Comparative review of Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and Galaxy Tab S3 tablets. Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 tablet - the new flagship of the Korean corporation New Samsung Galaxy Tab

Lately since good tablets everything is very difficult. Especially with compact ones. Analysts say that the issue here is potential (and lost in advance) competition with smartphones. Like, no one needs small tablets, since there are large smartphones, which are more functional and generally better in all respects. Tablet PC manufacturers are focusing on large-format models. Indeed, Apple is its iPad mini The last time it was updated was in 2015. Samsung also releases small tablets extremely rarely. Rarely - but still releases. And today we will talk about just such a model. it in October, and by the end of November Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 went on sale.

The tablet is offered in two versions - T380 and T385. The first has only a Wi-Fi module, while the second supports both Wi-Fi and LTE. It has an earpiece, as well as applications for making calls and exchanging SMS (a small tablet can act as a very large smartphone). Russian retailers are probably interested in the older modification - with an LTE modem. It is estimated at 16,990 rubles. We were unable to find the younger version of the T380, which lacks the capabilities of a smartphone, on the websites of domestic retail chains. Unfortunately, it was he who was tested, so we won’t be able to describe the “smartphone” functionality. But all our other impressions are quite applicable to the T385 - if we discard LTE and calls, it is no different from the T380.

Design and construction of Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017

The tablet has a metal body. This, of course, is not glass like the flagship, but it’s still not bad. Better than the easily scratched plastic that is found in a number of inexpensive tablets from the Korean manufacturer. That being said, the metal on the Galaxy Tab A 2017 isn't very, um, metallic. It is smooth and slightly slippery. It is less pleasant to the touch than what we see in the same iPads from small to large.

With ergonomics Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 everything is quite strange. For example, there are three buttons below the screen. In the center there is a physical one, on the sides there are a couple of sensory ones. So the latter do not have backlighting.

It is clear that the very fact of the presence of touch buttons does not mean that they must light up (remember, for example, some Xiaomi smartphones, where there is also no backlight). But the 2013 tablet had backlighting in exactly the same buttons. But for some reason the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 doesn’t have it. I didn’t even believe at first that she was missing. I went into the settings (I didn’t find anything), and then into the instructions. Typically, I didn’t find any proper instructions in Russian. The kit includes only a thin book, and for the full version they advise you to go to the Internet. Well, off I go. I saw this message:

Either the model is so new that instructions have not yet been created, or Samsung really no longer pays attention to (relatively) inexpensive small tablets.

In short, the lack of backlight makes the Galaxy Tab A 2017 not very usable. Poking at a dark space in the dark, not being sure that you will hit the key, is somehow not very inspiring.

The placement of the power and volume keys is also a bit strange. The fact is that the power button is located higher than the volume rocker. And when I try to turn on the screen, I constantly press the last one - it’s easier to reach it with my finger while holding the tablet vertically. The screen, of course, does not turn on. Out of curiosity, I studied a couple of inexpensive Chinese tablets lying around the house, and not without bitterness I discovered that everything was done correctly. At the top is the volume control button, below is the screen power key. Which we press much more often while using the tablet. Why Samsung didn't think about this - God knows. (To be fair: in the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 already mentioned above, the buttons are located just as poorly as in the Galaxy Tab A 2017.)

The MicroSD card slot is implemented as a removable tray. To remove it, you must use the clip included in the package. I suspect that this design is more reliable than a regular plug on a silicone leg (and again remember the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0). Still, I personally like it when I don’t need to use any paper clips. The photo below shows the same removable tray. The empty gray area to the left of the MicroSD slot is there for a reason. The tray is probably unified with the T385 version, which has an LTE modem. And instead of gray space, there is a slot for a SIM card.

What I liked was the presence of a modern and convenient port USB Type-C. Previously, it could only be found in the flagship Galaxy Tab S3. There is a speaker next to the port. The volume of sound and its quality made a pleasant impression. You can watch a movie together, or even three.

I was also impressed by the battery capacity - 5000 mAh. To understand: usually 8-inch tablets are equipped with 4000 batteries, and the greediest manufacturers put 3000-3500. Samsung says a single battery charge will provide up to 14 hours of video playback. It took me about 12 hours. The screen brightness was set to 50%, the video was in HD720p format, and I turned off Wi-Fi.

The package includes a 2A charging unit and a USB-USB Type-C cable. The tablet does not support fast charging; you have to keep it at the outlet for three hours.

But headphones are not included in the package, which, together with the lack of backlighting of the buttons and the absence of normal instructions in nature, speaks of the economy and haste in which the Galaxy Tab A 2017 was created. This does not make the tablet definitely bad, not at all. But it demonstrates that the “tablet boom” is probably over. And manufacturers do not consider it necessary to invest a lot of resources in this class of devices. Here I will say that the notorious Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 (I often mention it because I consider it a kind of ideological predecessor of the Galaxy Tab A 2017) was equipped with headphones. The ear connector along with the microphone is located in the hero of this review on the top edge of the case.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 screen

The 8-inch TFT matrix provides a very pleasing picture to the eye, although due to the low resolution by today's standards (1280 x 800 pixels) it cannot be called very smooth. Overall, a good screen, especially considering that by Samsung standards this is an entry-level tablet.

There is no automatic brightness adjustment in the model, since there is no light sensor. Above the screen there is only a 5-megapixel front camera. (In the modification with an LTE modem, there is also a speaker above the display, which is missing in our copy.)

Minimum screen settings. There is only a blue filter (makes the picture warmer, recommended for use at night) and outdoor mode. When activated, the brightness becomes ten percent higher than when it is set to maximum manually. Indeed, the information on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 can be viewed outdoors on a sunny day; the picture does not fade completely.

The display probably has an oleophobic coating. The manufacturer is silent about it (as well as the origin of the glass covering the screen), but prints on the surface remain reluctantly and are easily erased.

Hardware platform Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017

The developers used a simple 28nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset with four ARM Cortex-A53 cores (up to 1.4 GHz) and Adreno 308 graphics. 2 GB complete the picture random access memory. The result was a surprisingly fast device. No slowdowns in Chrome, no hesitation when launching applications. It is clear that playing with toys latest generation The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 won’t work with fancy 3D graphics, but Asphalt 8 runs without problems at medium settings. Video in HD720p also plays perfectly, and with such a screen you don’t need anything more.

On the other hand, it is not a fact that over time some brakes will not appear - as is often the case with Android devices. There is no performance reserve, the chipset used is as budget as possible, and the amount of RAM is not amazing.

Below is a screenshot from AnTuTu, since without it any review is not a review. In short, judging by the numbers, the situation is slightly depressing, but in practice, I repeat, this is not noticeable.

There is only 16 GB of memory, of which about 10 are available. You can also install a MicroSD card with a capacity of up to 256 GB. There was no such thing on the farm, but the 64 GB drive was consumed by the tablet without any problems.

There are no problems with communication via Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n 2.4+5.0 GHz, HT40) and Bluetooth (4.2), everything works smoothly. The same can be said about navigation - in less than a minute the tablet finds a lot of GLONASS and GPS satellites.

Cameras Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017

The main camera of the model has autofocus, an 8-megapixel matrix, flash and f/1.9 aperture.

