Tag Archives: AKG

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro Review: 24-bit Audio FTW!

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro is the latest AKG-tuned TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation from Samsung!

Find out just how good it really is, and why its 24-bit audio support is something audiophiles will love!

 

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : What’s In The Box?

First, let’s take a quick look at what’s inside the box.

Samsung kindly provided us with a better unboxing video than we could have done ourselves.

Inside, you will find the following items :

  • A pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro storage + charging case
  • Guide Start Guide
  • USB-C to USB-C charging cable
  • Two sets of extra ear tips (small and large)

 

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : Key Features

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro is the latest AKG-tuned TWS earbuds from Samsung, with a slew of improvements.

Despite its name, it is the second generation version of the ultra-premium Galaxy Buds Pro, and not an improved version of the Galaxy Buds2 we reviewed last year.

Comfort

These are amongst the lightest and smallest earbuds I ever tried. Each earbud weighs just 5.5 grams and are 15% smaller.

They feel less intrusive, and are also more discreet than the last generation Buds Pro – fitting snugly into your ear.

The earbuds come with medium ear tips fitted, but the package includes small and large ear tips, allowing you to swap them out for a snug fit.

IPX7 Water Resistant

Unlike the Galaxy Buds2, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are IPX7 water-resistant, so you can carry on using them even in the rain!

While they are officially rated to withstand submersion in up to 1 metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, Samsung do not advise you use them at the beach or in the pool.

I should also point out that the charging case itself is NOT water-resistant, so please make sure you keep it dry. In addition, you must dry the Galaxy Buds2 Pro before you put them back into the charging case.

Even so, water-resistance is one of the things I love about Samsung wearables and smartphones. As a rather clumsy person, I’ve dropped my fair share of gadgets, and more often than not – into pools of rainwater, or even swimming pools!

Active Noise Cancellation

Budget ANC earbuds use one microphone, with mid-range ANC earbuds like the Galaxy Buds2 use up to two microphones to receive ambient noise for cancellation.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro uses three microphones with high signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio to expand the amount of ambient noise it can cancel, and you can tell the difference. Its ANC performance is markedly improved from the last generation.

I managed to test them out on two turboprop flights which are noticeably louder than your typical airliner, and they worked great! The noise outside the planes was greatly muted, and once onboard, it’s like you are in your own oasis of peace and quiet.

If you need to listen to someone speak, there is an Ambient mode that temporarily disables ANC and lets you listen to the outside world. When you take out one earbud, the other earbud cleverly switches to Ambient mode so you don’t get disorientated, and switches back to ANC when you put the earbud back on.

You don’t even have to turn Ambient mode manually like with the Galaxy Buds2. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro comes with the Voice Detect feature, which automatically activates Ambient mode when you start talking! Just make sure you enable it in your Galaxy Wearable app first!

24-bit Audio

If you are an audiophile, you will love the 24-bit audio support in the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

24-bit audio has been around for a while, offering higher audio resolution and fidelity. However, adoption has been limited so far to expensive music players and audio devices.

After all, the entire chain – from the music file to the music player (software or hardware) and the earphones / headphones, plus the connectivity between them – must support 24-bit audio.

So it’s great to see Samsung driving the 24-bit audio effort forward by making sure that its mobile devices support 24-bit audio. Just make sure you upgrade to the One UI 4.0 or higher, to enable its proprietary Samsung Seamless Hi-Fi codec.

Built on the Scalable Codec it introduced several years ago, the Samsung Seamless codec is able to encode full 24-bit audio to transmit to the Galaxy Buds2 Pro wirelessly.

The only downside is that it’s proprietary, and will only work with Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 4.0 or higher.

360 Audio

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro also supports 360 Audio, which is basically their version of the spatial audio feature in Apple AirPods. It’s not enabled by default, because you may not want to turn it on all the time.

The 360 Audio feature only works with apps and content that support Dolby Atmos surround sound. When enabled, it delivers a 360-degree surround sound effect for a more immersive experience.

On top of that, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro supports head tracking, so the 360 audio you hear will actually change with your head movement!

While it doesn’t do much for music (very few are encoded for Dolby Atmos), you should enable it for movies and games.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro connects wirelessly to your devices using Bluetooth 5.3, with support for AAC, SBC and Samsung’s new Seamless codec, but not aptX, LDAC or LHDC. Again, please note that the Samsung Seamless codec is proprietary, and will only work with their devices running on One UI 4.0 and above.

These earbuds do not offer Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, which means they can only be connected to one device at any one time.

They support automatic switching between Samsung Galaxy devices using the same Samsung account, but if you want to switch from your Samsung Galaxy smartphone to your laptops you need to manually switch using the Bluetooth menu.

Battery Life

The biggest problem I have with the Buds2 Pro though is its short battery life of about 5 hours with ANC enabled. I can get about 8 hours with ANC disabled, but that’s still on the low side for premium earbuds.

This is really a trade off – a larger battery (and consequently, longer battery life) would mean a heavier and more obtrusive earbuds. There is only so much Samsung can squeeze out of the tiny 61 mAh battery in each earbud.

The charging case with an internal 515 mAh battery provides another 13 hours of extra battery life (ANC enabled), or 21 hours (ANC disabled) – roughly 2.5 full charges.

They support quick charging though – a 5 minute charge will get you about an hour of battery life.

Pro Tip : Get into the habit of popping these earbuds into their case whenever you are not using, and you will never run out of battery life.

 

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : Our Verdict

If you want the very best TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation technology from Samsung, there can be no doubt – the Galaxy Buds2 Pro is it.

It is amazing that such a small package comes with so many great features – 24-bit audio with 360 Audio, active noise cancellation with three SNR microphones, and IPX7 water resistance.

While the Galaxy Buds2 Pro is not cheap, those features do really make a real difference in the enjoyment of your music, videos and games.

For those reasons, I think it deserves no less than our Reviewer’s Choice Award!

Just be aware of its relatively short battery life, lack of Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, and reliance on a proprietary codec which limits 24-bit audio to Samsung devices.

If you are in the Samsung ecosystem and would like to enjoy 24-bit audio and/or surround sound, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

But if you are not using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, or do not need 24-bit audio support, then these are not the earbuds you are looking for. You are better off buying the cheaper Galaxy Buds2!

 

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : Where To Buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is priced at RM899 / S$328 / US$229 / £189 / A$349.

Here are some online purchase options (prices accurate as of 11 November 2022) :

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Review : A Complete Package!

In our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, we will share with you everything you need to know about this premium tablet.

Find out why we are so impressed with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet, that we gave it our Editor’s Choice Award!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Flagship Tablet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a premium tablet built around the most powerful mobile SoC available for Android devices – the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

It boasts a massive 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display, quad AKG speakers and a large 11,200 mAh battery – all packed into a compact chassis that weighs just 726 grams!

In this review, we will check out its key features, and show you why it is really the best Android tablet you can buy in 2022!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Display 14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
– 2960 x 1848 pixels
– 60 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate
Protection Gorilla Glass 5 (Front + Back)
Armor Aluminium
OS One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU 1 x Arm Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.4 GHz)
4 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (1.7 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
Options
8 GB RAM + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1TB)
Front Camera 12 MP main camera, f/2.2
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Main Cameras 12 MP main camera, f/2.0
6 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC No
Audio Quad speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 11,200 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
Dimensions 326.4 mm wide
208.6 mm tall
5.5 mm thick
Weight 726 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Unboxing : A Complete Package

What we really like about the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 tablet is that it comes as a complete package.

Unlike competing tablets, it comes with an awesome keyboard cover and S Pen in the package. There is no need to pay extra for either. Everything you need is in the box. Well, almost everything.

Once you fully unbox it, this is what you will find inside the box :

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Book Cover Keyboard
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra S Pen
  • Set of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 documents
  • USB Type A to Type A data and power cable
  • microSD tray ejector pin

The only thing missing is the charger. The package does not include the 45 watt power adaptor. Not even a standard 15 watt Samsung charger.

But that’s how most of the brands are rolling these days, in the name of reducing digital waste, so we won’t hold it against them.

Next Page > Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Key Features

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Key Features

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is arguably the largest and most powerful tablet you can buy in 2022, so let’s take a closer look at its key features.

14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display

This first thing that you will notice when you see the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for the first time, is just how large and beautiful its display really is.

That is a 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display you are looking at – larger than the display on most laptops; with a WQXGA+resolution of 2960 x 1848 pixels, and support for two fixed refresh rates :

  • High : Get smoother animations and scrolling with a 120 Hz screen refresh rate
  • Standard : Get longer battery life with a 60 Hz screen refresh rate

This large, high-resolution display allows you to fit multiple windows, and open different apps at the same time, for greater productivity.

This display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and also by the bundled Keyboard Cover when it’s not in use.

Flagship Class Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform, which boasts a powerful Adreno 730 GPU, as well as eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :

  • a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3 GHz,
  • three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.4 GHz, and
  • four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.7 GHz.

Those eight processor cores are paired with a powerful Qualcomm Adreno 730 graphics processor.

Performance is not only the key advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Built on the latest 4 nm process technology, it also offers lower battery consumption.

We will show you just how fast it runs in the benchmarks, and how efficient it is, later in this review.

RAM + Storage Options

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a variety of RAM and storage options :

  • 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage
  • 12 GB RAM + 256 GB / 512 GB storage
  • 16 GB RAM + 256 GB / 512 GB storage

You don’t have to worry too much about running out of storage, as it comes with a microSD card slot, allowing you to add up to 1 TB of additional storage.

Two Front Cameras

Catering to the new hybrid workspace reality today, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with two cameras in the front.

Both 12 MP cameras, one has a wider f/2.2 aperture for better low-light performance, while the other supports a wider angle – to fit more people in the same photo / video call.

Two Rear Cameras

This is a really large and hefty tablet, so you wouldn’t expect photography to be a focus. However, it still comes with two cameras at the back.

The main camera has a 12 MP sensor, with a wide f/2.0 aperture for better low-light performance.

It also comes with an ultra-wide camera at the back, but oddly enough, only with a 6 MP sensor.

Next Page > S Pen, Book Cover Keyboard, Speakers, Battery

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : S Pen, Book Cover, Speakers, Battery

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is more than just a tablet, because it comes with both an S Pen stylus, and a Book Cover Keyboard.

Ultra-Low Latency S Pen

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a new S Pen with ultra-low latency of just 2.8 milliseconds!

This is a full-size stylus that feels like a typical pen or pencil, letting you draw and doodle with up to 4,096 pressure levels!

You can also write naturally with the S Pen, and turn your handwriting into text in Samsung Notes.

The S Pen magnetically locks onto a glass strip at the back, which acts as a recharging dock. The S Pen automatically recharges whenever you place it on this glass strip.

Don’t worry about losing it with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, because it comes with a Book Cover Keyboard that has a special cover for the S Pen!

Book Cover Keyboard

This year, Samsung included the really awesome Book Cover Keyboard with every Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet.

This cover not only provides really solid protection for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it also converts it into a 2-in-1 tablet with a kickstand!

You don’t just get a full-size keyboard with the Book Cover Keyboard, you also get a large touch pad! This really gives you a laptop-like working experience.

In addition, the Book Cover Keyboard has a special S Pen cover that prevents your precious S Pen from falling and getting lost.

As I shared in my Galaxy Tab S7 Book Cover Keyboard review last year, this is a must-have accessory, and I’m really glad Samsung included it as part of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra package.

