Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: The world's thinnest flagship tablet. The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for photo and video shooting

Former name, new format: With Galaxy tablet Samsung's Tab S2 has decided to move away from last year's concept by adopting a new philosophy. The reason lies in changing user scenarios: consumers watch less video and more and more work with text and the Internet. How successful was the second generation? We will talk about this in Galaxy review Tab S2 9.7 LTE.

The main difference between the first and the second Galaxy versions The Tab S is noticeable by its model number. The diagonal has changed from 8.4 to 8.0, from 10.5 to 9.7. That is, we got a slight decrease in the diagonal, although the form factor has also changed, now it has become closer to the iPad. Samsung explains the reason above. The 4: 3 display format is better suited for text, as the previous 16:10 format is focused on video.

New and better display

Compared to its predecessor, the display Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 has got lower resolution and lower pixel density. The new model has a resolution of 2.048 x 1.536 pixels, that is, a density of 264 ppi. A year ago, the resolution was 2.560 x 1.600 pixels, the density was 288 ppi. If you look closely, you can see the difference with sharp eyesight, but hardly in everyday scenarios. New tablet provides a sufficiently detailed and sharp presentation of the text, and the panel Super AMOLED gives advantages in color rendering. As with smartphones Galaxy colors pleases with saturation, but it is not excessive.

One of the reasons for a high-quality picture is the contrast, which can be called infinite. Black is really black. Also the temperature of the white point is quite decent. If you deviate from the factory settings, the color temperature can be reduced to 6.700 K. The default temperature is 7.700 K, the colors have a bluish tint.

The brightness of the display turned out to be much higher than its predecessor. With the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 we had to settle for 300 cd / m², while the second generation reached 382 cd / m². The brightness is too small for direct sunlight, but you can work quite comfortably in the shade.

Not the most recent SoC with consistent performance

Samsung changed not only the display, but also the SoC: the Exynos 5420 gave way to the updated Exynos 5433. The basic structure of the SoC has not changed. Eight CPU cores work inside - four Cortex-A53 and four Cortex-A57. Maximum frequencies 1.3 and 1.9 GHz remained the same, the main difference lies in the addition of 64-bit support. The GPU has also been updated. The SoC has a Mali-T760 MP6 clocked at up to 700 MHz, which promises a significant performance boost over the Mali-T628 MP6. At the same time, even lower power consumption is declared. The Exynos 5420 was manufactured using a 28nm process technology, while the Exynos 5433 uses a more advanced 20nm process technology.

Samsung has decided not to install the best SoC in the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. Recall that in Galaxy smartphone S6 Edge + the company is already using the 14nm Exynos 7420, RAM also more modern. In the case of a tablet, you will have to be content with LPDDR3. But at least 3 GB can be called a fairly large volume.

Faster modem

As for the rest of the equipment, there are few changes. We can note the new LTE modem, which supports Cat 6 up to 300 Mbps for downloads and up to 50 Mbps in the opposite direction over six LTE bands. The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 LTE had to settle for Cat 4 and four bands. The rest of the changes are not so serious. Bluetooth is now supported in version 4.1, instead of micro SIM cards the nano format is now supported. As for WLAN, the tablet still supports dual-band and 802.11ac standard, a fingerprint sensor is integrated into the Home button.

Built-in Samsung memory announced versions with 32 and 64 GB, but at the time of publication, only the 32 GB version was available. Either way, you can expand the storage using the microSD slot.

Good battery life

Because of compact body the battery capacity has decreased compared to its predecessor. Now it is 5.870 mAh. But such a decrease is offset by a more efficient SoC. We have changed our test methodology, therefore directly compare the results of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 LTE and new Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 LTE won't work. Anyway, in the 200 cd / m² video streaming test we were able to get almost 13 hours autonomous work Samsung talks about 12.

So, in practice, the tablet will last even a long flight. Of course, with more demanding workloads, the battery life decreases. For example, under PCMark load the tablet lasted more than 6 hours, while browsing the Internet via WLAN or LTE, also with a brightness of 200 cd / m², almost 9 hours. Although here, too, we got a little more battery life than Samsung promised.

Unfortunately, you will have to give up some of the comfort features that are available in the smartphones of the Korean manufacturer. For example, the battery cannot be charged wirelessly, there is no function fast charging; charging power does not exceed 10 W. But there is at least an ultra-power saving mode that gives you more battery life at the expense of giving up some features.

Samsung Galaxy The Tab S2 9.7 was built specifically to compete with PRO version IPad as mentioned above. In some ways the model is better, in other ways worse. In terms of exchanges, for example, our hero outperforms the competitor, because the case thickness is 5.6 mm! This is incredibly small, you can even be afraid to break it at first, because the base of the case is matte soft plastic. Nevertheless, the Tab S2 9.7 has a very nice shape, light weight, which makes it very comfortable to hold even in one hand. It is not completely plastic, the side edges are made of metal. This makes the tablet expensive, after all, when you take it in your hands, you realize that the device is very expensive.