I strongly suspect that the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 has a camera from some middle-class Samsung smartphone of previous generations. And that's actually not a bad thing. A number of options have migrated to the tablet, which are rarely found in devices of this type. For example, the ability to shoot in HDR and set manual settings, united under the word Pro. I'm not sure that anyone will tinker with them, taking pictures on Tablet PC, but they really help make the shots a little more beautiful.

Anyway, here are some pictures taken on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 in different modes.

What I also liked was the ability to place the shutter key wherever you want. A tablet is a rather big thing, and reaching for where the manufacturer placed the button is not always convenient.

The front 5-megapixel camera without autofocus allows you to take crossbows that are quite typical for these days. For social networks the quality is enough, for something more - not so much.

Software features of Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017

The tablet runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and somewhere on the Internet they write that later they will release firmware for it with Android 8.0 Oreo.

In terms of software, this is a typical Samsung device of recent years. There is a children's mode with the ability to prohibit visiting various sites and a set of content optimized for young users.

There is a game mode in which you can increase productivity and collect all the toys in one interface.

There is also an information panel mode, when activated, the tablet shows the weather, calendar and date on a nice background. This mode is logical to use with a stand, which, apparently, is not yet supplied to us (as are branded cases, by the way). It costs about $30 on Amazon.

In general, the interface looks something like this:

In terms of software, I liked the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017. The proprietary shell, which in different places is called either TouchWIZ or Samsung Experience 8.5 (in a hurry again?), provides a traditionally pleasant user experience that it is not able to provide Chinese tablets. They usually have bare Android, spoiled by poor translation and a set of strange software that often works crookedly.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 - buy or not?

The model turned out to be quite expensive - a fact. As we said at the very beginning, the version with an LTE modem costs 16,990 rubles. Option without support cellular communications(we tested it), most likely, they will be priced 2-3 thousand rubles cheaper. And this is still far from a gift - half-nameless Chinese analogues cost noticeably less than 10 thousand rubles, and the same Huawei has an 8-inch one that is very similar in most respects for 10,990. Moreover, for this money they already offer an option with LTE.

So... It’s clear that there are solvent citizens in any regime and in any crisis. This is exactly who the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 is designed for - that is, for those who are willing to overpay a substantial amount for the brand and some confidence in the quality that this brand provides. Yes, the device turned out to be moderately functional, it has a good camera by tablet standards, a solid body, a powerful battery and a pleasant software shell. However, it clearly does not qualify as an ideal tablet - due to strange ergonomics and lack of performance reserve.

Advantages:

High-quality metal case;
. powerful battery(5000 mAh);
. nice screen;
. USB Type-C connector;
. Not a bad camera by tablet standards.

Flaws:

Lack of backlighting of the buttons on the front panel;
. location of the volume and power keys;
. weak hardware platform;
. no headphones included.

Technical Samsung specifications Galaxy Tab A 2017 (T380)

Screen: TFT matrix, 8’’, 1280 × 800 pixels;
. body: metal;
. chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, 4 cores, 1.4 GHz frequency, Adreno 308 graphics;
. 2 GB of RAM;
. 16 GB of internal memory;
. 5000 mAh battery;
. USB port Type-C (USB 2.0);
. front camera: 5 MP;
. main camera 8 MP; aperture f/1.9;
. video recording: 1080 pixels, 30 fps;
. sensors: accelerometer, Hall sensor;
. interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4/5 GHz HT40, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou;
. operating system: Android 7.1.1 Nougat;
. dimensions: 212 x 124 x 8.9 mm
. weight: 360 g

The market for 10-inch tablets is not very rich in worthy models; in Russia Samsung and Lenovo remain full-fledged players, and other companies are only trying to compete with them. Today's review will be about the Korean gadget.

The tablet comes with two screen options

Last year the company introduced a new mid-range product, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A, with 8- and 9.7-inch screens with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The device is positioned as a tablet, since its screen contains 20% more information. To be honest, the tablets were a little disappointing with their characteristics. Introducing Samsung review Galaxy Tab A and let’s figure out what this model is.

Specifications

operating system	Android 5
Screen	9.7 and 8 inches, 1024×768 pixels, 132 ppi, TFT, capacitive, multi-touch, glossy
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 APQ8016, 4 cores × 1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 306, 400 MHz
RAM	2 GB (version with SIM card), 1.5 GB (version with Wi-Fi only)
Flash memory	16 GB
Memory card support	microSD (up to 128 GB)
Connectors	microUSB, micro-SIM, headphone jack
Camera	main (5 MP) and front (2 MP)
Communication	Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, 3G, LTE, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
Battery	4200 mAh (8″), 6000 mAh (9.7″)
Additionally	accelerometer, light sensor, Hall sensor
Dimensions	242.5×166.8×7.5 mm (9.7″); 208.4×137.9×7.5 mm (8″)
Weight	456 g (9.7″); 320 g (8″)
Price	from 17 thousand rubles (8″), from 21 thousand rubles (9.7″)

Contents of delivery

The package contains the tablet itself, Charger, cord for connecting to a computer via USB, user manual, warranty documentation.

Design

The appearance of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is unremarkable, the tablet versions differ only in screen size, the smaller one additionally has a speaker, and the model with 3G support has an additional slot for a SIM card. It would be hard to call the design outstanding. Typical inexpensive Samsung. The body is made of plastic with a coating that imitates metal. The assembly is traditionally excellent for a Korean company, nothing creaks, there are no cracks. The plastic itself is durable, scratches just don't appear. Scratching requires intentional effort.

The screen aspect ratio is 4:3, so the tablet is almost square in shape. The frames around the display are quite wide, making it easy to grip without touching the screen with your fingers. The default orientation is vertical, and therefore mechanical and touch buttons placed on the narrow side. Most manufacturers have abandoned this practice, but Samsung does not change tradition.

On the front panel of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A there are buttons at the bottom of the screen, at the top there is a camera eye and a proximity sensor, and on the 8-inch model there is an earpiece. On the right edge there is a power and volume button, just below there are slots for a SIM card and a flash drive. On the bottom edge there are two speakers and interfaces for connecting a computer cable and headphones.

On the back panel there is a large Samsung inscription, spoiling the entire appearance of the tablet. Top center is the main camera. There are two circles on the side for connection. To be honest, they are also superfluous here. Overall, the tablet looks like it belongs in the middle class.

Screen

But the display was frankly disappointing. If you can put up with and get used to the 4:3 format, then the resolution of 1024x768 and pixel density of 132 are not suitable at all. This is a huge step back, several years at once. In addition, the screen matrix is ​​a regular TFT, not even IPS. The only good thing is the brightness of about 420 cd/m2 and high contrast.

The grain is noticeable and all imperfections are visible when reading. There is no anti-glare filter, so reading in the sun is a little difficult. True, high brightness saves in many situations. The view remains comfortable even at a high angle. There is also no coating against grease stains, so typos appear quickly.

Colors are reproduced quite accurately, but the backlight turns more into a white tint, which is not very natural. The brightness adjustment works correctly, the level changes in a couple of seconds. In the settings you can select the screen mode - adaptive and for reading. In general, the screen is made at the level of other budget class models and a priori cannot surprise you with anything.

