The rumored Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite Plus might be the first affordable tablet that supports 5G.
As you can guess from the name, the Tab S7 Lite is a pared-down version of last year's flagship Samsung Galaxy Tab S7. This would be a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite that launched last year, but the addition of 5G is a significant upgrade, and would make the Tab S7 Lite a strong iPad 2021 rival
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This information is based on MySmartPrice spotting that there are two sequential model numbers (SM-T735N and SM-T736N) within a firmware database. Since Samsung has five model numbers undergoing testing at the moment that could refer to upcoming budget tablets (according to previous leaks); it seems a reasonable assumption that these two numbers refer to WiFi/LTE and 5G versions of an otherwise identical tablet.
This is supported by a previous leak which claimed there will be WiFi, LTE and 5G Tab S7 Lite models. However, the name could be different, as this leak suggested the new cheaper tablet could be named the Galaxy Tab S8e, to tie it in with the next generation of premium Samsung tablets.
Some tablets can already connect to 5G networks, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. However, these are premium devices. Cheaper tablets have yet to become 5G ready, which is why this news is so interesting.
While still an excellent and well-priced tablet, the current iPad doesn't offer 5G. And none of the rumors for the iPad 2021 point to adding 5G connectivity, a feature that will likely be reserved for the iPad Pro 2021. That would give the rumored Tab S7 Lite a big advantage with consumers who like to use their tablets on the move and away from Wi-Fi networks.
The Tab S6 Lite launched in May of last year, so we could expect a reveal for the Tab S7 Lite at a similar point this year. We already love the Tab S6 Lite, in fact, it's our No. 1 choice on our best Android tablets guide. So with the addition of 5G and a few other enhancements, it seems likely that the Tab S7 Lite will replace it at the top of the list.
