxy Tab S3, we’re left to wonder where the Samsung Galaxy Note tablet lineup fits now. Will it die? Will it challenge the larger iPad Pro? We’ll have to see.
