Tablet computer samsung galaxy tab with 8.4. Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device
You will not be able to resist the impression of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 display. A tablet review is not needed here, you just need to see the lock screen and it becomes obvious that the tablet is equipped with an incredibly high resolution panel. With a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, squeezed in an 8.4-inch display, the Samsung tablet offers a density of 356 pixels per inch, which makes its picture look incredible, and also will not allow you to make out individual points on the screen.
Of course, this is Super AMOLED, which is typical for Samsung tablets, a technology that is ahead of similar offers of competing tablets, including Apple iPad Mini and others. In fact, the color saturation was so great that it took some time before the eyes got used to, and after some time beyond, the other screens look scanty.
Samsung’s adaptive display setup also helps ensure that the screen is best adapted to the lighting conditions that are detected using a special RGB sensor located on the front panel of the tablet. This is a much more advanced sensor than the automatic brightness adjustment that you usually see on tablets and smartphones. The fact is that RGB adjusts gamma, saturation and sharpness, and not just varies brightness.
The sensor identifies the color temperature of the environment and adjusts the image properly, guaranteeing you the best results. A review of the Samsung tablet showed that the function works just fine, the adjustment is easy, it also helps to avoid unrealistic color tones, so we unconditionally leave it on. It is also worth noting that the function is intended for specific applications, therefore it is not universal, many third-party applications do not get anything from this technology. In addition, there are presets for movies, photographs and basic modes that work everywhere and we found them visually pleasing.
Testsports and Android
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which we reviewed, came in champagne colors with a gold outer edge and front panel accents. Do not hesitate, this color scheme is strikingly moving away from traditional white and silver. Color, of course, helps the tablet exude "luxury", which, in our opinion, was Samsung's goal. However, a gold tablet is not for every taste. If you're not a fan of white, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is also available in titanium bronze.
With a thickness of 6.6 mm and a weight of 294 g, this is a thin and light tablet that seems very slim in the hands. It uses a slightly ribbed, soft-touch, polycarbonate back panel that helps hold the tablet in your hands and does not bend relative to the case. Samsung also launches a range of specialized protective cases, as well as a keyboard case, which are secured with a pin that you will find on the back of the device.
Samsung used its own 8-core Exynos 5 chip (SoC) systems, which debuted for the first time. Technically, this is a 4-core ARM processor with a clock speed of 1.9 GHz on Cortex A15 cores paired with a 4-core 1.3 GHz processor with Cortex A7 cores, which is used for less energy-intensive procedures. The stores also found Galaxy Tab S 8.4 LTE, which uses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz. All models are generously equipped with 3 GB of RAM.
The review Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 worked on the Exynos 5 processor and on SunSpider JavaScript tests it managed to show 1.014 ms. This figure puts him head to head with the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, which also did not bend in tests. The next test was 3DMark Ice Storm, designed to test the gaming performance of the device. The test recorded 9012 points in Ice Storm Extreme and 13648 points in Ice Storm Unlimited. This means that the tablet is able to smoothly and consistently play any games available today for Android. In our tests of continuous video playback, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 worked for 10 hours 55 minutes, a similar time showed.
Our Galaxy Tab S 8.4 worked on and Samsung included some of its own settings in the Android OS. One of the most noticeable inclusions, of course, is the multi-window mode, which allows you to use two applications at the same time. This is useful when you watch movies and want to open a browser to see, say, the actor’s story. Not all applications support this mode, but there are enough of them. The child mode is also included in the tablet, which allows you to create a safe ecosystem for children through parental controls and a child-friendly user interface. All this means that you can safely leave the tablet to the child without additional supervision.
On the sides of the tablet you will find a traditional headphone jack, a Micro USB port that supports charging, a power button and volume control. Interestingly, the tablet is equipped with an IR transmitter to control your TV, and you will also find a MicroSD slot that supports memory cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB. All this allows you to significantly expand the amount of internal memory, which is initially limited to 16 or 32 gigabytes. Stereo speakers are good to hear, unlike traditional mono solutions. They are arranged so that your hands do not limit the sound of the tablet in landscape mode - a standard problem that is typical for most tablets from other manufacturers. The sound was loud enough to not always use headphones, although the sound quality remains mediocre.
Cameras and Scanner
The front panel of the tablet shines with an 8.4-inch screen. Samsung again makes individual menu buttons under the display, which saves space on the screen and offers you “soft” tactile buttons. We have long been accustomed to this state of affairs on Samsung devices, the Back and Tasks buttons change places relative to standard positioning on Android, which may be unusual at first after Android smartphones.
Like Samsung’s current flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S5, a fingerprint scanner has been included in the Home button, which offers you the safest way to unlock your device, log in to your Samsung account, or pay with PayPal. You can register up to three fingers per user, we found that the scanner works sequentially and in any conditions, always registering a fingerprint. Using a scanner is also much faster than entering codes or patterned unlocking the screen; it remains the preferred solution in unlocking the device. Samsung is expected to open the scanner API for an app proponent, so we look forward to a similar option in other apps in the future.
