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Samsung's first Fan Edition Galaxy Tab confirmed for June release (Update)
- Samsung has officially announced a lower-priced Galaxy Tab S7 Fan Edition tablet.
- The new model switches to an LCD and a Snapdragon 750G while preserving the 12.4-inch size and S Pen support.
- The tablet will launch sometime in June.
Update: May 28, 2021 (10:33 AM ET): After Samsung’s site in Germany leaked, and then removed, its Galaxy Tab S7 FE listing earlier this week, the company has now officially announced that the Fan Edition tablet is indeed coming soon. Official pricing for the tablet has yet to be announced, but it is due to be released sometime in June.
Original article: May 24, 2021 (5:50 PM ET): Samsung is translating the success of its Fan Edition phones to the tablet world. WinFuture reports that Samsung has quietly introduced a Galaxy Tab S7 Fan Edition in Germany (its first Fan Edition tablet, in fact) that makes a few choice sacrifices to make the company’s flagship tablet line more accessible.
The Fan Edition has the same 12.4-inch display size, S Pen functionality and keyboard support as the regular Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but drops the 2,800 x 1,752 AMOLED screen and 120Hz refresh rate in favor of a 2,560 x 1,600p LCD. You’ll also find a mid-tier Snapdragon 750G chip in place of an 865 Plus. There’s just 4GB of RAM, although the 64GB of base storage is thankfully expandable.
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The Fan Edition Galaxy Tab also uses a single 8MP rear camera instead of the S7 Plus’ dual 13MP and 5MP sensors, and you’ll have to be content with a 5MP front camera for your video chats instead of 8MP. You won’t have to compromise on the 10,090mAh battery, though, and you’ll reportedly get an estimated 12 hours of runtime on LTE.
Samsung is currently only taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Tab S7 Fan Edition in Germany, where you can reserve a 5G model with 64GB of space for a price of €649, or about $792. There’s no mention of releases in other countries so far.
That price may sound like a lot, but it’s less than the €698 base cost of the smaller Tab S7. In the US, the 128GB Galaxy Tab S7 Plus with cellular data costs about $1,050. You’re saving a lot of money on a tablet this large, and it might be worth the outlay if you’re more interested in a large canvas for your ideas than top-tier performance. It might also be a viable alternative to the more expensive 2021 iPad Pro, although sales on previous-generation models could close the price gap.