Samsung Galaxy Tab S7: Even tablets are getting 5G now

With more people looking for more ways to work from home, there's new interest in finally bridging the gap between laptop and tablet. Samsung's latest attempt is the new Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, both announced Wednesday at its online Samsung Unpacked event. 

Adding just the right keyboard, touchpad and kickstand can help transform a tablet into a quasi-laptop. We've seen it before in the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface, and as everyone competes to become the next great evolution of the personal computer, Samsung is leaning heavily in the same direction with the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus. 

These two new slate-style tablets run Android -- unlike the iPad (iPadOS) and Surface (Windows 10) -- and normally I'd find that the least laptop-like of these experiences. But the Galaxy Tab S7 adds a new (yes, sold separately) clip-on keyboard with a distinctly laptop-like vibe, including a larger trackpad, multitouch gesture support and a very PC-like function key row. 

Also included is an updated version of DeX, Samsung's platform for making your Android device feel more like a computer, with a PC-like desktop view. New to this version (and also available in the Note 20, also announced Wednesday) is the ability to wirelessly cast your DeX experience to a nearby smart TV. You can also open multiple apps, resize them in different windows, minimize everything down to the taskbar. Based on my previous DeX experience, it's a much more familiar-feeling experience for laptoppers than even the latest iPad with keyboard and touchpad support. 

And not that you're likely to be working on the go anytime soon, but Samsung says these are the first tablets available in the US that support 5G. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 line will go on sale this fall, starting at $649 (£619) for the Galaxy Tab S7 and $849 (£799) for the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. (Australian prices weren't available, but £619 converts to about AU$1,125.)