Despite the extinction of the Android tablet market, which has been going on for more than a year, you can still find new items coming out from under the wing of large eminent manufacturers. Together with dear flagship tablet , the company showed a more affordable solution - which costs at least half the price of the top-end S4. How well will you feel after this pill? We'll find out now!

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5

• Display: 10.5 ″, TFT, 1920 × 1200 pixels, aspect ratio 16:10
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, 8-core, maximum frequency up to 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A53 cores
• Graphics Accelerator: Adreno 506
• RAM: 3 GB
• Permanent memory: 32 GB
• Support for microSD memory cards: up to 400 GB
• Wireless networks: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2
• Main camera: 8 MP, f / 1.9, autofocus
• Front camera: 5 MP, f / 2.2
• Battery: 7300mAh
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.5
• Dimensions: 260 x 161.1 x 8 mm
• Weight: 534 g

The tablet is available in two versions - Wi-Fi (SM-T590) or LTE (SM-T595). The cost of the LTE version (as in my test) in Ukraine is 13 999 hryvnia (or $ 495), and the Wi-Fi version will cost 10 999 hryvnia ($ 389).

The difference between these two options is only in the presence of a slot for a SIM card in a more expensive model and therefore support for 3G / 4G with the ability to make calls or connect to the Internet. Well, they also slightly differ in weight - the variation with LTE is 5 grams heavier.

Design, materials and assembly

The tablet looks pretty standard. There are no identifying inscriptions, manufacturer's logo or control buttons on the front panel. The bezels on the sides of the screen are thinner than those on the top and bottom - but this is already standard practice.

The back panel is made of plastic and covered with a pleasant-touch matte soft-touch coating. And this solution is also not new. But in any case - it is much more practical than glass, for example.

It is possible to leave traces of use on the case, but this is not an easy task. In addition, they are easy to wipe off.

The device is assembled well, I did not find any backlash during operation.

In addition to black, the tablet comes in gray and blue. But in Ukraine, the gadget in blue is not available at the moment.

Layout of elements

The front of the screen is covered with glass with a good oleophobic coating. On the front panel, you can see only two windows: the first with a light sensor, and the second with a module front camera.

The end on the right houses the power button and the volume rocker. Under them you can find a microphone and even lower - a slot for a nano-format SIM card and a microSD memory card. Let me remind you that the SIM-ku can be inserted only in the version with LTE, in the Wi-Fi modification there is no slot for it.

On the left side in the middle there are four magnetic contacts for connecting the POGO charging dock. It is not clear whether it is possible to connect a keyboard cover to the tablet, of the type with that, since on the official website of the manufacturer I found only a mention of the docking station. On the sides of the contacts there are additional grooves for more reliable fixation of the tablet in the aforementioned dock.

At the bottom there is a USB Type-C port - thanks for it, we didn't save, as well as eight holes on each side, behind which the speakers are located.

The top end has the same speaker holes, meaning a total of four speakers are installed in the Galaxy Tab A 10.5. In addition to them, there is another microphone and a 3.5 mm audio jack on the verge.

On the back panel there is a block with a main camera protruding from the body, an LED flash and an embossed Samsung logo.

Ergonomics

I don't even know if it's worth describing the "convenience" of using a 10-inch tablet, but I'll try. You can even hold the tablet in vertical orientation with one hand. Despite the thickness of the frames, there were no false touches during the testing period. And in the horizontal and even more so - the grip is even more comfortable due to the wider fields.

The only thing that can go wrong is that you can cover some of the speakers with your hands when you hold the tablet in landscape orientation. But there are four of them here, and therefore the volume in any case will remain at a good level.

Also, in theory, due to the protruding camera block, Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 may stagger when tapped on the screen if the tablet is on a firm, level surface during this time. But in practice, for this to happen, you need to press on the screen with effort, which hardly anyone will do.

In general, I did not notice any obvious problems with ergonomics when using the tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 display

The tablet is equipped with a 10.5 "display - as the name implies. The matrix is \u200b\u200bmade using TFT technology, received a resolution of 1920 × 1200 with a pixel density of 216 dpi. The aspect ratio of the screen is 16:10.

