Samsung is now looking to carry forward that momentum into a slightly different terrain. The tablet terrain, to be precise. Enter Galaxy Tab S2, a tablet that comes in two sizes -- 8-inch and 9.7-inch with the larger variant making you instantly shout out, But there's more to it than meets the eye. Going size-zero has helped Samsung break new grounds. Its new tablets are all about breaking the size barrier (if there exists one anymore). The USP of both these tablets is their ridiculously thin frame, a 5.6 mm body to be precise. This makes it marginally thinner than the iPad Air 2. The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is slightly more interesting than its younger sibling as it brings the fight straight to Apple's popular (but now ageing) iPad Air 2. Does it help house Samsung make headway inside the flagship tablet market? We find out.
Design and build quality:
The first thing you notice when you unbox the Galaxy Tab S2 is its size. Not how tall or wide it is, but how thin. It's barely there. Eventually, it grows on you, but seriously, do they get any thinner . At 5.6mm the Tab S2 is the thinnest tablet ever built so much so that last year's Tab S (6.6mm) feels like it needs to go on dieting or something. Being barely there (keep it in a backpack or satchel and you will end up searching for it like loose keys) takes some focus away from the fact that it's still a 9.7-inch tablet. It's supposed to be big, and it is, but not the way it appears on paper. It's a pleasure carrying it around in hand, in a backpack, in whatever. At 392 grams it is as light as the Sony Xperia Z4. And it is lighter than the iPad Air 2.
But then it ought to be because its body is made of plastic. The Tab S2 has a plastic back held together by a metal frame. It's certainly not as flashy as the all-metal body of the iPad, but not so bad either. The metal frame is Galaxy S6-like, only slightly tweaked for the tablet form factor. The corners have curves while the edges are flat and sharp. While curves enhance the Tab S2's aesthetics, the sharp edges help improve grip. But more importantly, this gives you a surface to hold on to for that barely there frame. All the controls (power button and volume rocker) and slots (SIM and microSD) have been placed on the right edge, while keeping the left edge clean. Both the buttons (especially the power button) feel stiff due to their thin profile. While these are well-built, using them would need some getting used to. The tablet sports twin speakers on the bottom edge.
Display:
The Tab S2 offers the same QXGA (Quantum Extended Graphics Array) resolution as the iPad, which is equivalent to 1536 x 2048 pixels and 264 ppi pixel density. Samsung is using its proprietary Super AMOLED screen here, which has become quite an industry standard for top-notch display tech. And, it does not disappoint. In fact, if you were to pick one top feature of the Tab S2, it has to be the screen. In a word, it's brilliant, and an improvement over previous generation Tab S as well as its top-end rivals. The screen is bright and punchy with well-saturated colours (and without going overboard with the scheme). Viewing angles are excellent and do not show any tinge, which we usually associate with AMOLED panels. The Tab S2 lacks any dedicated colour mode. While having some control would have been nice, you won't actually miss it. Colours are already quite amazing by default.
The Tab S2 is a pleasure working around with in outdoor environment, even under direct sunlight. The display is bright enough and contrasty so in such cases everything from reading text, watching movies to surfing the web is a satisfying experience. The tablet is particularly impressive for reading and web browsing, especially compared previous to the generation Tab S. This is because it now comes with 4:3 aspect ratio unlike the Tab S which came with a 16:9 ratio. This means everything fits in just the way that it is meant to be (for reading) and there is significantly less scrolling on web pages. But the downside is that watching movies is now a letterboxed experience, especially while playing widescreen videos. Overall we feel that is a small price you pay for such a brilliant display. And, remember the iPad comes with 4:3 aspect ratio too.
Software:
The Tab S2 runs Android 5.0.2 Lollipop out-of-the-box with the company's TouchWiz UI on top. It's not running the latest TouchWiz, but it's still carrying the version that started it all. We are talking about fat trimming that began with the S6. This means, the Tab S2 is carrying the same UI that made a debut with the S6. The only noteworthy thing it is missing is the theme engine. This means your customisation options are limited on the Tab S2. The Tab S2 is visibly low on bloatware and the user interface is nippy and responsive. Samsung's proprietary apps make more sense in such a scenario, so does its multi-window functionality split screen view that works well and proves more useful on a full-fledged tablet than on its Note phablets. The tablet also includes a host of Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype out-of-the-box for greater productivity on the go. Using apps like MS Word and Excel on a bright and punchy screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio proves more useful than it looks on paper.
Performance:
The Tab S2 is powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core Exynos 5433 processor coupled with 3GB RAM. It's basically a stretched out Note 4 for you, in terms of hardware specs. The Exynos 5433 is not so old a processor, but it's aging. A more current-generation chipset, like the Exynos 7420 would have given the Tab S2 that last bit of flagship tone it so needed to make tablets, well, exciting. What makes matters even more non-exciting is that the Tab S2 is not much of an upgrade over last year's Tab S in this regard. It's the same deal, which could spoil its chances in the market. We think it's just a wasted opportunity on the part of Samsung, or maybe there's still some more time before companies start taking the tablet more seriously.