 

Quad AKG-Tuned Speakers

Another premium Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra feature that Samsung does not really speak much of is the quad speaker system tuned by AKG.

They are not only powerful, they deliver really crisp sound from this tablet. They are also positioned to radiate from both sides with the Book Cover Keyboard installed.

Large Battery

To power all that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a large 11,200 mAh lithium-ion battery.

It supports 45 watt fast recharging, but as pointed out earlier – it doesn’t come with any charger, so your mileage in this sense really depends on the charger you have.

In the next section, we will show you just how long this battery lasts, and how long it takes to recharge this massive battery!

Next Page > Battery Life + Recharging Speed

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Battery Life Comparison!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a massive 11,200 mAh battery, which is more than the size of the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery!

To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.

Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.

It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.

We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates :

Astoundingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra only has a battery life of 6.5 hours with High refresh rate enabled, and a more acceptable 8 hours with the Standard refresh rate!

This is a slight improvement over last year’s Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. There is no doubt that its much larger 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display is a significant drain on battery life.

Let’s compare its battery life against the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone which uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC.

Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra delivers the best battery life with the Standard refresh rate of 60 Hz.

The Tab S8 Ultra appears to use 9% more power than the Tab S7 Plus, but I have to point out that it has a 39% larger display.

Fortunately, the battery life deficit is “covered” by its 11% larger battery.

Work 3.0 S22 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Tab S7 Plus
(60 Hz)
Tab S8 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Display Size 6.8-inch 12.4-inch 14.6-inch
Battery Capacity 5,000 mAh 10,090 mAh 11,200 mAh
Battery Life 14 hrs 15 mins 7 hrs 55 mins 8 hrs
3 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.68 mAh 16.99 mAh 18.55 mAh

High Refresh Rate (120 Hz)

Switching on the High refresh rate of 120 Hz cut its battery life by 17.6% – almost 1.5 hours!

But the data shows that its larger 14.6-inch display only used 3.4% more power than the Tab S7 Plus.

Work 3.0 S22 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Tab S7 Plus
(120 Hz)
Tab S8 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Display Size 6.8-inch 12.4-inch 14.6-inch
Battery Capacity 5,000 mAh 10,090 mAh 11,200 mAh
Battery Life 10 hrs
38 mins
6 hrs
11 mins
6 hrs
38 mins
Utilisation
per min.
6.27 mAh 21.76 mAh 22.51 mAh

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Battery Recharging Speed!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra supports up to 45 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.

So we relied on the standard 15 watt Samsung fast charger than shipped with their previous smartphones and tablets – something we believe most users will end up doing.

Recharging Speed Tab S8 Ultra Tab S7 Plus S22 Ultra
Display Size 14.6-inch 12.4-inch 6.8-inch
Battery Capacity 11,200 mAh 10,090 mAh 5,000 mAh
Charger Output 15 watts 15 watts 15 watts
Battery Life 86.5 mins 86 mins 64.5 mins
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
103.6 mAh 93.9 mAh 62.0 mAh

Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra recharged faster with a standard 15 watt charger, than the Tab S7 Plus or even the Galaxy S22 Ultra!

This is really good news. It means that Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra owners need not worry too much about its recharging speed with the older 15 watt chargers.

In fact, you don’t need to splurge on a new 45 watt fast charger. The Tab S8 Ultra fully recharges its massive battery from 20% to 100% in just under 1.5 hours with the standard 15 watt Samsung charger!

Next Page > Work + Gaming Performance

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Work Performance

We first tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

Work 3.0 Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy Tab
S7 FE
Mobile Platform SD 888 SD 8 Gen 1 SD 8
Gen 1
SD 865+ SD
778G
Performance Score 13317 12860 12351 12348 9747
Web Browsing 11637 10442 9696 11864 7355
Video Editing 7762 7444 6194 7664 6028
Writing 15316 15471 14411 12659 10512
Photo Editing 25357 30177 31774 26230 22188
Data Manipulation 11938 9691 10449 9511 8505

Surprisingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Get 1 was slightly slower than the Snapdragon 888 used by the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the difference was just 7%, which means you won’t actually notice the difference.

For certainly, it will easily handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s just posting your latest Instagram pictures or editing a 4K video.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Gaming Performance

For gaming, we tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using 3DMark, with these results :

3DMark Galaxy
Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy
Tab S7 FE
Device SD 8
Gen 1
SD 8 Gen 1 SD 888 SD 865+ SD 778G
Sling Shot Unlimited 10728 11094 9248 8793 6688
Wild Life Unlimited 9838 9106 3952
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
2221 2220 1174

Look at that! The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was a head above the competition when it comes to gaming!

It was 16% to 150% faster than the Snapdragon 888, and 22% faster than the Snadragon 865+!

For certain, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will crush any game you throw at it.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Overall Performance

We then tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using AnTuTu, yielding these results :

AnTuTu Galaxy Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy
Tab S7 FE
Device SD 8 Gen 1 SD 8 Gen 1 SD 888 SD 865+ SD 778G
AnTuTu Score 950630 889167 696767 577726 508008
CPU 213689 203090 206228 161243 157465
GPU 417669 402617 242573 230859 155115
Memory 161903 146002 133586 98269 79972
UX 157369 137458 114380 87355 115456

The AnTuTu benchmark confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a veritable beast of a performer, beating even the very fast Galaxy Z Flip 3 by 36%.

Its GPU performance was, in particular, spectacular, delivering 72% better performance than the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and 81% better performance than the Galaxy Tab S7+!

Interestingly, it was 7% faster than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. This is likely due to better cooling – its temperature only increased by 0.3°C, whereas the S22 Ultra’s temperature spiked by over 10°C!

Next Page > Verdict + Award, Price + Availability

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Verdict + Award

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was meant to be the ultimate Samsung tablet for 2022, and it does not disappoint.

The display is a magnificently large and beautiful 14.6-inch Super AMOLED panel, which offers an expansive amount of space to play and work with.

Built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – the fastest mobile SoC that exists for Android devices – you can count on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra to easily handle anything and everything you throw at it.

It also has surprisingly good battery life – delivering over 8 hours of non-stop use at 60 Hz, and over 6.5 hours at 120 Hz; despite sporting such a large display.

It also offers very good recharging speed, even using the standard 15 watt fast charger. So you don’t really need to invest in expensive 45 watt chargers.

But beyond those hardware features, what I really like is how the Samsung offer a complete experience by bundling the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with not just the S Pen, but also the Book Cover Keyboard.

The ultra-low latency S Pen gives you the premium pen-on-paper like experience working on a tablet, while the Book Cover Keyboard gives you a laptop experience. You literally have the best of both worlds in a single box!

If you want the best-possible Android tablet money can buy, you can’t do wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

In fact, we like this premium tablet so much, we are giving it our Editor’s Choice Award!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Display 14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
– 2960 x 1848 pixels
– 60 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate
Protection Gorilla Glass 5 (Front + Back)
Armor Aluminium
OS One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU 1 x Arm Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.4 GHz)
4 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (1.7 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
Options
8 GB RAM + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1TB)
Front Camera 12 MP main camera, f/2.2
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Main Cameras 12 MP main camera, f/2.0
6 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC No
Audio Quad speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 11,200 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
Dimensions 326.4 mm wide
208.6 mm tall
5.5 mm thick
Weight 726 grams

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Review : Darn Good Value!

Here is my comprehensive review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphone!

Find out why this foldable smartphone is darn good value for your money!

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Colour Options + Price

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 comes in four colour options (from left to right) : Green, CreamLavender and Phantom Black.

Samsung also directly offers three more exclusive colours in their online store – Gray, Pink and White.

Note : The model used for this review is the Phantom Black colour.

The 128 GB model is priced at US$999.99 / £949 / A$1,499 / S$1,357 / A$1,398 / RM3,999.

The 256 GB model is priced at US$1,049.99 / £999 / A$1,599 / S$1,4989 / A$1,398 / RM4,199.

Here are some online purchase options :

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
Model SM-F711B
Main Display 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
1080 x 2640 pixels, 425ppi
120 Hz refresh rate
900 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Cover Display 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display
260 x 512 pixels, 302 ppi
935 nits (HBM)
Protection IPX8 Water Resistance
No Dust Resistance
OS Android 11 with One UI 3.1
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (SM8350)
CPU 1 x Kryo 680 Prime core (2.84 GHz )
3 x Kryo 680 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Kryo 680 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 660
Memory 8 GB
Storage 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.1
Front Camera 10 MP camera (f/2.4)
Main Cameras 12 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Surround sound with Dolby Atmos
UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 support
Connectivity Network : 5G / 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB-C 3.2
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Light
GPS GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS
NFC Yes
Battery 3,300 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging Wired : 15 watt
Wireless : 10 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Folded
Dimensions
72.2 mm wide
86.4 mm tall
15.9 mm to 17.1 mm thick
Unfolded
Dimensions
72.2 mm wide
166.0 mm tall
6.9 mm thick
Weight 183 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Unboxing + Contents!

The new Galaxy Z Flip 3 is Samsung’s third-generation Flip device, featuring not only a large foldable 6.7-inch display, but also IPX8 water resistance!

As a Samsung ultra-premium smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 comes in a premium two-tone black-grey box, with these items inside :

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 smartphone
  • Quick Start Guide
  • USB-C to USB-C data and power cable
  • SIM tray ejection pin

Unfortunately, it does not come with a fast charger in-the-box, or an USB-C to 3.5 mm audio adaptor. Not does it come with any USB-C earphones…

Next Page > Galaxy Z Flip 3 Key Features

 

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Key Features!

6.7-inch Foldable Display

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 boasts a large 6.7-inch Infinity Flex display, with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel that has a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels.

In case you are wondering – the crease is visible if you view it from an angle, and you can feel it if you run your finger over it. But after using it some time – you will forget it’s even there.

The display is large and really beautiful – with excellent resolution, colour gamut and brightness. And it folds into a really compact device about the size of a pager – if you are old enough to remember what that is!

Its foldable display has a new protective film made from stretchable PET, and newly-optimised display panel layers that are 80% more durable than the Z Fold2 display. It is now certified to withstand folding at least 200,000 times!

If you are new to foldable phones, you will be really tentative about folding it. But over time, it will become really natural – you won’t even think twice about folding it before shoving it down your pocket.

But while the Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) can withstand a lot more folding, you must still take care not to SCRATCH it. Avoid putting it together in your pocket or handbag with hard objects like coins, another phone, etc.

You also need to remember to fold it once you don’t need to use the main display. Don’t worry – even if you fold it a 100X a day, it should last 5.5 years!

1.9-inch Cover Display

In the front, it has a small 1.9-inch Cover Display with a Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 260 x 512 pixels.

This redesigned Cover Screen is 4X larger, making it easier to view notifications and messages without opening the Z Flip 3.

You will be able to check your schedule, the weather, and your daily step count with the new Cover Screen widgets. You can even coordinate its wallpaper with the new Galaxy Watch4 or Galaxy Watch4 Classic!

The Cover Display also serves as a camera preview display, letting you use both rear cameras for superior selfies! This is one of the Z Flip 3’s relatively unknown but truly useful feature.

Performance + Storage

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is built around the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G mobile platform, which makes it one of the most powerful smartphones in the world.

Our review sample came with 8 GB of memory, and 128 GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. It is also available with 256 GB of storage.

It only supports a single SIM card, with no microSD card tray. There is no option to increase storage, but generally 128 GB of storage is more than enough for most people.

