A worthy competitor to Apple’s iPad
If it’s a premium Android tablet you’re after, you’ll want to look into Samsung’s new flagahip Galaxy Tab S family. There are two versions up for grabs — an 8.4-inch model and a 10.5-inch SKU, both of which wield a Super AMOLED display with a 2560×1600 resolution (that’s the same as most 30-inch monitors that predate 4K). In addition to the high resolution display, the Galaxy Tab S line is notable for its remarkably thin profile.
They’re only 6.6mm thick, while the 10.5-inch model weighs a mere 465 grams for the Wi-Fi version, or 467 grams for the LTE model. The 8.4-inch model checks in at just 294 grams (Wi-Fi) and 298 grams (LTE).
“Building on the heritage of the Galaxy S smartphone line, the Galaxy Tab S line delivers on our commitment to bring meaningful innovation that our customers care most about,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America and Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “We know consumers want the best screen when purchasing a tablet, and as an undisputed leader in display technology, we’ve brought our industry-leading Super AMOLED screen to the Tab S for an unrivaled viewing experience in both connected and Wi-Fi options.”
Wi-Fi models ship with a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa chipset consisting of four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.9GHz and four Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 1.3GHz; LTE versions go the Snapdragon 800 route and sport a 2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU. Both also feature 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 8MP rear-facing camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera, and Android 4.4 KitKat. There’s a bigger battery in the 10.5-inch model compared to the 8.4-inch version — 7900mAh versus 4900mAh.
Both are available to pre-order today starting at $400 (8.4-inch) and $500 (10.5-inch) and will be available to purchase sometime in July.