The matrix is \u200b\u200bof high quality, with all the consequences: the screen is bright, with saturated colors and a good level of contrast. The viewing angles are maximum, the picture is not distorted with linear or diagonal deviations. You cannot correct the color temperature or change the display mode.

Although the low PPI at this diagonal can be noticeable if you look closely, for example, at the text. Overall, the screen is excellent.

The tablet has auto brightness control - it works fine. Among other additional functions, there is only a blue filter to reduce eye strain, but it is also activated from a shutter with switches - it is impossible to adjust its level.

Performance

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system paired with Adreno 506 video chip. Other characteristics are as follows: 14nm process technology, 8 Cortex-A53 cores, maximum clock speed up to 1.8 GHz.

At first glance it may seem that this is a simple base-level chip of the four hundredth series, but in terms of technical parameters, the processor is very similar to the Snapdragon 625. At least, they have the same graphics accelerator.

In synthetics, the results are not very impressive.

Galaxy Tab A 10.5 installed 3 GB random access memory and 32 GB of constant, of which 23.41 GB are reserved for the user's needs. It can be expanded by installing a microSD memory card up to 400 GB. A dozen applications can be stored in RAM without restarting.

The tablet performs well in the system and applications. It works smoothly, all animations are displayed without delays and jerks.

With games, the situation is not so rosy, and in order to play with a comfortable FPS, you will have to choose low or medium graphics settings. In PUBG Mobile, you can choose "Smooth" or "Balance" With them, the game runs normally, without drawdowns. WoT Blitz with medium settings is displayed stably at 50-60 frames per second, you can even play with maximum, but less smoothly - 20-45 fps.

In short, the performance here is average, but quite comfortable and will be enough for most tasks. Moreover, if you remember that the tablet is not positioned as an ultimatum gaming solution, but a simple family multimedia device.

Cameras

The tablet has a main camera module with a resolution of 8 megapixels and even with a good aperture - f / 1.9.

The end result is pretty good for a tablet. Photos under artificial lighting are of average quality, of course. But with good daylight, the situation is already better, but also nothing special. Again, in this class of devices, one should not expect a different scenario, the camera is here, although not for show, as is often the case in inexpensive tablets, but you are unlikely to shoot everything on it, and not least because of the shapes -factor Video with the main camera can be recorded in Full HD resolution.

Front camera - 5 megapixel module with f / 2.2 aperture. It does not differ in special quality, but it has a "Selfie-focus" function, which blurs the background programmatically.

And since we already remembered the shooting modes, the main one has a lot of different modes, for example: HDR, night, panorama, professional ( manual mode), burst shooting, stickers and so on.

In general, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 camera can be easily used if you don't have a smartphone at hand.

Face unlock

The tablet did not have a fingerprint scanner installed, but replaced it with face unlocking. But at this stage, most likely due to the specific software of the test sample, it works so-so. It doesn't work very quickly in good ambient light, but it can be used. The problem is different - after a couple of hours the tablet refuses, in principle, to use this method and advises to reboot. After rebooting, it continues to work as usual, but again not for long.

In general, if the previously described problem does not exist in commercial samples, then this method can be used and not enter the password manually - it is really inconvenient to do this on a tablet.

Autonomy

The Galaxy Tab A 10.5 comes with a generous 7,300mAh battery that will last you really long. I do not use such devices very intensively, so for 14 days I charged it, maybe 3 times. At the same time, I did not limit myself to performing any tasks at all - I watched videos, listened to music, sometimes started games and after almost 4 days since the last charge , the screen activity indicator was 7 hours 48 minutes.

A dry test in PC Mark with maximum screen brightness showed almost 7 hours of operation on the Tab A 10.5.

Plus, a program for test samples, constantly using the GPS module, was running in the background, which means that the commercial sample should demonstrate the result even better. I managed to fully charge the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 from a non-native charger in 3 hours.

Sound and communication

As I said before, the Galaxy Tab A 10.5 has 4 speakers, which is a significant plus.

Firstly, the sound cannot be muffled randomly, and secondly, these speakers produce a good surround and moderately loud sound. It can also be corrected by built-in tools.

In the headphones, the sound is not bad by default, but some ... flat probably. Therefore, I immediately went to the settings and there was a fairly solid set of various parameters: several Dolby Atmos effects, an advanced equalizer and a few more switches. After a primitive tuning, as is often the case, the sound became more interesting.

