At the rear are also the two attachment points for the optional Book Cover. However, it is prone to collect fingerprints that are tricky to remove. The back of the device is still made of plastic, which provides a good grip. Unfortunately, it feels a little sharp to the touch, so the focus was probably the sophisticated design. While the design of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is reminiscent of the top smartphone Galaxy S5 , the new tablet follows the design philosophy of the Galaxy A smartphone series: The use of a metal frame is a new feature that gives a more polished edge surrounding the device. The lower weight of just 272 grams (~9.59 oz) of our review unit is only beaten by the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (271 grams/~9.56 oz) within the comparison group. Overall, the dimensions are very similar to the Apple iPad Mini 4. It is not great for the design that the camera protrudes by around 1.8 millimeters (~0.7 in) from the back. Nevertheless, this should not be a big deal in practice. However, we measured up to 5.9 mm (~0.23 in) at other spots, which is still a great value, but does not quite match the specifications. Samsung advertises a height of just 5.6 millimeters (~0.22 in), which we can confirm for the upper part of the review unit. The reason is the switch to a 4:3 screen ratio. While the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is much slimmer and shorter compared to the old Galaxy Tab S 8.4, it is around one centimeter (~0.4 in) wider. The only difference is the earpiece that is situated above the Samsung logo at the front in the larger sibling. A suitable Windows-based competitor is the inexpensive Lenovo Yoga 2 8, which is already available for 220 Euros (~$250) without LTE.Īpart from the different dimensions, the two models from the Galaxy Tab S2 series are identical. While the tablet is also offered as a Wi-Fi-only version in some countries, Samsung only offers the LTE version for around 460 Euros (~$522) in Germany (RRP: 499 Euros/~$567).Īs already mentioned, direct rivals for the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 are Apple’s brand-new iPad Mini 4 as well as the Android devices Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and the slightly larger Google Nexus 9.
Inside you still get 3 GB of memory as well as Samsung’s own Exynos SoC running at 1.9 GHz, but this chip belongs to a new CPU generation. The most noticeable change compared to the predecessor, Galaxy Tab S 8.4, is the new Super-AMOLED display with a 4:3 screen ratio, which replaces the previous 16:10 display.
The design is similar to the smartphones from the Galaxy A series. Because of its size, it is aiming to compete with the iPad Mini 4. Samsung launches the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 simultaneously with the iPad Air 2 rival Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. For the original German review, see here.
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