Protection

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is water-resistant in up to 1.5 metres of freshwater for up to 30 minutes, but is not dust-resistant due to its foldable display and folding mechanism. Hence, it is IPX8-rated.

To protect against dust and other particles, its Hideaway Hinge has enhanced Sweeper technology, with shorter bristles.

In addition, its chassis is made with Armor Aluminium, and the Cover Display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Its Dual Pixel main camera is also protected by Gorilla Glass with DX.

Buttons

The only buttons you will find are on the upper right side of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 – the Volume control buttons and the Power button, which doubles as the fingerprint sensor.

Pressing the Power button twice activates the Quick Shot mode, which lets you take selfies using the rear cameras with the Cover Display for preview and control.

Only One Port

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 comes with a USB Type C port, which supports USB 3.2 connectivity.

It does not come with a 3.5 mm audio jack, or a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter in the box.

Battery + Charging

Powering all that is a 3,300 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which supports 15 watt fast charging, and 10 watt wireless charging. It can even wireless recharge other devices, albeit at just 4.5 watts.

This is a pretty small battery, and rather slow charging speeds. On top of that, it does not come with an in-box charger. So you will have to use your old charger, or buy a new one.

Next Page > Z Flip 3 Cameras + Photo Samples

 

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Cameras

Front Camera

Samsung flagship smartphones are notable for featuring cutting-edge cameras, but the Galaxy Z Flip 3 stayed with the last generation cameras.

In front, it uses a 10 MP punch hole camera, with an f/2.4 aperture. To be clear, this is an excellent camera. It’s just not new.

But don’t worry – you will end up using this selfie camera only for video calls, and use the better cameras at the back for your “selfies”!

Dual Cameras At The Back

In the back, it has a dual-camera system, which consists of :

  • a 12 MP main camera, with f/1.8 aperture
  • a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, with f/2.2 aperture

These cameras are offer great image quality, even in low-light conditions – thanks to their large apertures.

As I pointed out earlier, the Cover Display lets you use these cameras for really excellent selfies. Just double-press the Power button with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 folded to activate these cameras.

This is why Samsung did not “upgrade” the front camera. These rear cameras are really the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s true selfie cameras.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Photo Samples

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3’s  rear cameras may “only” have 12 MP sensors, but they are truly excellent cameras.

The cameras both offer good low-light performance, thanks to the wide f/1.8 and f/2.2 apertures. But the wide aperture also creates creates a narrow depth-of-field, so there is the risk of ending up with an out-of-focus photo.

Here are ten unedited photo samples for you to check out.

When used in the selfie mode, the rear cameras deliver Instagram-friendly square 9MP photos with a resolution of 2992 x 2992 pixels, and a file size of about 1.3 MB (HEIC format).

When used unfolded, the rear cameras deliver can be used to take 12MP photos with a resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels, and a file size of about 3 MB (HEIC format).

Next Page > Battery Life + Recharging, Performance

 

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 comes with a small 3,300 mAh battery.

To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.

Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.

It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.

We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates :

Work 3.0 Galaxy A52
(60 Hz)
Galaxy A52
(90 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(60 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Note20
Ultra
Z Flip 3
(60 Hz)
Z Flip 3
(120 Hz)
Battery Capacity 4,500 mAh 4,500 mAh 5,000 mAh 5,000 mAh 4,500 mAh 3,300 mAh 3,300 mAh
Battery Life 15 hrs 33 mins 12 hrs 30 mins 11 hrs 22 mins 10 hrs
26 mins
10 hrs
9 mins
8 hrs
11 mins
6 hrs
44 mins
Utilisation
per min.
3.86 mAh 4.80 mAh 5.87 mAh 6.39 mAh 5.91 mAh 5.38 mAh 6.53 mAh

This is the biggest problem with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 – a relatively short battery life, because it pairs a powerful processor and a very large display with a small 3,300 mAh battery.

Even with the display set to 60 Hz, it only lasts just over 8 hours. If you set the display to dynamically adjust its refresh rate up to 120 Hz, that drops to just over 6.5 hours.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Recharging Speed

S21
Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy A52 Z Flip 3 Redmi 9T
Battery Capacity 5,000 mAh 4,500 mAh 4,500 mAh 3,300 mAh 6,000 mAh
Charger Output 25 watts 25 watts 15 watts 15 watts 18 watts
Recharging Time 64 mins 66.5 mins 84.5 mins 88.5 mins 184 mins
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
62.5 mAh 54.1 mAh 42.4 mAh 29.8 mAh 26.1 mAh

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 recharges very slowly, even using the same 15 watt Samsung fast charger as the Galaxy A52.

It actually took longer to recharge its smaller 3,300 mAh battery than the Galaxy A52 which has a much larger 4,500 mAh battery!

Its only saving grace – it was able to recharge slightly faster than the Xiaomi Redmi 9T.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Work Performance

We first tested the Galaxy Z Flip 3 using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

Work 3.0 Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
S21 Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A52
Redmi
9T
Mobile Platform SD 888 Exynos
2100
Exynos
990
SD 750G SD 662
Performance Score 13317 12535 10523 7874 5986
Web Browsing 11637 10185 8865 7021 5844
Video Editing 7762 6336 6232 5693 3423
Writing 15316 15247 11112 7454 6657
Photo Editing 25357 37847 30789 15812 12031
Data Manipulation 11938 8310 6825 6424 4799

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 lets the Galaxy Z Flip 3 easily handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s just posting your latest Instagram pictures or editing a 4K video.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Gaming Performance

For gaming, we tested the Galaxy Z Flip 3 using 3DMark, with these results :

3DMark Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
Note10+
Device SD 888 Exynos
990
Exynos
9825
Sling Shot Unlimited 9248 8026 3327
Wild Life Unlimited 3952 4504 3288
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
1174 1387 528

Look at that – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 packs a serious punch when it comes to gaming.

It may seem unbelievable because the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is so slim and stylish, but it will easily handle any game you throw at it. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

The only problem is that because it’s so thin – it can get real toasty when you game on it. The back of the chassis can get as warm as 42°C.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Overall Performance

We then tested the Galaxy Z Flip 3 using AnTuTu, yielding these results :

AnTuTu Galaxy
Z
Flip 3
Galaxy
S21 Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A52
Redmi 9T
Device SD 888 Exynos
2100
Exynos
990
SD 750G SD
662
AnTuTu Score 696767 624411 522735 341908 173559
CPU 206228 166290 146783 105098 64505
GPU 242573 258995 215205 88068 31734
Memory 133586 120805 89376 60642 40377
UX 114380 78321 71371 88100 36943

The AnTuTu benchmark confirms that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a beast of a performer, beating even the very fast Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Next Page > A Quick Wrap, Verdict + Award!

 

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : A Quick Wrap

Let’s do a quick wrap of what I really like, and don’t like, about it.

Better Displays

I love the large 6.7-inch foldable display that is now tougher and more durable, and supports the 120 Hz refresh rate.

Even the larger 1.9-inch cover display deserves special mention, because it is a lot more functional!

Great Performance

Even though it looks real sleek, it is powered by the incredibly powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 mobile SoC.

It will easily handle EVERYTHING you throw at it – even graphics-intensive games. It gets toasty when you game, but hey, at least it doesn’t feel like a brick!

Good Cameras

The front camera is nothing to write about, but the rear cameras are good, even though they are still stuck at 12 MP.

I like how the larger Cover Display lets you easily use the rear cameras for really good selfies.

Short Battery Life + Slow Charging

The problem with the sleek, light design – its small 3,300 mAh battery which barely does 6.5 hours with the 120 Hz refresh rate.

It doesn’t help that it recharges really slowly, even with a standard 15 watt charger… and don’t get me started on the lack of an in-box charger!

Zilch In-Box Freebies

For a premium product, it comes with zilch freebies in-the-box. As mentioned before, there is no fast charger.

There is also no USB-C to 3.5 mm audio jack, not even a pair of USB-C earphones. Neither did Samsung provide even a cheap TPU case.

Incredible New Price Point

On the other hand, Samsung really surprised me with the new price points :

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is an incredibly great deal for a foldable smartphone. I fully expect to see it flying off the shelves.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : My Verdict + Award

It must be said that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is more than just a smartphone.

It is now a fashion statement – a sleek, light smartphone catches everyone’s eyes and folds away to fit even small pockets!

Granted, it has a short battery life and a slow recharging speed, and only comes with a USB cable.

But it is an incredibly good deal for a flagship smartphone, with a large foldable 120 Hz display and a top-of-the-line processor!

This is why we believe it deserves nothing less than our Editor’s Choice Award! Great job, Samsung!

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 : Where To Buy

You can get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 at these online options :

 

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE : Unboxing + Hands-On Preview!

Here is my unboxing and hands-on preview of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE.

Find out what’s inside its box, and take a close-up look of this Fan Edition tablet for the masses!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE : Unboxing + Contents!

The new Galaxy Tab S7 FE is Samsung’s tablet for the masses, offering a massive 12.4-inch display with a powerful mid-range processor and dual AKG speakers!

It comes in a white cardboard box, containing these items :

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE tablet
  • Quick Start Guide + Warranty Card
  • 15 Watt Samsung Travel Fast Charger
  • USB Type A to Type C data and power cable
  • SIM tray ejection pin

Fortunately, Samsung included a fast charger in-the-box, albeit a standard 15 watt charger and not a 45 watt charger.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE : Hands-On + Key Features!

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a more affordable Fan Edition of the excellent but pricey Galaxy Tab S7+ that we reviewed earlier.

12.4-inch Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE boasts a 12.4-inch TFT display, which looks massive especially if you are upgrading from smaller tablets like the Apple iPad.

This is not an AMOLED display, but it is bright and looks sharp thanks to the high resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Performance + Storage

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G mobile platform, which offers :

  • a Kryo 670 Prime (A78-based) core running at 2.4 GHz,
  • three Kryo 670 Gold (A78-based) cores running at 2.2 GHz,
  • four Kryo 670 Silver (A55-based) cores running at 1.8 GHz
  • Adreno 642L GPU running at 490 MHz

Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G is a new mid-range mobile SoC built on the 6 nm process, which should offer preppy performance without the higher power consumption of flagship mobile SoC.

RAM + Storage

Samsung offers two memory and storage options :

  • 4 GB of RAM + 64 GB of internal storage
  • 6 GB of memory + 128 GB of internal storage

The good news is that it comes with a microSD card tray that supports up to 1 TB of additional storage.

Front + Rear Cameras

In the front, it has  a 5 MP fixed focus camera, that is capable of taking photos with a 2576 x 1932 pixel resolution, and Full HD 1080p video at 30 fps.

This front camera is decent but unexceptional. Don’t expect to dazzle your clients on Zoom!

At the back, it has an 8 MP camera that is capable of taking photos with the resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels.

Despite the higher resolution, it is only capable of recording 1080p video at 30 fps. It does, however, supports electronic image stabilisation (EIS).

You should note that this camera lacks an LED light. The hole you see in the camera bump conceals a microphone.

Buttons

There are only two buttons on the Tab S7 FE – the Volume control buttons and the Power button.

They are located on the upper right side when held vertically, and left side of the top when held horizontally.

As with Samsung smartphones, double-pressing the Power button activates the Camera app, allowing you to quickly take photos or videos.

Only One Port

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE comes with a USB Type C port, which supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity.

It does not come with a 3.5 mm audio jack, or a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter in the box.