I did not notice any problems with wireless modules. Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac works great, there is support for 5 GHz. Otherwise, a typical set: Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, LE) and GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS). Once again, I have a tablet with LTE on my test - so you can put a SIM card in it and use it mobile internet... Well, or receiving calls and typing SMS-ki is not a big idea, in fact, but you can! If you do not need these functions, you can save a lot and take the standard version with only Wi-Fi.

Firmware and software

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 ships with Android 8.1 Oreo OS, on top of which the Samsung Experience 9.5 proprietary shell is installed.

We have already talked about the firmware several times in other reviews of Samsung devices, therefore I separately focus only on key features, well, and the rest you can look at the screenshots or in other reviews - I did not see much difference in the firmware for the smartphone and tablet.

For example, you cannot change the theme in a tablet, but there is a child mode - a useful thing with separate applications designed in the appropriate style. Additional educational and developmental programs can be found in Galaxy Apps.

I also note the Daily Board function - a kind of smart display. The mode is activated by placing the tablet in the POGO dock or plugging in the charger. After that, the selected photos, clock, weather and date are displayed on the screen.

conclusions

It has a high-quality 10-inch display, decent stereo sound and reliable stable software. On the other hand, for this money I still wanted to get more productive hardware. But if you remember about last year's processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 835) installed in the fresh Tab S4, then what can you expect from a midrange that costs half as much?

Therefore, if we consider this device as a multimedia tablet on which you can perform various tasks with the whole family, then it is a good option.

Tablet computers with the company logo on the letter S differ mainly only in size and characteristics. The rest of the changes are insignificant - slightly more rounded corners, differences in body materials, different speaker positions, and in some models there is no physical Home key. That is, in order to choose the right device, you need to be well versed in gigahertz, megapixels and gigabytes. Only some do not need it. Therefore, this material will not consider the most difficult technical specifications devices, but only general and understandable information about them. Moreover, the main focus will be on real user reviews.

Galaxy Tab Series

To begin with, it should be clarified that all tablets in this line run on Android OS of different versions. To interact with the device, use user interface TouchWiz designed specifically for Tab tablets.

These devices, in principle, like other similar devices, have slots for a SIM card and memory cards, two cameras (front and main), a charger connector and multi-inch displays. And of course they are different. The new models have more advanced functionality.

Galaxy Tab Tablet

Now this model is unlikely to attract anyone's attention, but for reference it is worth noting that it is equipped with a Wi-fi module, accepts a 3G connection, has only one 3-megapixel camera on the rear panel and a 4000 mAh battery. To be clear, the charge is enough for about 6-8 hours of video viewing.

The dimensions of the TFT display on the Samsung Galaxy Tab are 7 inches. At a resolution of 1024 × 600, the picture was excellent. By the way, he went out then right after first Apple iPad, but due to the unreasonably high price, it did not achieve great popularity.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

Samsung's "second pancake" turned out to be more successful. At least in terms of price. Since the new devices may have different displays, which is not their only difference, it would be better to tell about each separately.

The 7-inch device runs Android 4.0 and has 8GB internal storage that expands to 32GB. There is even an infrared port for communication with a TV and a front camera for video calls. In terms of performance, the device is capable of running more than half of the applications that offer Google play... But this is now, and earlier everything could.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a higher display resolution, more internal storage and a larger 8000 versus 4000 mAh battery. By the way, both the first and the second option are both with and without support for a SIM card. Because of this, their price is different. And everyone has a Wi-fi sensor.

The second model in the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, reviews of which immediately flooded the network, left a more pleasant feeling. The disadvantages mainly concerned the back panel, which quickly scratches, and the weak front camera. And what to do, 0.3 megapixels can hardly be called a resolution. Especially now.

Galaxy Tab 3

Some time after the release of Tab 2, the South Korean manufacturer is releasing a new gadget - Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 with diagonals of 10, 8 and 7 inches. Only this time, the devices have even more differences.

The smallest device is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor, has a 4000 mAh battery and two cameras. Moreover, the quality has already reached 1.3 megapixels. They decided not to increase the RAM - they left 1 GB, but a 64 GB accessory will now fit into the memory card slot.

