updated 01:50 pm EST, Thu December 8, 2011
Samsung may go for upsized 2GHz, 1600p tablet
Samsung's plans to counter the iPad 3 could involve going for size, a rumor hinted Thursday. It would step up from 10.1 inches to 11.6 inches, BGR said, hinting that it might be called the Galaxy Tab 11.6. The larger display would similarly challenge Apple on resolution: it would use the same 2560x1600 image as a recent 10-inch prototype, just scaled to a larger screen.
To drive the larger screen, Samsung would use the 2GHz Exynos 5250. While still dual-core, the Cortex-A15 base and the four times faster graphics would lead to much faster performance.
The design wouldn't be any larger than the Galaxy Tab 10.1, however, as it would have a thinner bezel that made the display more efficient. Running Android 4.0, it would borrow the Android Beam sharing of devices like the Galaxy Nexus. Samsung might also try to get a rough parallel to Apple's AirPlay through a "wireless docking mode" for playing games on TV.
In keeping with its habit of unveiling its most important products at Mobile World Congress, Samsung wouldn't detail the Galaxy Tab 11.6 until the late February show in Barcelona. The timing could be costly for the firm, though, as it might coincide with a rumored February iPad 3 launch. Samsung isn't due to ship the Exynos chip proper until the spring and may only have its own answer months later.
The A6 itself is rumored to be "very similar" to the Exynos 5250 and could leave Samsung at a disadvantage. Apple may have a more modest 2048x1536 display, but it could ship months before Samsung and cool demand for the new Galaxy Tab.