Samsung’s newest Android tablets are the company’s first to feature Super AMOLED displays. As expected, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and Galaxy Tab S 10.5 tablets feature high resolution displays with vibrant color reproduction.
But Samsung says the tablets will also be super thin, stylish, and offer new software and services.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 will be available in the US in July for $499 and up. The 8.4 inch version starts at $399. Samsung says models with 4G LTE connectivity will be available shortly after that.
The Galaxy Tab S tablets measure just 6.6mm, or about 0.26 inches thick, which makes it thinner than most smartphones. But the tablet still has a battery big enough to provide up to 11 hours of run time. The 10.5 inch model weighs 1.1 pounds, and 8.4 inch version is 10.4 ounces. They’re powered by either a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa-core or Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, feature 802.11ac WiFi, 3GB of RAM, and 16GB to 32GB of storage, plus a microSD card slot.
Both the 8.4 inch and 10.5 inch tablets feature 8MP rear cameras and 2.1MP front-facing cameras, IR ports, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS.
The tablets will be available in bronze or white, and there are swappable covers in a variety of colors as well as optional accessories including cases and Bluetooth keyboards.
The tablet has a 2560 x 1600 pixel display. It’s the first tablet with a Super AMOLED WQXGA display, which Samsung says has better color range and contrast (although some folks suggest that colors on AMOLED displays look over-saturated).
Samsung also uses adaptive display software to automatically adjust the white balance based on ambient light conditions. Key apps such as eReaders also include color profiles appropriate to the actions you’re trying to perform.
Samsung may have launched its Galaxy Tab Pro and Note Pro tablets just a few months ago, but the company says the new Galaxy Tab S is the new flagship in its tablet lineup.
It runs Google Android software with Samsung’s special features including SideSync 3.0 which lets you pair the tablet with a phone to receive calls on your tablet even if your phone’s in another room, and Remote PC which lets you remote control a computer using the tablet.
Samsung also includes Kids Mode software, the company’s Milk Music service, and the Tab S will be the first to ship with Papergarden, a new subscription-based digital magazine service designed specifically for Samsung devices featuring content from Conde Nast, National Geographic, and other publishers.
The Tab S will also be one of the few Android tablets to support 1080p content from Netflix.
International users can use a Samsung Galaxy Tab S to make voice phone calls, but that feature won’t be available in the US. If you’re in the States though, you can use SideSync to forward calls from your phone to your tablet by basically mirroring your Samsung smartphone in a portion of the Tab S screen.
