Samsung is pitching the Galaxy Tab S2 as the “essential tablet for experiencing digital content.” The press release is hot on marketing buzzwords as the device is also the “most immersive Samsung tablet to-date” and is “perfectly designed for reading and consuming content.” It may be best to let users decide on the truthfulness of these bold claims once the device goes on sale next month.
The new 9.7-inch and 8.0-inch sizes have led to a change in aspect ratio from the original Galaxy Tab series. Gone is the old 16:9 widescreen format, replaced by a more square-looking 4:3 ratio also used by Apple on the iPad.
The display is apparently capable of reproducing 94 percent of colours and is enhanced by software that intelligently adjusts brightness, gamma, saturation and sharpness, depending on the conditions of the ambient lighting that the tablet is in. This ensures that the screen is always looking its best.
The Galaxy Tab S2 features a built-in fingerprint scanner and native multitasking, allowing users to run two apps side-by-side at the same time. Samsung fans will be pleased to note that the device has a metal frame like the Galaxy S6 smartphone, doing away with the plastic of previous generations.
At just 5.6mm at its widest point, the Galaxy Tab S2 has undercut the competition to become the thinnest tablet available and a strong competitor to the iPad Air 2. Much of the tablet’s design seems to be geared to attracting Apple users, even going so far as to switch to 4:3 displays in sizes similar to the iPad.
A recent market research report found that Samsung users have been switching to Apple products so it seems likely that Samsung is trying to tempt them back again with a strong tablet offering for 2015.
JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile at Samsung, said:
“The Galaxy Tab S2 is not only our thinnest and lightest tablet of its size ever, it also gives users quick, easy access to a wealth of superior viewing and productivity features. We believe the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the most complete personal visual device designed for consumers to carry and use anywhere.”
Both Galaxy Tab S2 versions are powered by an octa-core processor which consists of four 1.9GHz cores and four 1.3GHz cores. There is 3GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, accompanied by a microSD card port which can add an additional amount of up to 128GB.
Despite the differing screen size, both have the same 2048×1536 resolution. Therefore, the 8-inch version will have a slightly higher pixel density but in reality you won’t be able to see individual pixels on either tablet. The 9.7-inch device has a 5,870mAh battery while its 8.0-inch sibling has a smaller 4,000mAh unit.
The Galaxy Tab S2 will go on sale globally from August 2015. Both the 9.7-inch and 8.0-inch versions will come with 32GB or 64GB of storage and Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and LTE for mobile connectivity. They are powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop and it seems likely that they will get the 5.1 update, followed by Android M, in the future.
