If the first 5G networks went live this year, 2020 would bring us even more 5G coverage, as plenty of mobile operators around the world are either expanding their 5G support or launching the service in their first markets. Next year will also bring us the first 5G iPhone, and Google will surely have a 5G Pixel in stores next fall. More importantly, 5G phones will become a lot more affordable, and we might see 5G modems inside other devices, including laptops and tablets. It so happens that we already know what the world’s first 5G tablet will be, and it’s the best iPad Pro alternative that Android fans can get.
That’s the Galaxy Tab S6, a 2019 Samsung tablet that packs a few features not seen on any other tablet, iPad included. The tablet has an OLED screen with a built-in fingerprint sensor, a dual-camera, and a built-in stylus groove on the back.
Samsung has inadvertently confirmed the existence of the 5G version of the Galaxy Tab S6 on a support page (via xda-developers), so this is more than just a rumor.
The page may be in Korean, but it still reveals the model number of the device (SM-T866N), the name (Galaxy Tab S6 5G), and a potential launch window (by March 31st, 2020).
Samsung doesn’t say how much the tablet will cost, and what markets will be the first to get it, so we’ll have to wait for an official announcement. But the 5G version of an already high-end Android tablet should be significantly more expensive than the non-5G Galaxy Tab S6 flavors.
Considering the unexpected revelation, it makes sense to assume that the Galaxy Tab S6 5G will be unveiled during Samsung’s CES 2020 event, where the company is also expected to unveil the Lite versions of the Galaxy S10 and Note 10, both of which should go on sale in January at the earliest.
