Last April, the South Korean giant samsung decided to delight customers by presenting an updated version of its 10-inch tablet line. The model received the designation Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 SM-T531.

The updated device is made in the traditional Samsung design: rounded shapes, the presence of touch buttons "back" and "options" under the screen and a physical key "home". The presence of the latter is a "feature" of the Korean manufacturer, but there are mixed reviews among users. Some consider it a plus, others - a useless relic inherited from smartphones. The tablet has a quad-core processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage and a 3G communication module with support for one SIM card.
Despite the cost (today it is about $ 250), it will not turn out to be more than a budget language to name the tablet filling. Whether it is sufficient for the needs of consumers or not is not for us to decide. A brief overview will allow you to get acquainted with Galaxy Tab 4 closer to draw conclusions for yourself.

Specifications

Galaxy Tab 4 cannot be distinguished by its support of advanced technologies. Only that which has been in demand for a long time has been realized here. By the way, it has been implemented quite well.

CPU

The tablet uses a Qualcomm chipset, model Snapdragon 400. The processor has four cores and operates at 1200 MHz. They are enough for Internet browsing, watching movies, simple toys. But avid gamers will not appreciate it, considering it weak.
Galaxy Tab 4 video chip - Adreno 305. As already mentioned, it will be enough for not too resource-intensive tasks, but for those who need a tablet for games, this is not the best option.

The tandem of the CPU and GPU is able to score only 16 thousand rating points in the AnTuTu test, which looks dull by modern standards.

Memory

RAM in the tablet 1.5 GB. For everyday use, this volume is enough. But against the background of flagships with 3 GB it seems to be small. However, some manufacturers still install 1 GB on such devices, so the Galaxy Tab 4 is not the worst option.
The built-in storage has a capacity of 16 GB. There is also support for memory cards with a capacity of up to 64 GB. Why not 128 is a mystery. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to test the work with such a module.

Battery

Battery for Galaxy Tab 4 has a capacity of 6800 mAh. Of course, there are devices on the market that have all 10,000 with a similar diagonal, but thanks to optimization, the tablet's operating time is quite decent. Of course, it will not be enough for a day of web surfing, but 10 hours are quite real. Without an installed SIM card and a connection to the network, the device will last about a week (or even more) in standby mode, but with them this period is sharply reduced to 2 - 3 days.

Camera

The photo modules here, although they have mediocre resolution, are not installed "for show". The rear camera has a matrix with a resolution of 3 MP and is quite suitable for fast shooting. Details of objects are visible, there are no color distortions, in the semi-darkness it is quite real to see something.
The same can be said about the 1.3 MP front lens. It is quite enough for Skype or video calls via 3G network, you can even try to make a good selfie.

Display

The Galaxy Tab 4 screen has a 10.1 "diagonal and supports up to 10 clicks at a time. The matrix resolution is quite typical for most devices, but you want something more from a $ 300 tablet. After all, 1280x800 is HD, but at 10" the pixels are quite visible to the naked eye. After a smartphone with a similar resolution, getting used to such a screen is quite difficult.
As for the brightness and color rendition, everything is at a decent level. The picture is visible in the sun, there is no color distortion when viewed from an angle. But there is no light sensor here, which for many is a tangible minus.

Data transfer

In addition to the standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for modern tablets, the Galaxy Tab 4 has a 3G module. It supports traditional GSM and UMTS networks, but is not compatible with LTE. You can make calls from the tablet (though the view of the 10-inch "tray" at the ear is somewhat comical, but nobody forbids using a headset).

There is also GPS / GLONASS satellite navigation. It works well, apparently, the large antenna affects. The signal is normally picked up even indoors.

Sound

There are two speakers in the tablet, the sound from them is quite voluminous. This is not a boombox, but the bass and treble are reproduced quite correctly. The Galaxy Tab 4 10. 1 SM-T531 16Gb also sounds good in headphones, the socket of which is located on the left side of the tablet.

OS

Out of the box, the Galaxy Tab 4 ships with Android 4.4 on board. The manufacturer pre-installed the proprietary graphic interface TouchWiz on it. There are no brakes in operation, everything works smoothly.

Recently, users have the opportunity to upgrade to Lolipop - the fifth version of Android.

Advantages of the Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 tablet:

• good sound;
• good cameras;
• high build quality;
• excellent quality of all types of communication.

Alas, but there are also enough cons:

• low screen resolution;
• far from top-end iron;
• lack of a light sensor.

