Samsung Electronics Co introduced a pair of new Android-based tablets promising improved performance along with an upgraded SmartTag item tracker that offers better precision and longer-distance tracking capabilities than previous models.
The new Galaxy Tab S12 series comes in two versions. There’s the top-tier Ultra device, priced at US$1,399 or RM5,708 (up US$100 or RM408 from the S11 Ultra’s most recent price), with a 14.6in display and thin 5.1mm design. The US$1,200 (RM4,896) Galaxy Tab S12+, meanwhile, has a smaller 12.6in screen. The latter product costs US$100 (RM408) more than the older S10+. Samsung did not announce an update for the smaller 11in Galaxy Tab S11.
Both share hardware specifications like a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, a 120-hertz refresh rate and IP68 dust and water resistance. The brighter display is a notable upgrade for the Galaxy Tab S12+, as its predecessor topped out at around 650 nits. Besides a bigger screen, the Ultra model bests the S12+ by adding an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera on the back alongside the standard 13-megapixel sensor. It also includes WiFi 7 support compared with WiFi 6E on the S12+.
Apple Inc, which dominates the US tablet market, is planning to announce a new iPad mini with an OLED display in the coming weeks, so Samsung is getting out ahead of that long-awaited upgrade by introducing its own tablets now.
Both Galaxy Tab S12 tablets are powered by a 3-nanometre MediaTek Inc processor offering modest gains in performance and graphics. The company’s S Pen stylus comes bundled with the devices, but as with iPads, an external keyboard costs extra. Samsung is selling a simple book cover keyboard along with a "Pro” version that includes a full-size trackpad.
With both new devices, Samsung is including a wide mix of extended free trials for software like Adobe Inc’s Photoshop and Lightroom, Notability and a six-month trial for Alphabet Inc’s Google AI Pro subscription. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Tab S12+ will be available beginning Oct 7 in dark grey or light silver.
Samsung’s new SmartTag 3 item tracker is 35% smaller, 33% lighter and more power-efficient than the model it replaces, according to the company. In power-saving mode, it can last for as long as 790 days (up from 700 days on the prior version) on a single replaceable CR2032 coin battery.
As before, the SmartTag 3 ties into Samsung’s own device network rather than Google’s Find My Hub, meaning only other Samsung-branded products can help pinpoint the location of a missing item.
Even though these item trackers don’t provide 24/7 location data, the company is also introducing more features for people who use them to track their pets. The SmartTag 3 tracker will cost US$30 (RM122) for a single unit or US$100 (RM408) for a four-pack when it goes on sale in early November alongside a wide mix of accessories that make it easier to attach the tracker to various items such as luggage. – Bloomberg