Performance

The main “engine” of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablet is four nuclear processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 with clock frequency 1.2 GHz and Adreno 306 graphics core. The fairly average processor is complemented by 1.5 GB of RAM in the version without 3G and 2 GB if available. The filling is typical for inexpensive models, but at the same time it demonstrates. Various tests show average results when viewing multimedia. In gaming, the tablet is confidently at the end of the list. So we won’t advise gamers to buy this model.

In everyday work, the tablet functions quickly, the menu scrolls through without freezing. The tablet copes well with its main purpose - Internet surfing; any page opens almost instantly with a fast connection. Online video plays great, and local video is no worse. An ordinary average machine.

Multimedia capabilities

Because samsung screen Galaxy Tab A is made in a 4:3 ratio, and the company itself positions the tablet as a device for surfing, so watching movies is not very convenient. Most of them are in 16:9 format, and when viewed, there will be black bars around the edges. Although you can get used to it over time.

The speakers sound quite loud, the sound in them is not bad, but nothing outstanding. You can connect headphones and get more pleasure with them. Standard players are not very convenient, so Play Store to help you - you can find different ones there for every taste.

Battery and operating time

Low display resolution and average hardware provide excellent battery life for the tablet. The model with a 9.7-inch screen is equipped with a 6000 mAh battery, and the 8-inch model has a 4200 mAh battery. Samsung promises up to 15 hours of video and 14 hours of surfing on the larger model and an hour less on the smaller one. In practice, you can expect lower readings for several hours. We can say that the tablet's performance is one of the best among similar models.

Camera

The tablet is equipped with two cameras - 5 (rear) and 2 (front) megapixels. The quality of the pictures is very mediocre. Basically, what else can you expect from a tablet?

The photo quality is at an average level; in good lighting, the images are clear and crisp. Autofocus works correctly. If it gets even a little dark, the white balance becomes yellow, and color noise appears. The video quality is 720p for the main camera and 480p for the front camera; blurring and squares appear when the frames are too moving. But for documentary purposes it is quite suitable.

Operating system and programs

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablet runs on Android 5.0.2 with the TouchWiz shell, typical for all Samsung devices. It looks updated and not overloaded with unnecessary details. All installed programs fit on one screen; you don’t even need to scroll through the application menu. The system works easily, any application can be replaced with another from the Play Store.

Competitors

Samsung Galaxy Tab E - Android 4.4, lower price, 16:10 screen, no LTE version, weaker processor.

Lenovo Tab 2 A10-70L - Full HD screen, better cameras, more powerful processor, about the same price.

Asus Transformer Pad TF103CG - little built-in memory, Android 4.4, weaker processor and worse cameras, significantly lower price.

Advantages and disadvantages

Concluding the review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A, let's note its pros and cons.

• High-quality body assembly.
• New version of Android, regular updates.
• Excellent autonomy.
• High screen brightness.

• Low screen resolution.
• Average power hardware, low gaming performance.
• Overpriced, having to overpay for the brand.

Conclusion

Would you buy such a tablet for yourself? Or maybe you've already used it? We invite you to write comments and express your opinions.

It's been a long time since we reviewed tablets. Today's review will be dedicated to the wonderful Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 tablet. In the article I will try to cover all the parameters and features that interest readers, and for those who want to buy this gadget, I will make a comparison with competitors and a separate analysis of the feasibility of the purchase.

Unboxing

In many reviews, the unpacking process is skipped, dryly mentioning only the delivery package of the device, but I think that this is a rather interesting process, so I will briefly touch on it.

I'll start with the device box. According to the old tradition, it is made in the old style, in contrast to the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha, whose box is made in light colors, with a stylized back cover of the S5. The box of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is made to look like wood, and, in my opinion, it’s not very beautiful, reminiscent of old Soviet wallpaper that was used to cover doors for decoration. In general, I hope that the trend will change in the future.

Opening the box, we see the tablet, which is in a protective paper case, which I liked much more than the cellophane film of previous tablet models: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4.

The tablet lies comfortably in the hands, I note that the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is quite an interesting model and I liked it in appearance.

Now let's look at the package:

DATA cable microUSB-USB;

Charger;

Documentation.

A standard set of tools that comes with all tablets in the Galaxy Tab S line. Of course, I would like to see headphones, but Samsung doesn’t include them in the concept of using the tablet, otherwise, like similar gadgets from Apple. That's all that can be said about the packaging.

Characteristics

Now let's take a look at the technical parameters of the tablet model. The parameters of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 are as follows:

Processor: 8-core Exynos 5420 (x4 1.9 GHz + x4 1.3 GHz);

Memory: operational – 3 GB RAM, physical – 16/32/64 GB (support for memory cards up to 128 GB);

Display: 10.5 inches, HD technology Super AMOLED, resolution 2560×1600 pixels;

Operating system: Android4.2 (Kitkat), with built-in TouchWiz add-on;

Camera: main – 8 MP (with flash), front camera – 2.1 MP;

Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G (WCDMA), 4G (LTE);

Internet: Wi-Fi (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0;

Navigation: GLONASS, GPS;

Battery: 7900 mAh;

Dimensions and weight: 247.3×177.3×6.6 mm, 467 g.

No déjà vu effect? Didn't the parameters remind you of anything? By essence of Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is the same Samsung Galaxy Note 4, only in tablet sizes. It's funny, isn't it?! Let's briefly go over the parameters.

Processor and RAM. An 8-core processor and 3 GB of RAM will allow even the most avid gamer to roam. On a tablet with such filling, you can perform all possible tasks, as was just said, play games, and the latest and most sophisticated ones, watch videos in HD format, and also keep several applications open at the same time.

Memory. The tablets are sold in several versions: 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB, which is a pretty good choice for buyers. The ability to install a memory card, and even more so with a capacity of up to 128 GB, will be very convenient for gamers and movie buffs, and for those who like to download torrents onto a tablet or resave important data on it.

Screen. 10.5 inches for a tablet screen, I think is just right: the screen is large enough and roomy, while the size of the device does not cause discomfort. I would like to separately note the bright and rich colors of the screen, which are sometimes even too saturated. Image clarity, picture quality, viewing angles are simply class.

Net. Keeping up with the times, Samsung included support for fourth-generation LTE networks in some modifications of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, which was very pleasing. If a 3G network is enough for me to work comfortably on the Internet on a smartphone, then on a tablet I feel cramped at such a speed, so 4G modules come in very handy, especially since the coverage map of this generation of network in Russia is now actively expanding.

Camera. Samsung gadgets have always been very famous good cameras, and the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is no exception. The quality of the images is very good, with a photo resolution of 3264x2448 pixels. Although, many note that it would be possible to introduce a 16-megapixel camera from the flagship Galaxy S5. Yes, such a camera would not harm the tablet at all, on the contrary, but I don’t think that anyone will use the tablet as a camera, it’s not practical somehow.

Battery. The last thing I want to touch on is the battery. The battery capacity is quite enough for comfortable work:

With the “light” mode of using the tablet, the battery charge will last for 4-5 days;

With periodic use of the Internet and applications, on average the battery will last for 2-3 days;

With intensive use, the charge lasts for 8-9 hours.

Appearance and description

Now let's move on to the tablet itself. The tablet is made of plastic, but as always it is a high-quality material that does not play, does not stick together and is pleasant to the touch. The plastic on the back of the tablet is textured like leather and is completely similar to that of the flagship Galaxy S5.