Conclusion

Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 SM-T531 16Gb - a device for fans of this brand. Samsung will not be able to interest those for whom megapixels and gigahertz are above all else. Even the position of the "average" device can only be held by numerous devices of Chinese origin, equipped with lower quality screens and hardware. If not for them, the chances of the Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T531 for success could be called very scanty, since such a "filling" is relevant at most for the beginning of 2014, when, in fact, the tablet came out.

I am looking at Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 other guys.

) can't learn Aypad.

Outwardly pure fire

Which I will talk about below.

Than an exclusive "feature".

Now imagine that

The screen resolution is

For the new Galaxy Tab S4.

it was convenient.

If desired

And this is not for you apple pencil.

Moreover you can put your hand on the screen

?

Using an eye scan

Also eyes ( or a strong password

Isn't this innovation?

From 1 to 23 August you do

Bravo, Samsung.

Reviewing an Android tablet on a website? Seriously?

Seriously. For the first time, I had in my hands a device that Steve Jobs could well have dreamed of when creating his iPad.

I am looking at Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and I have mixed feelings: I am sorry that such a powerful, thoughtful, convenient and beautiful device was made other guys.

But I'm glad that this tablet has every chance of really pushing out modern laptops and increasing the popularity of the dying market for such devices.

If only because Tab S4 can do what so far ( and in the yard 2018, for a minute) can't learn Aypad.

We have been using this tablet for a week and now we can tell you how this conclusion came about.

Outwardly pure fire

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 looks very impressive: the glass case with an aluminum frame looks moderately elegant, without a hint of kitsch or "gypsy".

In general, Samsung has a very good design policy, because in recent years all their flagship gadgets have their own charm and recognizable stylewhether it's a smartphone or tablet.

I consider this a real victory for the Korean company, because among the variety of devices on the portable electronics market, at first glance it is a pleasure to find out which manufacturer's device you are holding in your hands.

Having relied on a glass body, Samsung is going its own way, not copying its main competitor, and this commands respect. For the distinctive appearance of the Tab S4, you can even forgive the fact that the glass body instantly collects fingerprints.

But the tablet lies comfortably in the hands and does not slip, even if you hold it horizontally or vertically.

The Galaxy Tab S4 doesn't have the usual physical button below the screen: the only physical buttons for power and volume control are located on one of the edges of the device.

The tablet weighs 480 grams, and this is the very optimal weight when the device does not feel fragile, but with prolonged use, even on weight, you do not get tired of holding it in your hands.

The back of the gadget has a camera peephole and that's it - there are no fingerprint scanners, although the tablet can be unlocked by several different ways , which I will discuss below.

In general, externally, the Galaxy Tab S4 looks very charismatic: I can't imagine how else you can improve the design, because the tablet is just perfect in terms of ergonomics.

Be careful with the volume - you can go deaf

For several generations of devices, Samsung has partnered with one of the most famous audio equipment manufacturers, AKG. And if in the case of smartphones you get excellent bundled headphones, then in the case of a new tablet you get just amazing sound.

The Galaxy Tab S4 has as many as 4 speakers, which are located at the ends of the device. I assure you, you have never heard such a stereo in a tablet.

A separate DAC is responsible for the sound, and engineers from AKG were engaged in setting up the speakers. Watching a movie with the Tab S4 is a pleasure - the sound is not just loud, but also truly spacious, thanks to the support of Dolby Atmos.

I can safely say that thanks to the magic of AKG engineers, the tablet easily makes 90% of all laptops, and certainly all other tablets that only exist in the world, both in terms of volume and sound quality.

Do you want privacy or talk with your interlocutor face-to-face? You can connect headphones to the tablet using an ordinary 3.5 mm jack.

If in smartphones the presence of this useful entrance is already presented as a separate plus, then in the camp of tablets it the presence is still more commonplacethan an exclusive "feature".

Why don't your eyes get tired? Because superAMOLED!

The Galaxy Tab S4 has a superAMOLED screen that we can see in the Galaxy S9 and S9 + smartphones: just remember how you felt when you saw how good this screen is.

Personally, I remember how we in the editorial office admired the real black color, looking at the screen samsung smartphoneshow they enjoyed the excellent contrast and rich colors.

Now imagine that the smartphone screen just increased in size, retaining all its advantages: this is exactly what I experienced while testing a tablet from Samsung.

In Galaxy Tab S4 the screen occupies almost the entire front of the device, without any protrusions, "eyebrows" and other marketing tricks.

The screen resolution is 1600 x 2560 pixels at 287 ppi... Due to the absence of an air gap between the glass and the screen matrix, the image seems to lie on the surface, and even if you look at it from different angles, the picture does not distort, does not fade and remains "juicy".