Above the display panel you will find the aforementioned RGB sensor and a front 2-megapixel webcam. We found the camera very tolerable for random selfies, and it will certainly come in handy for Skype sessions. On the back of the device you will find an 8-megapixel camera complete with LED flash to help in low light conditions, not a typical solution for most tablets. It is annoying that the camera blocks the flash if the battery charge drops below the set mark in order to save. However, if you connect the tablet to the network, the flash remains blocked, a mystery.
Even though the tablet cameras cannot boast of quality, we were pleased with the Galaxy Tab S images. The camera supports image stabilization for videos and still frames, which even in low light conditions, with a slow shutter speed, turned out to be quite worthy. We also tried out the HDR mode, panorama, high-speed shooting mode, Dual Cam, which allows you to use both cameras at the same time, a fun feature that debuted for the first time on the Samsung Galaxy S4. In general, the camera shoots clear and very decent shots, which are characterized by excellent saturation and low noise.
Conclusion on SamsungGalaxyTabS 8.4
The review showed a beautiful tablet with an outstanding screen that bypasses the iPad Mini Retina and Google Nexus 7. This is a thin, lightweight Samsung tablet with excellent battery life, an amazing set of applications and great gaming performance. With a price tag of about 19,000 rubles, it will stand on the same shelf with the Apple iPad Mini Retina, another wonderful tablet among small models. iPad has some advantages when it comes to features and content (applications), but Android already boasts a powerful library of applications and a practical operating system.
Verdict:
Awesome screen and magical performance make the Galaxy S 8.4 the best Android tablet in a compact form factor.
What did not like
assembly (the case creaks at some points), if you play the battery becomes sugar, it melts before our eyes. RAM is definitely not enough for good games, well, judging by the lags, the percent is also so-so
What did you like
cool display, reading mode, the camera is not bad
What did not like
it is very thin and, as a result, very flimsy, when you press the case there are crunches, i.e. build quality and materials even for Samsung are bad. instantly deep scratches and chips remain on the case with light bumps and abrasions.
now software ...
in some places (in some programs) I noticed that the gray color on the display has an uneven fill, there may be a problem in the software.
several times it hung tight and there were incomprehensible and unfounded software glitches.
the price absolutely does not correspond to this device, i.e. the price / quality ratio is bad, especially considering that it is positioned as an assistant to a young active business person.
What did you like
bright colorful display, nimble filling
What did not like
Autonomy is average for a tablet, even below average. As usual, the firmware from the Samsung does not lag, but lacks smoothness.
What did you like
Lightweight, slim, chic display.
What did not like
What did you like
Display, dimensions.
What did not like
What did you like
Screen, speed, weight
What did not like
Little internal memory. Some applications are not installed on the card.
What did you like
Lightweight, thin, fast. It does not freeze.
What did not like
A lot of unnecessary Google and Samsung software.
What did you like
Excellent display, filling too (all games are drawn with a bang), camera (like for a tablet so great), touchwiz also like, build quality (probably got a good one), price-quality ratio.
What did not like
I didn’t get the best assembly, the screen panel in one corner is poorly glued and creaks when pressed, the upper part of the screen (~ 5cm) at an angle displays white in pink, 8 cores is a divorce :) in fact there are 4 active cores, the remaining 4 are weaker and needed to work in economy mode, as a result, the device loses even the 5th nexus in the benchmark :)
3GB of RAM is certainly good, but free at best will be 500-700, because the rest is eaten by a nasty touchscreen interface :(
What did you like
Lightweight, nimble, relatively cheap
What did not like
Not found yet
What did you like
Display, filling, price (if, as they wrote, take no growth)
What did not like
autonomy (well, yes this is the trouble of all android flagships).
What did you like
Compact, lightweight, productive
What did not like
1. The battery is, of course, rather weak, but within normal limits, you don’t need to rush from charging to charging. But if there are energy saving modes
2. In applications, very small text (since high pixel density). You can change the size in the settings, but this will not affect many applications. Tabs S 3’s wife can see everything normally, I have at least grab hold of a magnifying glass I think how to get out, otherwise my eyes get tired very much
3. Feature of the screen - different shades at different angles. That is, if you twist, then color changes are noticeable. In principle, it does not interfere much.
4. On the second day, I noticed a broken pixel (green on black). I didn’t find him on the third. I thought about it.
What did you like
1. An excellent screen with rich colors, which can be slightly adjusted 2. Dimensions and weight 3. Speed \u200b\u200bof work 4. Large RAM 5. Very quickly catches and connects to wifi-networks. I connected to the iPhone (as a modem) with a bang 6. Watch movies - with a bang. Unlike the iPad, the resolution is just cinematic.
apple's iPad is rightly considered the benchmark in tablet manufacturing. Many manufacturers try to compete with the apple company, but in most cases the fact remains that the iPad is better. But, strangely enough, the main competitor of the "apple" does not cease to amaze with the really cool devices presented this year. Today I will talk about the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which I like no less than the iPad Air and iPad mini 2
apple's iPad is rightly considered the benchmark in tablet manufacturing. Many manufacturers try to compete with the apple company, but in most cases the fact remains that the iPad is better. But, strangely enough, the main competitor of the "apple" does not cease to amaze with the really cool devices presented this year. Today I will talk about the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which I like no less than the iPad Air and iPad mini 2.