Width

Height

Thickness

Weight

Shell

Our gadget runs on Android 6. By the way, there are also modifications of this tablet, but related to the release of last year. They have modifications with the model name t7 **. They have the fifth generation OS installed, so be careful when buying, do not accidentally buy an old tablet. The shell has been familiar to us for a long time, this is TouchWiz, the tablet is split into two parts so that you can use two applications at the same time. Very convenient for big screen use this feature as if you were holding 2 five-inch smartphones at once. With the fingerprint scanner, you can lock some apps so that your friends don't have access to them. The shell allows you to create a guest mode in order to generally restrict some applications for other users. In general, everything is fine with data protection. You can additionally buy a keyboard cover for the tablet, they are made very well, it is convenient to use.

Specifications

• CPU

  Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa Core 1.8GHz

• Video processor

Our version is based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, a decent mid-range processor. It has 8 cores, the frequency of the older 1.9 GHz. Video processor Adreno 510. The bundle is powerful enough, copes with all modern loads, this is not only our opinion, but the opinion of people on various forums of the Russian Internet.

Memory

Here things are more interesting. In our model, 32 GB, 24-25 GB are available to us for use, part of the space is taken up by products from Microsoft, which will be 100% useful. Additionally, you can buy a memory card up to 128 GB, this is the feature that the American competitor cannot boast of. Here you are free to choose the amount of memory you need, use several memory cards, there is a lot to roam around.

Connection

This is where things are going, really good. The tablet supports one nanoSim card, which gives you access to telephony and SMS messages. The device catches networks perfectly, there were no problems with GPS either, gadgets with such a processor always quickly and well captured satellites. There is no NFC chip and no FM radio, which, perhaps, can be attributed to the disadvantages.

Look
updated upon admission new information and published after careful review

Connectors and buttons

Above:
-

Bottom:
2 speakers, microUSB, headphone jack

TFT IPS- High quality liquid crystal matrix. Has wide viewing angles, one of the best indicators of color and contrast quality among all that are used in the production of displays for portable equipment.
Super AMOLED- if a conventional AMOLED screen uses several layers, between which there is an air gap, then in Super AMOLED there is only one such sensor layer without air gaps. This allows you to achieve a brighter screen for the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD- differs from Super AMOLED in high resolution, thanks to which it is possible to achieve a size of 1280x720 pixels on the screen of a mobile phone.
Super AMOLED plus- This is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, which differs from the previous one by using more subpixels in a conventional RGB matrix. The new displays are 18% thinner and brighter than the older PenTile technology.
AMOLED- an improved version of OLED technology. The main advantages of the technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display a wider color gamut, smaller thickness and the ability of the display to bend slightly without the risk of breaking.
Retina-display with high pixel density, designed specifically for Apple technology. The pixel density on Retina displays is such that individual pixels are invisible to the eye at a normal distance from the screen. This provides the highest picture detail and dramatically improves the overall viewing experience.
Super Retina HD- the display is made using OLED technology. The pixel density is 458 PPI, the contrast ratio reaches 1,000,000: 1. The display has a wide color gamut and unrivaled color accuracy. Pixels in the corners of the display are anti-aliased at the sub-pixel level, so the edges are smooth and look smooth. 50% thicker Super Retina HD gain layer. It will be harder to break the screen.
Super LCD is the next generation of LCD technology and offers improved performance over earlier LCD displays. The screens have not only wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also lower power consumption.
TFT- A common type of liquid crystal displays. With an active matrix controlled by TFTs, display performance is significantly improved, as well as contrast and image clarity.
OLED- organic electroluminescent display. Consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light under the action of an electric field. This type of display has a large margin of brightness and consumes very little power.

Grade 4

Pluses: Lightweight.
Fast.
Nice build.
The most comfortable and functional keyboard of all tablets.
The functionality of android.
The presence of a memory card slot.
In case of emergency, you can call from him.

Disadvantages: In the beginning, everything in the tablet made me happy! But after a year of daily use of the tablet, a trace appeared. limitations:
1. The screen burns out, dark shades began to merge just into a solid black color. It turned out to be unsuitable for working with photos and design.
2. The battery has become very hungry for a year, it has been holding for no more than 5 hours.
3. The back plastic cover is badly scratched. Yes, you can use cases, but they negate all the weight and thickness advantages of the tablet.

Of the other minuses, I can note:
Slow fingerprint scanner.
Over time, there is a slight slowdown in the system.
Weak speakers.
The screen (or rather white) casts a lilac-green color at viewing angles.
Long charge.

Commentary: Great tablet. It is a pity that the main components are not as durable. I gave it to the child for games, I took it for myself ipad pro, which turned out to be severely limited in functionality and portability of information transfer (exchange) in comparison with android tablets.

Grade 5

Pluses: Battery,
screen,
internal memory + the ability to use a memory card up to 128GB
sim card support
performance

Disadvantages: Charges for a long time, but the battery lasts for a long time, so it is tolerable.
The quality of the photo is not a fountain, but this is not a necessary function either.

