Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 release date, specs rumors: 2018 tablet won't move up to Snapdragon 845 chip

The arrival of the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S device is already overdue, given that the Galaxy Tab S3 was unveiled by the South Korean tech giant more than a year ago. While the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 was not present at the previous Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018, it is expected that the high-end tablet's launch will happen soon. However, the users should not expect too much from the next Galaxy Tab S series, with the latest reports suggesting that the Galaxy Tab S4 will stick with last year's Snapdragon 835 processor.

The 9.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 with S PenSamsung website

The specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 were leaked in the latest GFXBench benchmark listing. The device is listed with the model number SM-T835. It is easy to assume that this Samsung gadget is actually the Galaxy Tab S4, given that the previous Galaxy Tab S3 goes with the model number SM-T825, while the Galaxy Tab S2 uses SM-T815. The public's expectation is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 will have an upgraded mobile chipset from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 845. However, the GFXBench listing shows that the Galaxy Tab S4 will still use the Snapdragon 835.

Samsung's recently launched Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus smartphones were among the first devices packed with the Snapdragon 845 chip. The next-gen Galaxy Tab S device is expected to follow suit, but it looks like Samsung has chosen to delay the upgrade to next year. Specifically, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is listed to have a 2.3 GHz octa-core Qualcomm chip with an Adreno 540 graphics processing unit (GPU) under the hood. The tablet also has 4 GB of random-access memory (RAM) and 64 GB built-in storage.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is shown to sport a 10.5-inch display with 1,600x 2,560 screen resolution, making the device slightly bigger than the previous Galaxy Tab S iteration. Going to the camera department, the Galaxy Tab S4 is expected to receive a 12-megapixel (MP) rear camera. The tricky part is that the GFXBench listing shows a 7-megapixel front-facing shooter for the device, and GSMArena states that the Galaxy Tab S3 already has an 8-megapixel front camera. Last year's premium devices from Samsung like the Galaxy S8 smartphone received 8 MP front cameras as well, and it is possible that the Galaxy Tab S4 will have the same.