The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is among the best deals going in the tablet
space. It has many of the same virtues asApple's iPad Air 2,
which starts at $399 (£379 in the UK, and AU$569 in Australia): both are slim,
light, fast and fantastic for consuming media. But the entry-level 32GB Tab S2
starts at $250 (£319, AU$549) and throws in a fingerprint scanner, a dazzling
AMOLED screen with 2,046 x 1,536 pixels, a stellar 13 hours of battery life,
and a microSD slot for adding storage. It comes in two sizes --a compact 8-inch modeland alarger 9.7-inchversion ($350 in the US, £349, AU$699) -- each with a 4:3 aspect ratio
that's particularly well suited to Web browsing and reading.
That noted, the premium tablet landscape is abundant with great choices. In
September 2016, Apple gave a boost to its lineup of iPads, increasing the base
storage capacity of the excellentiPad Air 2from 16GB to 32GB, and dropping the 64GB model entirely. That makes the
adjusted retail prices as follows: $399 for the 32GB model (£379, AU$569), $499
(£469, AU$719) for the 128GB model without cellular connectivity, and $629
(£589, AU$879) with it. We don't think the marginal price difference makes the
tinier, slightly less powerfuliPad Mini 4the better deal.
Google's Pixel Cwas the first tablet made and designed by Google, and it's built to
showcase everything that Android has to offer. But it's pricey, starting at
$500 (£480, AU$670) for the 32GB model and $600 (£559, AU$800) for the 64GB
version, and that's before you spring for the $149 (£209, AU$200) keyboard
accessory. And then there's Microsoft'sSurface Pro 4.
Equipped with robust processing power, a perfectly sized display and just-right
aspect ratio, and a few critical add-on accessories, the Pro 4 has solidified
the Surface's position as the gold standard for Windowstablets.
Check out CNET'shead-to-head comparisonof Google's Pixel C, Microsoft's Surface 3, Apple's iPad Air 2, and the
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 for a detailed view of how the specs stack up.
Editors' note: The original review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0, first published
in September 2015, follows.
With an exceptional design in tow, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 gives the
Apple iPad Mini a run for its money. The 8-inch Tab S2 is thinner and lighter
than both the iPad Mini 4 and the Dell Venue 8 7000, and it offers twice the
amount of internal storage for the same price as each of them. (A 9.7-inch
version of the Tab S2 is also available, and is otherwise almost identical.)
Running Samsung's Android-based TouchWiz user-interface, the tablet is
similar to the company's flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones,
which also utilize the UI. Though it lacks an exciting or cutting-edge feature,
the absence of a gimmicky factor doesn't change the fact that the Galaxy Tab S2
is one of the best Android tablets available.
It has a spectacular HD screen with vivid color and this new model sports a
4:3 aspect ratio (last year's Tab S had a wider 16:9 screen that was geared
toward video watching) that's prime for reading, apps and surfing the Web. It
also features consistently smooth performance, a fingerprint scanner and decent
cameras -- a rarity for a tablet. All of that is packed into a superskinny and
featherweight design that looks cool, feels comfortable to hold, and is so
compact, it'll barely make a dent in your bag.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 doesn't come cheap, starting at $400 for the 32GB
model, yet it's a worthwhile investment if you're interested in an Android
tablet for everyday use. Its petite dimensions make it a perfect portable
companion for an everyday commute or travel. A great iPad alternative with
sleek design, vibrant and sharp screen, plentiful storage.
Editors' note: The 8-inch (reviewed here) and 9.7-inch versions of the Samsung
Galaxy Tab S2 are almost identical. Portions of their reviews are similar.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab
S2 is -- to date -- one of the thinnest and lightest tablets available. It's a
mere 5.6mm thin and 0.58-pound (265g) light, slightly edging out its main
competition, the Dell Venue 8 7000 and Apple iPad Mini 4.
