The highly-anticipated release of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, with improved features, attempts to challenge the current tablet darlings in the market including the Apple iPad Air 2, which is currently on top of the tablet hierarchy these days.
The Galaxy Tab S2 which could be available in sizes of 8 inches and 9.7 inches reportedly features 64-bit Samsung Exynos processor with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Additional features of the tablet could include an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing snapper, a microSD expansion card slot, and support for Category 6 LTE speeds.
Both the 8-inch and 9.7-inch models could boast the same 2,048 x 1,536 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio. In terms of software, the Galaxy Tab S2 is reported to run on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, cites C/Net. Leaked images of the Galaxy Tab 2 were tweeted by Onleaks. Based on the photo, the new tablet could feature a physical Home button and might include a fingerprint reader.
The Samsung’s new tablet models could be exceedingly slim with dimensions of 198 x 134 x 5.4 mm and a weight of 260 grams for the 8-inch model and 237.17 x 169.58 x 5.5 mm for the 9.7-inch version which would make it thinner than the 6.1 mm Apple iPad Air 2. It was also reported that the Galaxy Tab S2 design could be inspired by the Samsung Galaxy S6, which means it is expected to have a metal frame and a glass back, according to Tech Radar. The expected Super AMOLED on the tablet’s screen will make images bright and vibrant.
The retail price for Galaxy Tab S2 is reportedly 399 euros for the 8-inch variant and 499 euros for the 9.7-inch model. The newest Samsung tablet could launch in the United Kingdom this month, Android Guys reported.
The new Samsung flagship tablet will be made available worldwide and shall be in the same markets as its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. Critics are hoping that the new product is more centered on consumer use as the recently and quietly launched Samsung Galaxy Tab A is more focused on the business segment.
Galaxy Tab S2 is expected to be a top competitor to iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. The Samsung’s latest tablet could also rival the iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 4 once Apple launches them in October.
iPad Air 2, Nexus 9 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S, are currently the contenders for the best tablet in the market today, The Week reported. The three tablets from Apple, Samsung and Google were studied and reviewed in terms of features, design, displays, sound, processor, memory, battery life, camera, and price.
The outlet cited that all the three tablets have good screen displays though the slimmer iPad Air 2’s battery life is shorter than the Samsung and Google tablets. The processors, which power the power-hungry devices, has very little separation from each other. The iPad Air 2 has an A8X processor with a 64-bit architecture, the Galaxy Tab S runs on an Exynos 5 Octa 5420 SoC with 1.9 GHz quad core Cortex A-15 while the Nexus has a Tegra K1 with a 2.3 GHz dual-core Denver processor. When comparing all the three tablet’s processors, the iPad Air 2 is just slightly up by a margin of hair’s breadth.
For the camera, all the three tablets offer eight-megapixel cameras capable of recording 1080p HD video but the Galaxy Tab S comes slightly on top with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera compared to iPad Air 2’s 1.2-megapixel and Nexus’ 1.6-megapixel front snappers.
For consumers looking at price, Nexus is the cheapest option among the three while iPad Air 2 and Galaxy Tab S are priced identically at 399 euros. When arguing which tablet is the best overall in 2015, iPad Air 2 and Galaxy Tab S are clearly the superior devices due to their excellent finish and superb overall performance. Nexus 9 is the best if considering the price, but the tablet’s build quality may not be good enough for a device that is worth more than 300 euros.