Design and ergonomics
If the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 looks almost the same as, for example, then it feels completely different. This is a premium product, like Samsung’s new Pro-tablet line. Therefore, the attitude towards him is completely different. Yes, it is made of plastic, but assembled perfectly. The case is edged with a golden insert, which from the front panel goes to the brink.
The frame around the screen is very thin, as for tablets, of course. Therefore, I had no problem holding the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 with one hand, tapping the screen with the other. However, he does not slip, the grip is excellent. Under the display there are standard touch buttons and a hardware Home key, complete with a fingerprint scanner.
The back side is plastic with the texture, like the Galaxy S5. True, the coating is different. This is a smooth matte plastic, absolutely not easily soiled and pleasant to the touch.
The panel is complemented by a main camera with a flash and a couple of buttons, which turned out to be a kind of mount for a corporate cover-cover. They simply do not have other functions.
The hardware on / off and volume buttons are on the right side. There is also an infrared port and a slot for a memory card.
The upper and lower panels are equipped with stereo speaker grilles, which when you turn the device into a landscape position, right side down, do not overlap with your hands.
I almost forgot about the thickness of the tablet - 6.6 mm. Only Sony's Z2 Tablet is thinner. Weighs Galaxy Tab S 8.4 a little less than 300 g, also an excellent indicator.
Display
The 8.4-inch screen is made using Super AMOLED technology. The last time the company released such a large display, created using this technology in 2012 (and even then, only 7.7ʺ). Yes, and a resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels (density 359 ppi). Image quality is unrealistic, viewing angles are maximum, color reproduction is beyond praise, contrast is also on top. All in all, all the best aspects of Super AMOLED technology are present.
In the screen settings, you can choose one of the display modes, or use the adaptive function.
The sensor supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. Its sensitivity can be increased by using the corresponding function in the same screen settings. As a result, it will be possible to control the tablet without taking off the gloves.
Keyboard and sound
The proprietary touch keyboard accurately recognizes clicks. It is large enough even in portrait mode, so you can easily type text using the two-finger method. In the landscape position you can even type on a regular, but very compact keyboard.
A pair of stereo speakers located on the upper and lower faces do not have the loudest, but really high-quality and clear sound. If you want to listen to music or watch a movie without headphones (just not in a public place, I beg) in the company of friends, family, colleagues etc, then you will not be disappointed in the sound. It is almost perfect, one of the best in tablets that I tested.
Performance
Samsung uses a well-established circuit. The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 uses an eight-core Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor built on big.LITTLE technology - 4 Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.9 GHz and another 4 Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 1.3 GHz. As a graphics accelerator, the Mali-T628 MP6 is used. The tablet also received 3 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB for storing data, depending on the configuration, with the possibility of expanding to another 128 GB using a microSD card.
Naturally, the tablet shows a high level of performance. During use, I did not notice a single glitch or hang. However, in synthetic tests, the device does not win prizes, although it is in the top. There are much more productive devices on the market.
Test results:
Interface and software
This year, almost all manufacturers of Android devices are pleased with the relevance of the system. Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is running version 4.4.2 of KitKat with a proprietary TouchWiz shell. The interface has undergone hardly noticeable changes. At first glance, everything is the same as in the recent Samsung tablets that I had on the test. But there are still changes, however, as in the game "Find 10 differences."
I'll start with the lock screen. It now also displays news, notifications and weather in the form of tiles at the bottom of the screen. But the clock with the date has not gone away. To unlock, if you do not use a password, pin code or graphic key, you need to swipe the screen in any convenient direction.
Present Magazine UI with a selection of news and materials of interest to the user.
In the lower left corner of each of the desktops there is a button for quickly opening the file manager. And in the right - the key to enter the application menu.
The notification screen has not changed. There are still quick switches for tablet features.
Settings are grouped into 4 categories. There will be no problems navigating through them.
From any screen or application, a simple swipe from the right edge of the screen to the left opens the multitasking menu. In this case, you can change the location of windows and their size, as well as switch between already open programs. The function must be activated in the menu.
A large number of programs are preinstalled. There is a voice assistant S Voice, a branded application store, Bloomberg Businessweek with a free subscription, Flipboard, International New York Times with a weekly free subscription, Dropbox, Hancom Office 2014, Dictionaries with several temporarily free dictionaries.
Also installed is the Peel Smart Remote, which uses an IR module.
The manufacturer supplies the tablet along with the interesting SideSync 3.0 application, which connects to the Galaxy smartphone with the same preinstalled application, or a PC via Wi-Fi Direct. As a result, the user gets the opportunity to control the smartphone from a tablet or PC, you can quickly transfer files, answer SMS or call, and much more.
Remote PC, of \u200b\u200bcourse, will help to remotely control the PC with the appropriate program installed.
In addition, there is Cisco WebEx for secure video conferencing, communication and file sharing.
Children's mode will allow you to download entertainment content to your children on your tablet, as well as restrict access to programs.