Even YouTube looks much more beautiful with this screen: I watched several HDR videos, and the world around me now seems too colorless to me.

Of course, in the tablet settings, you can set the desired screen resolution yourself, as on the Galaxy S9 and S9 + smartphones or on full-fledged computers. Aipads cannot do that, and are unlikely to learn in the near future.

For lovers of films and protective glasses, there is a special switch, by clicking on which you activate the improved screen sensitivity.

This option is needed so that, even in the presence of film (or glass), the screen responds quickly to touches without making the owner nervous.

I have never seen anything like this in any tablet. Everything for people, right, Samsung?

Connect the keyboard, use the stylus. Forget the laptop

How many times have we tried using tablets instead of laptops? In our editorial office, almost every author went through this with the same result: the tablet cannot fully replace the laptop.

Samsung fundamentally disagrees with this, and therefore I ended up in my hands special folio case with built-in keyboard for the new Galaxy Tab S4.

And you know, I think a tablet can replace a laptop. But what is there - I used only Galaxy Tab S4 with a keyboard for several days and it was convenient.

The accessory itself adds a little weight to the tablet, but not critical. The keyboard itself is rubberized to the touch, with a soft, perceptible stroke of the buttons and without annoying crackling - it's very pleasant to type.

Yes, the keyboard can be connected to an apple tablet, you say. But the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has another trick that allows you to throw your laptop on the shelf.

This is DeX. The mode that turns the tablet into a full-fledged "desktop"

Remember, Samsung has a docking station that needs to be connected to the monitor, installed in it galaxy smartphone S8 or newer and connect a keyboard and mouse to get a complete desktop environment with true multi-window, start button and full file system?

So in the Galaxy Tab S4 tablet, the DEX mode is built-in without any additional accessories, and it can be activated with one tap. In fact, even a keyboard is optional.

In DEX mode, the shell simulates the operating system of a desktop computer running Windows.

You can run several programs at once, each in its own window, create folders, use the "Explorer", install applications and games from Google play, and many programs ( like an office suite from Microsoft) in general, exactly the same as on a regular computer.

Charging connector uSB-C tablet can be used to connect flash drives and adapters, no kidding.

And I even tried to connect a wired Internet to the Galaxy Tab S4: I took an Ethernet-USB type C adapter, connected it to the tablet and got full wired access to the network.

The result is this: there is a convenient operating system, the ability to connect any peripherals and a convenient keyboard, it is a cover.

If desired you can also connect a mouse via bluetoothto make sure the Galaxy Tab S4 becomes a complete laptop.

But I didn't bother with the mouse, because every Galaxy Tab S4 comes with a stylus... And this is not for you apple pencil.

With the stylus, you can select texts, cut out pictures, make signatures, write handwritten notes and, of course, draw.

Moreover you can put your hand on the screen - no false positives or delays, I checked.

You can even write with a stylus right on the lock screen. I love this feature since the times Galaxy Note.

While Apple is thinking about what would be so interesting to come up with to popularize his "pencil", Samsung has a stylus really handy tool for work and creativity, to which you instantly get used and do not think - how I used to do without this useful thing?

Eye protection, kids mode and the safest storage possible

As I wrote at the very beginning, the Galaxy Tab S4 does not have a fingerprint scanner. But if you want innovation, you can customize face unlocking by scanning the iris of the eyes.

The function works very quickly, even in the dark. If you wear glasses, they will not be a hindrance, but if you put on sunglasses, the scanner will not work.

Using an eye scan you can not only unlock your tablet, but also confirm purchases on the Internet, as well as confirm the completion of forms, logins and passwords.

Also eyes ( or a strong password) can become a pass to a special protected environment, the pride of Korean developers, called Knox, which is a kind of "operating system in the operating system" for maximum separation of work and personal data on the tablet.

All important files, photos, notes and even applications can be moved from public access to a special isolated area, access to which is possible only after typing a specific password on the device.

Moreover, you can even transfer an application there, for example, some kind of messenger and enter it under a different login.

As a result, the device will have several copies of one application: for example, 2 messengers, in which you are registered under 2 different logins and passwords.

If this does not provide maximum security, then I can suggest simply not using electronic devices at all.

The Galaxy Tab S4 has another protected environment, only it is not intended for adults, but for children. And it works just as easily and reliably as Knox.

It's no secret that many parents give their tablets to small children in exchange for minutes of peace and quiet. But you almost see it - and the child has already deleted the photos, bought something in the store or erased all applications.

To prevent this from happening, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has a special children's mode: you activate it, set a password, so that you can exit this mode only by typing a combination of numbers, and calmly give the tablet to the child.