A device with an 8-inch display due to its processor and 1.5 GB of RAM will be more powerful. In fact, it shoots much better, because the main camera is 5 megapixels. There are also two stereo speakers, a 4500 mAh battery, and the information storage can be in two volumes: 16 and 32 GB. Interestingly, unlike the younger model, this device supports 4G connections.

The big Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.0, although it has the most powerful processor, is stuck in RAM at the 7-inch variant. But accumulator battery has a capacity of 6800 mAh. As for wireless networks and cameras, everything here is the same as in the previous model.

What do they say about the third model in the Samsung lineup - Samsung Galaxy Tab? Reviews are available, and there are many of them. For the better, the device is of medium size. Among the shortcomings are poor equipment and a soiled case. For users of 7-inch and 10-inch tablets, there is not enough "RAM" and megapixels in the camera. And a device with a large diagonal is inconvenient to carry with you.

The production of tablets with an 8-inch screen very quickly became a habit, so there was no doubt that such an option would appear in the fourth generation. And so three new models entered the market.

All 3 tablets are identical among themselves, at least in characteristics. The same amount of RAM, the same cameras. Only the capacity of the batteries and the diagonal of the displays are different. True, the 7-inch Tab 4 is now "matured", its resolution is 1280 × 800 pixels. Therefore, the picture is clearer than on wider models.

With regard to wireless networks, everything remains the same. Each device can be purchased in two versions: with and without support for a SIM card. The Wi-fi module is usually found everywhere. And by the way, now all Samsung Galaxy Tab 4s are capable of catching LTE networks.

Now it's time to find out what the users of these tablets can be unhappy with. The largest model has a weak battery. But what's surprising, the screen is huge. Otherwise, the minuses are minor - the inconvenient location of the charging connector, no bad camera and the fourth Samsung Galaxy Tab Black is too easily soiled. There are no complaints about the performance. All tablets are powerful enough to run any application.

Galaxy Tab S

What can you say about this model in the Tab line? Well, first of all, the 7-inch option is not provided here. Secondly, the display is made using Super Amoled technology, and now its resolution is 2560 × 1600 pixels. The picture is clearly visible even in sunny weather. Thirdly, there is a fingerprint recognition sensor here. So outsiders are not allowed here.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S, which only connects via Wi-fi, has an eight-core processor, while the one that supports 4G has a quad-core variant. Each of the devices has 3 GB of RAM on board, and the internal data storage is also increased. Cameras have gotten better. The main resolution is 8 megapixels, and the front one is 2.1 megapixels. Of the useful chips, GLONASS and GPS systems, a gyroscope, a digital compass and an accelerometer are noted.

And now for the user experience of this model in the Samsung lineup - Samsung Galaxy Tab. Reviews here are basically all with a "+" sign. Respect to the developers for the bright display and clear picture, powerful hardware and a good camera. No one even complained about the user identification sensor. At the same time, a weak battery is noted. Well, when was there a lot of mAh? Some also complain about quiet speakers and a large number of useless applications. Although the opinion about the software is rather individual. Someone will find it very useful.

Galaxy Tab S 2

Basically, the difference between the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 and the previous model is small. There are also two diagonals (8 and 9.4 inches), 3 GB of RAM, a fingerprint sensor and an 8-megapixel camera. Only both modifications work on one eight-core processor, the internal memory has increased to 64 GB, the case has become thinner, and the plastic has replaced the metal. The model comes in 2 colors - Samsung Galaxy Tab White and Black.

The battery capacity of the big and small devices is 5870 and 4000 mAh, respectively. 10 hours should be enough. Separately, I would like to say about the software, because this tablet boasts a full-fledged Microsoft office and a gift place in the OneDrive cloud.

Despite the fact that the device was released not so long ago, many already had the impression of the second S-model in samsung series - Samsung Galaxy Tab. Reviews of the device are generally noted for the better - productive, thin, with a bright, clear screen. The tablet camera is also praised. Many people think that the quality of the pictures is better than that of some 13-megapixel cameras. And in the list of minuses, the honorable first place is still occupied by the battery. Next are the speakers on one side and the awkward touch buttons. But all this can hardly be called disadvantages.

What's the bottom line?

