Samsung tablet For the past few years whenever anyone asked me what tablet they should consider it was almost automatic to recommend an iPad. While the iPad may still be the best option for many people, especially the low-cost iPad, the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S clearly shows Samsung is not giving up the tablet market and offers its best tablet ever.
There are several ways that the Galaxy Tab S is better than the iPad, especially for business use, including Samsung DeX desktop mode, full mouse trackpad support, and expandable storage. The hardware is elegant, the S Pen has been advanced with the ability to also charge up wirelessly on the back of the tablet, and the keyboard cover helps the tablet function as a capable mobile computer.
Also: Samsung Galaxy Tab S review: An Android tablet built for business
Galaxy Tab S specifications Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- Display: . inch, x pixels resolution Super AMOLED
- Operating system: Android Pie with One UI
- RAM: GB
- Storage: GBGB internal with microSD expansion card slot
- Cameras: megapixel rear ultra-wide degree field-of-view and megapixel wide f. cameras. megapixel f. front-facing camera
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi . Signac.GHz, Bluetooth.
- Battery: mAh
- Audio: Four speakers tuned by AKG with Dolby Atmos technology
- Dimensions: x. x. mm and grams
- Colors: Cloud Blue, Rose Blush, Mountain Gray
- The S Pen comes with the Tab S and attaches magnetically on the back of the tablet. It also charges up wirelessly since it has the same technology as seen on the Note Plus with Bluetooth functions and Air Actions. An extra S Pen is .The keyboard cover is sold separately for $., but unfortunately is a failure that could have been avoided if the designers had me test it or if they had paid attention to the major disappointment of the Google Pixel Slate keyboard…
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Hardware
The Galaxy Tab S is a gorgeous piece of hardware and I m loving the Cloud Blue color of this evaluation unit. The metal back and edges look and feel awesome with that .mm thickness adding a sense of minimalism to the tablet. The gorgeous Super AMOLED display has consistent. inch bezels on all four sides, giving it a modern feel while still being practical for holding in your hand in landscape and portrait orientation.
The front camera is centered in the top bezel, when in portrait orientation. The optical fingerprint sensor is positioned under the display near the bottom, while in portrait orientation. Unlike the S and Note, optical technology is used for the sensor on the Tab S, which means it seems to work a bit faster than the other Samsung devices.
Power and volume buttons, along with the microSD card slot, are all positioned on the right side top in the landscape with two speakers on the top and bottom left and right in the landscape for a total of four speakers on the tablet. A USB-C port is on the bottom right in the landscape with no .mm audio socket present on this thin tablet.
The POGO pins and alignment slots for the keyboard are found on the left side bottom in the landscape. Dual rear cameras are found on the back near the power button with the S Pen groove aligned along the upper back. The S Pen rests in this groove and charges up inductively when in position. The magnets are pretty strong, but it is still easy to knock the S Pen off the back so be careful not to lose it.
- The cameras perform well, but I m not sold on the placement of the front-facing camera since business users will likely be spending most of the time in landscape orientation with this tablet.Audio has been great out of the AKG-tuned speakers and I ve easily been able to go a full long day with the Tab S. Samsung rates the battery as hours for video playback, but in typical business use, you can count on a full day of typical usage.
The S Pen is a lot bigger than the one found on the Note series and I enjoyed using it on the Tab S. Everything you can do on the Note series is possible on the Tab S with a much more comfortable S Pen too.
Book Cover Keyboard
When I first saw the Galaxy S and keyboard combination, I was very excited and thought I was going to pick up my first Android tablet in years. Unfortunately, the Tab S Book Cover keyboard does not live up to its potential and I ll have to hold out hope that Brydge creates something nice for the Galaxy Tab S.
So where does the Book Cover Keyboard fail? Let me list the ways to make it crystal clear:
Back cover attachment: You might assume that powerful magnets or maybe a rigid plastic frame piece would be used to attach the back cover to the Tab S, but you would be wrong. Micro suction areas on a third of the upper back are what is used to attach the back to the Tab S. I was excited on a recent flight to see the Alaska Airlines magazine holder on the seat in front of me was just the right size to hold the Tab S. I pressed the back cover onto the Tab S and slid the bottom half into the seat holder. minutes later the Tab S fell into my lap, but luckily did not break. The micro suction did not hold at all and since then I ve had the back cover fall off regularly. The S Pen cover part that rotates down is a nice idea and the rigid central hinge part works well, but if the cover can t stay attached then it is pretty useless.