Samsung takes 'inspiration' from Apple with Galaxy Tab S7

The idea behind Apple's Sidecar is extremely simple at first glance: Mac users can use an existing tablet as a second display under macOS. In combination with Apple Pencil, the iPad can then also be transformed into a graphics tablet.

Android Police has learned from its sources, that Samsung is working on a comparable feature, which is currently being called "Sidekick" internally. According to the report, the feature could be released later this year for owners of the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+.

Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ as extended display for Windows PCs

While Apple's Sidecar is limited to macOS and iPadOS, Samsung is working on the integration with Windows and the Galaxy Tab S7. As with Sidecar, Samsung's tablets will then reportedly be able to serve as an extended display for a Windows PC.

Samsung's Sidekick should also allow input with the S Pen. According to the sources, the S Pen supports the recognition of the pen's pressure strength and should function in the same way as a conventional Active Pen in Windows. This could possibly turn the Android tablet into a graphics tablet that can be used on the PC, for example in conjunction with professional apps such as Adobe Illustrator.

Unfortunately, it is not yet known how the connection between PC and Galaxy Tab will work. However, it seems likely that Samsung will offer users the choice of either USB-C or a Wi-Fi connection.

On the Mac, Sidecar is a useful extension if you already have an iPad and need a little more space on the macOS desktop. For Windows users, the combination of PC and Galaxy Tab S7 could also prove to be a similarly useful feature.

It is not yet clear when exactly the feature currently known as Sidekick will be released. So far there is only talk that it could possibly be presented at the end of 2020. The report also only mentions the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+, so owners of older Samsung tablets may have to do without this feature.

Source: Android Police