Camera
If the front photo module is equipped with a 2.1 megapixel matrix, which is suitable only for communicating via Skype and creating a selfie, the main camera boasts an 8 megapixel matrix. It is equipped with autofocus and flash.
The application interface is standard for Galaxy devices this year. There are all kinds of settings, as well as shooting modes.
Photos have a maximum resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels, video is shot in Full HD. Pictures have high detail, excellent color reproduction and high quality.
Sample photos:
Video example:
Communications
There are only two wired interfaces - a 3.5 mm slot for connecting a headset and microUSB with MHL support. They are installed on the bottom.
Of the wireless interfaces, there are classic Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, GPS (with support for A-GPS, GLONASS and Beidou), as well as an infrared port with which you can control home multimedia equipment.
By the way, the positioning module works just fine even indoors. The tablet easily finds many satellites and perfectly holds the signal.
There is also a version of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 with a SIM card slot and support for LTE (and 3G). You can even call from him.
Working hours
4900 mAh lithium-ion battery capacity is enough for 12 hours of video viewing and more than 10 hours of web surfing. Active use and games will discharge the tablet in 6-7 hours.
If you need to save power, two energy-saving modes will come to the rescue, as in the Galaxy S5. The first restricts the use of programs and functions in the background, and also provides the ability to switch the screen to the display of shades of gray. In this case, you can extend another couple of hours of work.
The second “Improved” mode not only includes the display of shades of gray and limits the background use, but also puts the tablet in a simplified interface, in which only 9 programs are available, but you can use the network features. This mode will be useful if the tablet is not used or the charge is running out.
Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is, without exaggeration, one of the best tablets not only on Android, but also on other OSs, and definitely the best Samsung tablet. Everything is top-level in it, from the display to the sound. If you have a small bunch of excess "green" and you are going to spend it on a tablet, you should pay attention to the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 - iPad mini 2 among tablets on Android.
FEATURES
Nice design.
Slim body.
Ergonomics
8.4 inch Super AMOLED screen.
Resolution 1600 x 2560 pixels
Quality sound.
Nice camera.
Excellent autonomy.
Two power-saving modes.
Interface.
A large number of pre-installed programs.
Fingerprint scanner.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Model Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 SM-T700
- CPU Exynos 5 Octa 5420, Cortex-A15 + Cortex-A7, 1.9 GHz + 1.3 GHz, 4 + 4 cores
- Graphics Mali-T628 MP6
- Display8.4ʺ, Super AMOLED
- Resolution1600 x 2560 pixels
- RAM 3 GB
- Memory16/32 GB + microSD up to 128 GB
- FoodLi-Ion 4900 mAh
- Camera 8 MP + 2.1 MP
- Communications Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou), combined 3.5 mm audio jack, microUSB (MHL)
- Dimensions 21.3 x 12.6 x 0.66 cm
- The weight294 g
- OS Google Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Samsung is gaining momentum in tablet production: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 are now added to the existing Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Tab 1/2/3/4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro. At first glance, it is very similar to, but there are several differences: the use of Super AMOLED technology in the display, a thinner and lighter body and the presence of a fingerprint scanner. By the way, as a rule, Samsung uses AMOLED technology in its smartphones.
What do we have here? Firstly, the display has an impressive ppi of 359 pixels per inch, which is larger than the Apple iPad mini with the vaunted Retina. However, Samsung applied the Pentile scheme in the matrix, which “saves” subpixels and makes the image less clear. Secondly, AMOLED delivers unprecedented contrast and incredible viewing angles and lower power consumption. True, the colors on it are oversaturated and unnatural. One of the consequences of such a display is a high battery life, but it will greatly depend on the tablet usage scenario.
Otherwise, everything is quite typical for a premium device. He has an eight-core processor in 2013, which does not interfere with the tablet from time to time to slow down when performing various tasks. 8- and 2-megapixel cameras allow you to make video calls and take good pictures on the go. A good set of interfaces and connectors will give you the opportunity to always be online and connect to most modern devices. As for the device’s diagonal, it’s a little atypical, but due to the narrow side frames it’s already the majority of 8-inch tablets. The case of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is thinner and lighter than the iPad mini Retina, but not as thin as the Sony Xperia Tablet Z2.
The price of the tablet is high, and in September 2014 it is two and a half thousand more expensive than the iPad mini Retina. However, at the same time, it overtakes it in most parameters, except for stable operation and speed.
Where can one buy
Materials and Design - 3.0
In front, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet looks like a copy of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, only a little more “angular” and rectangular. With the same diagonal, the tablet became a little narrower, which further refines the side frames. Light and distance sensors, like on the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, are located to the right of the speaker, above the Samsung inscription. Along the ends of the tablet is decorated, typical for Samsung, a decorative edging.
If you look at the rear panels, then more noticeable differences already begin. The backs of the new Tab S are made not “under the skin”, but perforated, as on the Samsung Galaxy S5, which should “make relatives” of these tablets with a flagship smartphone. Moreover, the Pro version had the main camera in the upper right corner, but now it is in the center, and the backlight LED with the lens are not combined together with one frame surrounding them. In addition, on the rear panel there are two round buttons for the original case. The location of the speakers is unusual - one is on the left side of the upper end, the other is on the left side of the lower end, both close to the mysterious round buttons “under the cover”.
