Samsung appears to be preparing a significant design overhaul for its Galaxy Tab lineup, as new evidence discovered in the One UI 9.0 beta suggests the company is developing a tablet with a centered punch-hole front camera. The finding, first reported by SamMobile, comes from rotation animations hidden within the beta firmware, which depict a tablet-like device with a small circular cutout at the top of the display—marking a departure from the thick-bezel designs that have characterized Samsung’s tablets for years.
The animations in question are system-level resources that appear when a device is rotated between portrait and landscape orientations. Typically, these animations show the device’s actual physical design, including bezels and camera placement. In the One UI 9.0 beta, examiners found a set of rotation graphics that show a tablet with slim, uniform bezels and a single punch-hole camera centered at the top of the screen when held horizontally. This is starkly different from the current Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, and S9 Ultra, which house the front-facing camera within the top bezel, often landing near the corner when used in landscape mode—a common orientation for video calls and media consumption.
Samsung’s decision to test punch-hole animations in One UI 9.0 is not random. Beta versions of the company’s Android skin often contain early hints of upcoming hardware, as Samsung integrates software support for new form factors well before product launches. For instance, previous One UI betas revealed the Galaxy Z Fold’s cover screen aspect ratios and the S Pen slot on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. This discovery strongly implies that at least one new Galaxy Tab model is in the pipeline with a display cutout.
The shift to a punch-hole camera would bring Samsung’s tablets in line with the design language of its smartphones, which have used hole-punch cutouts since the Galaxy S10 in 2019. It would also allow Samsung to reduce bezel thickness further, potentially increasing the screen-to-body ratio and creating a more immersive viewing experience. Current Galaxy Tab Ultra models already boast remarkably thin bezels, but the camera placement forces a noticeable black bar when watching full-screen content in landscape. A punch-hole, while not entirely seamless, would be less obtrusive than a notch and would disappear more easily into the content.
However, the move raises questions about practicality. Tablets are often held with both hands, and a centered punch-hole atop the landscape display could place the camera right where users might rest their thumbs when gripping the device. Samsung may need to introduce software features to mitigate accidental touches or block the camera area during certain apps. Alternatively, the punch-hole could be positioned in the corner, though the animations reportedly show a centered cutout. The iPad Pro, for instance, avoids any display interruption entirely by embedding the camera in the bezel, and Apple’s Face ID system is housed in a bezel notch on newer models. Samsung’s approach would mark a first among premium tablets outside of a few niche Android devices like Huawei’s MatePad Pro, which features a punch-hole.
What tablet could this be? The most likely candidate is the Galaxy Tab S10 series, expected to launch later this year or early next year. Rumors suggest Samsung is working on multiple models, including a possible Tab S10 FE, Tab S10, Tab S10+, and Tab S10 Ultra. The punch-hole design might be reserved for the high-end Ultra model, which already pushes design boundaries. Alternatively, SamMobile speculates it could be a new entry in the Galaxy Tab Active series or even a foldable tablet, though the rotation animations seem to depict a standard slate form factor.
The One UI 9.0 beta itself is currently available for the Galaxy S24 series and is based on Android 15. The presence of tablet-specific animations suggests Samsung is building a unified software framework that will run across its entire ecosystem, from phones to tablets to foldables. We’ve already seen code references to a “Galaxy Book” and “Galaxy Tab” in recent software builds, indicating cross-device continuity efforts. These animations could be placeholders for a device still in prototyping, or they could be final assets for a near-finished product. The timing is particularly interesting because Samsung typically holds a Galaxy Unpacked event in the summer for its foldables and tablets. If a new tablet is indeed launching then, the One UI 9.0 beta may have been seeded early to developers to fine-tune the experience.
Industry analysts have long called for Samsung to adopt a more modern camera solution on its tablets. Digital Trends noted in its review of the Tab S9 Ultra that “the camera cutout in the bezel feels dated, especially when competitors are moving toward under-display or punch-hole solutions.” While under-display cameras (UDCs) are the holy grail for seamless displays, Samsung’s UDC technology on the Galaxy Z Fold series has been criticized for lower image quality and visible pixelation over the lens. A punch-hole remains a compromise that balances design with camera performance, which is likely why Samsung is pursuing it for tablets—where video calls are a primary use case and image quality matters more than on a phone’s under-screen sensor.
From a software perspective, One UI already handles punch-hole cutouts elegantly on phones, with the status bar wrapping around the hole. On a tablet, particularly in landscape, the UI would need to adapt—either pushing the entire interface down slightly or integrating the cutout into the system tray or a gesture bar area. Code discovered in the beta hints at new “tablet mode” adjustments for status bar height and notification handling, which could be related to accommodating a camera cutout. Samsung has also filed patents for software that dynamically moves UI elements to avoid holes or notches, so the pieces are in place.