All said and done, the Tab S2 is still a very capable performer, especially for the key things that it has been designed to do. Reading and browsing the web are indeed effortless on this tablet. Pages load quickly, and switching between tabs is fairly fast. The 3GB of RAM means multitasking is handled well, and Samsung's own multi-window utility is almost lag-free. More demanding tasks like running graphical games and 1080p content streaming show some occasional dips in performance, but you can't call the Tab S2 a slouch. We read a lot of e-books and comics on the Tab S2 and watched a fair amount of YouTube videos as well as videos at 1080p resolution. We also spent hours playing games like Leo's Fortune and Asphalt 8 Airborne on the tablet. At the end of the day, we were pretty satisfied with the Tab S2. Yes, it's missing out on that last ounce of peppiness that a more potent processor could give it, but it's not drastically far behind.
The Tab S2 features a physical home button at the bottom of the display which houses a fingerprint reader. It works well to secure your device so only you or someone whose fingerprint has been saved can unlock it. Unlocking takes just a slight press and is almost instant. More importantly, it's consistent. You can save as many as four fingerprints. Our review unit came with 32GB of internal storage of which 25.41GB is available for use. The tablet supports expandable storage (of up to 128GB) unlike the iPad which does not allow it. The twin speakers on the bottom work well and produce good quality sound with good bass. They get loud, and peak distortion is minimum. Still, they could have been punchier. The Tab S2 9.7 supports 4G LTE connectivity. It's a singleSIM device and phone calls made with it are of acceptable quality. That said, using a 9.7-inch tablet for phone calls won't be everybody's cup of tea, but at least you know the functionality is there.
BATTERY:
The Galaxy Tab S2 is powered by a non-removable 4,000mAh battery, which during my tests proved surprisingly capable. Streaming Netflix on Wi-Fi, with the screen in the auto setting, the Galaxy Tab S2 discharged between 10 to 15% of its charge per hour. This is pretty impressive by Android tablet standards. Other tablets in the same size-bracket, such as the Asus ZenPad 8.0, discharge as much as 20 to 25% in the same test. Gaming performance was equally impressive. Playing a range of games, including Banner Saga, Shadowrun and Xcom, the Galaxy Tab S2 discharged between 15 to 20% of its battery, providing at least six-ish hours of playtime before dying. Again, this is superb most tablets usually struggle to offer more than five hours. With regular use I generally achieved between two to three days use from the Galaxy Tab S2. This entailed watching TV shows saved on the tablet on my commute, sporadically browsing the internet, checking my social media feeds throughout the day and half an hour’s gaming before bed.
SOUND:
Sound quality is a deceptively important area on tablets. After all, who wants to have to pair their tablet with a Bluetooth speaker when watching a cheeky episode or two of Brooklyn 9 in bed Which is why I am fairly disappointed that Samsung has loaded the Galaxy Tab S2 with two underpowered speakers. The speakers are located at the bottom, short side of the tablet. As well as being woefully easy to block when holding the tablet, they also don’t provide terribly good sound quality. Maximum volume levels are poor and audio could sound slightly tinny. The low end is also a little lacking – I had say that the Galaxy Tab S2's speakers are its worst feature.
Verdict:
Despite debatably being born in the Android ecosystem, 2015 has seen a drop in the number of decent small-form -actor tablets running Google’s mobile OS. While some cheap tablets, such as the Asus ZenPad 7.0 and ZenPad 8.0 offer decent value for money, their sub-par components result in poor performance and woefully short battery life. While it isn't cheap, with the basic Wi-Fi model costing the same 38500 as Apple’s new iPad Mini 4, the Galaxy Tab S2 is one of a select few Android tablets to offer top-end performance. Add to this its stellar battery life, and the Galaxy Tab S2 justifiably earns its place as one of 2015’s best tablets – and for now, I’d recommend it to those who can afford it. However, its use of Samsung’s TouchWiz skin tarnishes its long-term appeal, leaving a question mark over whether or not it will be updated to Google’s fast-approaching Android Marshmallow operating system.
Quick specs
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 SM-T815Y
- Screen: 9.7-in Super AMOLED screen, 1536x2048 pixels (~264 ppi pixel density)
- OS: Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
- Key hardware: 1.9GHz/ 1.3GHz Quad Core, 3GB RAM, 32GB memory (expandable to 128GB via MicroSD)
- Wireless: 3G, 4G LTE cellular (Nano SIM,) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1
- Other features: Fingerprint sensor, 8MP primary camera with autofocus, 2.1MP front camera, 1440p@30fps video recording
- Dimensions: 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm
- Weight: 392g
- Battery: 5,970mAH
Price: Rs 38,500
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