In general, the appearance of the device left a contradictory impression: even the infrared port on the right side from afar can be mistaken for a USB connector. But the case of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 turned out to be thin, to emphasize this effect, the designers “cut” the edges of the case around the USB and audio connectors, so it seems as if for the sake of these connectors it was necessary to specifically thicken the case in this place.
As for the case materials, here, as always, plastic was used, but it is not glossy at the back and will not collect fingerprints. Build quality on top. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 can be bought in black or white.
Dimensions and Weight - 5.0
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is slim and lightweight. It weighs only 295 grams, which is lighter than giants like the Apple iPad mini Retina and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The case thickness reaches 6.9 mm, in our tests only the Sony Xperia Z2 tablet is thinner. With a diagonal of 8.4 inches, it’s not very convenient to control the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, and if you accidentally stumble your finger on an accessory button that is being pressed into the case, you can completely drop it from your hands.
Ports and Interfaces - 4.7
On the right side of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 SM-T325 there is an infrared port and slots for microSD and micro-SIM cards, the top and left are empty, except for a tiny microphone hole. The bottom left audio jack and micro-USB 2.0 connector with MHL support, that is, it combines the functionality of HDMI with micro-USB. In addition to the USB connector, there are a couple of stereo speakers and microphones on top and bottom. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has richer connectors than the Apple iPad mini with Retina or Nexus 7. In terms of wireless interfaces, they are about the same, only Nexus has NFC, Samsung has an infrared port and a high-speed standard 802.11 ac, and the Apple iPad mini Retina better, if only because it works not with Micro-SIM cards, but with Nano-SIM. Everything else for Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is in place: Wi-Fi (b / g / n / a / ac), A-GPS receiver with GLONASS support, LTE modem, Bluetooth 4.0 LE (low energy, low energy consumption) with A2DP support for audio transmission. Everything is fine, but on the other hand, exactly the same as on the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4.
Performance - 3.8
If you wanted a tablet with Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, then Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is not for you. This is quite unexpected, but now both versions, without a modem and with an LTE modem, are equipped with not the same, but the same 8-core Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor (four cores at 1.9 GHz and four at 1.3 GHz) with as much as 3 GB of RAM! As a graphics accelerator acts Mali-T628MP6. The tablet passed the benchmarks for processor performance not bad, but the graphics are not so smooth: during our tests, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 periodically slowed down in graphically heavy games and at the highest settings, which is simply indecent for such money. By the way, Apple iPad mini with Retina did not experience such problems, despite its equally impressive specifications. However, do not forget that on it, as a rule, you can not change the graphics settings in games to higher or lower.
In synthetic tests, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 showed results typical of a premium tablet. In our tests, each of which was carried out several times, the average values \u200b\u200bfor five iterations are indicated. In the Geekbench 3 benchmark, the tablet has good results —2776 points in Multi-Core tests, which is better than the Apple iPad mini with Retina with its 2514 points. In the SunSpider benchmark - 462 milliseconds, quite peppy, but with the Apple iPad mini with Retina we got an average of 417 milliseconds, which is faster. But the graphics chip’s results are not impressive for the high price - 14.1 fps in the T-Rex HD Onscreen C24Z16 benchmark from the GFX Benchmark benchmark, the Apple iPad mini with Retina tablet with its 21 fps again overtook the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4. By the way, even 2-3 times cheaper tablets - Nexus 7 (2013) and Dell Venue 8 - cope with the test better. In addition, it seemed strange that NOVA 3 is not supported on this tablet, and Epic Citadel does not come with a native resolution, but only at 1280 × 800 pixels, which does not look very presentable.
With daily use, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is able to slow down: for example, if you open several windows at once in multitasking mode, in games at the highest graphics settings, or if you open many pages in the browser full of various media content and quickly scroll through. However, in most cases, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.5 does not slow down.
Display - 4.7
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 uses a Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 × 1600 - an impressive ppi of 359 pixels per inch. The pixel density per inch is formally higher than that of the Apple iPad mini 2, but the image will be less clear due to the Pentile scheme. Here, the subpixels are arranged so that the red and blue subpixels are found two times less than the green ones, but the resolution is calculated precisely from the green subpixels. And if we recalculate the pixel density from the calculation of 3 subpixels per 1 pixel, then instead of 359 we get 239 pixels per inch, slightly higher than on the same Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0.
In our tests, the screen showed good results for a 7-8-inch tablet. The display supports multi-touch, there is no problem with touch input. The result of the maximum measured brightness, if you set a solid white background, low - only 278 cd / m2. However, this is one of the features of the technology: if you reduce the white area, then the luminosity of the white areas of the display will increase. If you draw a white circle on a black background, then the brightness increases to 406 cd / m2. Nevertheless, even with a solid white background, the image looks much brighter than, for example, on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 with its 418 cd / m2.
