Speaking to Android Police, a source familiar with the company's plans has revealed that Samsung will launch an enormous 17" Android tablet known as the Galaxy View 2.

Three years ago, Samsung announced the Galaxy View (the device pictured above), an 18.4" tablet running Android 5.1. While it was absolutely ridiculous, there really was no other device like it on the market, and at a starting price of $600, it actually wasn't a horrible value. You essentially got what was a giant portable monitor with a full operating system. Granted, it weighed six pounds and was so large than Samsung deemed a permanently-installed handle necessary to tote it around. It also charged via an old laptop-style AC power adapter instead of USB, making it substantially less practical as an on-the-go device.

This new Galaxy View 2 is a bit more compact and practical according to our source. For one, charging will happen via USB-C, and instead of a massive handle, the View 2 will use a book-style hinge as a stand. It can be set up in two basic configurations: in the "closed" position, the hinge (which is the full size of the tablet itself) will allow you to use the Galaxy View 2 a bit like a drafting desk, with the tablet angled around thirty degrees upward for easier viewing. In the open or deployed position, the hinge serves as a stand that keeps the screen upright (i.e., like a laptop) for watching video. The hinge and stand, according to our source, are not removable.

At this point, it's believed that the View 2 will use an Exynos processor (so did the original View) and feature a 1080p display (again, as did the original), but at a slightly reduced size of around 17.5". That's still extremely large, and really only makes this device "portable" in the strict sense, as it's not something your average laptop bag is going to be able to accommodate. Not to mention, it's probably very heavy.

For those holding out hope for a power user all-in-one PC replacement running Android, you're probably out of luck: the View 2 has a measly 3GB of RAM, doesn't come with a stylus, and doesn't even appear to support Samsung's DeX mode (it does have a microSD slot, at least). There is apparently some novel multi-window functionality built into Samsung's Android skin on the device, but it's substantially more limited than what you'd get with DeX. As for the version of Android, you won't be shocked to learn it's running Oreo.

Given all this - and based upon how the previous version was positioned - the View 2 will almost certainly be billed as a household media consumption device. In other words, as a touch-enabled kitchen TV, or a way to bring live sports streams out to the backyard - not as a mobile workstation. This seems even more likely given AT&T's involvement, meaning you can probably expect a whole lot of DirecTV upsells to come along with it.

We're not aware of pricing or a particular launch date for the Galaxy View 2, but the previous version was announced in October, albeit three years ago, so take that for what you will. As always, we'll let you know if we learn anything more.