Samsung unveils gargantuan 18.4″ Galaxy View Android tablet, designed for watching videos

Samsung has finally lifted the lid on the Samsung Galaxy View tablet, a device the Korean tech titan first teased at IFA last month.

The so-called “tablet,” which sports an 18.4″ full HD screen, stereo speakers, and a two-way stand, is all about the media experience. While the hardware itself is designed with videos in mind, the home screen also highlights a number of video platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, Twitch, Crackle, and YouTube — which suggests Samsung may have partnerships in place for this. The battery also promises eight hours of video playback.

Interestingly, the Galaxy View has a SIM card slot so you can stream movies on the go, though at 2.25 kg (almost 5 lbs), this puppy is heavier than most modern laptops, and may not meet your portability requirements.

Above: Galaxy View

“At Samsung, we are committed to creating new possibilities and bringing our consumers the best mobile experience,” said JK Shin, CEO and head of Samsung’s IT and mobile business. “We are very excited to introduce the new Galaxy View, providing an entirely new way of consuming mobile video and entertainment.”

There has been a great deal of shape-shifting going on in the tech realm of late. Earlier this month, Acer launched a new all-in-one Windows desktop PC that had a battery built into it, while Lenovo launched the Yoga Home 900, an attempt at a portable desktop. With the Galaxy View, Samsung is clearly targeting one specific use-case, but in the process, it is helping to blur the traditional form-factor boundaries.

The company claims the Galaxy View is “the largest Android mobile device on the market,” which isn’t strictly correct. Fuhu teased a range of truly massive Android tablets at CES earlier this year, with sizes ranging from 20″ all the way up to an eye-watering 65″, and some of these are already available to buy*.

Samsung hasn’t yet revealed availability or prices for the Galaxy View, we’ll update here when we find out.

*An earlier version of this article stated that Fuhu’s giant tablets weren’t yet available to buy, we have now corrected that information.