It seems that all the members of the Tab family, each at one time, were warmly received by the user audience. Just take into account the fact that for mobile devices new, more demanding ones are constantly being written software... Therefore, it is advisable to immediately decide if for work, then it is not necessary to look only at the latest models. And if for entertainment - watching movies, games and the Internet, then performance, of course, is important.

Wear resistance

The main body material of the Galaxy Tab S3 is glass, which covers the front and back of the tablet. The edges are made of aluminum. Half the time with the tablet, I did not use the case, throwing it into the backpack along with the cables and a charger for the laptop.

However, there is no visible damage on either glass or metal. But a couple of minor scratches can be seen on the mechanical key below the display, which also houses the fingerprint scanner. But they are practically invisible, and they do not affect the operation of the scanner.

The convenience of use

The dimensions of the Galaxy Tab S3 are 237.3x169 mm, with a thickness of 6 mm and a weight of 429 grams. The tablet can be held without any problems with one hand, although it is worth getting used to the thin side frames and glass back cover. The latter is quite slippery, and although the tablet has never fallen from my hands, it is more convenient to keep it in a case.

The tablet is controlled via a touchscreen display, but in addition there are two touchscreens and one mechanical key under it. These are standard for Android buttons: multitask, return to home screen and step back. In the horizontal position, the keys do not fall under the hand, so there are practically no accidental presses.

The volume control and the power button are located on the right side, they protrude enough from the body so that you can find them blindly. The keys are pressed with a well-felt stroke.

It is worth noting that the included S Pen is not attached to the tablet itself, so there is a chance of losing it. But if there is a cover-cover, then the stylus can simply be hooked onto it.

Multitasking

If you missed ours, then let me remind you that this tablet is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with a frequency of 1.6 GHz and 2.15 GHz, Adreno 530 graphics, 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded. microSD cards... These characteristics are more than enough to simultaneously work with a dozen programs, switch between them, and also place two applications in one window.

However, on an Android tablet, a lot depends on the program itself, not all of them can scale normally. This, for example, affects Facebook, as well as Instagram, which does not have a normal version for tablets at all. However, in most cases, popular apps support multitasking on the Tab S3.

With it, you can place two programs side by side in one window, or display one of them on top of the other in a separate window. You can, for example, open a file manager and keep an instant messaging application nearby.

Nevertheless, for myself, I found only a few scenarios for working in this mode. It can be really convenient, but sometimes it's easier to switch between program windows, rather than put them side by side.

Browser

Most often, to solve work problems, I, like most users, need the ability to search and find information. To do this, just launch a browser on the Galaxy Tab S3 and enter a query in the search bar. During the use of the tablet, I most actively used "Chrome", which on the Tab S3 easily withstands a dozen open tabs and switches between them without rebooting.

Likewise, if you minimize the browser and switch to another program, the tabs will remain in place. But I also note the browser from Samsung, it turned out to be surprisingly fast, although it still periodically reloads the open tabs. At the same time, it has support for extensions, there are still few of them, but you can install, for example, an ad blocker.

And it should be noted that with the included S Pen, information on a web page is easier to select and copy.

In addition, the pen allows you to take a screenshot of the page, draw on it, leave annotations and recognize text.

Working with files

We all know that Android is an open system, so you can save files in it directly in the device's memory by downloading them, for example, through a browser or from attachments email... To work with files, the Tab S3 has a built-in file manager, it allows you to sort them by folders, copy, cut, move, delete, select several at a time and send to other programs. There is also a convenient categorization here that allows you to quickly access images, audio, video, documents, aPK files and downloads.

Through the built-in file manager, you can work with both internal memory tablet and memory cards.

Work with text

To save information on the Galaxy Tab S3, I used the built-in Samsung Notes app. It's just perfect for working with the S Pen and taking handwritten notes. The only drawback, as for me, is synchronization only through the Samsung account, which means only between the company's devices. However, if you want to get the most out of your S Pen experience, this is by far the best option. Actually, for typing texts, I used Samsung Notes while working with the tablet, the program easily copes with the tasks of a simple text editor.

It should be noted right away that the virtual keyboard is poorly suited for typing large texts, although it has good responsiveness and even has a Ctrl key with support for popular key combinations.