At the top are the power button, volume rocker, infrared port, and at the bottom is the microphone. On the left of the device there are: a speaker and a headphone jack (headphones will need to be purchased separately), on the right there are: a microUSB connector, a memory card slot and a speaker. On the front side of the tablet, above the screen, there is a front camera and a light sensor, at the bottom of the screen there are three buttons: a mechanical “Home” button with a fingerprint sensor, and on the sides of it there are touch buttons “Menu” and “Back”. On the back of the tablet, on the bottom sides there are 2 special magnets for fixing the cover.

As I said above, the tablet lies very comfortably in the hands, while the coating on the back of the gadget is quite “tenacious” with the hands, it stops like the tread of winter tires on a car. The tablet does not seem to slide, but stops in your hands, making it very comfortable to hold - it will not unexpectedly slip out of your hands.

In this model, the side frames have noticeably decreased, and the tablet began to look even more interesting, although now it is not very convenient to clasp your hands on its sides, since there is a high probability of accidentally touching the side parts of your thumbs on the screen.

The screen really tempts the user with picture quality and control. Multi-touch with 10 touches is implemented, that is, the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 can be controlled with all fingers. By the way, you can operate the device with gloves, a rather useful feature, especially in our country. Color saturation caused discomfort for many users, so South Korean developers introduced a special “Screen Mode” in which you can set the color profile.

Model Analysis

For me, a model with such parameters and capabilities was quite expected, since the next release of the flagship Galaxy S is a pre-release of the upcoming new Galaxy Tab model. I was pleased with the model's current and powerful technical parameters, thinness and lightness, resolution and screen quality, as well as the stable operation of Android KitKat (not counting minor TouchWiz flaws). I liked the ability to work with several applications simultaneously, as well as the user-friendly interface of the system.

I will also note the extreme energy saving mode, in which the tablet is switched to black and white mode and disables almost all functions and modules, except for calls, SMS and the browser (also in black and white mode). When the battery was more or less fully charged, I tried to activate this mode, which promised to work in this form for 72 days, but, unfortunately, I did not have time to check. Having looked at the weather forecast in the Chrome browser, the duration of operation in this mode, according to the device’s forecasts, was immediately reduced by a whole day - most likely a firmware flaw. However, by activating this mode when the battery charge is low, the tablet will be able to work for another 2-3 hours.

In general, the operation of the tablet left a pleasant feeling, almost everything flew, with the exception of the shell from Samsung TouchWiz, which at some points slowed down, which was a little uncomfortable - after all, South Korean luminaries do not know how to make system chips ideal; with hardware, things are much better.

Comparison with competitors

Galaxy Tab S 10.5 andiPad Air 2

The main competitor of our model in the global tablet niche will be Apple iPad Air 2, so let's do a little comparative analysis between them.

So, the diagonal of the Air 2 is 9.7 pixels, versus 10.5 for the Tab S. As for the screen, the Air 2 has 2048x1536 and 264ppi, and the Air 2 has 2560x1600 and 287ppi. As you can see, the screen diagonal, resolution and pixel density are higher on the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, everything is clear here.

Now regarding the technical data. Air 2 has a x3 core processor of 1.5 GHz, versus an x8 core processor of 1.9 (x4) + 1.3 (x4) GHz in the Tab S. The iPad has 2 GB of RAM, and the Tab S has 3 GB. And here the tablet from Samsung has an obvious advantage.

Dimensions of iPad Air 2 – 240×169.5×7.5mm, weight – 465g; Galaxy sizes Tab S – 247.3×177.3×6.6mm, weight – 465g. Time battery life The devices are almost the same. In principle, there was no clear leader in this group of parameters.

The cost of the “Cupertino” is 30,190 rubles, which is 7 thousand more than the cost of the “South Korean”. When faced with a purchase choice, I would give preference in favor of the subject.

Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1

Now let's compare the new product and its predecessor.

Despite the fact that the models have the same screen resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, however, the diagonal of the new model is 0.4 inches larger, while it has 299ppi versus 287ppi for the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. Thus, the increase in diagonal did not affect on pixel density, and even vice versa. The undeniable advantage of the new product is super display AMOLED, when the predecessor has a TFT LCD display.

Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 include a x4 core processor with a frequency of 2.3 GHz, when the new product has a processor with as many as 8 cores on board. RAM: 2 versus 3 GB. There is progress.

In terms of dimensions and weight, the difference is minimal and imperceptible. The battery of the predecessor is 8220 mAh, while the new product has only 7900 mAh, and there is no significant difference in battery life.

The price of the tablet starts at 19,990 rubles, which is 3 thousand cheaper than the new product. Therefore, after analyzing all the facts, I would still choose the Galaxy Tab S 10.5.

Should I take it or not?

If you have clearly and thoroughly decided to buy yourself a new tablet, then I recommend choosing this particular model from the variety of tablet models available today. However, there are a few points.

Conducting comparative analyzes of the Tab S 10.5 with the Air 2 and Tab Pro 10.1, the winner was obvious. However, if you want to save money and are not very focused on the latest options, then give preference to the Tab Pro 10.1. You can give preference to Air 2 when you need a gadget that will primarily demonstrate your financial capabilities. Here are actually just 2 points.

I found myself turning to the Galaxy S5 a lot during this review because they're basically the same except for the size. In general, if you don’t yet have a smartphone, then I would still recommend purchasing the Galaxy Note 4, this is a compromise solution between a smartphone and a tablet. If you have a smartphone and want a tablet, then I would recommend the Galaxy Tab S 10.5.

I also advise you to purchase the 16 GB version, and match the required amount of memory with a memory card of the required capacity. As for the color, this is not for everyone, but in my personal subjective opinion, it is better to choose bronze, since it is less easily soiled than white, although white models are very suitable for our lovely girls.

The tablet is sold in two colors: white and bronze. The cost of the gadget today starts from 22,990 rubles, which is quite justified.

First, let's talk a little about the situation as a whole. It's no secret that the tablet market is going through hard times. After the emergence of this class of devices itself with the release of the first iPad (yes, we have to admit that it was he who defined the appearance of the modern tablet), the market grew rapidly, filling with new devices, new technologies, and new players. But in 2013-2014 a peak was reached, after which a global decline began.

Today, only a few companies pay any consistent attention to tablets and regularly release new products in different price segments: Apple, Huawei, Lenovo and Samsung, the hero of today’s article. The vast majority of other manufacturers retain some models in their assortment and occasionally add to their lineup in the mid- and low-budget segments, but they do not strive to compete with the leaders in terms of flagships.

This is understandable: the concept of a flagship tablet is strongly associated with the iPad (more recently - with iPad Pro), the development and promotion of a competing model requires a lot of costs, and the capacity of the market itself is small. As a result, noticeable and technologically interesting new products are released extremely rarely. And all of them will inevitably be compared with devices from the Apple company. But it is possible that this comparison may not be so unfavorable for them! Let's take a look at the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (SM-T835)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM 8998), including 4 CPU cores @ 2.35 GHz and 4 CPU cores @ 1.9 GHz, as well as Adreno 540 GPU
• RAM 4 GB
• Flash memory 64 GB
• Supports microSD memory cards up to 400 GB
• operating system Google Android 8.0 Oreo
• Touchscreen SuperAMOLED, 10.5″, 2560×1600 (16:10, 288 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
• Cameras: front (8 MP, 1080p video) and rear (13 MP, 4K video)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Mobile Internet: UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900 MHz), LTE (bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38 , 39, 40, 41)
• Bluetooth A2DP LE
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass
• 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
• USB-C connector
• Lithium polymer battery 7300 mAh function fast charging
• Dimensions 249×164×7.1 mm
• Weight 462 g

For clarity, let’s compare the characteristics of the new product with the iPad Pro 10.5″.