Dual AKG Speakers

Like its premium brother – the Galaxy Tab S7+, the Tab S7 FE has AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

The only difference is the cheaper FE (Fan Edition) has just two speakers, while the Tab S7+ has four.

Battery + Charging

Powering all that is a massive 10,090 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which supports 45 watt fast wired charging.

When used with a 45 watt charger, Samsung says it will fully recharge in just 90 minutes!

This is a pretty small battery, and rather slow charging speeds. I’m currently testing its battery life and will share with you the results shortly.

Unfortunately, Samsung only provided a standard 15 watt fast charger in the box.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
Model SM-T733
Display 12.4-inch TFT
– 1600 x 2560 pixels
Operating System One UI 3.1 (Android 11)
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G
CPU 1 x Kryo 670 Prime (A78) core @ 2.4 GHz
3 x Kryo 670 Gold (A78) cores @ 2.2 GHz
4 x Kryo 670 Silver (A55) cores @ 1.8 GHz
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 642L @ 490 MHz
Memory +
Storage Options
4 GB + 64 GB
6 GB + 128 GB
External Storage Up to 1 TB MicroSD card
Front Camera 5 MP
Rear Camera 8 MP
Connectivity WiFi : Up to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C
GPS GPS, Beidou, GLONASS, QZSS
NFC No
S Pen Yes, provided in-box
Fingerprint Sensor No
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor
Battery 10,090 mAh battery
Charging 45 watt wired fast charging
Dimensions 185.0 mm wide
284.8 mm tall
6.3 mm thick
Weight 610 g

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE : Colour Options

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE comes in four colour options (from left to right) : Mystic Green, Mystic PinkMystic Silver and Mystic Black.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE : Price + Availability

Here in Malaysia, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE will be available at these launch prices :

  • 4 GB + 64 GB : RM1,899 (approx. US$454 / £337 / A$628 / S$617)
  • 6 GB + 128 GB : RM2,199 (approx. US$525 / £390 / A$728 / S$714)

Here are some online purchase options :

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra : What You Need To Know!

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the new ultimate flagship smartphone with an iconic new design!

Find out if the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the smartphone you have been waiting for!

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra : Ultimate Flagship!

With a 6.8-inch display and support for the S Pen, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is designed to maximise your productivity and creativity.

Its edge-to-edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with curved edges, has a Quad HD+ resolution, with an adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate.

New Flagship Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 in the US, South Korea and China, and the new Samsung Exynos 2100 in other countries.

They are both flagship mobile SoCs, and here is a quick comparison of their key specifications :

Specifications Samsung
Exynos 2100
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 888
Fab Process 5 nm EUV
Processor 1 x Cortex-X1 (2.9 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A78 (2.8 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (2.2 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X1 (2.84 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A78 (2.4 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz)
GPU Arm Mali-G78 Qualcomm Adreno 660
AI Processor Triple-Core NPU Hexagon 780
Memory Support LPDDR5 LPDDR5
Storage Support UFS 3.1 / UFS 2.1 UFS 3.1
Connectivity 5G (sub-6GHz / mmWave)
4G LTE (1024 QAM)
3G WCDMA
2G GSM / CDMA

Front + Rear Cameras

The Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with a 40 MP front camera, with an f/2.2 aperture. In the back, it has a new quad camera system, that consists of :

  • a 108 MP main camera, with an f/1.8 aperture
  • a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, with an f/2.2 aperture
  • a 10 MP telephoto camera, with an f/2.4 aperture, and 3X optical zoom, and
  • a 10 MP periscope telephoto camera, with an f/4.9 aperture, and 10X optical zoom

For the first time on a Galaxy smartphone, you can now shoot in 4K at 60 fps on all front and rear cameras. In addition, you can choose to take photos in a 12-bit RAW format!

And its dual telephoto cameras powers its phenomenal 100X Space Zoom capability, with Zoom Lock capability.

It also comes with other improvements like :

  • Improved 8K Snap, that lets you capture clear images from your 8K video footage
  • Super Steady video now supports 60 fps video recording
  • Single Take lets you capture a variety of still and video formats with a single tap.
    It is now enhanced with new pro-style settings like Highlight Video and Dynamic Slow-Mo
  • New Director’s View that lets you see, switch and select the best shot… LIVE!

S Pen Support

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the first S Series smartphone to support the S Pen, with Wacom’s technology.

You can use an existing S Pen from the Galaxy Note, or Galaxy Tab, or purchase a separate S Pen, or with a compatible case.

Faster WiFi

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is also one of the first smartphones to support the Wi-Fi 6E standard.

This opens up the 6 GHz spectrum, introducing 14 additional 80 MHz channels and 7 additional 160 MHz channels.

When used with a compatible Wi-Fi 6E router, it will allow for higher bandwidths and reduced congestion.

Samsung SmartThings Find

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra supports the new SmartThings Find capability, which lets you quickly and easily locate compatible Galaxy devices, even when they are offline.

You can also locate non-connected devices using Samsung’s new Galaxy SmartTag Bluetooth locater. Simply attach it to your keys, bag or pet, and use SmartThings Find to locate them!

Protection

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is IP68-rated against dust and water, allowing you to immerse it in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water, for up to 30 minutes.

Its display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus against scratches in the front.

Battery + Charging

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with a large 5,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, and it supports 18 watt wireless charging, as well as 25 watt wired charging.

But here’s the bad news – the Galaxy S21 Ultra does NOT come with a charger in the box. It only ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable.

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Model SM-G998
Display Size 6.8-inch Edge
Display Panel Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Display Resolution 1440 x 3200 pixels
Pixel Density 515 ppi
Display Features 10~120 Hz refresh rate
1500 nits
3,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio
Protection IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Operating System One UI 3.1 (Android 11)
Platform Samsung Exynos 2100 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Memory 12 GB / 16 GB LPDDR5
Storage Options 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage None
Front Camera 40 MP (f/2.2)
Rear Main
Camera
108 MP (f/1.8)
Rear Ultra-Wide
Camera
12 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.2)
Rear Telephoto
Camera #1
10 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.4)
3X optical zoom
Rear Telephoto
Camera #2
10 MP Dual Pixel (f/4.9)
10X optical zoom
Other Rear
Camera Features
Laser Autofocus
Connectivity 5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
GPS Support GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Ultra Wideband Yes
NFC / MST Yes
S Pen Support Yes
Fingerprint Sensor In Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic,
Hall sensor, Proximity, Ambient Light
Audio Dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 5,000 mAh
Charging 25 watt wired,
18 watt wireless
Width
Height
Thickness
75.6 mm
165.1 mm
8.9 mm
Weight 227 g

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra : Colour Options

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra comes in just two colour options – Phantom Silver and Phantom Black.

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra : Launch Price List

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra comes in three variants globally, with these prices :

  • 12 GB + 128 GB : US$1199.99 / £1149 / A$1849
  • 12 GB + 256 GB : US$1249.99 / £1199 / A$1949 / S$1798 / RM5299
  • 16 GB + 512 GB : US$1379.99 / £1329 / A$2149 / S$1998 / RM5899

Here are some online purchase / pre-order options :

 

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Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus : What You Need To Know!

Samsung just introduced the Galaxy S21 Plus, a new flagship smartphone with an iconic new design!

Find out if the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is the smartphone you have been waiting for!

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus : Large Battery Flagship!

With a 6.7-inch display and a large battery, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is designed for marathon gamers and binge-watchers.

Its edge-to-edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display has a Full HD+ resolution, with an adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate.

New Flagship Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 in the US, South Korea and China, and the new Samsung Exynos 2100 in other countries.

They are both flagship mobile SoCs, and here is a quick comparison of their key specifications :

Specifications Samsung
Exynos 2100
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 888
Fab Process 5 nm EUV
Processor 1 x Cortex-X1 (2.9 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A78 (2.8 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (2.2 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X1 (2.84 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A78 (2.4 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz)
GPU Arm Mali-G78 Qualcomm Adreno 660
AI Processor Triple-Core NPU Hexagon 780
Memory Support LPDDR5 LPDDR5
Storage Support UFS 3.1 / UFS 2.1 UFS 3.1
Connectivity 5G (sub-6GHz / mmWave)
4G LTE (1024 QAM)
3G WCDMA
2G GSM / CDMA

Front + Rear Cameras

The Galaxy S21 Plus comes with a 10 MP Dual Pixel front camera, with an f/2.2 aperture. The Dual Pixel capability allows for faster auto-focus.

In the back, it has a triple camera system, that consists of :

  • a 12 MP Dual Pixel main camera, with an f/1.8 aperture
  • a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, with an f/2.2 aperture
  • a 64 MP telephoto camera, with an f/2.0 aperture, 1.1X optical zoom and 3X hybrid optic zoom.

Most of the improvements are in its camera software :

  • Improved 8K Snap, that lets you capture clear images from your 8K video footage
  • Super Steady video now supports 60 fps video recording
  • Single Take lets you capture a variety of still and video formats with a single tap.
    It is now enhanced with new pro-style settings like Highlight Video and Dynamic Slow-Mo
  • New Director’s View that lets you see, switch and select the best shot… LIVE!
  • Improved Space Zoom with new Zoom Lock capability

Samsung SmartThings Find

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus supports the new SmartThings Find capability, which lets you quickly and easily locate compatible Galaxy devices, even when they are offline.

You can also locate non-connected devices using Samsung’s new Galaxy SmartTag Bluetooth locater. Simply attach it to your keys, bag or pet, and use SmartThings Find to locate them!

Protection

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is IP68-rated against dust and water, allowing you to immerse it in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water, for up to 30 minutes.

Its display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus against scratches in the front.

Battery + Charging

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus comes with a large 4,800 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, and it supports 18 watt wireless charging, as well as 25 watt wired charging.

But here’s the bad news – the Galaxy S21 Plus does NOT come with a charger in the box. It only ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable.

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S21+
Model SM-G996
Display Size 6.7-inch Flat
Display Panel Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Display Resolution 1080 x 2400 pixels
Pixel Density 394 ppi
Display Features 48~120 Hz refresh rate
1300 nits
Protection IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Operating System One UI 3.1 (Android 11)
Platform Samsung Exynos 2100, or
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Memory 8 GB LPDDR5
Storage Options 256 GB
External Storage None
Front Camera 10 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.2)
Rear
Cameras
12 MP Dual Pixel (f/1.8) main camera
12 MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera
64 MP (f/2.0) telephoto camera
– 1.1X optical zoom, 3X hybrid zoom
Connectivity 5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-AC
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
GPS Support GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Ultra Wideband Yes
NFC / MST Yes
S Pen Support No
Fingerprint Sensor In Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro,
Geomagnetic, Hall sensor,
Proximity, Ambient Light
Audio Dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 4,800 mAh
Charging 25 watt wired,
18 watt wireless
Width
Height
Thickness
75.6 mm
161.5 mm
7.8 mm
Weight 200 g

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus : Colour Options

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus comes in three colour options – Phantom Silver, Phantom Black and a new signature colour, Phantom Violet.

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus : Launch Price List

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus comes in two variants globally, with these prices :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : US$999.99 / £949 / A$1549
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : US$1049.99 / £999 / A$1649 / S$1498 / RM4299

Here are some online purchase / pre-order options :

 

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Samsung Galaxy S21 : What You Need To Know!

Samsung just introduced the Galaxy S21, a new compact flagship smartphone with an iconic new design!

Find out if the new Samsung Galaxy S21 is the smartphone you have been waiting for!

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 : Compact Flagship!