But if you are typing really voluminous texts, then it is better to use a physical keyboard. I used a Samsung branded cover with a keyboard.

Having written several materials, I can note that you get used to it pretty quickly. The typing speed is certainly slower than on a laptop, but after 15 minutes you start typing blindly. But what is really inconvenient about the Samsung branded keyboard is the language switching, which is triggered with a noticeable delay. In addition, the tilt angle of the tablet is not adjustable in it, and it is not always convenient to work with such a structure on your lap.

Protected folder

In order to protect data on the Galaxy Tab S3, you can simply use a password to unlock or add a fingerprint scanner for this. But besides this, the tablet has a "Protected Folder" based on Samsung Knox technology, and you can store files in it, as well as run copies of applications using other accounts in them.

So, for example, you can separate personal information and work information, additionally securing the latter, because the data in the "Protected folder" is encrypted.

Almost the same can be done by adding another user to the system, but switching between them takes a little longer than just opening a folder by entering a password or placing a finger on the fingerprint scanner.

Books and videos

If working on a tablet is not for everyone, then watching videos, reading books arouse more interest among the potential audience of the device. To watch videos on the Galaxy Tab S3, I mainly used online services. In the settings of the 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display, you can change the color rendition by selecting the "Cinema AMOLED" mode, with it it becomes "warmer", and the colors themselves are calmer.

The display resolution of 2048 × 1536 pixels allows you to watch videos in 2K. At the same time, you can watch video on a tablet without headphones, four external speakers, tuned by AKG specialists, sound not super loud, but voluminous. When you watch a movie, you can do it without headphones, the speakers have no problems with detail. But using the tablet as a speaker during a party will not work, the volume will not be enough.

If you are interested in the text on the screen, then I will take this opportunity and recommend the series of books by the Chinese writer Cixin Liu - "The Problem of Three Bodies", "Dark Forest" and "End of Death". The photo shows a fragment of just the last book "The End of Death" (Death's End).

I also note that the Galaxy Tab S3 is well suited for reading books, the 9.7-inch display of the tablet has an aspect ratio of 4: 3 and a high resolution. The fonts do look great on this screen, and the color settings reduce blue, reducing eye strain. At the same time, I will especially note about reading foreign books, for example, in English. The fact is that the functionality of the S Pen includes word translation on hover. Therefore, if you come across unfamiliar words in a book, just bring the S Pen to them and a translation appears on top of them. This is very convenient, and does not depend in any way on which program to read the book.

With games in this use experience did not work out, there was simply no time to play them. I can only note that there are no problems with running demanding games on the Tab S3.

Handwritten notes and drawing

As mentioned above, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with the new S Pen with a 0.7mm nib, which is similar in size and design to a regular pen. When you write or draw with a pen, the tablet screen reacts instantly, if there is a lag, it is not visually noticeable. But even more interesting is that the S Pen understands the degree of pressure, with a slight movement you can create thin lines, but the harder you press, the denser they become.

Thus, the Galaxy Tab S3 is well suited for drawing too. And, although the S Pen cannot be hidden inside the tablet case, the shape and thickness (almost like a standard fountain pen) make it more comfortable to hold. Thus, the hand gets less tired if you write or draw for a long time. Finally, it's worth noting that the S Pen doesn't need to be charged.

Autonomy

The Galaxy Tab S3 has a 6,000 mAh battery. If you don't use the tablet very actively, then this is enough for almost two days of work. I often got one and a half, but this is rather an average load mode with the use of a browser, mail, social networks, instant messengers, a notebook during the day, plus about 30 minutes of video in the evening and an hour of reading books. At the same time, the tablet is charged from the supplied charger in just 1.5 hours.

Eventually

Based on the results of long-term use of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, I note that the tablet coped well with almost all the tasks that I set before it. For work, it is more suitable as a backup option, prepared for business trips or for those cases when it is impossible to take a laptop with you. But for the consumption of content, the device is simply excellent. Good performance and screen make it comfortable to play games, watch movies, and read. And I can't help but mention the S Pen stylus, which really expands the capabilities of the tablet.

