Samsung updated its tablet range in 2020 with the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but all signs are pointing to the Korean giant releasing a more affordable ‘Lite’ version in the coming months. The flagships are among the best you can buy on the Android side, so it will be interesting to see how many compromises Samsung will have to make in order to significantly lower the price.
Here’s everything we know about the new device, rumoured to be known as the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite. If you’re more interested in the high-end tablets, check out our Tab S7+ review and see all the rumours about the Galaxy Tab S8 series.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite be released?
Samsung has yet to confirm whether it intends to release a Lite version of the S7 tab at the moment, making it difficult to know when the device might actually arrive. However, prominent leaker Evan Blass claims to have obtained a roadmap for upcoming Samsung product releases. In a post on social media platform Voice, Blass says he’s expecting the Tab S7 Lite to arrive in June 2021.
It would act as a direct successor to April 2020’s Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, which itself was an affordable version of 2019’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S6.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite cost?
Again, this is purely speculative at the moment, but examining the previous prices of models in the tablet range should give us a clue. Here’s how they break down:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 – £610/$649
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite – £349/$349
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – £619/$649
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus – £799/$849
If Samsung sticks with this structure then the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite should come in around £349/$349, although there are rumours of an S7 Lite Plus which will sport a bigger display and allow the Lite models to emulate the S7 and S7 Plus.
With the Tab S7 Plus being around £200/$200 more than the Tab S7, it could be that the Lite models follow suit, meaning the Tab S7 Lite would be around £519/$549.
What features will we see in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite?
Traditionally, the Lite range offers a similar look, but cuts the price-tag by using lower-end components. For example, where the Galaxy Tab S6 came with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, the Tab S6 Lite was powered by a slower Exynos 9611 instead that also appears in the Samsung Galaxy A50.
These kinds of choices were common throughout the spec sheet, with the 10.4in display on the Lite being an IPS panel, while the 10.5in one on the S6 coming with Samsung’s lovely AMOLED technology, plus the cameras were also more powerful on the premium device. So, expect to see a similar approach with the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite.
Samsung did make some unusual decisions with the standard Tab S7, in that it doesn’t have an AMOLED display but rather an LTPS LCD panel, with the former saved for the more expensive Galaxy Tab S7 Plus which also has a faster 120Hz refresh rate than the 60Hz on the Tab S7.
So, the Tab S7 Lite might not lag too far behind in terms of visual performance. The GalaxyClub article suggests the Lite models will mirror the 11in and 12.4in sizes of the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus.
We’ll be updating this article as more information becomes available, so be sure to check back regularly to see what Samsung has in store.
Until then, read our roundup of the best Android tablets to see what the Lite models will compete with when they finally appear.