With a 6.2-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is designed for those who want a light, compact flagship smartphone.

Its edge-to-edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display has a Full HD+ resolution, with an adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate.

New Flagship Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 in the US, South Korea and China, and the new Samsung Exynos 2100 in other countries.

They are both flagship mobile SoCs, and here is a quick comparison of their key specifications :

Specifications Samsung
Exynos 2100
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 888
Fab Process 5 nm EUV
Processor 1 x Cortex-X1 (2.9 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A78 (2.8 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (2.2 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X1 (2.84 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A78 (2.4 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz)
GPU Arm Mali-G78 Qualcomm Adreno 660
AI Processor Triple-Core NPU Hexagon 780
Memory Support LPDDR5 LPDDR5
Storage Support UFS 3.1 / UFS 2.1 UFS 3.1
Connectivity 5G (sub-6GHz / mmWave)
4G LTE (1024 QAM)
3G WCDMA
2G GSM / CDMA

Front + Rear Cameras

The Galaxy S21 comes with a 10 MP Dual Pixel front camera, with an f/2.2 aperture. The Dual Pixel capability allows for faster auto-focus.

In the back, it has a triple camera system, that consists of :

  • a 12 MP Dual Pixel main camera, with an f/1.8 aperture
  • a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, with an f/2.2 aperture
  • a 64 MP telephoto camera, with an f/2.0 aperture, 1.1X optical zoom and 3X hybrid optic zoom.

Most of the improvements are in its camera software :

  • Improved 8K Snap, that lets you capture clear images from your 8K video footage
  • Super Steady video now supports 60 fps video recording
  • Single Take lets you capture a variety of still and video formats with a single tap.
    It is now enhanced with new pro-style settings like Highlight Video and Dynamic Slow-Mo
  • New Director’s View that lets you see, switch and select the best shot… LIVE!
  • Improved Space Zoom with new Zoom Lock capability

Samsung SmartThings Find

Samsung Galaxy S21 supports the new SmartThings Find capability, which lets you quickly and easily locate compatible Galaxy devices, even when they are offline.

You can also locate non-connected devices using Samsung’s new Galaxy SmartTag Bluetooth locater. Simply attach it to your keys, bag or pet, and use SmartThings Find to locate them!

Protection

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is IP68-rated against dust and water, allowing you to immerse it in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water, for up to 30 minutes.

Its display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus against scratches in the front.

Battery + Charging

The Samsung Galaxy S21 comes with a 4,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, and it supports 18 watt wireless charging, as well as 25 watt wired charging.

But here’s the bad news – the Galaxy S21 does NOT come with a charger in the box. It only ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable.

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S21
Model SM-G991
Display Size 6.2-inch Flat
Display Panel Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Display Resolution 1080 x 2400 pixels
Pixel Density 421 ppi
Display Features 48~120 Hz refresh rate
1300 nits
Protection IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Operating System One UI 3.1 (Android 11)
Platform Samsung Exynos 2100, or
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Memory 8 GB LPDDR5
Storage Options 256 GB
External Storage None
Front Camera 10 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.2)
Rear Cameras 12 MP Dual Pixel (f/1.8) main camera
12 MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera
64 MP (f/2.0) telephoto camera
– 1.1X optical zoom, 3X hybrid zoom
Connectivity 5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-AC
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
GPS Support GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Ultra Wideband No
NFC / MST Yes
S Pen Support No
Fingerprint Sensor In Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro,
Geomagnetic, Hall sensor,
Proximity, Ambient Light
Audio Dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 4,000 mAh
Charging 25 watt wired,
18 watt wireless
Width
Height
Thickness
71.2 mm
161.7 mm
7.9 mm
Weight 169 g

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 : Colour Options

The Samsung Galaxy S21 comes in four colour options – Phantom Grey, Phantom White, Phantom Pink and a new signature colour, Phantom Violet.

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus : Launch Price List

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus comes in two variants globally, with these prices :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : US$799.99 / £769 / A$1249
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : US$849.99 / £819 / A$1349 / S$1248 / RM3699

Here are some online purchase / pre-order options :

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 FE : Fan Edition Details Leaked!

Samsung is about to launch the Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) – a refreshed version of the original Galaxy S20 smartphone!

Here is EVERYTHING leaked so far about the upcoming Galaxy S20 FE smartphone!

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE : Fan Edition

Scheduled for an official launch on 23 September 2020, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) is an upcoming Lite version of the original Galaxy S20 smartphone.

It’s not just a cheaper mid-range version though, with some improvements over the Galaxy S20, like a large display with 120 Hz refresh rate and a larger battery.

The term Fan Edition, you may recall, was originally introduced for the revamped Galaxy Note 7.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE : What Leaked So Far!

Ahead of its official launch, here is what we know so far about the Galaxy S20 FE :

  • It was originally called the Galaxy S20 Lite.
  • It will be available in 4G (SM-G780) and 5G (SM-G781) models
  • The 5G variant will be powered by the Snapdragon 865, and available in Europe as well as the US, Korea and China.
  • The 4G variant will be powered by the Exynos 990, and available in all the other countries.
  • It will come with a larger 6.5-inch display with 120 Hz refresh rate, but a lower resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels
  • It will use Gorilla Glass 3 protection to save on costs
  • It will come with 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage
  • The front camera will be upgraded with a 32 MP sensor
  • The 3X telephoto rear camera will have an 8 MP sensor, instead of 64 MP
  • It will come with a large 4,500 battery – 500 mAh (12.5%) more than Galaxy S20

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE : Price + Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE will be CHEAPER than the Galaxy S20, with reports saying that it will have a starting price of US$750 (about £579 / A$1,026 / S$1019 / RM3099).

Samsung will offer it in six colour options – Navy Blue, Teal, Lavender, Red, White and Orange – which they revealed in their promotional images above. This confirmed Evan Blass’ leaked photo below.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE : 5G vs 4G

Here is a specification comparison of the 5G and 4G variants of the Galaxy S20 FE :

Specifications Galaxy S20 FE 5G Galaxy S20 FE 4G
Model SM-G781 SM-G780
Display 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display
– 1080 x 2400 pixels
– 120 Hz refresh
– HDR10 support
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3
IP68 dust- and water-resistance
Operating System Android Q with One UI 2.5
System Platform Snapdragon 865 Exynos 990
Processor 1 x Kryo 585 Gold
3 x Kryo 585 Gold
4 x Kryo 585 Silver
2 x Exynos M5
2 x Cortex-A76
4 x Cortex-A55
GPU Adreno 650 Mali-G77 MP11
RAM 6 GB LPDDR5
Storage 128 GB (UFS 2.1)
External Storage microSD (hybrid, up to 1 TB)
Front Camera 32 MP, f/2.2 aperture
Rear Cameras Main : 12 MP Sony IMX555, f/1.8
Ultra-Wide : 12 MP, f/2.2
3X Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.4
Connectivity 5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band)
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
Fingerprint Sensor In Display Ultrasonic
Audio Dolby Atmos stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 4,500 mAh battery
Charger 15 W fast charger
Dimensions ? mm wide
? mm tall
8.4 mm thick
Weight 190 g

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs Galaxy S20

Here is a specification comparison of Galaxy S20 FE against the original Galaxy S20 :

Specifications Galaxy S20 FE Galaxy S20
Model SM-G781 SM-G981
Display 6.5-inch Super AMOLED
– 1080 x 2400 pixels
– 120 Hz refresh
– HDR10 support
6.2-inch Super AMOLED
– 1440 x 3200 pixels
– 60 Hz refresh
– HDR10 support
Protection Gorilla Glass 3 Gorilla Glass 6
IP Rating IP68 dust- and water-resistance
Operating System Android Q with One UI
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 / Samsung Exynos 990
RAM 6 GB LPDDR5 8 GB LPDDR5
Storage 128 GB (UFS 2.1)
External Storage microSD (hybrid, up to 1 TB)
Front Camera 32 MP, f/2.2 aperture 10 MP, f/2.2 aperture
Rear Cameras 12 MP main camera
12 MP ultra-wide camera
8 MP telephone camera (3X)
12 MP main camera
12 MP ultra-wide camera
64 MP telephone camera (3X)
Connectivity Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band)
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
Fingerprint Sensor In Display Ultrasonic
Audio Dolby Atmos stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 4,500 mAh battery 4,000 mAh battery
Charger 15 W fast charger
Dimensions ? mm wide
? mm tall
8.4 mm thick
69.1 mm wide
151.7 mm tall
7.9 mm thick
Weight 190 g 163 g

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : An In-Depth Review!

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the big brother of the Galaxy S20 family. The ultimate expression of Samsung’s vision for a flagship smartphone.

We hope our in-depth review of the new Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra will help you decide if this is the smartphone for you.

Find out the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is truly worth our Editor’s Choice Award!

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : The Big Brother!

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the big brother of the Samsung Galaxy S20 family, the other two being the Galaxy S20 Plus and the Galaxy S20.

Beyond its size, it is the ultimate expression of its Samsung designers of their vision of a flagship smartphone for 2020.

In this table, we compare the key specifications of the three models :

Specifications Galaxy S20 Ultra Galaxy S20+ Galaxy S20
Model SM-G988 SM-G986 SM-G981
Display Size 6.9-inch 6.7-inch 6.2-inch
Display Panel Dynamic AMOLED (HDR10+ certified)
Display Resolution 1440 x 3200 pixels
Pixel Density 511 ppi 525 ppi 563 ppi
Display Refresh 60 Hz / 120 Hz
Operating System Android 10 with One UI 2.0
Protection IP68 + Gorilla Glass 6
System Platform Samsung Exynos 990 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
RAM 16 GB LPDDR5 (512 GB)
12 GB (128 / 256 GB)
12 GB LPDDR5 (5G)
8 GB LPDDR5 (4G)
Internal Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB 128 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1 TB)
Front Camera 40 MP camera 10 MP camera
Rear Cameras 108 MP main camera
48 MP 10X telephoto
12 MP ultra-wide
DepthVision camera
12 MP main camera
64 MP 3X telephoto
12 MP ultra-wide
DepthVision camera
12 MP main camera
64 3X MP telephoto
12 MP ultra-wide
Connectivity Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth : BT5.0
USB : USB Type C 2.0
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, In-Display Ultrasonic Sensor
Audio Dolby Atmos stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 5,000 mAh battery
45W fast charging
4,500 mAh battery
25W fast charging
4,000 mAh battery
25W fast charging
Dimensions 76.0 mm wide
166.9 mm tall
8.8 mm thick
73.7 mm wide
161.9 mm tall
7.8 mm thick
69.1 mm wide
151.7 mm tall
7.9 mm thick
Weight 220 g (4G)
222 g (5G)
188 g (4G)
188 g (5G)
163 g

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is only offering two colour options – Cosmic Black, and Cosmic Gray.

Here are its recommended retail prices :

  • Malaysia : RM 4,999 (128 GB)
  • United States : $1,399.99 (128 GB) | $1,599.99 (512 GB)
  • United Kingdom : £1,199 (128 GB) | £1,399 (512 GB)
  • Australia : A$1,999 (128 GB)

Here are the online purchase options for the Samsung Galaxy S20 family :

Malaysia

Singapore

United States

United Kingdom

Australia

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Contents

After unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, this is what you will find :

  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra bumper case
  • Set of Samsung Galaxy S20 documents
  • 25 watt Samsung Fast Charger
  • AKG earphones (USB Type C) with spare ear buds
  • USB Type C cable
  • SIM tray extractor pin

Next Page > Hands-On, 120 Hz Display, Battery Performance

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Hands-On Experience

In this exclusive video, we present to you our hands-on experience of the Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone in both colour options – Cosmic Black, and Cosmic Gray!