In the children's mode on the screen of the gadget there are only applications and games for the little ones, and access to the main desktop, applications, contacts and galleries is closed.

It turns out an ideal toy that will keep a little person busy, and parents will not worry about the safety of their data.

So should you take this tablet instead of a laptop?

We have already played enough with apple tablets, and thought that such devices are a kind of analogue of a smartphone, but not a full-fledged computer.

When all manufacturers rivet the same devices, which in fact differ only in Android versions, Samsung approaches the task with soul and launches a real bomb in the world of mobile tablets.

The Galaxy Tab S4 is an easy-to-use gadget that can do tasks like a real laptop, whether at work or at home.

Isn't this innovation?

With its Galaxy Tab S4, Samsung simply pushes ahead and leaves all competitors far behind. Just like it was a long time ago, with one aluminum tablet.

Only then did we see in such devices only potential, not implementation. Today, personally, I know exactly what a tablet should be in order to compete with laptops.

And Samsung made just such a tablet.

Glass-aluminum body, powerful filling, newest version Android, the ability to connect flash drives, printers and other devices through adapters - you get all this when you use new Galaxy Tab S4.

The first tablet in several years that gave me back my faith in such devices.

From August 1 to 23, you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 on the official website for 52,990 rubles, and you get a keyboard cover for free... Please note that after this promotion the accessory will cost 8,990 rubles.

Do you want to work? Plug in your keyboard and write. Do you want to play, watch movies, surf the Internet? Easily - it's a tablet. Do you want to draw, create, be creative? Easy - there is a very handy stylus and hundreds of talent discovery apps on Google Play.

In the end, I consider the Galaxy Tab S4 the best tablet today, which is worth holding in your hands, appreciate its convenience and beauty yourself. You will like it, I'm sure.

Review of the tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 | Appearance

Galaxy Tab S4 is a typical candy bar with a screen that occupies almost the entire front surface. All bezels around the screen are 1 cm thick.

The screen has an oleophobic coating, which, on the whole, does its job well. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about the back of the tablet - it is glossy and fingerprints on it instantly cover the entire surface. It doesn't look very good (we won't take a photo).

At one of the ends Tab S4 there is a USB-C port and a 3.5 mm headset output. Also on this and the opposite end you can see the grilles of the stereo speakers.

Hardware buttons for power / lock and volume control are located on the side. There is also a hybrid slot for nano-SIM and microSD.

Note - you can put both cards at once, on opposite sides of the slide (which, however, is not very convenient at the time of installation). However, only one SIM card is supported. What is important, like many Android tablets, SIM card support is full, that is, you can make calls and send SMS and generally use the device as a phone (for example, if you have a bluetooth headset, although without it too).

On the opposite side is the docking station connector. Galaxy Tab S4 positioned by the manufacturer as a business tablet - using a keyboard cover (sold separately) it can be turned into a laptop, and with HDMI output (sold separately) - into a kind of analogue of a desktop PC on Android. In this case, the screen can be used as a regular graphics tablet.

Also Tab S4 works with the S-Pen, which (which is very good) comes in the box.

Review of the tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 | Screen

The 10.5-inch screen of the tablet has a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, which gives a 16:10 aspect ratio. Viewing 16: 9 content in full screen results in black bars along the long side (in the case of a movie, top and bottom). We do not consider this a disadvantage - indeed, while smartphones quite naturally "stretch" to 19: 9 and more, even the "classic" 16: 9 looks narrow on tablets.

In general, the screen is very bright, the colors are saturated, but the Super AMOLED matrix also has its own “proprietary” disadvantages - for example, color change (the screen literally turns into a “rainbow”) at large viewing angles, as well as subtle color halos in some fonts.

Review of the tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 | Software

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 runs on Android 8.1.0 mobile operating system with Samsung Experience 9.5 proprietary firmware. Latest updates firmware is dated August 31, 2018, Android security protocols - June 1, 2018. Today this is not the most recent version of the operating system, although it is still quite relevant.

The manufacturer did not overload the tablet with various preinstalled programs - there are only a couple of utilities from Samsung. For example, the Samsung Notes app lets you take handwritten notes with the S Pen and translate them into text.

You can also draw in notes using a pen using emulation of various types of tools: pencil, oil paints, watercolors, etc.

And in the PenUp application you can see drawings of other people (a kind of analog social network), including how they drew them in real time - and even repeat the drawing themselves.

CONTENT

Stylishly designed, productive and eerily expensive. It seems that in its new tablet Samsung has decided to collect all the best. Was it good for the new product? Let's figure it out, sorting through the key features of the Tab S4 along the way.

