Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Unveiled Today

Like we reported in our leak on Friday, Samsung finally took off the wraps today and unveiled the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 2015-2016 models at 9.7 and 8.0 inches. The order price will be $499 and $399 respectively, and both Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablets have a September 3 release date in the US. It’s possible to order both Samsung Tab S2 tablets before then though:

Tab S2 9.7: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-32GB-Black/dp/B0134RE54W/
Tab S2 8.0: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-32GB-White/dp/B010OTFZBU/

(UPDATED: The Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 started rolling out on April 25th 2016.)

The official unveiling comes 1 year and 1 month after the first Samsung Galaxy Tab S were unveiled. And the Samsung Galaxy Tab S line has changed since last year, with a new screen ratio and with that a new display resolution, a screen and outer dimension shrinkage on both models, a new more powerful procesor, slimming down to becoming the worlds thinnest tablets, becoming the lightest tablets in each category, losing the camera flash on the rear, replacing last years bronze/gold finish around the edges with a new silver finish, and adding Microsoft Office for Android.

Shared specifications by both the 9.7 and 8.0 models of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 include the 2048 x 1536 resolution Super AMOLED wide-angle display, and a new 64-bit 20nm octa-core Samsung Exynos 5433 processor (ARMv8-A quad-core 1.9 GHz + 1.3 GHz quad-core Coretx-A57 + Cortex-A53) with a more powerful Mali-T760 (700 MHz) graphics processor, which fixes the tiny achilles heel of the first generation Tab S model that was a little bit hampered by the Exynos 5420 processor.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

Also shared by both Galaxy Tab S2 models are Android 5.0 Lollipop, the 3GB of RAM, 32GB and 64GB storage options with support for microSD cards up to 128GB as well as 100GB of free cloud storage, the complete cover of all Wi-Fi bands with MIMO dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHZ 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Direct support, as well as Bluetooth 4.1 LE. Optional 2G/3G/4G LTE cellular connectivity will be available too for a little premium. They also have stereo speakers on the side edges of the tablet, a 2.1MP front camera and a 8MP rear camera with autofocus and QHD (2560×1440) video recording, but no flash.

Sensors on the Tab S2 are GPS, GLONASS, accelerometer, fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, compass, hall sensor, and RGB sensor.

And what is the world’s thinnest tablet? The would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 at 5.6 mm! That’s pretty radical when we consider that this is an actual computer. And with a weigh of 389 grams for the 9.7-inch Wi-Fi model (SM-T810) and 265 grams for the 8.0-inch Wi-Fi model (SM-T710), they are both the lightest tablet in both their respective categories.

Jong-Kyun Shin, the president of Samsung’s IT & mobile division, said today that: “We believe the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the most complete personal visual device designed for consumers to carry and use anywhere,” which I would agree with. The mobility aspect of the new 2nd generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is to a large part where the soul of Galaxy Tab S2 lies.

The battery capacity is 5870 mAh on the 9.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, and 4000 mAh on the 8.0 model, which is lower than on last years models, but with a smaller display and lower display resolution on this year’s models, the battery life should still be around 9 to 10 hours.

Video codecs supported are H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, and VP8 recording, while audio codes supported are MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, and FLAC.

What services and apps are installed or bundled in varies depending on the country you buy it in, but from Google it comes with these apps pre-installed: Chrome, Gmail, Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Hangouts, Play Store, Play Movies & TV, Play Music, Drive, and Photos.

From Samsung itself, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 first of all has the display perfecting features that goes along with having the best tablet display around (Adobe RGB color standard), with Adaptive Display that automatically adjusts gamma, saturation, and sharpness based on the combined app you are running and the light conditions you are using it in. Reading Mode does something similar to help reduce strain on the eyes when used as an ereader for hours.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes with Microsoft Office for Android (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote), and with that you also get 100GB of free cloud storage for 2 years.

Other features on the Galaxy Tab S2 include a fingerprint scanner so you can secure it easily and log in easily if you want. It also has multiple-windows multitasking as well as pop-up window tasking which enables you to run multiple apps at once.

Another feature is a new simplified structure for file storage, which is intended to make locating files easier and faster than it has been before.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

Samsung’s 2nd generation Galaxy Tab S2 tablets are two of the best Android tablets on the market in 2015. Thinner and lighter that Apple’s iPad’s, more powerful than most Android tablets, with a near complete list of specs, Samsung build quality, and they are rich in features too.

For those wondering about alternative tablets with higher specs or tablets that are as complete, there aren’t really many tablets to chose from. A 10.1-inch alternative, but without the 4:3 aspect ratio is the waterproof Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, which is also thin, light, and has ultra-high specs. It lacks the Super AMOLED display, but Sony’s LED TRILUMINOS display technology has almost the same deep-black technology and sharpness of AMOLED displays, so you’ll hardly notice the difference.

As for an 8-inch alternative with as much power, that would have to be the upcoming Asus ZenPad S 8.0. The ZenPad isn’t as complete as the Samsung Tab S2, but it has some specs that could make it viable alternative.

Related:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Taking Orders In The US

The world's thinnest tablet computer
The world’s thinnest tablet computer
The thickness of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
The thickness of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7.close up
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7.close up
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

– Tom Bowen