	Samsung Galaxy Tab S4	Apple iPad Pro 10.5″
Screen	SuperAMOLED, 10.5″, 2560×1600 (288 ppi)	IPS, 10.5″, 2224×1668 (264 ppi)
SoC (processor)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM 8998): 4 cores @2.35 GHz + 4 cores @1.9 GHz	Apple A10X Fusion (6 cores @ 2.4 GHz) + M10 coprocessor
GPU	Adreno 540	Apple A10X Fusion
Flash memory	64 GB	64/256/512 GB
Connectors	USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack	Lightning, 3.5mm headphone jack
Memory card support	microSD (up to 400 GB)	No
RAM	4 GB	4 GB
Cameras	front (8 MP, 1080p video) and rear (13 MP, 4K video)	front (7 MP, 1080p video via FaceTime) and rear (12 MP, 4K video shooting, optical stabilization)
Internet		Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), optional 3G/4G LTE
Battery capacity (mAh)	7300	8134
operating system	Google Android 8.0	Apple iOS 10.3.2
Dimensions (mm)	249×164×7.1	251×174×6.1
Weight (g)	462	477
Average price (for version with LTE, 64 GB flash memory)
Retail deals for Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with LTE
Retail offers for Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 without LTE

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has less capacious battery, but the rest of the characteristics look generally more attractive. Thus, the screen resolution and, as a result, the pixel density of Samsung is slightly higher. The camera resolution is also slightly higher. The flash memory capacity of the new product is limited to 64 GB, but there is support for microSD up to 400 GB... However, we have repeatedly seen that it is impossible to judge by characteristics alone, so let's move on to testing.

Packaging and equipment

Since we had a pre-sale sample for testing, we cannot evaluate its packaging, and the packaging is only partially available to us. So, a 5 V 2 A charger was attached to the sample (9 V in fast charging mode), USB-C cable, an electronic pen and a key for removing the card tray.

Design

The appearance of the model is inspired more by flagship smartphones than by tablets. At least there's a glass back (whereas all iPads still have an aluminum body) and minimal bezels around the screen.

It is significant that the width of the frame on all four sides of the screen is almost the same, while the iPad Pro has a much larger frame width on the short sides than on the long sides. Of course, this was achieved by eliminating the physical Home button. There is also no fingerprint scanner here (protection is implemented through facial and iris recognition - we will talk about this in more detail in a separate section).

Another feature of the device is its minimal thickness. Although the tablet is 1 mm thicker than the iPad Pro 10.5, it is not noticeable. It seems that the device is really very thin and elegant, and there is no desire for it to be even thinner.

The rounded edges are made of metal (with the exception of four subtle plastic recesses). Both connectors - USB-C and a 3.5 mm mini-jack - are located on the bottom edge, if the tablet is held, according to the inscriptions, vertically, in a “portrait” orientation.

On the top and right sides you can see holes for the built-in microphones. In addition, on the right side there is a power button and a volume rocker (both of them are made of metal), as well as a slot for Micro-SIM cards and microSD.

The left side is entirely dedicated to connecting the keyboard: it has a four-pin connector in the center, as well as two holes necessary for fixing the keyboard.

One of the most important design elements is the built-in AKG speakers, whose grilles we see in four places: on the short edges at the top and bottom. Thus, like the iPad Pro, the new product provides uniform stereo sound. Moreover, in terms of quality it is very good for this form factor - especially at mid frequencies. However, the iPad Pro still has a more bassy sound, while the Galaxy Tab S4's lower frequencies are still “flat”.

This is noticeable on music tracks with deep bass (we used Massive Attack's Take It There), and will also likely be felt in action scenes in films (explosions, collapsing buildings, etc.). But for background listening to music, watching YouTube videos and similar applications, the sound is excellent.

In general, the design is worth appreciating: the tablet is beautiful, compact, made of noble materials, with decent stereo sound and a successful slot for Micro-SIM and microSD.

Screen

The tablet's screen resolution is 2560×1600, which gives a pixel density of 288 ppi and is slightly higher than the corresponding figure for the iPad Pro 10.5″. At the same time, it would be worth recalling that the iPad Pro’s aspect ratio is 4:3, while Samsung’s is 16:10. The first is more convenient for reading books, the second - for watching movies.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is noticeably lighter (brightness according to photographs is 144 versus 117 for the Nexus 7) and has a pronounced blue-green tint. There is no ghosting of reflected objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 290 cd/m². It is necessary to take into account the fact that in in this case The smaller the area of ​​white on the screen, the brighter it is, meaning the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. Moreover, in automatic mode The brightness of the screen in bright light is significantly higher. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be good level. Minimum value The screen brightness is 1.6 cd/m², that is, a reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the lens front camera). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider; the user can use it to try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If you leave everything at default, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 8 cd/m² (dark), in an artificially lit office (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 130 cd/m² (normal), in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 470 cd/m². We were not entirely satisfied with the result, so in complete darkness we slightly increased the brightness, resulting in the following values ​​for the three conditions indicated above: 13, 140, 470 cd/m² (ideal combination). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level there is significant modulation with a frequency of 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness the modulation amplitude is not very large; as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude; its presence can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B) in equal numbers. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

An equal number of subpixels ensures the absence of artifacts typical of PenTile RGBG matrices with a halved number of blue and red subpixels.

The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, the white color, when deviated even at small angles, acquires a slight blue-green tint, but the black color remains simply black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. For comparison, here are photographs in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K.

White field:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture (profile Basic):

Color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens varies slightly. Recall that photography can not serve as a reliable source of information about color rendering quality and are provided for illustrative purposes only. In particular, the pronounced reddish tint of the white and gray fields present in photographs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 screen is visually absent when viewed from a perpendicular view, as confirmed by hardware tests using a spectrophotometer. The reason is that the spectral sensitivity of the camera sensor does not exactly match this characteristic of human vision.

The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment of color rendering to the type of output image and environmental conditions:

The saturation is greatly increased, it looks terrible. What happens when you select the two remaining profiles is shown below.

Movie AMOLED

Saturation is slightly less.

Photo AMOLED

The red saturation is slightly lower than in the case Movie AMOLED.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Basic).

White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in Samsung case The drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device from at least a slight angle.

And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements. The graph above shows how after a few tens of milliseconds the brightness begins to decrease when white is displayed in full screen.

The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, showed that there is a slight roll in the shadows (shades up to the 8th inclusive do not differ in brightness from black), but all gradations are displayed in the highlights. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.07, which is less than the standard value of 2.2, while the actual gamma curve deviates slightly from the power law:

Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.