Samsung removed the dedicated Bixby button, so the only buttons you will find are the Volume control and Power buttons along the right edge.

The hybrid SIM tray is located at the top, with a second microphone that is used for noise cancellation.

Like the Galaxy Note 10, the Galaxy S20 Ultra no longer has the 3.5 mm audio jack. So you will only find the USB Type C connector at the bottom, flanked by the speaker and main microphone ports.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra does not come with an internal DAC, so you will need to use the provided USB Type C earphones, or purchase a USB-C audio adaptor with a built-in DAC.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : 120 Hz Display

One of the new features introduced in the Galaxy S20 Ultra is a 120 Hz refresh rate for its Super AMOLED display.

Doubling the refresh rate to 120 Hz allows for smoother scrolling and a more realistic gaming experience.

However, running the display at 120 Hz will reduce the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s battery life.

The display not only refreshes twice as often, the GPU has to work twice as hard.

This is why Samsung sets the display to 60Hz by default.

To ensure it will last a long time, Samsung gave it a very large 5,000 mAh battery. The corresponding Galaxy S10 Plus from last year only has a 4,100 mAh battery in comparison.

On top of that, the S20 Ultra supports 45 watt fast charging, although it only comes with a 25 watt fast charger out to the box.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Battery Life!

We ran the PCMark Work 2.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, with the display set to 60Hz and 120Hz. Here were the best results we obtained :

So there you have it – increasing the display refresh rate on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra from 60Hz to 120Hz will reduce its battery life by about 21% or roughly 2.5 hours.

Work 2.0 Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy S20 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Galaxy Note10+ Galaxy S10+ Galaxy S20 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Battery Capacity 4,000 mAh 5,000 mAh 4,300 mAh 4,100 mAh 5,000 mAh
Battery Life 12 hours 25 mins 11 hours 32 mins 10 hours 32 mins 10 hours 17 mins 9 hours 4 mins
Battery Utilisation 4.30 mAh / min. 5.78 mAh / min. 5.44 mAh / min. 5.32 mAh / min. 7.35 mAh / min.
Review Links Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy Note10+ Galaxy S10+
Price Check UK | MY | SG | AU US | UKMY | SG | AU USUKMY US | UK | MY US | UKMY | SG | AU

Now we can see why Samsung set the display to 60Hz by default. If battery life is important, keep it at the default refresh rate of 60Hz.

But if you prefer to enjoy the 120Hz display, go on right ahead. Thanks to its large 5,000 mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra will last you quite a few hours!

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Recharging Speed

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra supports 45 watt fast charging, but only comes with a 25 watt fast charger. Let’s find out just how fast it recharges its 5,000 mAh battery.

Galaxy S20 Ultra Galaxy Note10+ Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy S10+
Battery Capacity 5,000 mAh 4,300 mAh 4,000 mAh 4,100 mAh
Charger Output 25 watts 25 watts 27 watts 15 watts
Recharging Time 57.5 minutes 63 minutes 67 minutes 91.6 minutes
Recharging Speed 69.6 mAh / min. 54.6 mAh / min. 47.8 mAh / min. 35.8 mAh / min.
Review Links Galaxy Note10+ Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy S10+
Price Check US | UKMY | SG | AU USUKMY UK | MY | SG | AU US | UK | MY

Impressive! Even with the same 25 watt fast charger that shipped with the Galaxy Note10+, the Galaxy S20 Ultra recharged its battery 27.5% faster!

It has an excellent battery life : recharging ratio of 12:1. A general rule of thumb – for one of hour battery life, you just need to charge it for 5 minutes.

The fastest recharging happened up to the 85% level. This took just 37 minutes. Then the recharging speed slowed down, and it took a further 20.5 minutes to top up the last 15%.

Next Page > Work + Gaming Performance, RAM + Storage

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 in the United States, and Samsung Exynos 990 in the rest of the world.

Here is a comparison of the key specifications of the Exynos 990 vs Snapdragon 865 :

Exynos 990 Snapdragon 865
Process 7 nm EUV 7 nm N7P
CPU Cores 2 x Exynos M5 (2.7 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (2.0 GHz)
1 x Kryo 585 (2.8 GHz)
3 x Kryo 585 (2.4 GHz)
4 x Kryo 485 (1.8 GHz)
GPU Mali-G77 MP11 Adreno 650
Memory Support LPDDR5 LPDDR5
Storage Support UFS 3.0 / 2.1 UFS 3.0
5G Modem Exynos 5123 (Separate)
– 7.35 Gbps
Snapdragon X55 (Separate)
– 7.5 Gbps

 

Samsung Exynos 990 Work Performance : PCMark

We tested its performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

Work 2.0 Galaxy S20 Ultra Galaxy Note10+ Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy S10+
Mobile Platform Exynos 990 Exynos 9825 Snapdragon 855+ Exynos 9820
Performance Score
(Average)
10678 8981 8384 7846
Web Browsing 9287 8293 6768 8583
Video Editing 6331 9166 5948 5524
Writing 11660 9579 9226 9076
Photo Editing 29560 19376 17595 10710
Data Manipulation 6849 6155 6339 6450
Review Links Galaxy Note10+ Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy S10+
Price Check US | UKMY | SG | AU USUKMY US | UKMY | SG | AU US | UK | MY

What a nice surprise! Samsung Exynos has historically been rather poor at work performance.

The last-generation Exynos 9825 and Exynos 9820, for example, were significantly slower than their Qualcomm counterparts – the Snapdragon 855 and Snapdragon 855+.

But the Exynos 990 is 36% faster than the Exynos 9820 (its predecessor), and 13% faster than the Snapdragon 855.

 

Samsung Exynos 990 Gaming Performance : 3DMark

We tested its gaming performance using 3DMark, with these results.

3DMark Galaxy S20 Ultra Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy Note10+ Galaxy S10+
Mobile Platform Exynos 990 Snapdragon 855+ Exynos 9825 Exynos 9820
Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL) 6723 6258 5037 4470
Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) 5848 5386 4794 4314
Sling Shot 8075 8127 4883 4343
Review Links Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy Note10+ Galaxy S10+
Price Check US | UKMY | SG | AU US | UKMY | SG | AU USUKMY US | UK | MY

Not bad at all! Samsung caught up with Qualcomm in gaming performance as well.

The new Exynos 990 was 7.5% faster than the Snapdragon 855+, that powered high-end gaming smartphones like the Black Shark 2 Pro, in Sling Shot Extreme, matching it in the easier Sling Shot benchmark.

Notably, the Exynos 990 was 50% faster than its predecessor, the Exynos 9820 that powered the Galaxy S10+.

 

Samsung Exynos 990 Gaming Performance : AnTuTu

We then tested the Exynos 990 using AnTuTu, yielding these results :

AnTuTu Galaxy S20 Ultra Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy Note10+ Galaxy S10+
Mobile Platform Exynos 990 Snapdragon 855+ Exynos 9825 Exynos 9820
AnTuTu Score 518159 434168 348397 330549
CPU 151510 126170 101187 100272
GPU 218164 1881588 156700 149930
Memory 78457 65052 72051 68188
UX 70028 54788 18459 12159
Review Links Black Shark 2 Pro Galaxy Note10+ Galaxy S10+
Price Check US | UKMY | SG | AU US | UKMY | SG | AU USUKMY US | UK | MY

Will you look at that? The Samsung Exynos 990 was 19% faster than the Snapdragon 855+, and 57% faster than its predecessor, the Exynos 9820!

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : RAM + Storage

The top-of-the-line model pairs 16 GB LPDDR5 memory with 512 GB fast UFS 3.0 storage. The other two models come with 12 GB LPDDR5 memory, and either 128 GB or 256 GB storage.

If that’s not enough, the Galaxy S20 Ultra has a hybrid SIM tray, which allows you to use either two nano SIM cards simultaneously, or one nano SIM card and a microSD card for additional storage.

It also supports eSIM, which allows you to activate and swap mobile plans without using a physical SIM card; as well as the possibility of using two mobile plans with a microSD card!

Our review sample was the base model, which means it comes with just 12 GB of LPDDR5 memory, and 128 GB of internal storage.

Of that, 7.5 GB of memory and 104 GB of storage is free and available to use, out-of-the-box.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Camera Features

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Camera Features

In the front, it has a single 40 MP camera with a wide f/2.2 aperture.

At the back, it has a quad-camera system, which consists of :

  • a 108 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF and OIS,
  • a 48 MP telephoto camera (10X hybrid optical zoom) with f/3.5 aperture and OIS,
  • a 12 MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture,
  • a VGA DepthVision camera with f/1.0 aperture (for depth sensing)

In addition, it is the first Samsung smartphone to be able to record 8K videos!

We can also see a third microphone in the camera bump, which is used to support Audio Zoom – letting you zoom into the action and focus on sound from the subject, while reducing ambient noise.

10X Hybrid Optic Zoom

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra uses a folded lens design, to deliver a 10X Hybrid Optic Zoom range in a slim design.

The lens lays flat, and is positioned at the bottom of the camera. Light from the aperture is redirected by a prism into the lens, refracting at a 90-degree angle to increase the focal length.

Space Zoom Technology

Space Zoom combines their Hybrid Optic Zoom, with AI multi-frame processing enhancements to give you incredible zoom ranges.

  • Hybrid Optic Zoom : longer zoom range by cropping their new super resolution sensor, and pairing it with new zoom lens
  • AI Multi-Frame Processing : better image quality of digitally-zoomed images through AI algorithms

Bright Night Mode

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra also offers a Bright Night Mode to greatly improve its low-light photography capability.

Recommended : Samsung Galaxy S20 Bright Night Mode : How Useful Is It?

[twenty20 img1=”35698″ img2=”35699″ offset=”0.5″ before=”Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Normal)” after=”Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Bright Night)”]

Without Bright Night mode enabled, you cannot make out the Minion prisoner’s hands and feet, or the details of Darth Minion’s armour.

But when we took the same scene with Bright Night mode turned on, the brightness and clarity of the scene is greatly boosted!

You can now see the Minion prisoner’s hand and feet, and the intricate details of Darth Minion’s armour, even though both are in the shadows!

In fact, even though we intentionally framed the scene with the light at the back, you can clearly see the details of all three Minions and the teddy bear.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Samples

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Camera Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra uses the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HM1 sensor, which is notable for its large 1/33-inch sensor size and ultra-high resolution of 108 MP.

But it defaults to 12 MP – combining nine pixels into one for better image quality, especially in low-light conditions.

At the default 12 MP resolution using the new HEIC file format, each 4000 x 3000 pixel picture has a file size of only about 1-3 MB.

Even using the HEIC file format, the full 108 MP resolution of 2000 x 9000 pixels has a much larger file size of 10-20 MB!

Recommended : Samsung Galaxy S20 Camera Technologies : What’s New?

Here are 8 high-resolution unedited samples for you to check out. Click on them to load the full-sized photos, which you can also download to examine.

The pictures look really good at the default 12 MP, with great detail even if you blow them up 100%. You really don’t need to go full 108 MP.

However, please note that the main camera has a very narrow depth-of-field. While this makes for great background bokeh (the flower picture above), it can be very difficult to focus on the subject.