What does it look like?

Cool and modern. Facial and rear panel made of glass, aluminum frame. This is a rather fragile combination, so all hope is for strong Corning protective glass Gorilla Glass 5.
The manufacturer's logo and system keys have disappeared from the front of the tablet, which has a positive effect on its dimensions: the screen has grown well, but the case has not. In figures, the dimensions of the case are 249.3x164.3x7.1 mm, the weight is 483 g. The frames are very thin, and the protective glass is without rounding. There are only two color solutions - black and white (the official name of the latter is silver) By the way, the black color, coupled with the gloss of the glass, turned out to be a very brand.

Is there moisture protection?

No, the tablet has no dust or moisture protection. Apparently, the manufacturer expects that you will immediately purchase a case for the tablet.

What screen?

The screen is made using SuperAMOLED technology, has a convenient diagonal of 10.5 inches and a resolution of 2560x1600, the pixel density is 286 ppi, the aspect ratio is 16:10. Needless to say, this is a very good display, bright with rich colors, deep blacks and great viewing angles. The software provides a blue filter (with a custom schedule), automatic brightness control, font change and screen scaling. Color balance is regulated by four standard Samsung modes. High quality oleophobic coating.

How does it sound?

The sound of the tablet is rich and of high quality, four multidirectional AKG speakers with Dolby Atmos support are responsible for it. The sound in the headphones is also pleasing with its clarity and high detail.

What can the stylus do?

The stylus, made in a deliberately laconic design, has a very thin tip (0.7 mm) and distinguishes between 4096 pressure levels and an angle of inclination. With the pen, you can not only draw, but also cut out screenshots, translate words and much more. A separate program is responsible for all the capabilities of the S Pen - PENUP. By the way, unlike the “apple” competitor, you don't need to charge the pen, this is clearly good news.

How are you doing with security?

There was no place for the fingerprint scanner, but there is recognition by face or iris of the eye. Both options can be considered acceptable and reasonably safe, especially the latter. The problem is that they don't work as fast as we would like. And due to the fact that the tablet is in vertical or horizontal orientation, sometimes Tab S4 has to be turned in the hands before it unlocks.

What are the characteristics of the Tab S4?

We will not dwell on this moment for a long time, you can always read in detail about the characteristics of the device in our catalog. Within the framework of this text, we will focus only on the main points. At the heart of the tablet is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, this is last year's but still relevant solution with sufficient performance, it is complemented by the Adreno 540 graphics. From memory, we have the following: 64 GB of internal storage and 4 GB of RAM, that is, the size of flash memory has grown over the year twice, and the RAM remained the same, there is support for memory cards.

What software capabilities are there?

Operating android system 8.1 Oreo is covered here with Samsung Experience 9.5 shell. Considering that there are no buttons on the front panel now, it was not superfluous to wake up on a double tap.
In this section, it will not be superfluous to note that the tablet interface does not bear any “tablet” features, they are all concentrated in Dex mode, which we will talk about later. Many potential buyers were not happy with this, citing the example of the same iPad, where iOS was seriously redesigned. In defense of the Tab S4, we can only say that Android itself, without modifications, copes well with multi-windowing and multitasking, those for whom this is not enough can turn their eyes to the analog of a desktop PC - Dex-mode.
By the way, on Tab S4 you can take notes and sketches without even unlocking the screen. In theory, this should save a lot of user time.

No more docking station needed?

Yes exactly. No sooner had we "tasted" this tasty and interesting docking station, as it faded into oblivion. Tab S4 connects to a computer without additional devices in the mode, which retained its former name - DeX. It works only in horizontal orientation and now there is no need to connect to an external monitor. You can activate it from the settings or the quick access panel, and it is also automatically activated when the keyboard is connected. Here the user will find everything that he only needs for work: multi-window mode, a desktop with folders, a functional dock and a list of running applications. The first users described this mode as thoughtful, but very overloaded: they want to somehow systematize all the indicators or even remove them from their eyes.
As for the software adapted for Dex, there is already quite a lot of it, both among programs and among games.

Is the camera better?

No, the camera module is installed the same as a year ago, at 13 megapixels, with a single LED flash and phase detection autofocus. It cannot be called bad, it is still the same 13 megapixel high-quality matrix. And taking pictures on a tablet is just as inconvenient as before.
Front camera 8 megapixel, it good quality and will definitely delight you with video calls. In selfie focus mode, the camera programmatically blurs the background, there are also various beauty modes.
Video filming is carried out at maximum 4K, accelerated filming is carried out in FullHD format.
As for the software capabilities, the camera can read QR codes, translate texts and recognize objects. Perhaps this is how it looks interesting, and not just photographing on a tablet.

