Galaxy Tab 3
DLNA Certificate for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 variants DLNA

The latest Samsung rumors suggest the Galaxy Tab 3 Plus has been spotted in the wild. A tipster sent photos of a device to SamMobile, and the tech website proposes that it could be the upcoming tablet expected to be unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 3 “phablet” at the 2013 IFA Expo in Berlin in September.

According to the tipster, however, the South-Korean based electronics giant has decided to call the device the Samsung Galaxy S Tab to pay homage to its popular Galaxy S smartphones, while hoping that the name will yield similar retail success with tablets. “We will be applying the same knowledge and marketing strategies to our high-end tablets,” the source said.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3
Another supposed Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 leak aka the Galaxy S Tab SamMobile

SamMobile notes (and we agree) that the device -- whether it's the Galaxy Tab 3 Plus or Galaxy S Tab -- looks eerily similar the soon-to-be released Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet. The shape and size seem identical, but the speakers, camera, sensors and home button are situated length-wise on this tablet, while those features are situated width-wise on the Galaxy Note 8.0.

Samsung Note 8.0
Samsung Note 8.0 Samsung

Few details are actually known about the Galaxy Tab 3 Plus save for its supposed launch date and rumors that suggest it will come in three variants, the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 3 Plus. Their purported model numbers have since been updated to GT-P8200, GT-P8210 and GT-P8220 after tech website Notebook Italia released DLNA certificates stating that their models were GT-P3200, GT-P5200 and GT-P8200. The Galaxy Tab 3 series is also expected to come in variants featuring either Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G LTE capability.

The device submitted to SamMobile reportedly features the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa chipset containing the quad-core 1.6GHz ARM-Cortex A15 processor and the quad-core 1.2GHz ARM-Cortex A7 processor, as well as the Imagination Power SGX 544MP3 GPU. It includes 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM with two variants, allowing for 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, as well as a MicroSD card storage expansion with 64GB capacity.

The device also features a 10-inch 2560×1600 PLS LCD or Super AMOLED Pentile display at 300 ppi, an 8-megapixel camera and 2-megapixel front-facing camera, both with 1080p video at 30fps, and a 9000-mAh standard li-ion battery.

These specs are a stretch from those of the Galaxy Note 8.0, which features the quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 processor, as well as the ARM Mali-400MP4 GPU. It includes 2 GB RAM with two variants allowing for 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, as well as a MicroSD card storage expansion with 64GB capacity.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 also features an 8-inch 800 x 1280 HD WXGA display at 189 ppi, a 5-megapixel camera with 1080p video, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera with 720p video and a 4,600 mAh battery.

We have to err on the side of caution that, with the Galaxy Tab 3’s unveiling still at least five months away, it may be a bit early for credible device leaks, especially considering how closely under lock and key the recently unveiled Galaxy S4 smartphone was kept until just days before its unveiling.

Even with advances such as the Exynos 5 Octa processor, the proposed specs for this device seem fanciful in comparison to Samsung’s most recent and soon-to-be released tablets. Most of its specs are up to double the capacity of current devices. Even the most powerful battery, a 7,000 mAh found in the Galaxy Note 10.1 is still 2,000 mAh less powerful than the battery in this device. Despite Samsung having made leaps in the development of its products, this one just seems too good to be true.

We can only imagine what such a device would cost, with rumors that the 16GB Wi-Fi only Galaxy Note 8.0 will sell for £349.99 ($532) in Europe, while the 16GB 3G variant will sell for £599.99 ($912), according to Tech Radar.

Details about the Galaxy Tab 3 Plus remain in the early stages, so there is plenty of time for more concrete information to surface. If these specs turn out to be true, we may in fact be looking at Samsung’s revamp of the next big thing.