Take a closer look at the broccoli picture, for example. Look at how only a narrow section of florets are in focus, with the rest quickly going out-of-focus.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Video Samples

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Video Samples

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is capable of recording 8K video from its 108 MP main camera, albeit only for 5 minutes, and without electronic image stabilisation, only optical image stabilisation provided by the lens.

It retains the ability to switch between cameras, and the Camera app has been modified to allow you to zoom all the way to 100X. However, the preset steps are much wider now.

Take a look at these 1080p, 4K and 8K video samples we took :

Video Sample #1 : Blues Band (1080p)

The image quality at 1080p is exceptional, with good control of the exposure. Image stabilisation by the main camera was good, but there was some shakiness when we switched to the telephoto camera.

Its audio quality and noise cancellation were also very good. Even though it was breezy that day, you can’t hear any wind noise.

Video Sample #2 : Blues Band (4K)

This is our favourite video recording resolution. Good image quality at a high resolution, with good exposure.

Video Sample #3 : Blues Band (8K)

The detail at 8K was exceptional, and the image stabilisation (only optical) was better than we expected. But we noticed some autofocus issues – you can see some seeking even though no one is moving.

Video Sample #4 : Street Market (1080p)

In this test of its image stabilisation capabilities, you can see that at 1080p, the S20 Ultra does a very good job of cancelling out hand shake while walking.

Video Sample #5 : Street Market (4K)

Image stabilisation at 4K was very good too. Very smooth video even while walking.

Video Sample #6 : Street Market (8K)

At 8K, there is some noticeable jerkiness, but thanks to OIS, it actually turned out better than we expected.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S20 – Our Verdict + Award!

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra : Our Verdict + Award

As the biggest and baddest smartphone in the S20 family, the Galaxy S20 Ultra boasts everything Samsung could fit inside.

  • Large 6.9-inch high-resolution display – check!
  • 120 Hz Dynamic AMOLED panel – check!
  • Powerful new Samsung Exynos 990 platform – check!
  • Lots of free memory – check!
  • 5G connectivity – check!
  • 40 MP front camera – check!
  • 108 MP main camera – check!
  • 10X Hybrid Optic Zoom – check!
  • 100X Space Zoom – check!
  • 8K video recording – check!
  • AKG-tuned stereo speakers – check!
  • Large 5000 mAh battery – check!
  • Very fast battery charging – check!

If you want the very best Android smartphone money can buy, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra would be right at the top of a very, very short list.

The only complaints we have are pretty short :

  • it should have come with at least 256 GB of storage
  • it has a rather short battery life, especially with the display at 120 Hz
  • it is on the bulkier and heavier side
  • it is not cheap!

On the last point, it should be pointed out that if you pay peanuts for your smartphone, you often get one designed for monkeys. It should come to no surprise that we find ourselves wishing we earned enough to afford one.

For those with deep pockets, this is really one of the best, if not the best, Android smartphones you can buy in 2020. That’s why we have no qualms but to give it our Editor’s Choice Award. Congratulations, Samsung!

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Smartphones : Where To Buy?

Here are the online purchase options for the Samsung Galaxy S20 family :

Malaysia

Singapore

United States

United Kingdom

Australia

 

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Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus : TWS Earbuds Tuned By AKG!

One of the best TWS earbuds in the market are the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, which are turned by AKG.

Find out if the new Galaxy Buds Plus (Galaxy Buds+) are TWS earbuds you’re looking for!

 

True Wireless Stereo : What Is It?

True Wireless Stereo or TWS for short, refers to the ability to transfer stereo music wirelessly through Bluetooth.

The music player (or smartphone) transmits the music to a TWS Master device, which then forwards it to a TWS Slave device. This allows both TWS Master and Slave devices to deliver stereo music to you

 

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus : TWS Earbuds Tuned By AKG!

Announced together with the Samsung Galaxy S20 family of smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus or Galaxy Buds+ is their second-generation TWS earbuds design.

Improving on last year’s Galaxy Buds, it boasts a new 2-way speaker design by AKG, and an adaptive 3-microphone system. Let’s take a closer look at its key features…

2-Way Dynamic Speaker System by AKG

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus features a new 2-way dynamic speaker system, tuned by AKG. It combines a tweeter with a woofer, to deliver both clear high notes and a rich and powerful bass.

Adaptive 3-Microphone System

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus also comes with an adaptive 3 microphone system to make sure background noises will never drown out your voice.

The two outer microphones work together with the inner microphone to cancel out background noises, whenever you are on a call.

You can also use it to tune out ambient noise while listening to your music, or whenever you just want some peace and quiet.

Better Battery + Charging!

Samsung greatly improved the battery life on the Galaxy Buds Plus, almost doubling it over its predecessor – from 6 hours to 11 hours!

Even its battery case has a much longer battery life, up from 7 hours to 11 hours! That means you get a total of 22 hours of battery life on-the-go!

Samsung also improved its recharging performance. It now takes just 3 minutes of charging to get you an hour of playback time. That’s 3X faster than its predecessor!

On top of that, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus and its battery case are Qi-certified. That means you can recharge either or both using any Qi-compatible charging pad.

Heck, you can even recharge it on smartphones that support Qi reverse charging, like the Samsung Galaxy S20 /  Galaxy S20 Plus / Galaxy S20 Ultra… and even the HUAWEI P40 / P40 Pro / P40 Pro Plus smartphones!

 

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus : Price + Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is available in two colour options – White and Black, with BlueRed and Pink options in select countries, at recommended retail prices :

  • Malaysia : RM 599
  • Singapore : $268
  • United States : $149.99
  • United Kingdom : £159
  • Australia : $299

You can purchase them from these online stores :

 

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (SM-T825) Tablet Review

Samsung has finally introduced a new tablet – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3! Their last tablet, the Galaxy Tab S2 debuted in September 2015 and ran on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. Now, find out what’s new in the Galaxy Tab S3, and what it offers over its predecessor!

Updated @ 2017-09-06 : Updated various parts of the review with additional information and some corrections.

Originally posted @ 2017-07-03

 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Specification Comparison

Unlike the Galaxy Tab S2 (which comes in 8″ and 9.7″ models), the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) only comes in the 9.7″ form factor. Here, we compare the specifications of the new Galaxy Tab S3 (SM-T820) against the 9.7″ model of its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S2 (SM-T819).

SpecificationsSamsung Galaxy Tab S3Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (9.7")
Display9.7" Super AMOLED display
- 1536 x 2048 pixels (~264 ppi)
9.7" Super AMOLED display
- 1536 x 2048 pixels (~264 ppi)
Operating SystemAndroid 7.0 NougatAndroid 5.0.2 Lollipop
System PlatformQualcomm Snapdragon 820Samsung Exynos 7 Octa (5433)
Processor2 x Qualcomm Kyro cores (2.15 GHz)
2 x Qualcomm Kyro cores (1.6 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A57 cores (1.9 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.3 GHz)
Graphics ProcessorQualcomm Adreno 530 GPUARM Mali-T760
Memory4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM (933 MHz)3 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM (800 MHz)
Storage32 GB internal flash storage
microSD slot (up to 256 GB)
32 GB internal flash storage
microSD slot (up to 128 GB)
Front Camera5 MP sensor with f/2.2 lens2.1 MP sensor with f/2.2 lens
Rear Camera13 MP sensor with f/1.9 lens
- Up to 4K video recording
8 MP sensor with f/1.9 lens
- Up to 1440p video recording
Audio4 AKG-tuned speakersTwo speakers
Connectivity4G LTE (LTE-enabled model only)
WiFi : 802.11 a/b/g/b/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
USB : USB 3.1 Type C
4G LTE (LTE-enabled model only)
WiFi : 802.11 a/b/g/b/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
USB : USB 2.0
S PenIncluded
Pen tip : 0.7 mm
Pressure levels : 4,096
None
Battery6,000 mAh lithium ion (non-removable)5,870 mAh lithium ion (non-removable)
Dimensions169.0 mm wide
237.3 mm tall
6.0 mm thick
169.0 mm wide
237.3 mm tall
5.6 mm thick
WeightWiFi only : 429 g
LTE-enabled : 434 g
WiFi only : 389 g
LTE-enabled : 392 g
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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Book Cover

Our review sample came unboxed, with the optional Book Cover, so there’s no unboxing video. However, you will get to check out how it works with the Book Cover.

As you can see, the Book Cover works just like the Apple iPad Smart Cover. It locks magnetically to the Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada), protecting the front and back glass covers against damage. Flipping it open automatically turns on the Tab S3. It also serves as a stand with three viewing angles.

The Book Cover offers much needed protection for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada). In fact, anyone who gets the Galaxy Tab S3 should at least The only downside is that, like other similar covers, you need to let the flip cover hang loose to use the rear camera. It also does not come with a stylus holder. If a stylus holder is a must, then you need to consider the Keyboard Cover option.

Next Page > The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Up Close, Cameras & S Pen

 

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Up Close

Superficially, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) looks like its predecessor, the 9.7″ Galaxy Tab S2. If you are hoping for a “bezel-less” display like the Infinity Display of the Galaxy S8 smartphone, you’re out of luck. It doesn’t come with the iris scanner either, just the same fingerprint sensor embedded into the Home button.

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) comes in two variants – a WiFi-only model (SM-T820), and an LTE-enabled model (SM-T825). Our review sample is the SM-T825 LTE-enabled model, so it comes with a tray for a nano SIM card as well as a microSD card. The microSD card support, incidentally, has been doubled to 256 GB.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 also retained the front fingerprint sensor embedded into the Home button, as well as the dedicated capacitive touch buttons.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s biggest improvements are “hidden” from sight. It boasts the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, which offers 18% better CPU performance and 3X better graphics performance. It also has a longer battery life of up to 12 hours, partly due to its slightly larger battery and a more power-efficient design.

In addition, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) now boasts a quad-speaker setup, which works great in the horizontal mode, when used with the optional Book Cover or Keyboard Cover. The four speakers have also been tuned by AKG.

 

The Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) also offers upgraded cameras. The puny 2.1 MP front camera of its predecessor was replaced by a 5 MP Samsung S5K4E6 ISOCELL sensor with f/2.2 lens. This is the same sensor used in the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and the more recent HTC 10. The upgraded camera allows you to also record 1080p videos, and support Full HD video chats.

The main camera at the back was upgraded with a 13 MP Sony IMX260 sensor, up from the 8 MP shooter. This is the same excellent sensor used in top-of-the-line smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. It can record videos at up to 4K resolution, but does not support optical or electronic image stabilisation. We will share with you photo and video samples from this camera later in this review.

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The S Pen Stylus

New to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S series is the S Pen stylus. This is a redesigned S Pen with a thinner nib (0.7 mm) and 4,096 pressure levels. The S Pen is electromagnetically-powered by close proximity to the Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada), so there is no need to worry about batteries – which is just awesome.

It is thin at just 9.4 mm, and has a rectangular profile for a better grip. The metal clip at the end locks on to the magnets along the left side of the Galaxy Tab S3.

Next Page > Initial Setup, Ergonomics, Available Memory & Storage

 

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Setting Up The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) runs on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, and is very easy to set-up. If you are setting it up as a new device, it should take you only about 5 minutes to finish the setup process.

 

The Ergonomics

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) is now clad in glass, which gives it a more premium look and feel. However, the glass covers are very susceptible to fingerprint smears, and add about 10% more weight. The Galaxy Tab S3 with the Book Cover weighs just under 500 g, which is a significant amount of heft.