Tested spec
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0
Apple iPad Mini 4
Dell Venue 8 7000
Weight
0.58 pound (265g)
0.65 pound (298.8g)
0.67 pound (306g)
Width (landscape)
7.8 inches (198.6mm)
8 inches (203.2 mm)
8.5 inches (216mm)
Height
5.3 inches (134.8mm)
5.3 -inches (134.8 mm)
4.9 inches (124mm)
Depth
0.22 inch (5.6mm)
0.24 inch (6.1mm)
0.24 inch (6mm)
Side bezel width (landscape)
0.56 inch (14.2mm)
N/A
top bezel: 0.18 inch (4.6mm); other: 0.69 inch (17mm)
Its design itself is sleek with a premium look and feel. The build might
feel cheap to some who prefer the aluminum backs of the iPad Mini 4 or Dell
Venue 8 7000, but it's heaps better than last year's plastic faux-leather
texture with fake stitching accents.
The right side of the tablet houses the power button, volume rocker and
microSD card slot. To insert a microSD card, you must use a small pointy object
to eject the tray. A thick needle or paper clip should do the trick. On the
bottom edge you'll find two speakers with aheadphonejack and Micro-USB port between them.
View Full Gallery
The buttons slightly protrude from the
edge.Josh Miller/CNET
Speaking of the edges, though the corners are nicely rounded, the edges
themselves are flat. This gives you a surface big enough to rest your fingers
on the sides when using it. The dimensions of the 8-inch tablet are just right
for one-handed use. Even with my small hands, I could comfortably hold it with
a secure grip. The smooth suede-like finish on the back is also comfortable
against your fingertips -- it almost doesn't feel like plastic.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is so easy to carry around, the barely-there
description of its presence is akin to an advertisement for pantyhose or
Invisalign braces. When I had it in my bag -- even with the9.7-inch modelin there too -- I didn't
notice the difference in weight,and it's so thin, it fit into any crevice I
squeezed it into.
View Full Gallery
The thinnest tablet to date.Josh Miller/CNET
Aside from it's convenient portability, it's very comfortable to use.
Everything from gaming to reading felt pleasant and my hands or wrists never
tired when holding it for a long time. The plastic build lacks the high-end
aesthetic that aluminum-backed models -- like the Dell Venue 8 7000 and Apple
iPad Mini 4 -- have, however it's the reason why it's a featherweight.
If I were to use the Galaxy Tab S2 every day during a commute or every
night while reading before bed, I'd definitely pick the lightweight nature of
the plastic construction over the finesse of an aluminum design. It's easier on
your hands and wrist, and no sweat to carry around everywhere. Despite its
other great attributes, I'd have to say that its minimal design, aesthetically
and physically, is my favorite thing about the Samsung tablet.
View Full Gallery
The back has a suede-like feel.Josh Miller/CNET
Features
The Galaxy Tab S2 runs on Android Lollipop 5.1 with Samsung's TouchWiz
overlay. If you've used a Samsung tablet or phone before, it'll look familiar.
There aren't any dramatic changes to the UI, however the Flipboard-esque
Magazine feature that was premiered on last year's Tab S is notably absent.
Considering there's already an app that closely resembles the
reading-aggregator function, this isn't a big loss.
Like the Tab S, the new
model packs a bunch of free goodies straight from Samsung, and most of them
lend themselves to the new reading-friendly screen size. Included with your
purchase of the Galaxy Tab S2 are free 6-month subscriptions to The Economist
and The Guardian publications, as well as one for Pocket, an app that saves
content for reading later. There's also a three-month subscription to Scribd,
which is like Netflix for books, and free premium content on Stitchr, a podcast
app. If you're into writing as much as you like reading, Samsung also throws in
free downloads of the Hancom Office apps.
From
left to right: multiwindow function and home page of the Connect app.Screenshot
by Xiomara Blanco/CNET
Also like last year's model, the Galaxy Tab S2 has multiwindow functions
and a fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner on this model works a bit
differently; instead of swiping your finger down the home button, you simply
place it on top of it. You can save up to four fingerprints. I found the
functionality a lot better than that of last year's model and, after saving all
four of my thumb and index fingerprints, it became easier to use than the usual
swipe to unlock function.
