Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 release date, news and rumors

Android tablets may feel like a dying beast but the latest rumors suggest Samsung hasn't given up on them just yet.

Samsung is set to make a follow-up to 2015's Galaxy Tab S2 with the - you guessed it - Galaxy Tab S3. We gave the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 four stars citing a lighter design, the 4:3 display ratio and improved TouchWiz software as the highlights.

It wasn't without issues though as the spec upgrade was only small and we weren't all that impressed by the battery life. But the Galaxy Tab S2 is still in a respectable third place in our best tablets - so if Samsung gives it some impressive upgrades for the Tab S3 it may be ready to take the top spot.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's latest flagship Android tablet
• When is it out? Probably July, but it may be August
• What will it cost? Expect it to start at US$399, £319, AU$499. It'll be more for higher storage versions.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 release date

Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S2 in July last year, but didn't release the tablet until September. It looks like it may be a similar affair for the release this year.

A leaked press render from Evleaks comes with Friday July 15 on all the included screens in the picture. We don't think that's a mistake, especially as this year July 15 is a Friday, so it makes sense the tablet will be announced on that day.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 specs and rumors

Not much is known about the spec of the Galaxy Tab S3, but a leaked picture from a trusted source seemingly confirms the design of the new tablet.

And shock, it looks quite like the Galaxy Tab S2 did. There's a home button at the bottom of the front of the screen, the 4:3 display ratio is still around and it's a plastic back once again.

We quite liked the design of the Galaxy Tab S2, so this isn't much of a problem. But we'd like to see a spec upgrade inside the tablet to make it a worthwhile update.

The pictures just show one size of the tablet and there's no word on whether there will be an 8-inch and 9.7-inch version like there was on the Galaxy Tab S2.

One rumor suggests it'll boast a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage as well. Leaked benchmarks also gave the tablet a multi-core score of 4,275 - which is lower than the Galaxy S7, but still impressive.

Another rumor points toward the Galaxy Tab S3 coming with an 8MP rear camera and 2MP on the front for your selfies.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 price

The price of the Galaxy Tab S3 will come down to a lot of factors. The Galaxy Tab S2 cost US$399, £319, AU$499 for the smallest storage size and 8-inch version of the tablet.

It was US$499, £399, AU$599 for the 32GB 9.7-inch version of the tablet. We'd expect similar pricing this year but there may be a few differences and it'll likely be even more if you go for a larger storage size model.