The glass covers are a little slippery to handle too, especially if you have oily or wet fingers. So it is recommended that you use it with the Book Cover, or the Keyboard Cover, for better grip.

 

Available Memory & Storage

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory, of which just 1.7 GB (42.5%) is free to use. This is far less free memory than other 4 GB devices we reviewed recently :[adrotate group=”2″]

That said, 1.7 GB of free memory is still more than what 3 GB devices have, so you don’t need to worry about running out of memory. Even so, we hope Samsung will seriously reduce the amount of bloat with their upcoming Android Oreo update.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) comes with just 32 GB of internal flash storage, of which 22.8 GB (71%) is free to use. For a 2017 tablet at this price point, we feel that Samsung should have given it at least 64 GB of storage. Of course, you can always top it up with a microSD card (up to 256 GB).

Next Page > Camera Performance – Photos & Videos

 

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Camera Performance – Photos

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) uses the Sony IMX260 sensor for its main camera, paired with an f/1.9 lens. However, it lacks any optical or electronic image stabilisation. The full 12.8 MP resolution (usually quoted as 13 MP) is attained with the 4:3 aspect ratio. Each picture has a resolution of 4128 × 3096, with a file size between 2.8 MB and 4 MB.

Here are ten full resolution, unedited photo samples for you to check out. Click on them to load the full-sized photos which you can download to examine.

This is the same sensor used in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, so there’s no surprise that the pictures are excellent. The f/1.9 lens also allowed for very good low-light performance.

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Camera Performance – Video Recording

Thanks to the Sony IMX260 sensor upgrade, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) can now record videos at up to 2160p (4K) at 30 fps. Officially, it does not support any form of optical or electronic image stabilisation. However, our tests show that it actually performs some electronic image stabilisation at 1080p or lower resolutions. Take a look…

Test #1 : Piano (1080p)

The image quality is excellent, with great control of the bright background. The recorded audio was also quite clear. Surprisingly, the amount of handshaking was minimal.

Test #2 : Piano (4K)

When we recorded this clip in the 4K resolution, we noticed that there was significantly more handshaking. From this, we can surmise that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 actually performs some electronic image stabilisation at lower resolutions.

Test #3 : Street Market (1080p)

Even though this test involved walking down a street market, the video was surprisingly smooth. That is quite unexpected for a camera that officially does not support any form of image stabilisation.

Test #4 : Street Market (4K)

The jerkiness of the 4K video is readily apparent. The image quality is excellent, but the complete lack of image stabilisation (for real this time!) is nausea-inducing!

Next Page > Work Performance, Battery Life & Recharging Speed

 

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Work Performance – PCMark

We tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Huawei Mate 9 ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra HTC 10
Work Performance Score
(Average)
6434 7593 6313 6105
Web Browsing 6294 8717 6257 5782
Video Playback 3903 4987 4287 3321
Writing 6584 7883 7166 7463
Photo Editing 10599 9702 8262 9694

Not surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) performed well, matching top-0f-the-line smartphones like the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra and HTC 10.

 

Battery Life – PCMark

We then tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.

Samsung claims that the Galaxy Tab S3 has a battery life of between 8 hours (Internet use time) to 12 hours (video play time). This battery test shows that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) will last about 8.5 hours of non-stop work – web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

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Battery Recharging Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 10 W fast charger and a USB Type C cable. Take a look at how fast it recharged the 6,000 mAh battery.

It took the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) about 114 minutes (1 hour 54 minutes) to recharge its battery from 17% to 100%. Overall, it has a battery life : recharging ratio of about 4.4 : 1, which is rather low. Samsung should have packaged it with an 18 W fast charger.

Next Page > Gaming & Overall Performance, Our Verdict & Lowest Prices

 

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Gaming Performance – 3DMark

We tested the Galaxy Tab S3’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Huawei Mate 9 ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra HTC 10
Gaming Score 17878 27853 17719 23171
Graphics 18515 36605 21124 27512
Physics 15958 15164 11328 14925
Graphics Test 1 88.8 fps 202.5 fps 115.2 fps 136.6 fps
Graphics Test 2 73.6 fps 131.1 fps 76.3 fps 106.4 fps
Physics Test 50.7 fps 48.1 fps 36.0 fps 47.4 fps

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) is not the fastest gaming tablet, but it has good gaming performance.

 

Overall Performance

AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Huawei Mate 9 ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra HTC 10
TOTAL SCORE 131430 123167 76096 113813
3D SCORE 57553 40114 18816 50700
– 3D (Marooned) 36690 23313 10861 34778
– 3D (Garden) 20863 16801 7952 15922
UX SCORE 43151 39975 26794 30890
– UX Data Secure 6524 7943 5077 6319
– UX Data Process 3534 6985 4198 3379
– UX Strategy Games 9054 11860 7503 5433
– UX Image Process 21022 5580 6879 9521
– UX I/O Performance 3017 7607 3137 6238
CPU SCORE 24024 31992 23689 21915
– CPU Mathematics 8532 9680 6950 8494
– CPU Common Use 6041 11139 6311 5931
– CPU Multi-Core 9451 11173 10428 7490
RAM 6702 11086 6797 10308

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) did well in AnTuTu, coming in top actually. It bested even top-of-the-line smartphones like the Huawei Mate 9 and HTC 10.

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Our Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) is a long-awaited upgrade to the Galaxy Tab S2. If you are hoping for revolutionary changes that have been the hallmark of the Samsung Galaxy S smartphones, you will be sorely disappointed. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S team retained the same familiar design.

So there is no Infinity Display or iris scanner, as some of us have hoped for. Instead, they clad the Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) in glass, and focused on internal improvements. It now boasts a faster processor, a much faster graphics processor, more and faster DDR4 memory, and a quad-speaker system tuned by AKG.

Also upgraded were the cameras. The puny 2.1 MP front camera was replaced with the 5 MP camera used in the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and the more recent HTC 10. The main camera also saw an upgrade to the excellent Sony IMX260 sensor used in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

Other less obvious upgrades include the display and battery. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) used the same excellent Super AMOLED display, but it is now capable of displaying HDR images and videos. The battery also saw a slight increase in capacity, allowing the Galaxy Tab S3 to achieve a rated battery life of 8 to 12 hours. Needless to say, the  battery has also undergone the new Samsung 8-point battery safety check.

Arguably the biggest upgrade the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 introduces is the improved S Pen. This is the first time a Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablet comes with the S Pen. The new S Pen is still powered electromagnetically, but now has a thinner nib and 4,096 pressure levels.

The only issues we have with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) are the memory bloat and its rather limited internal storage. At its launch price of RM 2,999 (US$ 599 in the US), we would have expected at least 64 GB of internal storage, or a Book Cover (RM 199 / ~US$ 47) thrown in.

If you find the Galaxy Tab S3 too pricey, you will be glad to note that the older Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is now on sale at almost half the price! Now that’s a really great deal!

 

Availability & Lowest Prices

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Amazon | Lazada) is now available in Black and Silver colour options. The Pogo Keyboard Cover comes in Gray colour and retails at RM499 / ~US$119.

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The Book Cover is available in Black, White and Green colours, and retails at RM199 / ~US$47. Check out the latest offers below :

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 LTE (Black) : Amazon | Lazada
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 LTE (Silver) : Amazon | Lazada
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Keyboard CoverAmazon
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Book Cover (Black)Amazon | Lazada
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Book Cover (White)Amazon | Lazada
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Book Cover (Green)Amazon | Lazada

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The All-New Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Tablet Is Here!

30 May 2017 – Samsung Malaysia Electronics today announces the availability of Galaxy Tab S3, a stylishly designed tablet with advanced computing technology offering a premium mobile experience. Equipped with an S Pen designed to feel and write like your favourite ball pen, the Galaxy Tab S3 delivers versatile usage as a productivity tool, without needing to recharge.

Don’t forget to read our Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Review!

 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Building upon a signature design, the Galaxy Tab S3’s minimal and refined design was achieved by affixing glossy, reinforced glass panels to an aluminum frame, resulting in a seamless aesthetic. The Galaxy Tab S3 provides premium Galaxy technology including:

  • Refined S Pen: With an enhanced S Pen, the Galaxy Tab S3 allows users to be more productive, creative, and do multiple things at once. For a natural writing experience, the S Pen has a smaller 0.7mm tip and increased pressure sensitivity. The S Pen also includes convenient features such as Screen Off Memo to quickly jot down notes, PDF Annotation for easy editing and professional-level drawing with Advanced Drawing Tools.
  • Powerful Quad Stereo Sound Speakers Tuned by AKG: The Galaxy Tab S3 is the first Samsung tablet to boast such a design, which places powerful quad-stereo speakers crafted by AKG by Harman in each corner of the device. The speakers’ ‘Auto Rotate Stereo’ function allows the tablet to redirect sound based on its orientation, creating a more accurate and consistent listening experience.

  • Brighter and Better Display: Boasting a superb 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display with HDR (High Dynamic Range) video content support, the Galaxy Tab S3 displays stunningly vivid images with true-to-life colours.

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress this year, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 delivers on Samsung’s legacy of innovative Galaxy technology including a 13-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and a 5-megapixel front camera for high-quality photos. The tablet also includes expandable storage[1] and more power efficiency with fast-charge capabilities, supporting up to 12 hours of video playback on the Galaxy Tab S3. With fast charging technology and longer battery life, the Galaxy Tab S3 is designed to keep users always connected.

Mobile Entertainment

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 takes mobile entertainment to the next level providing a cinema-like experience with 4K video playback and a stunning Super AMOLED display. Highly optimised for gaming, the Galaxy Tab S3 also comes equipped with Vulkan API for superior graphics and the new Game Launcher for an enhanced user interface and personalised gaming experience, as well as modes like ‘Do Not Disturb’ for uninterrupted gameplay.

Safe & Secure Login

For a safe and secure login, Samsung Flow uses biometric authentication to log-in and can wirelessly tether compatible devices to transfer documents from a mobile device to a tablet. It also syncs message notifications so users will never miss an important text message, whether they are using a smartphone or their tablet – making working on the go seamless.

Keyboard & Case Options

For power users always on-the-go, the Galaxy Tab S3 also supports Pogo keyboards as no charging or pairing is required. The tablet’s dedicated Pogo pin-connected keyboard locks into place securely so users can get to work quickly, and features a streamlined layout that optimizes key spacing to promote accurate typing. USB Type-C compatibility, meanwhile, provides more convenient cable connections as well as much faster data transfers. The Pogo Keyboard Cover comes in Gray colour and retails at RM499 / ~US$ 119.

A new selection of Galaxy Tab S3 covers will give stylish users the option to pair their tablet with soft-coloured Book Covers that feature powdery matte finishing and lightweight design to complete the device’s stylish look. Its dual usage mode – Viewing Mode or Touch Mode – makes it perfect for propping the tablet up to touch with ease or standing it up to watch movies comfortably. The Book Covers are also designed to magnetically attach the S Pen for quick access. Available in Black, White and Green colours, the Book Covers retail at RM199 / ~US$ 47.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Availability

The Galaxy Tab S3 is available in Malaysia at Samsung Experience Stores nationwide, including e-commerce partners Lazada and 11street, as well as authorised dealers starting 1st June 2017. Offered in understated Black and Silver colours to suit the refined tastes of modern millennials, the powerful tablet retails at an attractive recommended retail price of RM2,999 / ~US$ 719 inclusive of 6% GST.

[1] Expandable storage units sold separately from the device.

Don’t forget to read our Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Review!

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