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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 review: Insanely thin, but not much of an upgrade
A year ago, when Samsung debuted its original Galaxy Tab S, we noted how rare it had become to review a high-end tablet that wasn't from Apple. Well, the situation hasn't changed much today -- in fact, it's even more unusual to see a premium Android tablet. But of course, Samsung, ever tenacious and emboldened by its Android dominance, isn't one to give up without a fight. Thus, we have the Galaxy Tab S2 ($499 for the 10-inch model), which does away with last year's widescreen display in favor of a squarer 4:3 screen. Samsung also refined its tablet design even further, delivering a device that's thinner and lighter than Apple's iPad Air 2 (and that's not the only similarity). But while it's hard to mess up a good thing, Samsung somehow managed to do just that by severely hampering the Tab S2's battery life in exchange for an even thinner physique.
Hands-on with Samsung's shrunken-down Galaxy Tab S2
How do you follow up one of the best Android tablets? For Samsung, it's by taking a completely different direction with its new Galaxy Tab S2. We adored last year's model, primarily for its gorgeous Quad HD display, and quite honestly, there wasn't much that tablet lacked. So instead of just upping the specs (which it also did), Samsung reframed the Galaxy Tab S2 with a more square 4 x 3 aspect ratio, making it better-suited for browsing the web and reading e-books. In a briefing with the press today, Samsung reps said they found customers did plenty more than just watching movies with their tablets, so a different aspect ratio was more appropriate. They also mentioned wanting to "standardize" with the market and avoid fragmentation among tablet display formats, which seemed likely a thinly veiled nod to Apple's iPads, which all have 4 x 3 displays.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 pre-orders start today
We know what the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 looks like, but what about the important stuff? Namely, when we'll be able to get our paws on it and how much it'll cost? Well, boy howdy the Korean electronics juggernaut's answered both of those questions this morning. You can pre-order the slate starting today and the device hits "select" US retailers and carriers come September 3rd. A WiFi model packed with 32GB of storage and a 9.7-inch screen will set you back a cool $499.99 while the 8-inch model with the same capacity is $100 less.
Samsung's next Galaxy Tab S should be a whole lot wider
Don't look now, but Samsung's widescreen Android tablets might be going the way of the Dodo. Tabletmonkeys claims to have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S2, and the high-end slate appears to be adopting the same wide, iPad-like aspect ratio as the Galaxy Tab A. In fact, it might lose size and resolution compared to the original Tab S lineup -- instead of 8.4- and 10.5-inch 2,560 x 1,600 displays, you'd be looking at 8- and 9.7-inch 2,048 x 1,536 panels. That wouldn't be so hot for your widescreen videos, but it'd be better for web browsing and anything else that benefits from portrait mode viewing.