How does the keyboard work?

For starters, this is not only a keyboard, but also a case for a tablet, and now it has a hole for the rear camera. That is, the cover does not have to be folded back when photographing. This accessory is called Keyboard Cover. Island-style keys with good feedback.

There are many keyboard shortcuts, which is good, given that mice may not be at hand, but most of them turned out to be not intuitive and to use these features, you first need to specifically memorize these combinations, there is also a problem with switching languages \u200b\u200b- this option does not always work correctly ... The keyboard has a cover for the stylus, made of a detachable unit. Unfortunately, it doesn't look very reliable. The tablet also comes with a proprietary adapter that has HDMI ports, and USB A, USB-C and Ethernet. Quite a "desktop" set, in general.

Tab S4 LTE version available?

Yes of course. It offers the user the same storage capacity as the Wi-Fi version, but at a slightly higher price. Moreover, only this option will fall into our official retail. It uses the nano SIM format and the tablet can even be used for calls.

What about other interfaces?

Everything is familiar here: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, you can use GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo for navigation. Full list technical characteristics The Galaxy Tab S4 is available here.

Is there an audio port?

Yes, they decided not to save on this.

Is the battery tenacious?

Yes, it is quite. Its capacity has grown compared to last year: 7300 mAh versus 6000 mAh, there is fast charging. In this case, the tablet did not get wireless charging, despite the glass case.

Who is it for?

The most obvious thing that comes to mind is that the Galaxy Tab S4 is a direct competitor to the Apple iPad Pro. Its target audience consists of designers and business segment. Actually, the less moneyed public is unlikely to want it for themselves, because among Android tablets you can find options with similar performance and for a much smaller amount, and not everyone needs a stylus.

How much does the Tab S4 cost?

The official price tag of the tablet starts at $ 650 for the younger version and approaches $ 1000. For an Android tablet, this is a very high price, and the tablet's competitors are not even other tablets, but serious ultrabooks and laptops. And here each potential buyer will ask a logical question - whether he needs portability, brand name, performance or something else. The final decision to buy the Galaxy Tab S4 or not will depend on what the user prioritizes.

What's the bottom line?

As a result, we got a productive, cool, but very controversial tablet. Many will want it, few will be able to buy it. Tablet performance can be considered excessive for most, and given the high price tag, few will want to go out of their way for it. But no special flaws were noticed at all, except perhaps the easily soiled case and the lack of dust and moisture protection.

After Samsung revised the codenames for its devices flagship models received the index S. Everyone knows smartphones of this series, and not so long ago the company began to produce tablets. The first signs were the Samsung Galaxy Tab S devices, which received the best that the composer had at that time, and became a full-fledged competitor to the iPad.

One of the main competitors for the Apple iPad

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is a continuation of the series. The tablet received an almost reference display, a powerful processor, modern and a 4: 3 screen format. Recent studies have shown that while in the past, users mostly watched movies, now they mostly read books and browse websites. This is what prompted the developer to create just such a format. So, we present to your attention a review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet.

Specifications

operating system	Android 5 Lollipop
Screen:	8 or 9.7 inches, SuperAMOLED, 2048 x 1536, 320 ppi, capacitive, multitouch, glossy
CPU:	Samsung Exynos 5433, 8-core: 4 × 1.9 GHz + 4 × 1.3 GHz
GPU:	Mali-T760 MP6
RAM:	3 GB
Flash memory:	32 GB
Memory card support:	microSD (up to 128GB)
Connectors:	microUSB + OTG, nano-SIM, 3.5 mm stereo
Camera:	rear (8 MP) and front (2.1 MP)
Communication:	Wi-Fi 2.4 / 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, 3G / LTE, GPS, GLONASS
Battery:	9.7 "- 5870 mAh 8.0 ”- 4000 mAh
Additionally:	accelerometer, fingerprint sensor, light sensor, proximity, gyroscope, compass
Dimensions:	8.0 ”- 134.8 x 198.6 x 5.6mm 9.7 "- 169 x 237.3 x 5.6 mm
Weight:	8.0 ”- 265g (Wi-Fi), 272g (LTE) 9.7 ”- 389g (Wi-Fi), 392g (LTE)
Price:	from 26 690 rubles

Contents of delivery

The manufacturer equips its flagship with only a charger, a USB-microUSB cable for connecting to a computer and a set of documents.