Most likely, the point here is in backlighting, which simply does not exist in AMOLED displays, crystals need to be highlighted in the LCD display. In the case of the AMOLED display, the organic compounds of the LEDs light up. Apparently, this fact also allowed to make the device case thinner. Which is not surprising, because here you do not immediately need a whole highlight layer. The brightness distribution turned out to be low - 85%, the contrast is high, the device showed 1946: 1. However, to make such contrast measurements does not make much sense, since the black color in this case is just black, which is obtained by "turning off" the pixels.
Separately, it is necessary to note the viewing angles: they are just incredibly wide, the colors begin to invert only when you look at the display at an angle of 0-5 degrees to its surface and this is even a little mesmerizing. However, the color rendering of the display suffers, the problem is partially solved by the fact that it can be corrected by choosing different screen modes: adaptive, AMOLED film, AMOLED photo, main. The first three colors are oversaturated, with large color deviations, but a wide color gamut that covers almost the entire Adobe RGB standard. When switching to the main mode, the deviations decrease, the colors become more natural, and the color gamut narrows to sRGB. The display can be described as impressively bright, but color reproduction can alienate those who want to work with images.
Battery 4.7
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 battery with a capacity of 4900 mAh showed excellent results in our tests. Of course, in the case of an AMOLED display, energy consumption depends on what exactly is shown on the display: if in order to display black color, the tablet almost does not consume energy, then to display white color it needs more energy than for a conventional LCD display. Galaxy Tab S 8.4 lasted an average of 4 hours 21 minutes. in three tests in load mode, 26 h 21 min. - in the mode of minimum load and 13 h 40 min. —In the mode of viewing HD video. The tablet is fully charged in about three and a half hours, which is long for its capacity. The charger itself is small and light.
Where can one buy
Software
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 runs on Android Kitkat 4.4.2 operating system. By purchasing a Samsung tablet, you can expect that it will be equipped with some specific, unusual functions and with a bunch of pre-installed applications. The device can operate in multi-window mode, there is a "Children" mode and a private mode for the preservation of personal content and data.
Also, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has a fingerprint scanner. In order to "set" the fingerprint, you have to drag your finger on the "Home" button as much as 8 times. It is good that in this case it is possible to set an alternative symbolic password. To unlock the tablet you will need to swipe your finger only 1 time. By the way, after 5 incorrect attempts, you will have to wait 30 seconds and try again. The maximum number of prints that can be registered is three.
We decided to conduct the same experiment as for the 10-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5: we asked four people to “set” their left and right index fingerprints once. Thus, the tablet could unlock any of these 4 people. True, it was possible to turn on the tablet with the help of 5 used fingers from 8, and not always the first time.
In the arsenal of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, the smart display is turned off - the screen will remain on until the tablet sees that your eyes are directed to the display.
A lot of things are preinstalled on the device: Google services, S Voice recognition system, WatchON application for controlling a TV, Remote PC and SideSync for working with a personal computer and smartphone, as well as WebEX for conferences, Hancom Office Viewer for viewing documents and many other things. The rest can be downloaded from the Play Market.
Cameras - 5.0
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 uses the same cameras as the Galaxy Tab S 10.5. 2.1 megapixel front for video calls, with the ability to shoot Full HD video, if there is a fast Internet connection. 8.1 megapixel (3264 × 2448) rear camera with a typical set: autofocus, LED flash, face and smile recognition. She takes good pictures for a tablet, however, only in good light. In general, far from professional cameras, and to cameras of top smartphones too. The manufacturer provided the camera with various settings and effects for an interesting pastime: there are image stabilization, continuous shooting, different modes and effects. In their technical characteristics, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 cameras are superior to Apple iPad mini Retina cameras. However, cameras are not so important for a tablet.
Photos from the camera of the tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 - 5.0
Temperature - 4.0
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 almost does not heat up during operation, but it is a bit “hotter” than Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. Apparently affected by more compact dimensions and, accordingly, a closer layout of the contents of the case. The maximum temperature at rest was 26.6 degrees. Under load, the maximum surface temperature of the tablet is 39.3 degrees, which is “hotter” than the results of the Apple iPad mini Retina by 2 degrees. Since the tablet showed suspiciously low results, we repeated the test twice and when charging from the network, in this case the tablet in places warmed up to 45 degrees already, which is not a record, but already quite hot.
Samsung Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 is without a doubt one of the best tablets on the market, and maybe even the best of small tablets on Android at a reasonable price. However, as often happens, there were some shortcomings. Or is it an improved version, Galaxy Tab, S 8.4 - devoid of them?
In many ways, the Tab S 8.4 is identical or nearly identical compared to its older brother.
Technical specifications
The device was tested in the WiFi version, which was equipped with the following:
Dimensions: 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm
Weight: 294g
Display: Super AMOLED, 8.4 ″, 16:10, 2560 × 1600, D 359, 16 million colors
Processor: Exynos 5 Octa 5420 (4 cores 1.9 GHz, four cores, 1.3 GHz)
GPU: Mali T628 MP6
RAM: 3 GB
Built-in memory: 16 GB
Camera:
Back: 8 MPX, AF, LED -, video 1080p (30 frames / sec)
Front: 2.1 MPX
Communication: WiFi, LTE (option)
Wi-fi: 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac MIMO (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz)
Bluetooth: 4.0 LE, A2DP, AVRCP, DI, HID, HOGP, HSP, OPP, PAN
Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor
USB 2.0, MHL
Jack Connector: 3.5mm Mini Jack
Slot for memory cards: microSD up to 128 GB
GPS: GPS, GLONASS
Battery: 4900 mAh
Operating System: Android 4.4.2
Appearance
At first glance, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 looks almost the same as the PRO 8.4 - only minor details differ in them. The form of the device itself has not changed and we are still dealing with a product that looks like a very stretched smartphone from the Galaxy series.