Color gamut in the case of a profile Adaptive display very wide - in green it is wider than DCI-P3:

In profile Movie AMOLED The coverage is a little narrower, it is close to DCI-P3:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is adjusted to Adobe RGB boundaries:

When selecting a profile Basic coverage is compressed to sRGB boundaries:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut (without appropriate correction), the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation: in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting, does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Likewise, profile Movie AMOLED appropriate when viewing video material with DCI-P3 coverage adopted in digital cinema.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is acceptable in the case of the profile Adaptive display and good in profile Basic. The color temperature is close to 6500 K, while in a significant portion of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units across most of the gray scale, which is considered good for a consumer device:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

For some reason only when selecting a profile Adaptive display It becomes possible to adjust the color balance using the color temperature slider and three adjustments to the intensity of the primary colors, but due to the too wide color gamut in this profile there is no point in correcting the balance. There is a fashionable function nowadays Blue light filter, for which a more or less correct description is even given in the settings (in the menu at the level above there is nonsense written about “reducing eye strain,” but oh well):

Why such a correction can be useful is described in the article about iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with a tablet or smartphone at night, it is better to reduce the screen brightness to a minimum, but still comfortable level, and only then, to calm your own paranoia, turn the screen yellow with this setting.

Let's summarize. The screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB (if you choose the right profile) and good color balance. At the same time, let us remind you about the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), a noticeably smaller drop in image brightness than LCDs when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high.

Performance

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM 8998) SoC, created using a 10 nm process technology. It includes 4 CPU cores with a frequency of 2.35 GHz and 4 CPU cores with a frequency of 1.9 GHz. The GPU is Adreno 540. The RAM of the new tablet is 4 GB, just like its main competitor.

So, how different is the performance of the new product and the iPad Pro 10.5″?

Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark and . Used on Samsung Chrome browser, on Apple - Safari.

The results for the new product are disappointing: in browser tests, iPad Pro 10.5 is a confident leader. However, this may be due to the browser itself. At least Android devices often lose out Apple devices in browser tests. But the fact remains a fact.

Now let's see how the iPad Pro performs in Geekbench - a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance, and from the fourth version, which we used for testing, also GPU computing capabilities (if you want to mine bitcoins on an iPad, you should be interested in this item :)). Plus, we haven’t forgotten about the comprehensive AnTuTu Benchmark.

And here the Samsung tablet again could not compete with the iPad Pro 10.5. Unfortunately, we have to admit that the Galaxy Tab S4 does not match its competitor in terms of processor performance.

The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench Metal 3.1.5 and Basemark Metal.

Let's start with GFXBench. Let us remind you that Offscreen tests involve displaying images in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And tests without Offscreen mean that the image is displayed in exactly the resolution that matches the device screen resolution. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and real tests are indicative from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device.

	Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 835)	Apple iPad Pro 10.5″ (Apple A10X Fusion)
GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.1 (Onscreen)	20 fps	41 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	37 fps	62 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan (Onscreen)	33 fps	56 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan (1080p Offscreen)	55 fps	90 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen)	60 fps	60 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen)	105 fps	199 fps

With the exception of a single subtest (T-Rex Onscreen), which is too easy for both models, the difference between the new product and the iPad Pro 10.5 is obvious.

And one more confirmation of the above. Perhaps in Sling Shot Extreme the new product came close to the iPad Pro, but in Ice Storm Unlimited the gap is still too significant.

Well, we have to admit that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is still inferior in performance to the iPad Pro 10.5″. However, let's think about what this means in practice. Since even despite the lag, the Galaxy Tab S4 still demonstrates very high results, all current games for Android will run on it without problems (as well as games for iOS on the iPad Pro). And, of course, in normal use you will not feel any discomfort either. So less powerful filling in this case it can be considered more of a theoretical disadvantage than a practical one.

Play video and connect to an external display

Completed testing Alexey Kudryavtsev.

This device supports DisplayPort Alt Mode for USB Type-C - outputs image and sound to external device when connected to USB port. We tested working in this mode together with an adapter equipped with a USB Type-C pass-through connector with support for USB Power Delivery, an HDMI output, a card reader for SD and microSD cards, as well as two USB ports 3.0. Video output is carried out in 1080p mode at 60 Hz frame rate.

An image of an alternative desktop is displayed on the monitor screen, and the tablet screen can be used as touchpad coordinate input or work as usual.

The control panel at the bottom of the screen is removed when the image is displayed on the entire screen (for example, when playing a video). Output to the monitor is carried out in a true resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, dot to dot. Note that simultaneously with image and sound output, you can connect a mouse and keyboard to your smartphone via USB or Bluetooth, turning it into a basis for your workplace. In addition, connected USB drives and memory cards are read.

In desktop mode, you can open several windows at the same time, placing them on the desktop in the same way as in Windows and macOS, use right click mice, etc. In general, the tablet really turns into some kind of system unit. We will tell you more about this, as well as about accessories that you can buy to use the tablet in desktop mode, in a separate article.

To test the output of video files on an external screen (only 1080p files) and on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