Several Android device manufacturers have given up on new tablets in the past couple of years. Fortunately, not one of them. The South Korean company always has next in line new tablet, although they are not particularly interesting. However, the recently released one attracts attention. This is a premium model with a sleek metal and glass body and comes with a redesigned one. This tablet will not be cheap for buyers. Below are ten tips to get the most out of this expensive device.

1. Optimizing quick settings

   The tablet works on, so you get the default quick settings panel and additional functionality from Samsung itself. To edit quick settings, open them and click on the menu button at the top of the screen. Here you can change the arrangement of the tiles or the tiles themselves. When reordering, long press and drag a tile, add or remove it. The top few tiles will always remain visible at the top of the notification bar. The button for changing the arrangement of elements allows you to set a 4 x 3 or 5 x 3 grid for quick settings. If you don't need access to a lot of settings, the free grid allows you to see larger icons that are easier to tap with your finger.

2. Changes to icons and text size

   

   The tablet has a fairly spacious 9.7-inch screen, but Samsung decided to take a significant part of it with large icons and text. Users should reduce their size. This is done at Settings\u003e Display\u003e Zoom and screen font... Here, use the slider to change the font size and zoom. You can set them to the minimum value or slightly more. The lower the setting, the more content you see on the screen.

3. Setting up Air Command

   

   Air Command offers quick access to stylus functions. This menu opens when you press a button on the S Pen. However, you shouldn't let Samsung dictate what to include in Air Command, as you can add your own commands here and remove the ones set here. Open Air Command and click on the button Add shortcut... Active shortcuts are presented on the right side of the screen. Click on any app on the left side and add or remove it from the list. It is possible to hide the floating Air Command bubble when not in use by opening s Pen advanced settings\u003e Air Command\u003e Floating icon.

4. Handwriting is everywhere

   

   Samsung keyboard includes handwriting mode, but what if you don't want to use Samsung keyboard? You can still use handwriting input when you pick up the stylus. This is called direct stylus input and works by default. Swipe the stylus over the text field until a small text icon appears. Tap on it with your stylus and a handwriting box will appear at the bottom of the screen. Write in it and the tablet will translate your handwriting into text. Click on the Done button to enter text and close the direct input mode.

5. S Pen text selection

   

   Android lets you select and copy text from a variety of locations, but the Galaxy Tab S3 and S Pen let you select almost any text. Press and hold the button on the stylus, then slide it over the text you want to select. This feature works in the menu, home screen, and applications. When the text is selected, it can be copied, shared or viewed in the dictionary.

6. Split Screen and Pop-up View

   

   The Galaxy Tab S3 is the best Android tablet for multitasking, you just need to know how to use it. The tablet runs on Android Nougat, so split screen works for almost all apps. The fastest way to split the screen between two sentences is disabled by default. Discover Settings\u003e Advanced features\u003e Multi-window mode and click on split screen option... After that, a long press on the browse button will open the multi-window operation mode.

   Also Samsung has left its own mode called Pop-up View, in which, in addition to two parallel windows, you can also have a floating window. It does not work with all applications. To open, swipe from the top left or right corner to see the size of the window. These operating modes can be switched on simultaneously.

7. Smart Select

   

   Samsung has brought with it a feature called Smart Select. It is available in the Air Command menu. When activated, a selection tool appears in the form of a square, a circle, or lasso mode. Select and use the S Pen to draw in the highlighted area. The text will instantly be cut and you can edit it, extract the text and draw on it. There is a GIF mode that captures an area of \u200b\u200bthe screen and saves the animation to the tablet.

8. Sticky Notes on Screen

   

   The Tab S3 is great for taking notes without even having to unlock it. Screen off notes also came from Note7 here. Hold the S Pen near the off screen and press the button on the side of the stylus. The screen turns on and the editing tools appear. Write and draw, then click the Save button. Notes will be saved to the pre-installed Samsung app, which syncs with your Samsung account.

9. Setting your own power saving modes

   

   The Tab S3's 6,000 mAh battery lasts for days, but you can squeeze more out of it. There are two modes, the settings can be changed at will. Discover Settings\u003e Device Support\u003e Battery... There are Mid and Max settings for power saving. Clicking on any option opens the interface for setting the power saving mode. There are also options for setting: you can set the screen brightness, enable or disable the processor speed limit and network activity in background... The adjusted settings will be saved.

