Samsung Galaxy View: What's the story so far?

Consumer electronics show IFA was a little different for Samsung this year. Rather than the launch platform for the new Note device as is normally the case, it was the unveiling of the Gear S2 smartwatch, along with the teasing of a new device, in a new category.

A few images flashed up on the conference screens, suggesting some sort of tablet device, with a kickstand. Little more was said about the device following the tease, leaving us none the wiser. Samsung did at least give us a name though: Galaxy View.

It was here that the speculation surrounding the Samsung Galaxy View began and here's everything that we know so far.

Samsung Galaxy View release date

Samsung said we would learn more about the Galaxy View in October, but there has been no announcement made and no event scheduled.

Given that Samsung has hosted a couple of major launch events this year, we're not sure that Galaxy View will have a dedicated event. We're expecting it to be launched without an event, however we'll update if any invites surface.

Samsung Galaxy View design

There hasn't been too much speculation surrounding the design of the Samsung Galaxy View although a video at the end of the press conference at IFA did show a large black tablet with a built-in kickstand.

The company told conference attendees to "think bigger", suggesting it would be a "new dimension in entertainment". By the looks of things, you can expect a tablet that hasn't been designed to carry around with you, staying at home instead.

No dimensions or weight rumours have been detailed but expect a pretty large device. Samsung does tend to opt for a slim form with both tablets and smartphones so it is probably safe to assume the Galaxy View won't be too chunky.

Samsung Galaxy View display

The Samsung Galaxy View appears to be stepping into new areas with a large display, claimed to be a huge 18.5-inches.

A range of specs appeared on benchmark testing site GFXBench for a device called the Samsung SM-T670, which is said to be the Galaxy View tablet. The benchmark shows the display resolution to be 1920 x 1080, which would suggest that this is more like a TV than it is a tablet, where Samsung has been aggressive to push resolution.

At 18.5-inches, the pixel density would work out at just 122ppi. Many of Samsung's devices sport Quad HD resolutions including the recently launched Galaxy Tab S2, but many TVs are Full HD so perhaps the Galaxy View is more of a second screen viewing device, rather than a big tablet like the Apple iPad Pro.

As Samsung made a point of saying that this is a new category of device, we can't judge the suitability of this resolution to task quite yet.

Samsung Galaxy View hardware

Little has been said about what we can expect on the hardware front.

A benchmark leak suggests this monster tablet could be coming with a 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos processor, Mali-T720 GPU and 25GB of storage (probably 32GB, but giving some over to the OS).

There is also 1.8GB of RAM suggested and a 2-megapixel front camera but no rear snapper. Serial leaker Evan Blass, who claims the benchmark specs are genuine, also said the Galaxy View would come with a 5700mAh battery.

All these specs point to the fact that the Galaxy View won't be just another tablet. In fact, they suggest that while it might look like a tablet, it won't be slotting into that field.

Samsung already has numerous tablet options available so we suspect the Galaxy View will be more like a portable mini TV, designed to stand on your coffee table for watching things like Netflix, sharing photos and browsing the web. The front camera is likely designed for video calling.

Samsung Galaxy View software

The benchmark leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy View will run on Android 5.1.1, which is interesting. It will more than likely have Samsung's TouchWiz user interface over the top, which should mean various functions, although if this device is set to step into new areas, we suspect there will be a difference in experience over the Samsung tablets available.

There has been nothing to suggest the View will sport multi-view or multi-tasking features, but on a display of this size, we would imagine Samsung has something up its sleeve in terms of software.

No mention of Android 6.0 Marshmallow in the rumours however, although we would expect this to appear as an update eventually.

Samsung Galaxy View conclusion

A release date has yet to be announced for the Samsung Galaxy View, but as we were told at IFA that more information would be revealed in October, we can expect to hear more before the end of the month.

The leaked specs are a little disappointing if the View is destined to be a large tablet, but not so disappointing if it is set for a new area. Whatever Galaxy View is designed to do, Samsung is going to have to make a strong case for this type of device, sitting somewhere between your conventional television and your convenient portable tablet.

We will update this feature as more information appears.