File	Uniformity	Passes
Monitor output
1080/60p	Great	No
1080/50p	Great	No
1080/30p	Fine	No
1080/25p	Great	No
1080/24p	Fine	No
Display on tablet screen
4K/60p (H.265)	Great	No
4K/50p (H.265)	not playable
4K/30p (H.265)	Great	No
4K/25p (H.265)	Fine	No
4K/24p (H.265)	Fine	No
4K/30p	Great	No
4K/25p	Fine	No
4K/24p	Great	No
1080/60p	Great	No
1080/50p	Fine	No
1080/30p	Great	No
1080/25p	Great	No
1080/24p	Great	No
720/60p	Great	No
Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files. According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) in landscape orientation on the tablet screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed inscribed in width. The picture clarity is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experimentation, you can switch to the one-to-one pixel mode; there will be no interpolation. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows, about six shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations are displayed. Note that this tablet has support for hardware decoding of H.265 files with a color depth of 10 bits per color, while output to the screen is carried out with fewer visible gradients than in the case of an 8-bit file. Autonomous operation and heating We spent detailed tests autonomous Samsung works Galaxy Tab S4 with fixed screen brightness of 100 cd/m². Judging by them, the tablet demonstrates good results in those modes that do not overload the SoC and do not emphasize the white image. It can be seen that in YouTube video playback mode, the new product even slightly outperformed the iPad Pro. But in the other two regimes, on the contrary, it yielded. We are inclined to attribute this, firstly, to the features of an insufficiently economical SoC, and secondly, to the fact that AMOLED screens drain the battery much faster when displaying a white image on them (and in reading mode we use a white theme). So if you want to read longer without recharging, use a black background. But in general, we repeat, the results are not bad. Separately, it is worth noting the possibility of fast charging when using the included charger. Regarding heating, below is a heat image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program: The heating is highly localized above the center and close to the right edge, which seems to correspond to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 41 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average result in this test for modern mobile devices. Safety As already noted, the tablet does not have a fingerprint scanner. Instead, it uses a combined iris and facial scanner. Sounds very cool; in practice, there are some complaints about the implementation. Registering a user in this system is very easy and simple. And it seems that the system is really reliable and convenient: you can use this protection in conjunction with a PIN code, password or graphic code. The problem is that to recognize the owner, he needs to look at the red light that lights up when he tries to unlock it. It’s not easy to get used to such a seemingly elementary action. If on the iPad Pro you simply pressed the round Home button, and the built-in fingerprint scanner instantly recognized you, then on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 you first need to press the side Home button, then look at the light that lights up (whereas usually we look approximately in the center of the screen), and only after that you can start working if the recognition is successful. And this doesn't always happen. At least during the days that we intensively used the tablet, it never learned to confidently recognize us. If you hold it strictly in front of your face, and no hair falls on your face, then recognition is successful. But during normal use, we don’t hold the tablet this way and don’t look at the camera. In general, this is a case where a spectacular technological idea did not receive an intuitively convenient implementation. Work in LTE networks The tablet is equipped with an LTE module (modification SM-T835), and among the applications there is “Phone”. Therefore, you can use the tablet not only for browsing the Internet, but also for voice communication via GSM networks (this may be relevant when using a headset or speakerphone). As for the Internet connection over cellular networks, there is an interesting detail to note: when tested in the Speedtest app, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 tablet in most cases demonstrates higher speeds than the iPad Pro with the same SIM card, in the same place and in the same application (only, of course, in the iOS version). We tested this in two districts of Moscow, using a Beeline SIM card and, if possible, excluding any factors that could hypothetically influence the result. So we have to take it for granted. On the other hand, even with repeated launches with an interval of several minutes, the result for the same device could differ significantly, so a certain amount of randomness is still present here. Camera The tablet is equipped with two cameras: a front one with a resolution of 8 megapixels, and a rear one that supports 13 megapixel photography and 4K 30 fps video shooting. At first glance, compared to top-end smartphones, these figures are not very impressive, but, on the other hand, for flagship tablets these are quite normal characteristics, and is a significantly more advanced camera needed in devices of this form factor? Pictures and videos taken with the rear camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 were appreciated Anton Soloviev. The camera is quite suitable for shooting everyday scenes, but everyone is interested in the question: is it better than a camera? Since we did not conduct a laboratory comparison, we will be guided by field photographs. If we delve into the archives, we remember that the iPad’s camera is quite noisy at the slightest lack of lighting, and this is perhaps its only noticeable drawback (although it is still unclear why a tablet of this format needs a camera at all, except for shooting text). That's samsung camera The Galaxy Tab S4 is not far behind: if you look closely at the shadows, you can easily see noise that has been retouched to one degree or another. The camera has no other flaws, such as obvious sharpening. You can find small areas of blur around the edges, but they are irregular. Otherwise, the camera is quite good for various scenarios. Answering the question formulated above, we can say: “no, not better, but not worse either.” The camera can shoot video in 4K, and despite only 30 frames per second, it does it well. conclusions Samsung has made a great tablet and a powerful one. iPad competitor Pro 10.5″. The new item good display SuperAMOLED, beautiful design, newest version Android, good cameras and performance (however, in terms of the latter parameter, the Galaxy Tab S4 is still significantly inferior to the Apple device). One of the advantages compared to the iPad Pro is the presence of a desktop mode when connected to a monitor. What about the price? Let's figure it out. At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is more expensive than the iPad Pro 10.5″: its official price in Russia is 53 thousand rubles, while the Apple tablet can be bought for 47 thousand. But here it is important to take into account three nuances. Firstly, the iPad Pro 10.5″ with the above price does not have an LTE module, while the Samsung tablet does. If we take an iPad Pro 10.5″ with an LTE module, then its cost is 57 thousand rubles (with the same amount of flash memory - 64 GB). Secondly, the Galaxy Tab S4 comes with a stylus, but you have to purchase it separately from Apple - for a considerable 7 thousand. In addition, if you pre-order a Samsung tablet, you will also receive a keyboard case for free (from Apple, again, you will have to pay 11.5 thousand for it). And thirdly, 64 GB of memory may not be enough for many users. But the iPad Pro 10.5″ does not have support for memory cards, so you will have to take this into account when purchasing and take, for example, not the 64 GB version, but the 256 GB version. And this is already significantly more expensive than buying a 64 GB microSD card for the 64 GB version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. Total: now, prices for Samsung version Galaxy Tab S4 without LTE module (SM-T830), the minimum price for the iPad Pro 10.5″ is indeed lower than for the Galaxy Tab S4, and significantly. But the full potential of the device is revealed in more advanced modifications, and here the new Samsung product turns out to be a much more economical solution. However, it is no secret that the choice between Apple and Samsung for most users is not in the plane of logical arguments and comparisons, but exclusively in the plane of subjective “religious” preferences, formed over the years and made up of many components. Some people like iOS, some like Android, some like SuperAMOLED, some like IPS, and so on. So let’s not start a holivar and insist on something. Let’s just state that Samsung’s tablet turned out to be interesting, decent (albeit not without its shortcomings) and truly competitive. For a wonderful appearance, high-quality stereo speakers and a minimal frame around the screen, we award the tablet our Original Design award. And for the presence of a pen in the kit and the opportunity free receipt Keyboard cover upon pre-order - Excellent Package.

What should a modern tablet be like? What kind of display, platform, processor should there be? After all, literally every detail is important for the device that will be with you every day. Using the example of the Samsung GALAXY Tab S with an 8.4-inch display, we try to understand the intricacies of the characteristics, features and features of such devices in order to find the optimum.

Design

Is design important for a modern tablet? Certainly! After all, this device will be with you every day, and I would really like the gadget to look decent and interesting. Moreover, it is the design that influences everything else. For example, take the dimensions of the device, because weight and thickness are very important for everyday use.

We will study the Samsung GALAXY Tab S family using a model with an 8.4-inch display as an example. If you need a larger diagonal, take a look at a tablet with a 10.5-inch screen. The general points are identical for both models, this applies to characteristics and features.

The first thing you notice when you pick up the Samsung GALAXY Tab S is that the display occupies almost the entire front part of the tablet. There are almost no frames. Samsung will probably soon create a completely futuristic device, completely devoid of frames, but even now the Samsung GALAXY Tab S makes an impression. The tablet is as compact as possible, dimensions are 125.6 x 212.8 mm, thickness is only 6.6 mm, weight is just under three hundred grams. When first introduced, the tablet seems too light; I would like to feel the weight in my hand. On the other hand, this tablet is a record holder among its classmates - 294 grams, the closest analogue weighs about 340 grams. It is more convenient to hold it in one hand; due to its lighter weight, the palm does not get tired as much - although some may find this exercise difficult. But this is the most compact and lightest tablet; nothing more convenient has yet been invented. Rear end made of plastic with perforation, there are a pair of latches that look like buttons - they are necessary for using branded cases. In our opinion, they spoil the appearance of the tablet. Above the company logo is an eight-megapixel camera lens and flash. On the right side there are power buttons, volume buttons, an infrared port (you can control home appliances), microSD memory card slot – the tablet’s memory can be easily expanded. The model with 3G/4G immediately has a slot for a SIM card, and there is a speaker above the display; the model with Wi-Fi does not have it. At the bottom end there are 3.5 mm jacks for connecting headphones or a headset (it would be better if they moved it to the top end), a microUSB connector, the main speaker is very loud, you can do without headphones when watching movies. Below the display are the Home button and touch buttons, a set typical for a Samsung Android device.