The community reaction to the leak has been mixed. On forums like XDA and Reddit, some users welcome the change, arguing it’s overdue: “I’d take a punch-hole any day over those bezels,” one commenter wrote. Others are more cautious, pointing out that tablets are not phones and users don’t need an edge-to-edge display as badly. “I hold my Tab S8 by the bezels. If there’s a hole there, my thumb covers it, and it breaks the symmetry,” another user noted. Still, the overall sentiment leans positive, especially for media consumption where black bars are more acceptable than a notch.
If the punch-hole tablet does materialize, it could also signal a shift in Samsung’s tablet accessory ecosystem. Book Cover Keyboards and cases might need to be redesigned to accommodate a relocated camera or new grip areas. Samsung may also use the opportunity to introduce new camera features, such as an improved front-facing camera with wider lens for better video calls when the tablet is docked.
Historically, Samsung has been conservative with tablet camera placement. The first Galaxy Tab in 2010 placed the front camera in the bezel, a tradition that persisted through multiple iterations. Even as bezels shrank dramatically—from the 17mm foreheads of early Tabs to the 6mm symmetrical bezels of the Tab S9 Ultra—the camera remained firmly in the bezel. The move to a punch-hole would mirror the smartphone trajectory: Samsung adopted Infinity-O cutouts for the Galaxy S10 in 2019, and by 2020 even mid-range Galaxy A series phones featured the design. Yet tablets lagged behind, possibly due to concerns over structural integrity on larger glass panels. Punching a hole in a 14-inch AMOLED display is technically more challenging than on a 6-inch phone screen, as larger panels have higher failure rates during the cutting process. However, Samsung Display has refined its hole-punch manufacturing over the years, supplying panels for laptops like the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo and portables like the Galaxy Book series, so the technology is now mature enough for tablets.
Another factor is cost. Implementing a punch-hole in a tablet display adds to the bill of materials, and Samsung may have previously deemed the aesthetic gain not worth the expense in a lower-volume product line. But with premium tablets increasingly competing with laptops—Samsung’s DeX mode and keyboard accessories blur the lines—the design stakes have risen. A tablet that looks as modern as a flagship phone could sway undecided buyers.
The potential tablet’s specifications are still a matter of conjecture. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is tipped to feature a 14.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 or Exynos 2400 chip, and up to 16GB of RAM. If it includes a punch-hole, the screen size might actually increase, as bezel space is reclaimed. Some renders circulating online suggest a 15-inch display in a body similar to the current 14.6-inch Tab S9 Ultra, thanks to bezel reduction.
Launch timing remains uncertain. Samsung’s typical tablet release cycle is August alongside new foldables. If One UI 9.0 is still in beta and based on Android 15, which won’t stabilize until Q3 2024, then a tablet shipping with One UI 9.0 out of the box could arrive in late 2024 or early 2025. Alternatively, the animations might be preparatory for a 2025 model, with the Tab S10 line launching with One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14 and later receiving the update. Samsung’s recent strategy has been to launch tablets with the latest stable Android, but it has also been known to debut a new One UI version on tablets—the Tab S8 series came with One UI 4.1 based on Android 12 before phones got it.
From a competitive standpoint, a punch-hole Galaxy Tab would intensify the Android tablet renaissance. Lenovo, Xiaomi, and OnePlus have been aggressive with their tablet offerings, often undercutting Samsung on price while matching specs. A hole-punch design would give Samsung a distinct visual edge, especially if it pairs it with an IP68 rating and a robust update policy. Apple, meanwhile, is rumored to be working on an OLED iPad Pro with a landscape-oriented camera cutout, but leaks suggest it will remain in the bezel due to Face ID components. If Samsung can execute a punch-hole without compromising durability or camera quality, it could position the Galaxy Tab as the go-to tablet for design-conscious buyers.
While nothing is confirmed, the evidence is compelling. Beta animations have historically been reliable indicators of Samsung’s design direction. The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s larger cover screen was first glimpsed in One UI animations, and the Galaxy S21’s flat display was hinted at in similar fashion. Thus, the punch-hole Galaxy Tab is more than mere speculation—it’s a probable direction that aligns with Samsung’s smartphone design language and the industry’s trajectory toward eliminating bezels.
We have reached out to Samsung for comment, but the company did not immediately respond. As development of One UI 9.0 progresses, future beta releases may reveal additional clues about this mysterious tablet. For now, Samsung enthusiasts have one more reason to keep an eye on those incremental beta updates—they might just show the future of the Galaxy Tab lineup, one pixel at a time.