Commentary: I have been using it for 10 months and it feels like buying - I enjoy using it, I did not think that I would like it so much. Convenient, fast and beautiful, moreover. I advise everyone.

Grade 4

Advantages: - timely software update (Android 7 "out of the box" and officially confirmed that it will receive the 9th version)
- back cover, so to speak, soft touch, i.e. non-slip, pleasant to the touch and not soiled (unlike the S3 generation, where it is made of glass ...)
- weight, without a case, incredibly light apparatus for this size, easy to hold when reading with one hand
- no dancing with a tambourine, glitches and flaws in the firmware

Disadvantages: - speakers located only on one side, therefore, in a horizontal position, the sound always sounds only to the right or only to the left, somehow uncomfortable (I don't understand those who write about the sound QUALITY of regular dinimaks, at such a thickness, in such a volume, you Seriously?..)
- no fast charging (when you get used to this on a smartphone, you feel its profit), no wireless charging
- the screen is certainly good, but not everyone will like the heavily lifted colors
- cameras - laughter and tears, can only be used for Skype, etc., not for photos

Commentary: I took it exclusively for the "Internet" and occasionally a few logical toys.

Grade 5

Pluses: I bought it for my son at the age of 13 for his birthday. Before that, there was tab 4 10.1 for 2 years. I wanted to take Tab A, but the screen does not differ in quality, so I decided to take the flagship so that it would be enough for five years.
Elegant, with a super native case. Turns on and off when you open and close the case. Despite the fact that Snapdragon 652 is not the coolest processor, we can say "an average plus" (they could have stuck a top-end processor for that kind of money) - it works very quickly. I have not tried games, but it also opens sites with heavy pictures instantly - faster than on a non-weak laptop. It's hard to describe the screen - it's great. I took a gold one, actually a silver-gray one - to stand out among whites and blacks. The native case is the same color. I didn't wait for tab s3. Everything suits me. Moreover, some kind of glitch can get out on the novye.

Disadvantages: No.

After Samsung revised the code names of its devices, the flagship models received the S index. Everyone knows smartphones of this series, and not so long ago the company began to produce tablets as well. 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 Samsung tablet Galaxy Tab S2.

Specifications

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

The appearance of 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 use in business sphere and for browsing. Samsung thought it would be better this way, because the recycling model has changed compared to previous years. similar devices, 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 that 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 bezels, 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. And from behind it turns into plastic. Rear part covered with soft-touch plastic and has. 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 has an additional earpiece speaker above the display and a microphone on the bottom edge, since it can be used to make calls like through a regular telephone.

The body 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

Samsung has outdone everyone in this area, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2's display being the best on the market. The 2048 x 1536 SuperAMOLED sensor with a pixel density of 320 ppi is brightest and reproduces colors incredibly realistically, 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 conditions of use. 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 are about 375 cd / m2 and depend on the number of light colors. But it's worth activating automatic regulation and go out into direct sunlight as the brightness easily rises to 700 cd / m2. 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 anyway.

On top of that, there is a coating against greasy stains, as well as protective glass... Due to the small thickness, I had to put a thinner coating instead of Gorilla Glass 4. So over time, the screen becomes 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

Per work Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 responds the most powerful processor Samsung Exynos 5433 first used on Galaxy Note 4 and significantly leaped over its time. It has a huge margin of power and performance, since 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 at the same time. 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 for 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 it is allowed to download and install anyone from the application store.

The two speakers reproduce all frequencies fairly accurately and have a good headroom, so the sound quality is excellent. So it will be possible to 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 is equipped with a 4000 mAh battery. This is a very good indicator for such a thin device. Moreover, power saving mode The screen technology and automatic brightness extend the working time 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, and the 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, the tablet will be enough for a day, and when disconnected mobile communications- and all two.

In the settings of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, you can activate a special power saving mode. It regulates running processes, reduces processor power, disables 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 when shooting at night. 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. The menu of its settings strongly resembles the settings of the 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.

In the shop Samsung apps there is an interesting 3D Capture program. With its help, you can create three-dimensional images. It is enough to launch 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

Installed on the device operating system Android 5.0.2 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 Microsoft package Office Android that lets you quickly edit the document you want on the go.

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 the sensor with your finger. 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 and Android 6.0 Marshmallow is expected to be released in the second quarter.

Competitors

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet - Installed Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 810 with Adreno 430 video chip; device has better resolution front camera - 2.1 MP, 10.1-inch widescreen 2560 x 1600; the amount of memory is the same; the tablet is protected from dust and water.

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. The iPad, on the other hand, loses out in almost all respects. We can safely say that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is perhaps the best flagship device today.

Pros and cons

Summing up the review to its conclusion, we note the weak and strengths Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 devices.

• 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 leapfrog. The price, however, is too expensive for many, but that is why it is the flagship. His highest performance, a high-quality screen and a strong battery will delight both game lovers 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.