Technical description design or characteristics are always quite boring to read, and we understand this very well. Moreover, Samsung GALAXY Tab S is a rather emotional device; this flagship tablet is made to help people with a variety of things every day. That is why a lot of attention is paid to little things - for example, there are two speakers here, at the top and at the bottom, if you decide to watch a movie without headphones - no problems. The Home button is not a touch button, but a regular, mechanical one, because many of us are accustomed to feeling the press. By the way, it also performs another function - it has a built-in fingerprint sensor. Much attention is paid to security in the Samsung GALAXY Tab S; you can choose how the display will be unlocked - using the already mentioned fingerprint, password, pattern key. If your work colleagues or friends are trying to take away your Samsung GALAXY Tab S, we recommend installing fingerprint protection. Let them take it away, nothing will be done anyway.

What would we add here? Well, if you dream, you would like to get protection from water and more metal in the case; many users are willing to pay more, since metal seems more reliable to them. Moreover, in reality, both plastic and metal behave approximately the same when dropped and in everyday use. Well, protection from moisture will soon become a common feature of most mobile devices - alas, it’s better not to take the Samsung GALAXY Tab into the shower for now.

Modifications

Here we want to help you figure out which Samsung GALAXY Tab S exist and which tablet you should choose for your tasks. Firstly, there are two main versions with different display diagonals, 10.5 and 8.4 inches. Naturally, a tablet with a larger display diagonal is ideal for video or for working with spreadsheets. But the version with an 8.4-inch display is more compact; in the cold season, such a device can even be carried in a jacket pocket. Secondly, there is a division in terms of 3G/4G support; you can choose a model with a built-in radio module and a SIM card slot, or a Wi-Fi version. Everything is simple here, if you constantly want to be in touch, you want to use a tablet for conversations (you can make calls using Tab S, just like using regular smartphone, if you connect a headset to it), access the Internet, even if there are no points nearby Wi-Fi access, then choose the 3G/4G version. If there is no need for constant connection to the network, then take a model with Wi-Fi. By the way, Samsung GALAXY Tab S supports 4G LTE – high speed internet, we recommend you try it. Thirdly, the models differ in color: a white tablet with a gold frame, or a brown tablet with a golden-bronze frame. It’s hard to give advice here; you will need to decide on the modification yourself - and again we recommend visiting a Samsung brand store and making a decision there.

Worth adding one important point, the price difference between models with Wi-Fi and 4G is not that big, so you can safely choose the version with a SIM card, believe me, every time you go to the country you will thank us. You can watch a series, use the device as an access point, check your email, and make a calm call if your phone dies. And many people even use the Samsung GALAXY Tab as their main “phone”!

Display

Let's talk about the Samsung GALAXY Tab S display using the example of a model with an 8.4-inch screen. Resolution is 2560 x 1600 pixels, a Super AMOLED display is used, this type of screen displays up to 94% of the shades of the Adobe RGB color space. What does this mean for the user? If you look at the same photos on a regular tablet and on a Samsung GALAXY Tab S, the difference will be visible to the naked eye - more color, more naturalness and naturalness. It should be noted that there is a good supply of brightness and a small amount of glare from external illumination, and this plays a role both when viewing websites and when viewing photos and videos. The Samsung GALAXY Tab S display can automatically select settings for various usage scenarios - although only in some preinstalled programs. For example, you watched a video and then switched to a reading program, at the same moment the optimal brightness and tonality of the picture will be selected - precisely for this task. This not only improves your user experience, but also saves battery power. There is also automatic brightness adjustment depending on external lighting, which already works in all applications.

For a modern tablet, the display is one of the most important components. And don't believe those who say that the processor is more important or amount of memory. If the display is so-so, then your impressions of videos, photos, or browsing websites will be negative (and of the device as a whole).

But there is one very subtle point here. Many users do not understand the difference in display diagonals - and therefore we would not recommend choosing a tablet without seeing firsthand the difference between an 8.4 and 10.5 inch screen. Meanwhile, the first one may well become your companion for every day, and the second one will serve as an ideal device for watching videos on the go. Go to any Samsung store and choose the tablet that suits you best.

Performance

The tablet uses Samsung's own Exynos Octa 5420 platform with big.LITTLE technology as a chipset, these are two quad-core processors, one based on Cortex A7 architecture with a frequency of 1.3 GHz, the other on Cortex A15 with a frequency of 1.9 GHz, Mali is responsible for graphics -T628 (with support for OpenGL 3.0). Speaking in simple words, the performance is enough for any application, even for resource-demanding modern games, or for any other programs.

Samsung played it safe and installed 3 GB of RAM, with a reserve - this will help you use the tablet with any programs in a year. 16 GB of flash memory is installed, there is a slot for microSD cards, cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB are supported.

operating room Android system 4.4.2 with Samsung’s proprietary shell, Eldar Murtazin talked about it in a separate article.

Specifications affect the size of the device, its perception, as well as such parameters as operating time, the ability to run “heavy” games, transfer large files over WiFi or a cellular network if you have a 3G/4G module in your tablet. As a rule, devices begin to heat up under heavy load, and for engineers, removing excess heat becomes a top priority. Samsung solved this issue from several angles at once - they tried to limit the heating of the processor, changed the arrangement of components on the board - they did everything so that the heating was not felt on the device body. For example, in another tablet famous brand In addition to such tricks, they used heat removal from the metal case, this is a sort of large radiator. As a result, when heated, the case also heats up quickly, this is its task, otherwise it is impossible to remove excess heat. Look at the ice cubes, we played the same game on two tablets for 20 minutes - on the surface of the Galaxy Tab S the ice does not melt as quickly as on the other tablet. IN real life, you are unlikely to conduct such experiments and you will notice the difference in the temperature of the tablets only when actively using the network or playing games. But it is noticeable to the naked eye - this is another “little thing” that distinguishes different products. And believe me, it’s not easy to achieve such a “trifle” from an engineering point of view.

Most frequently asked question of our users about the performance of certain devices comes down to a simple formulation: “Will application X run on device Y?” And everyone has their own favorite application. In the case of the Samsung GALAXY Tab S, the answer is simple - anything goes. And your favorite application will also launch and run quickly and smoothly.

WITH wireless interfaces the situation is as it should be, Bluetooth 4.0 is supported, the most modern profile, Wi-Fi (802.11ac is also supported, also the most modern profile). Files can be transferred from using Wi-Fi Direct, or sending via Bluetooth.

Working hours

We ran our own tests and the Samsung GALAXY Tab S was a very pleasant surprise. There is a 4900 mAh battery installed here, here is the data:

• In reading mode, the tablet worked for 14 hours 14 minutes (brightness 30%, airplane mode on)
• In HD video viewing mode, the tablet worked for 11 hours 26 minutes (maximum brightness, airplane mode on)

The flight to New York is about twelve hours, to Hong Kong - nine hours. So, connect headphones to the Samsung GALAXY Tab S, turn on your favorite movie or TV series and relax throughout the flight without thinking about the battery. By the way, files in AVI format are supported at the hardware level, there is no need to convert. In urban conditions, the tablet can work for two to three days at an average load level, these are excellent indicators for a modern device.

Modern tablet?

What should a modern tablet be like? Futuristic, light and thin, with a stunning display - yes. But first of all, it must fully satisfy the needs of the owner. We will look at how good the display characteristics and technical components of the Tab S are in the following materials dedicated to these tablets.

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