The Galaxy Tab S2 has a new Connect app which is a
hodgepodge of content. It consists of three main sections: Support, Discover
and Promotions. The Support section has a variety of FAQs about using the
tablet as well as access to video chat help with a Samsung representative. The
Discover section features tips and how-to information, like how to transfer
data from your old phone to the Tab S2. Lastly, the Promotions section has
music videos, movie trailers and discount deals on other Samsung products, like
TVs and Blu-ray players. If I was new to Samsung or Android, I'd probably
appreciate the Connect app more, but as an old-timer, it didn't offer me
anything to make me keep coming back for more.
View Full Gallery
An
example of some of the "promotional" items offered through the
Connect app.Screenshot by Xiomara Blanco/CNET
Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 houses an octa-core Exynos 5433
chipset, comprised of a 1.9GHz and 1.3GHz quad-core CPU. It also has 32GB of
internal storage and a microSD card expansion slot that's expandable up to
128GB. The Samsung website lists a 64GB version, but only the 32GB model is
available for purchase; Samsung hasn't released details on when and if the 64GB
one be available.
Other features include Bluetooth 4.1 with low-energy
function (BLE) and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO -- which is faster than regular
Wi-Fi.
View Full Gallery
The
TouchWiz UI hasn't changed much.Josh Miller/CNET
Performance
Last year's Galaxy Tab S had one best screens I've seen
on a tablet. The Super-AMOLED display stunned with incredibly dark black
levels, radiant brightness and vibrantly saturated colors. The Galaxy Tab S2
follows in those footsteps, but with a smaller and brighter screen.
Tested
spec
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S2 8.0
Dell
Venue 8 7000
Apple
iPad Air 2
Maximum brightness
331
cd/m2
368
cd/m2
413
cd/m2
Screen resolution
2,048x1,536
2,560x1,600
2,048x1,536
Pixels per inch
320ppi
361ppi
264ppi
Aspect ratio
4:3
16:9
4:3
Its 8-inch screen and 2,048x1,536-pixel
resolution is a step down from the 8.4-inch screen and 2,560x1,600-pixel
resolution on the Tab S. The difference in resolution is barely discernable and
the difference isn't a significant downside to the new model. The lower
resolution is an understandable change, due to smaller 4:3 aspect ratio screen.
The size is more square than rectangular, and better for activities like
reading and surfing the Web, while 16:9 is better for a cinematic
video-watching experience.
View Full Gallery
Colors
on the screen are vibrantly saturated.Josh Miller/CNET
Regardless of the difference in size, the screen is still one of the best found
on a tablet. It's captivatingly crisp and a colorful. The Galaxy Tab S2's
screen cranks up the color with a punch of saturation that makes video appear
more vibrant and cinematic. Green and yellow shades are most notably rich. HD
video looks razor-sharp and the saturated colors and stark contrast on the
bright screen make for a satisfyingly vivid viewing experience. Unfortunately,
the luminous quality of the display comes with a downside.
The bright screen is great for visibility -- I can
comfortably see it outdoors on a sunny day or in a bright room with lots of
windows -- however details can get lost. When displaying an image or video with
different shades of white, the brightest spots appear blown out and some detail
becomes indiscernible.
View Full Gallery
The
small screen is better for reading and surfing the Web, than watching video and
gaming.Josh Miller/CNET
For example, when viewing a video of an overcast sky, the curvature, size,
wrinkles and texture of some clouds are indistinguishable at bright spots in
the screen. It's as if a blur tool was used on the brightest whites, blending
them together to mix one shade to rule them all. The Dell Venue 8 7000 fared
better in displaying these details, producing accurate colors that appear
life-like. Though I appreciate lifelike color, when it comes to watching
movies, I enjoyed the impact of the saturated colors on the Galaxy Tab S2.