Design

Appearance The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has one recognizable feature that makes it impossible to confuse it with a device from another company: physical buttons on the front. One of them is a mechanical Home button with a built-in fingerprint sensor, and the other two are touch-sensitive. The rest of the tablet is similar to other models. Nevertheless, it is difficult not to pay attention to the desire to inherit its main rival - Apple iPad.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is available in two screen sizes - 8 and 9.7 inches. As already mentioned, the aspect ratio is 4: 3, since the tablet is primarily positioned for business use and for browsing. Samsung decided that it would be better this way, because in comparison with previous years, the recycling model of such devices has changed, and fewer users view multimedia. And the new format adds 20% more space. By the way, the first tablet with such a screen was the Galaxy Tab A (read it).

In addition to the buttons, which are located on the narrow part of the tablet, there is a camera and a brightness control sensor on the front surface. The display of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is framed by narrow frames, and in the 8-inch model they are somewhat narrower, which makes the device more similar to smartphones. Around the display is a metal frame that gives the tablet a serious look. Moreover, it turns into plastic from the back. The back is covered in soft-touch plastic and has a. It is located rear camera, which protrudes above the body, the Samsung inscription and a kind of buttons for the branded case. All connectors are on the sides: on the right are the volume and lock / power buttons, as well as two tightly closed slots for nano-SIM and microSD; at the top - a microphone; and on the bottom are two stereo speakers, a headphone jack and a microUSB port. The left side remained completely free. A 8-inch modification of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 with a module cellular communication has an additional earpiece speaker above the display and a microphone on the bottom edge, since you can call it like through a regular phone.

The case itself is plastic and very thin, only 5.6 mm. It is the thinnest tablet in the world. Despite the subtlety, the device is very durable and assembled conscientiously. The details are very tightly fitted to each other, and the case at times seems completely monolithic. By eliminating the use of metal, the weight is only about 390 g for the 9.7-inch and about 270 g for the 8-inch. Therefore, without straining, you can work much longer.

Screen

In this component, Samsung has surpassed everyone, because samsung display The Galaxy Tab S2 is the best on the market. The 2048 x 1536 SuperAMOLED sensor with 320 ppi pixel density is brightest and colors are incredibly realistic, while the highest contrast contributes to the display of all the smallest details. Indeed, the sRGB color gamut has reached 100%, making browsing photos and watching videos very comfortable for the eyes.

Thanks to this resolution, screen samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has no graininess, it can be seen only by looking at the matrix under a magnifying glass. Even small letters are clearly and smoothly read. Viewing angles are the highest, so you can comfortably show some content even in a company. If you are not satisfied with too bright colors of the matrix, it is possible to adjust the profile of the screen. There are four profiles available: Basic, AMOLED Movie, AMOLED Photo and Reading Mode, as well as Adaptive Display that automatically launches the desired profile based on content and usage conditions. You can select any profile manually. Each of them differs significantly in terms of color display, white balance and brightness.

About brightness. The standard indicators of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 become about 375 cd / m2 and depend on the number of light colors. But as soon as you activate automatic regulation and go out into direct sunlight, the brightness easily rises to 700 cd / m 2. Almost no one has such indicators. In combination with the anti-glare filter, the clarity of the picture and the readability of the screen remains at the highest level in any case.

In addition to everything, there is a coating against grease stains, as well as a protective glass. Due to the small thickness, I had to put a thinner coating instead of Gorilla Glass 4. So over time, the screen is covered with small scratches, visible only in the world when the tablet is off. They do not affect the work in any way and do not spoil the overall pleasant experience. Indeed, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the best in quality not only by the standards of tablets, but also by most smartphones.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is powered by the powerful Samsung Exynos 5433 processor, first used on the Galaxy Note 4 and significantly leaping its time. It has a huge margin of power and performance, as the 20 nm chipset has 4 1.9 GHz cores, more economical 4 1.3 GHz cores, a Mali-T760 MP6 video adapter and 3 GB of RAM. In addition, the hardware has support for a special technology that allows you to use all 8 cores simultaneously. The whole question is which applications will utilize this opportunity. Maybe someone was waiting for a new generation processor, but you are unlikely to use the full resource of this.

Naturally, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 device functions just exceptionally, there is not even the slightest hint of slowdown. The menu just flies, the tablet easily reads video files with a resolution of 2K (3840 x 2160), opens documents, allows you to play all modern games at maximum parameters. Various performance tests show results on par with the best smartphones, although they do not always reach them. But its parameters will be enough for the most demanding user.

Multimedia capabilities

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 plays the highest bitrate media with ease and supports many music and video formats. However, not everyone may like the standard player. But you can download and install anyone from the app store.

