Samsung could expand its foldable lineup with a third foldable device this year, if a Twitter leaker is to be believed.
The tipster @Tech_Reve claims in a tweet that the Samsung Galaxy Z Tab will be the company’s first foldable tablet, and will launch alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 devices later this year.
Exclusive: Z Tab, foldable tablet to launch alongside Galaxy Tab S9 this yearApril 9, 2023
While the Twitter tipster doesn’t have a huge track record to go on, having only joined the site in 2019, the account does have some prediction wins to point to, including correctly leaking the Samsung Galaxy S23 colors back in January ahead of the launch via some Thai marketing literature.
When pushed on certainty, Tech_Reve did allow a bit more wiggle room on the release date. “There's a really high probability that this will come out this year,” the leaker tweeted. “If it doesn't come out this year, it's going to be one of a bunch of foldables coming out next year.... Wouldn't that be less attention-grabbing?”
Samsung expanding beyond foldable phones
Whether you believe anything is coming to market in the near future or not, it’s demonstrably true that Samsung has been experimenting with foldable form factors beyond the phone-sized Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip handsets. Samsung is even said to have toyed with a tri-fold design, where the screen folds over on itself twice.
Most people won’t just pop the 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in their bags without a second thought, but a hypothetical 6-inch Galaxy Z Tab that unfolds into a 12-inch tablet is far more appealing.
Samsung’s two foldable phones — the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 — have different reasons for their design. The former is about packing both a mini-tablet and phone in one handset, while the latter is about making a device more pocketable.
Samsung will likely be attempting the latter with a foldable tablet, and you can see the appeal of it. A big screen is great while traveling, but the larger the display the less portable the tablet. Most people won’t just pop the 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in their bags without a second thought, but a hypothetical 6-inch clamshell that unfolds into a 12-inch tablet is far more appealing.
Beating foldable iPad to market
There’s another reason why Samsung may want to branch out into foldable tablets reasonably quickly. Rumor has it that when Apple finally does enter the foldable race, it won’t be with an iPhone Flip but with a foldable iPad. Indeed, one of the sources of this rumor is said to be Samsung’s own employees.
It’s safe to say that if there is indeed a market for foldable tablets, then Apple will dominate it given half a chance. While just under a third of the world’s population favors iOS to Android, tablets are a very different story. iPads make up over half of the devices in use today. Samsung hovers around the 30% tablet market share mark, and would no doubt love to beat Apple to market.
Don’t expect a foldable tablet to come cheap, though. Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Tab S tablets start at $699, while its entry-level foldable phone — the Galaxy Z Flip 4 — sells for $999. Still, if you consider a four-figure sum a small price for portability, then you’ll want to keep a close eye on the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked events.