10. Safe folder

    

    The tablet has a built-in framework, which means access to the Safe Folder function. It is not just a folder, but a place to run applications and manage files, which is separate from the main system and completely secure. To use, you need to set a secure device lock. It will take several minutes to create the encrypted space.

    When everything is ready, you can add copies of any application to a safe folder. These copies are only available here, so the data won't go anywhere, nor will the files. You can't get to them without the unlock code. Even screenshots are stored in an encrypted directory here.

Probably everyone already knows about the iPad Pro and its wonderful pencil. And many artists have already acquired this device and are successfully working on it. But not everyone knows that the Samsung lineup also has a tablet for drawing, which is practically in no way inferior to the iPad, and in some aspects even surpasses it. Today I will tell you about my experience with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3.

This tablet appeared in my arsenal on March 8 after long ordeals and doubts. Initially, I was going to buy an iPad Pro, but since I work on Windows, not on a Mac, my phone is also on android platform, then this tablet would be my only apple device, which would be extremely inconvenient. Therefore, the Android version was preferable for me (yes, apple fans will forgive me).

S-Pen

What bribed me in the first place was the Wacom stylus (S-Pen), which already comes with the tablet. The nib is only 0.7mm thick, allowing for detailed work. For comparison, in the photo below I have placed it next to the Pigma Micron 0.5 liner.

The stylus distinguishes up to 4096 degrees of pressure. And most importantly, it does not need to be charged!) Beauty!) From myself, I note that the tip at the tip is rubberized, which gives a sensation equivalent to drawing on Wacom tablets. The set also includes two types of spare tips - standard white softer and gray harder. And I already broke one by negligence when I changed them, so it's good that there is a spare wheel))) There were no lags in working with the stylus for a month of work.

Screen

2048x1536 resolution, 264 dpi and AMOLED matrix. Black is really black, the contrast is very high. It is better not to set the brightness above 30-35 percent, because the eyes begin to tire quickly. The colors are very bright and saturated. But they don't quite match the colors on my IPS monitor. I found out from one review that it is better to set the display mode to "Basic" or "AMOLED Photo" rather than "Adaptive", because they display colors more correctly.

The main mode seemed to me completely faded and dull, but the AMOLED Photo turned out to be more like the color rendition of my monitor, which is what I needed. So I strongly advise you to change these settings immediately. True, the first time immediately after switching the mode it seems that the white color turns yellow, but after a while the eyes adapt and everything looks normal.

Other "goodies"

Other pluses that I like about my Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 are 4 GB of RAM, support for memory cards up to 256 GB, fast charging and its lightness (only 429 g! A definite plus for quick sketches while standing with a tablet in hand).

In which program to draw?

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro is my favorite among graphics editors on Android. A very handy application with great tools, especially if everything is configured correctly for yourself.

First of all, it makes sense to purchase a complete set of brushes. And then you can shuffle them at your own discretion, fix the most necessary and often used on the panel on the left.

It is convenient to work in full-screen mode, but it makes sense to pull out the standard "puck" from the bottom menu, which displays the current tool and color. And with the sliders on the left, you can adjust the size of the brush and its opacity. In full screen mode, you can use the undo by double-clicking the corner of the screen (by default, this is the lower left corner).

In this application, you can work with layers almost like in Photoshop, but the only drawback is that it is not possible to create a clipping mask.

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro can export your artwork with all layers to .PSD format and send it to you on google drive, which is undoubtedly sooooo convenient!)

My findings

For a month of working on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, I even lost the habit of my old Intuos a little. But in general, no matter how cool this tablet is, but it cannot completely replace my workstation. From the pros - it is very cool to draw sketches on it (both from nature and from the head), it is convenient to take with you instead of a paper sketchbook, and you can also draw not very complex illustrations. It is clear that you cannot draw a wimmelbuch on this tablet)) As a tool that would help me become more mobile, and not always sit at home in my corner - this is just a great option.

In addition, working on a tablet helped me to look at my own workflow in a different way, change the standard mechanisms, because this is not Photoshop with its endless possibilities))) And in general, to drawing directly on the monitor, if you have not worked on sintika, you need to get used to it. It took me a week and a half or two.

Despite all this, I think the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is a great tool for an artist.