The two speakers reproduce all frequencies quite accurately and have a good headroom, so the sound quality is excellent. So you can watch videos in a noisy place. Unfortunately, the square format will force you to put up with black bars when watching modern movies on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, because most of them are recorded in 16:10 format. In headphones, audio sounds very voluminous and deep, music lovers will be happy. Although hardly anyone will buy such a tablet, focusing purely on sound quality.

Battery and run time

The larger version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is equipped with a 5870 mAh battery, while the smaller one has a 4000 mAh battery. This is a very good indicator for such a thin device. In addition, power-saving mode, screen technology and automatic brightness extend the battery life up to 14 hours. Average indicators with the included 3G-module - 7-8 hours of continuous work. In turn, the numbers may differ from the frequency of use, the type of wireless connection and its stability, the profile of the screen, its brightness level, temperature environment. So the performance may vary for each device. Games, in general, are the most voracious energy absorbers, you can achieve a maximum of 7-7.5 hours at minimum brightness. But in general, a tablet will be enough for a day, and if the mobile connection is turned off, for all two.

IN samsung settings Galaxy Tab S2 can be activated with a special power saving mode. It regulates running processes, reduces processor power, turns off wireless modules, and with maximum savings, in general, makes the screen black and white. This useful feature will allow you to extend the viability of the device in desperate moments.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is equipped with an 8 megapixel main camera and a 2.1 megapixel secondary camera. They are not much different from those in the previous model. The only difference is the improved aperture, which means there is no flash. The auxiliary camera has a fixed focus and performs pretty. It also demonstrates a good picture during video calls.

The main camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 does not show anything super-outstanding, compared to many smartphones, which are still significantly ahead of tablets. The improved aperture and f / 1.9 aperture do not compensate for the lack of flash in evening shots. Noises appear in the photo, white balance may get lost, autofocus may not work properly. During the day, the camera boasts good detail and sharpness. White balance works correctly, colors are not distorted, the camera focuses instantly. Its settings menu strongly resembles the settings of a smartphone of the series of the same name. In general, the camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 does not yet compare with the phone, but it is one of the best among the tablet.

The Samsung app store has an interesting 3D Capture program. With its help, you can create three-dimensional images. It is enough to start the application and, following the instructions, slowly turn the device around the object, then save. Only a few devices have such an opportunity.

Operating system and programs

The device is equipped with the Android 5.0.2 operating system with the traditional Samsung TouchWiz shell, which is almost completely identical to the phone one. The set of programs is almost like a bare Android, however, some proprietary applications are still present. Therefore, you do not have to clean the tablet from software junk for a long time.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 system has a large number of settings, with several proprietary features. For example, the device search engine S Finder has been added, allowing you to find desired file, application or setting, or Smart Manager - junk cleaner and accelerator. It also has its own Samsung Apps store. Also preinstalled office suite Microsoft Office Android allowing quick editing required document on the run.

A fingerprint sensor built into the Home button keeps your data safe. When using the function for the first time, the setup wizard will ask you to place your finger on the sensor several times until the drawn fingerprint is complete. Up to 4 prints can be programmed. After that, recognition occurs instantly, just touch your finger at the sensor. You cannot configure multiple user profiles through the fingerprint scanner, but the device has such an opportunity. This is very convenient if the tablet is one for the whole family.

In short, the system interface has been redesigned very cool. Samsung promises to release regular Android updates, with Android 6.0 Marshmallow expected in Q2.

Competitors

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet - Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with Adreno 430 video chip; the device has the best resolution of the front camera - 2.1 MP, a widescreen 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 screen; the volumes of memory are the same; the tablet is dust and water resistant.

Apple iPad Air 2 - lower pixel density (264 ppi), 2-core processor, front-camera only 1.2 Megapixels.

Considering that Sony's tablet was released later, it's not surprising that its screen resolution is slightly higher. Although you shouldn't forget about the larger diagonal and wide format. iPad loses in almost all characteristics. We can safely say that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is perhaps the best flagship device today.

Pros and cons

Summing up the review, we note the strengths and weaknesses of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.

• Almost perfect screen.
• Outstanding performance.
• High-quality assembly, body dimensions.
• menu.
• Fingerprint sensor.

• Inconvenient screen format for watching movies.
• No NFC module.
• Overcharge.

Conclusion

Surely everyone will agree that Samsung has managed to set the tone in tablet fashion and the bar that many will seek to jump over. The price, however, is too expensive for many, but that is why it is the flagship. Its superb performance, high-quality screen and strong battery will delight both gamers and those who buy a device for work.

Are you planning on purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2? Does everything suit you? We will be glad to see your comments after reading the article.