Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2018 release: Firmware and images leaked online ahead of launch

If you needed any further indication about impending release of the new upcoming Samsung tablet, the rumored Galaxy Tab A 2018, here it is. In fact, two of them.

The Wi-Fi-only model codenamed SM-T590, was just handed a thumbs-up by the good guys over at FCC (yes, should release in the US too) and Wi-Fi Alliance, while Samsung’s UK and Ireland have anticipated release so early that they have created the support pages too already (same codename, SM-T590). Earlier, the tablet and its LTE variant (SM-T595) were spotted at Bluetooth SIG too, meaning the tablets are all set for launch.

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If you are in the market for a budget tablet from a known name, then it’s probably already safe to say that the Galaxy Tab A 2018 is your next purchase because that is what Samsung is targeting too.

It’s clear that the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2018 would release in the US and the UK pretty soon, but we also expect the device to become available in retail stores across Asia and Europe too simultaneously.

Are you looking to buy the Tab A 2018?

While we’ve known that the Galaxy Tab A 2018 in the making will sport a 10.5-inch display screen, it seems like there’s a smaller 8-inch model to accompany it. According to Dutch publication NieuweMobiel.NL, which has also obtained images alleged to be of the slate, the Galaxy Tab A will get an 8-inch variant and if the design of this slate is anything to go by, we are looking at modern-looking Tab A tablets with much slimmer bezels compared to their predecessors.

Similar to what we’ve seen on leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S4 that’s expected to debut in the coming weeks, the Galaxy Tab A 2018 will ditch physical navigation buttons in favor of on-screen buttons, something that is also contributing to the slimmer bezels. Rather than square display screen edges, the Tab A 2018 will adopt rounded corners, just like what’s happening with some of Sammy’s phones.

Of course, these images are not representations of the real product and even if they are, we don’t know how accurate they are. In short, it’s better to wait and see what happens next.

Release date

  • The device has cleared Bluetooth SIG, Wi-Fi Alliance, and FCC
  • Support pages in the UK and Ireland are live, too!
  • Leaked firmware suggests launch is imminent

Speaking of next, the leaked image suggests that the Tab A 2018 could see the light on August 9, which is the same date the Galaxy Note 9 is expected to launch. Whether Samsung will for sure launch multiple devices at an event that the Note 9 is expected to take center stage is unclear. Still, the fact that the device’s firmware has recently popped up online also suggests that the device’s launch is close, which could add weight on the said August 9 launch date. Only time will tell, but from where we are seated, an IFA 2018 launch looks more practical.

Specs of the Tab A 2018 are not known yet, somehow, but we don’t expect it to impress us with that anyway. Given that Tab A series has always catered to the budget segment, we are more interested in its price.


Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-T590

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2018 release

Posted by
Kapil Malani

A die-hard Liverpool FC fan, Kapil is a big fan of Batman, Android and street Cricket. In that order, probably. Email: [email protected]