The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is here! This is not just an upgrade of last year’s Galaxy Tab S3, but a larger model Here are our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 that arrived in our lab last week!
How Does The Galaxy Tab S4 Compare To The Galaxy Tab S3?
Here’s a comparison of their key specifications :
| Specifications | Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (2018) | Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display - 1600 x 2560 pixels (287 ppi) - Corning Gorilla Glass protection | 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display - 1536 x 2048 pixels (264 ppi) - Corning Gorilla Glass protection |
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 |
| Processor | 4 x Qualcomm Kryo 280 cores (2.35 GHz) 4 x Qualcomm Kyro 280 cores (1.9 GHz) | 2 x Qualcomm Kyro cores (2.15 GHz) 2 x Qualcomm Kyro cores (1.6 GHz) |
| Graphics Processor | Qualcomm Adreno 540 | Qualcomm Adreno 530 |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4x SDRAM | 4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM |
| Storage | 64 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (up to 400 GB) | 32 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (up to 256 GB) |
| Front Camera | 8 MP camera | 5 MP sensor with f/2.2 lens |
| Rear Camera | 13 MP camera with single LED flash - Up to 4K video recording @ 30 fps | 13 MP sensor with f/1.9 lens - Up to 4K video recording @ 30 fps |
| Network | 4G LTE LTE Cat16 DL : 1 Gbps LTE Cat13 UL : 150 Mbps | 4G LTE LTE Cat16 DL : 600 Mbps LTE Cat13 UL : 150 Mbps |
| Connectivity | WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) Bluetooth v5.0 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C | WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) Bluetooth v4.1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C |
| GPS Support | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou |
| Iris Scanner | Yes | No |
| Fingerprint Sensor | No | Yes |
| Other Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor | Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor |
| NFC | No | No |
| S Pen | Included Pen tip : 0.7 mm Pressure levels : 4,096 | Included Pen tip : 0.7 mm Pressure levels : 4,096 |
| Battery | 7,300 mAh lithium-ion battery | 6,000 mAh lithium-ion battery |
| Dimensions | 164.3 mm wide 249.3 mm tall 7.1 mm thick | 169.0 mm wide 237.3 mm tall 6.0 mm thick |
| Weight | 483 g | 434 g |
| Available Colours | Black, Grey | Black, Grey |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Price + Availability
[adrotate group=”2″]The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is available in two colour options – Black and Grey. They are both available starting 21 September 2018. with these recommended retail prices :
- Malaysia (LTE) : RM 3,099 (Web | App)
- US (LTE) : $729.99 (Black)
- US (WiFi) : $649.99 (Black | Grey)
- UK (LTE) : £649 (Black | Grey)
- UK (WiFi) : £599 (Black | Grey)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (SM-T835) Tablet Up Close!
Last year’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 was a 9.7-inch phablet, but with the Galaxy Tab S4, Samsung decided to go bigger with a 10.5-inch display. Yet, it’s barely larger than the Tab S3. In fact, it is slightly narrower.
How is that possible? They reduced the bezel size, and removed the physical and capacitive buttons. This allowed Samsung to expand the display size by 8% while only increasing the form factor by 2%.
Of course, without the physical home button, the Galaxy Tab S3 lost its fingerprint sensor. A rear-mounted fingerprint sensor would be awkward in such a large tablet. So they replaced it with an iris scanner
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App) also got a boost in performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. It is not only faster, it is 35% smaller, and uses 25% less power.
Next Page > Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Key Features
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Better Performance + More Storage
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App) runs on the more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.
It has four Qualcomm Kryo 280 cores running at 2.35 GHz, and another four Kyro 280 cores running at 1.9 GHz. It also has a faster Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU.
Like last year’s Galaxy Tab S3, it has 4 GB of RAM. This time, they are using the faster LPDDR4x memory. They also doubled its storage capacity – 64 GB of internal flash storage. This addresses one of the weaknesses of the Tab S3 – lack of storage.
New S Pen Stylus
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App) comes with a redesigned S Pen with a glossy, rounded design. Samsung also removed the pocket clip, and replaced it with an odd metal fin to help you identify where the button is located.
Despite its new look, the new S Pen still has the same 0.7 mm nib and support for 4,096 pressure levels. It is also electromagnetically-powered by close proximity to the Galaxy Tab S4’s display. So it will never run out of power.
In case you are wondering, no, it does not come with the new remote control function that is the hallmark of the Samsung Galaxy Note9‘s Bluetooth S Pen.
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The Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App) boasts a higher-resolution 8 MP Sony IMX320 sensor, up from the 5 MP shooter in the Galaxy Tab S3. It can take pictures with a resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels, and record Full HD videos.
Samsung kept the rear camera resolution at 13 MP, which is really good enough. But they switched out the Sony IMX260 sensor for the Samsung S5K2L2 ISOCELL sensor, which is an improved version of the sensor used in the main camera of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphones.
Just like last year’s Galaxy Tab S3, this camera can record 4K videos at up to 30 frames per second, and supports electronic image stabilisation.
Next Page > More Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Features
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Improved Audio Capabilities
One of the key features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is its quad speaker system tuned by AKG. That carries over in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App). But that’s not all.
This time, Samsung added support for Dolby Atmos. This allows the Galaxy Tab S4 to deliver a more realistic 3D audio soundscape using those four speakers. Incidentally, the Tab S3 is smart enough to detect when you rotate it and change the output accordingly.
SIM + microSD Tray
The SM-T835 is an LTE model, while a less common WiFi-only SM-T830 model is also available in some countries. The LTE model comes with a unique double-sided card tray – one side for a microSD card, and the other side for a nano SIM card.
It officially supports microSD cards of up to 400 GB in size, like the 400 GB SanDisk Ultra (Price Check), but could theoretically support higher capacity cards when they are launched.
Samsung DeX Built-In
This is a great new feature that was first introduced in the Samsung Galaxy Note9. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App) has Samsung DeX built-in. You won’t need to purchase a DeX station or a DeX pad. You just need a simple USB-C to HDMI adaptor. You don’t even have to use a Samsung-branded adaptor (looking at you and your MFi bullshit, Apple!)
Just hook up a monitor to the Galaxy Tab S4 using the HDMI adaptor, and you can use a mouse and keyboard to enjoy a desktop working experience. While using Samsung DeX, you can also use the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (US | UK | MY Web | MY App) as a very touch pad, a digitiser or a touch keyboard.
All in all – this is a very useful feature if you are always on the go, and yet would like to enjoy a desktop working experience.
Recommended Reading
[adrotate group=”2″]- Samsung Galaxy Note9 Review – Quietly Revolutionary!
- The 7 Secret Galaxy Note9 S Pen Features You Never Knew!
- Why The Galaxy Note9 Yearly Upgrade Program Is Such A Great Deal!
- Awesome Samsung Galaxy Note9 Photo Samples From Our Taipei Trip!
- The Spectacular Samsung Galaxy Note9 Launch Event!
- The Samsung Galaxy Note9 Price, Features + Offers Revealed!
- Here Are The Samsung Galaxy Note9 Pre-Order Details!
- Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus “Dual Aperture” Smartphone Review
- The Samsung Galaxy S9 Review : Galaxy S8 Perfected!
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