Samsung is reportedly thinking of expanding its already huge tablet lineup to include another slate that dwarfs them all.
Samsung's tablets run a wide range of sizes, from small, portable 8-inch devices to huge 12.2-inch tablets aimed at professionals. But would customers pick up a giant 18.4-inch tablet?
Import documents obtained by serial leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer from Indian import tracker and database Zauba show the Korean electronics manufacturer has imported five of these devices into India for testing purposes. The document tracker shows Samsung plans to destroy the tablets, codenamed Samsung SS-18.4, once testing is completed to avoid them leaking into the market, which would be disastrous, whether or not Samsung decides to sell them or not.
Each of the units are valued at INR 32,371, which is roughly equivalent to around $508. It's not likely that this is the selling price of the tablets, considering the cost that Samsung must have paid for the huge displays. We can expect to see a much higher price for this device, if it ever makes it to market.
With such a massive display, it is unlikely that an 18.4-inch tablet will capture mainstream users, but it should be a good device for people who require a lot of screen real estate. Designers and graphic artists, for instance, will likely benefit from such a device, as well as architects and engineers. Musicians who like to read digital sheet music might also be interested, as well as enterprise users such as restaurants, retail stores and outlets.
We can't really predict the success of a product based on its size alone. When Samsung launched its huge phablets, the products were met with initial doubt but went on to become one of the firm's most successful smartphones until Apple launched the iPhone 6 Plus. Who knows if history will repeat itself for an 18.4-inch tablet?
However, if Samsung actually launches this device, it will not be the first tablet to have such a huge size. Sony's Vaio brand already has the Tap 21, a 21-inch tablet that can function as an all-in-one desktop computer when paired with a keyboard and mouse. The Vaio Tap 21 currently costs $1,600 and runs on a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, 3 GB of RAM and Windows 8.1. It offers 1 TB of storage and sports a full 21.5 inches of Full HD touch display.