Gaming
Large games like N.O.V.A. 3 and Dead Trigger 2 launched
rather quickly, and so did each level in the games. In comparison to the Dell
Venue 8 7000, it loaded the first level of N.O.V.A. 3 twice as fast. Thanks to
the sharp super-AMOLED screen, graphics looked great. The slightly saturated
range of colors made backgrounds vibrantly pop and dark scenes looked dramatic
with high contrast and dark black levels.
Gaming
graphics look dramatic and colorful.Josh Miller/CNET
When I initially ran 3DMark benchmark tests on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
it was running Android 5.0.2 and the tablet scored fairly well. After updating
to Android 5.1, the results took a plunge. I didn't notice a huge difference in
game play performance, but I did run into infrequent low frame rates during the
cut-scene portions of games. We've reached out to Samsung for more information
of the effect the software update has on gaming benchmarks, and we'll update
when we have more information.
Editors' note:The Nvidia
Shield tablet -- one of the best Android tablets for gaming -- was excluded
from the comparison because it's beenrecalled due to fire hazards.
Battery life
After testing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 in the CNET labs,
it notched an average battery life of 13.2 hours. That's pretty darn good for a
tablet. While using it casually, I only had to charge it every two or three
days, and it fared well on stand-by; after fully charging it and not using it
for two days, it still had a healthy 91 percent of battery life left.
View Full GallerOne of the better tablet cameras around.Josh
Miller/CNET
Cameras
Tablet cameras are more for convenience (document
scanning, video calling) than the everyday photography on your smartphone. Most
take underwhelming photos with washed-out colors, evident graininess and a lack
of vibrancy. The Galaxy Tab S2 is a welcomed exception. It won't replace your
dLSR or anything, but with the bar set so low, it has some of the best cameras
found on an Android tablet.
Enlarge ImaThe center photo shows some of the on-screen controls.Xiomara
Blanco/CNET
On the front is a 2.1-megapixel camera that is not only good for video
conferencing, but you can also get yourself some decent selfies out of it.
Pictures are crisp with enough detail to look sharp, but not enough to
necessitate that you pull out a blurring tool for your blemishes. Color also
looks accurate and it does pretty well in low-lighting. There is a bit of a
graininess quality to the photos, but that's to be expected from a
2.1-megapixel camera.
You'll find an 8-megapixel camera on the back of Galaxy
Tab S2. There is a variety of scene modes, including panoramic, HDR and virtual
shot, which can take a 360-degree photo. Photos at the full resolution look
impressively sharp and color is accurate. The rear camera also did pretty well
at taking photos in dark environments, though graininess increases when doing
so.
View Full Gallery
The
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is also available in a larger model that's better for
watching movies and gaming.Josh Miller/CNET
Conclusion
Everything about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is
incrementally better than the Galaxy Tab S. It's not exceptional, and it
doesn't break the mold, but it's a fine successor to last year's version. That
said, it's still one of the best Android tablets available. Compared to
similarly sleek and slim Dell and Apple tablets, it's also a better deal.
The 16GB
models of theApple iPad Mini4 and
Dell Venue 8 7000 go for $400 at retail price. For the same price, you can get
the Galaxy Tab S2 with 32GB -- double the amount of storage. The Dell and
Samsung tablets also have microSD card slots, whereas the Apple model does not.
The leg-up the iPad has on the two Android-based models is the Apps Store's
vast selection of apps and iOS 9's eye-pleasing and user-friendly UI. The Dell
Venue 8 7000 and Galaxy Tab S2 have similar performance (we've yet to review
the iPad Mini 4), so the choice between the two comes down to picking 16Gb or
32GB of internal storage and personal aesthetic preference.
It's increasingly hard for a tablet to
stand out in such a saturated market. Without a highly marketable gimmick or a
fruit logo on its back, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 can blend into the crowd as
just another Android, but its supremely skinny design, stellar screen and ample
storage capacity should catch the eye of anyone interested in a tablet for a
daily commute, traveling or reading before bed. It's not exactly the Android version
of the iPad, but it's close enough and cheaper for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment