Rumor: Samsung is going to release a ‘smartphone’ with a 7-inch screen

Samsung is going to release a ‘smartphone’ in China with a 7 “screen. An inspection institute published photos and details of the device, which Samsung will not release in Europe for the time being, given the characteristics.

Samsung has given the Android device the type number SM-T2558, according to Tenaa’s inspection information. This makes it seem to fall into Samsung’s tablet line: all recent Samsung tablets with Android have type numbers that start with SM-T. However, unlike all other Samsung tablets, the device with a 7-inch screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, a ratio that Samsung has only used on smartphones until now.

Like some other Samsung tablets, the T2558 can also be used as a phone: it has support for 2G and 3G frequencies that are common in China. SMS support is also included in the device. The T2558 is intended for the Chinese market, as can be seen from the supported frequencies and the model number; Samsung often gives products for the Chinese market a type number ending in 8, because it is considered a lucky number in China.

The device has a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels and runs on a quad-core processor with a maximum clock speed of 1.2GHz. The working memory is 1.5 GB. The device measures 19.1x10cm, significantly larger than, for example, the 16.7×8.8cm of the Mega 6.3, 15.1x8cm of the Galaxy Note 3 and 14.2×7.2cm of the Galaxy S5. However, most 7″ tablets are a lot bigger: the Nexus 7 from 2013 for example is 20×11.4cm.

With the device, Samsung further explores the boundary between smartphone and tablet. Asus already did the same last year with, for example, its Fonepad with 7 “screen. It is unknown when the device should be released.

Samsung SM-T2558 next to Galaxy S5. Illustration: PhoneArena