The front of the device, in most cases, is filled with a large display, like the overall size of tablet computers, and is completely covered with scratch-resistant glass. Under the screen there was a place for three standard buttons - multitasking, return, and also “Home”, which this time additionally performs the function of a fingerprint scanner.
Above the display is one of the speakers, a camera, as well as a set of additional sensors.
Once again, great exploration of space draws special attention - the frames are as clear as possible.
At the same time, their small thickness does not interfere with holding the device with one hand by the long edge - during the tests it never happened, accidentally press something on the screen.
At a glance, Tab S from Tab PRO can be distinguished by the frame surrounding the tablet. In the case of the second, in the white version of the case, it has a silver color, and in the first - golden. However, two things must be emphasized.
Such a combination should be feared, but the soft design does not catch the eye at all. In hands, Samsung begins to become a master at combining “plastic and metal”. The material, the edge trim of the device is really high quality and leaves a great impression in the palm of your hand.
The set of connectors and ports is not very different, but from Tab PRO, although the location of some of them has changed. This especially applies to the dynamics - instead of two small ones at the bottom, we are now dealing with one large one located at the bottom and one large one located at the top.
Thanks to this, the tablet solves one of the most important PRO problems, when resting it, for example, about the stomach, the sound is muffled or completely lost.
Now, no matter how we hold it, at least one of the speakers plays loudly and efficiently - that's a plus. Microphones are similarly placed.
Also, the microSD slot and port was moved down the tablet. The location of the volume, power on and IR buttons and the LEDs has not changed almost generally.
Looking at the device in profile, one can not help but pay attention to one more thing. Tab S beats all limits when it comes to the thickness of devices of this type. Already 7.2 mm, the Tab PRO was a grandiose result. This time, Samsung managed to go even lower to a thickness of 6.6 mm. What is already amazing? Is not it?
Behind the S 8.4, it probably got the biggest design changes compared to the PRO - the plastic skin of the Note 3 was replaced with a trim almost identical to the Galaxy S5.
The choice of this, just a little harder and smoother material and texture, allows the Tab S to produce a brilliant impression - reliable as a rock, despite its small thickness. And although PRO 8.4 was not a poorly executed device, on the contrary, it hits him in this respect and it is an order of magnitude higher when it comes to subjective impressions.
Samsung Tab S - can slide around the table, it is more convenient when using a fingerprint scanner, and the grip of the device itself may be less confident.
On the back surface of the Tab S, you can find a camera, a light indicator and the manufacturer's logo. On the right side are two circles that appear to be needed for “contact” with a special case. Despite the fact that the device has a powerful magnet, the cover is attached completely “analogously” - with a strong push of a button.
This solution is not very elegant, but incredibly practical. At a time when our tablet can fall out of magnetic cases at the slightest movement, the Tab-S is absolutely confident in the packaging.
The fingerprint scanner
We already know the fingerprint scanner from the Galaxy S5, and in this case almost all its advantages and disadvantages were moved. To both of these, we should add the fact that we are dealing with a device, and therefore with equipment much larger, and used a little differently.
Of the advantages, the reader basically works as it should, and, above all, it is almost always higher than the keyboard, even if the operation needs to be repeated once or twice.
If we are talking about its worst features, then it sometimes just does not work.
The finger should always be held perfectly perpendicular to the button, not too fast, not too slow, and taking care to get to its center. This is especially difficult when using the tablet in horizontal mode, when you need to unnaturally twist your hand.
Screen
This is undoubtedly a display. Even Tab PRO 8.4 was not enough to perfection a little, but version S sets completely new standards.
The screen is saved, most of the parameters are with a diagonal of 8.4 ”, a resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10, but instead of the LCD screen it uses SuperAMOLED, so the difference is visible to the naked eye, and this is not only a marketing move.
The combination of fabulous resolution of no less surprising contrast, color saturation with excellent viewing angles gives an amazing result.
Photos and films, of course, of appropriate quality, seem almost real, and no matter how we look at the screen, it is like the world around us. Although, I think, even reality does not have such beautiful colors - black as tar, incredibly rich red, and white not turning green or blue, as in some cases. Everything is as fabulous as it can be.
And there is no exaggeration in this. The screen was tested on several people, and each of them was surprised at how good it looked.
Other parameters also do not fail. The screen backlight level can be so small that it is easy to read messages while lying in bed in the evening, or vice versa powerful enough to provide moderately comfortable work during the day. Sensitivity and accuracy are also at a high level.
