With many mobile consumers looking forward to the Samsung Unpacked event scheduled for August 13, more leaks have emerged regarding some key Galaxy devices. Samsung is expected to unveil both the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ during this event, and a further teaser about the Korean consumer electronics giant’s forthcoming devices gives us a clue as to the lineup for this Unpacked event.
Galaxy tablet emerges?
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this particular information is that it suggests that Samsung may unveil a new Galaxy tablet machine at Unpacked. The tablet niche has certainly been one dominated by Apple since the release of the iPad, but it is possible that Samsung has been emboldened by recent sub-par sales information for the California-based corporation.
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It was fully expected that two premium smartphones would be unveiled by Samsung at the August showcase, but now evidence from Samsung’s Philippines website suggests that there could be another surprise appearance as well. The Asian site is currently counting down the days and hours until the Unpacked event, and has chosen to do so with a particularly interesting image.
The silhouettes of three devices on Samsung’s Philippines website has certainly got tongues wagging, and it does suggest that there will be two phablet-sized releases and a tablet to accompany them as well. It is noticeable that there are two similar-sized devices pictured, and also a significantly larger silhouette, which implies that the Korean manufacturer may release a tablet at Unpacked.
This revelation has led to members of the analyst community questioning precisely what Samsung might unveil at its August conference. There are already two variants of the high-end Galaxy Tab S2 tablet in the public domain, and thus the precise identity of this tablet is a source of confusion for some. Placing tablets within a particular niche has become a key part of this marketplace, and it is thought that this will play a central role in both the timing and the specifications of the long rumored Apple iPad Pro.
Curved screen tablet?
One particularly tantalising possibility is that Samsung could unveil a tablet featuring a curved edge display. This has become a major trademark of the corporation in recent years, after the success of its Galaxy Note phablet that introduced the technology to mass market mobiles. With Samsung having been the largest seller and manufacturer of televisions for the best part of a decade, the Korean company has clearly adopted an ethos of defining its mobile device portfolio via curved screen displays.
Releasing a tablet with a curved display would certainly seem to make sense on one level. It would further cement the impression that Samsung is iconically associated with curved screen displays in the mass public mind. And it would obviously set Samsung apart from other tablet manufacturers; there hasn’t even been the suggestion that Apple would consider releasing a curved screen iPad, for example.
But unquestionably the idea of a curved screen tablet will be strange to some. It is hard to imagine what advantages this would convey on the user over a standard flat screen tablet. And it would unquestionably involve manufacturing complications; it is telling that no other manufacturer has previously been strongly linked with such technology. Although we have yet to see a curved screen iPhone, this is rumored for the future, and other companies have also produced similar smartphone devices. But despite the rarity of the curved mobile concept, Samsung has perpetually displayed great resourcefulness in manufacturing, and there is no reason that a curved screen tablet should be beyond its capacity.
iPad Pro killer?
Another possibility for this tablet is that it is could be a ‘professional’ device intended to rival the forthcoming iPad Pro. Perhaps ‘rival’ would not be considered quite the correct word here by some, as the iPad Pro hasn’t even been confirmed by Apple yet, let alone released! But Samsung always has its eye on the long game, and the arrival of the iPad Pro is considered to be a certainty by many analysts. There is no doubt that Apple rules the tablet market, so Samsung can attempt to gain something of a minor headstart by releasing a professional-style tablet before Apple gets the iPad Pro to market.
With regard to Samsung’s two phable releases at Unpacked, it has now become a commonly held belief that the Korean Corporation is about to rebrand its curved screen phablet. This was something of a surprise when it was reported some months ago, but it seems that the popularity of its curved screen technology has motivated Samsung to produce a phablet really intended for the mass market.
Curved screen to go mass market
Already reports have suggested that when the next generation of Galaxy S7 arrives in 2016, Samsung will be far more inclined to produce curved screen units. Although the Korean Corporation is unquestionably associated with this technology, the fact remains that it is relatively difficult to manufacture compared to flatscreen technology, and this has led to the curved screen variants of its devices being viewed as premium models.
This process could begin to dissipate with the release of the Galaxy S6 Edge+, which looks to be positioned as an alternative to the iPhone Plus phablet. How successful Samsung will be with the strategy remains to be seen, but it is certainly a good time for the company to be experimenting ahead of its latest releases.
Apple’s share price has slumped recently as the city remains dubious that it will be able to maintain its current growth, particularly in China. But although Apple’s travails could be good news for Samsung, another threat looms as well. Large numbers of low-cost Android makers are threatening Samsung, particularly in its key East Asian marketplace, and the next few years could be critical to the future of the corporation.
This ambitious triple launch will play a key role for Samsung as it attempts to reclaim market share, and it will be intriguing to see what Samsung has in mind for the tablet market at Unpacked.