Samsung Galaxy View Seeks to Entice Tablet Buyers With Big Screen

The large screen size of the Samsung Galaxy View doesn’t mean the tablet will also carry an unreasonably large price. In fact, it’s expected to be affordable.

The main differentiator for the Galaxy View is its screen size. The device comes with an 18.4-inch full-HD screen. That, according to Samsung, will make it the largest Android tablet on the market and easily dwarf the similarly large Apple iPad Pro, which boasts a 12.9-inch screen. It should be interesting to see if the big screen starts a new trend in which vendors push the limit on how large tablets can go.

Samsung has decided to go with Android Lollipop with the Galaxy View. While that didn’t surprise those who have seen the many rumors that have leaked about the device, it’s worth noting that Samsung has its own platform, Tizen, that’s currently running on wearables, smartphones in emerging markets and televisions. There has been some speculation that Samsung could eventually try out Tizen with other product categories, but a big-screen tablet is not one of them.

In order for Samsung to deliver on its promise of video and entertainment in the Galaxy View, the company needed to offer a powerful processor. On that front, Samsung is delivering a 1.6GHz octa-core processor in the Galaxy View. Samsung hasn’t disclosed the full specifications yet. But the limited amount of information released so far suggests the CPU will have the power to readily handle graphics-intensive entertainment apps and video.

The Galaxy View is being pitched as a product that can sit on a desk or countertop and so can be viewed from across the room. Naturally, Samsung concluded that it needed a screen to allow it to stand upright on table tops for viewing movies or television shows.

Samsung has made the rather interesting decision to include a handle with its Galaxy View. So, rather than hold the device like a standard tablet, the Galaxy View can be carried around like a briefcase. Offering a handle with the Galaxy View will make toting around the tablet much easier.

While the big screen means the Galaxy View won’t easily fit into a purse or bag, Samsung has done a fine job of making the device more portable than some may think. For instance, the tablet is just 11.9mm thick, making it slimmer than many lightweight notebooks on the market. And at just 5.8 pounds, it shouldn’t be too difficult to carry on a long walk to the office.

Despite its big, battery-sucking screen, Samsung says that it has optimized the device’s power use to ensure proper video playback. In fact, the tablet can run for eight straight hours on video playback, which is actually quite good for a device that has such a big screen and a higher-end processor. Expect the battery to be a big selling point for those interested in the slate.

The Galaxy View has been rumored by some folks for several weeks, and some of those rumors have suggested that the device would only come with WiFi connectivity. Samsung, however, has surprised those folks by announcing that the tablet will come with LTE connectivity. Samsung hasn’t said which networks its device will support, but at least the Galaxy View will be usable at home and around town.

Samsung said the main purpose of the Galaxy View will be to provide easy access to users’ favorite entertainment content. An image posted to the site shows a grid-like view that lets users access anything from Netflix to Hulu to CNN content. Since Samsung is remaining tight-lipped for now, it’s unclear whether that will be a default view. But Samsung said that it will make content access as easy as possible for users. A company spokesperson says more details are coming soon.

A company spokesperson said Samsung would release pricing and availability information at a later date. That said, some recent leaks on e-retailer sites showed the device costing $600 with 32GB of storage. At that price, the Galaxy View could be awfully appealing to those looking for a big slate.