The Galaxy Tab S won raving reviews after its release last August, with Samsung having achieved its lightest and brightest (resolution-wise) display we’ve seen yet. Its successor, the Tab S 2, has appeared in GFX benchmarks some weeks ago, but a new report suggests that the tablet is soon to arrive on the market.
Samsung has certified a device with the model number SM-T817V with Wi-Fi onboard on April 9, 2015. The SM-T817V is close in model number to the SM-T815 device we’ve seen in benchmarks several weeks ago, leading us to believe that the 9.7-inch Tab S 2 is on its way. The Tab S 2 (9.7-inch), alongside of its Wi-Fi certification, has also been certified to provide Bluetooth 4.1, the latest in Bluetooth low-energy technology.
The Bluetooth certification is where things turn interesting. While the SM-T815 model number is certified on April 9, 2015, there is an SM-T815C device certified the following day (April 10, 2015), with an SM-T817V and an SM-T817A certified on April 10th and April 16th, respectively. We do know that Samsung does release different model numbers for different variants of each device, and the same could be said for these four tablet model numbers.
The Tab S 2 is expected to continue Samsung’s cutting-edge tradition, with Samsung bringing its 4:3 aspect ratio to its high-end tablets and small-end tablets this year. This means that the 2014 Tab S resolution of 2,560 x 1,600p will give way to a 2048 x 1536p tablet this year, matching the resolution of Apple’s iPad Air 2. The Tab S 2 will also feature a 2MP front camera, 8MP back camera, a 1.9Ghz, octa-core processor (perhaps the Exynos 7420 or the Exynos 5433), 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. Android 5.0.2 Lollipop is onboard.
The Tab S told us to “tab into color,” and we’re sure the Tab S 2 will exceed expectations. Samsung may give the Tab S a summer 2015 release, but it could be August before we see it arrive to market. Stay tuned to SamMobile as we bring you more details on the Tab S 2.