If this is not enough, then we can regulate the way the content is displayed on the screen. Using the settings drop-down menu on the main screen, we can choose one of four modes - basic, adaptive, film and photos. In the first of them, the screen becomes quite neutral, and, it can be said, universal. In the third, everything becomes darker and increases the contrast, and in the last, everything becomes brighter.
The only problem is that this option only works for a few system applications. As a result, if we watch movies in the factory settings, the Cinema mode will be activated. If we work with another application with Google Play, we will have to make the appropriate changes ourselves.
Mobility and usability
How much does a tablet weighing 8.4? It turns out that the result achieved by Tab PRO 8.4 was not at all the best. Samsung, thus once again beat not only its result, but also its closest competitors - Apple.
The Tab-S, in addition to having an incredibly thin and solid body, boasts just 294 grams - more than 30 grams less than the Tab PRO or iPad mini Retina, with a half-inch smaller display.
If we add to this a smaller frame around the screen than the competition, we get a product that is simply ingenious when it comes to mobility and the ratio of usable area to total area (volume).
The Tab S frames are smaller not only in comparison with the ipad mini - they are smaller, even in comparison with the Tabie Pro, so that the device becomes about 7 mm lower and narrower by another 3 mm.
Mobility Tab S does not need to discuss it. You can hold it for hours in one hand, carry it even in a small bag and not feel the slightest fatigue. S makes you wonder if you really need a smartphone with a large screen? Maybe we could carry an ordinary phone and this tablet with us instead?
Components and Performance
Under the “hood” Tab S a better “iron” was found than in the case of its predecessor. In the WiFi version, the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor and the Mali T628 MP6 graphics processor are responsible for the work, and in the LTE version, the Snapdragon 800 (2.3 GHz and Adreno 330). In both cases, they have 3 GB of RAM. Honestly, big differences with Tab PRO are not visible.
Tab S, works in almost all applications perfectly. Applications run instantly, even more demanding games or videos with a fairly high resolution and quality work without problems, and using two windows at the same time does not require much effort from the user.
More mundane tasks, such as browsing websites, documents or PDF files, also did not pose any particular problems.
Only one problem is revealed ... the main screen, or rather one of its sub-screens, it, like in all previous tablets, just sometimes freezes for a split second (or more) when we decided to get to it.
In the matter of memory, we are dealing more with norms that do not meet the standard. 16 GB in the basic version, of which about 12 GB for the user. Fortunately, memory cards can always come to the rescue.
System and improvements
As a rule, in the case of Samsung, pure Android is bad Android, so it’s apparently not enough that this version of the Samsung tablet is visually different, a number of more or less necessary additives are still offered.
It should be noted, however, that the difference relative to PRO 8.4 is relatively small. In other words, along with various display modes and software, a fingerprint scanner, there is the possibility of changing the sensitivity of the display (gloved control) and energy saving, using the AMOLED screen characteristics (more gray and black), extreme saving (almost like in S5 )
A roughly similar interface (which is obvious), there is a whole package of additional applications, including an office suite, etc., as well as a number of additional functions related, in particular, to support the contactless function of the tablet.
Once again, I should note that Android, as a system for tablet computers, on average performs its task. Yes, and its openness, as well as the possibility of modifications and additions, can help in trying to make it an advanced alternative for a regular computer, but the use of many, even the most popular applications, alas, is still sad.
Samsung did an excellent job - on every device, the software takes full advantage of the large screen and large resolution.
Camera and camcorder
This element was just “live” transferred from the previous Taba PRO, and therefore, it is difficult to expect any changes. In good lighting, the photos are very clear, very detailed, and the device allows you to shoot even at very close range.
And, as usual, the darker the worse - in the evening or at night, we will have big problems getting photos with a good amount of detail - with not too beautiful grain, which even modern processing and correction mechanisms are not able to handle.
What has changed is the location of the lens. Instead of one of the upper corners, he is now in the middle, which, unfortunately, is not a very good option. Pictures in which the main character was a finger are still not uncommon.
Battery
A small, ultra mobile tablet should provide a long battery life on a single charge, and the Tab S did not disappoint. However, one thing to keep in mind - the use of the AMOLED screen, on the one hand, it can help save battery power, on the other hand, it can affect it incredibly negatively.
Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4?
Starting with the benefits of watching videos or other content with a dark background, the Tab-S is able to last incredibly long. 10 or even 12 hours, no problem, and with the right screen settings, you can get even more!
Even better results can be obtained using the extreme battery saving mode, although this one is useful to us, in fact, only in extreme situations.
However, as is the case with AMOLED, black color saves, white kills. Operating time when browsing web pages or documents drops sharply, and in some cases it is even slightly less than with a smaller PRO 8.4 battery. However, it still remains between 7 and 8 hours (with a correspondingly reduced backlight and working with WiFi), it seems to be quite satisfactory.
During the tests, fortunately, it turned out that most, even the most demanding users, had no problems using the Tab S all day without the need for recharging. Basically, being all the time in the range of WiFi, and using a fairly intensive use of the tablet, the charge lasted about 1.5 days.
With extreme energy consumption, the device works for about 4 hours, which is also an excellent indicator.
You can only complain about the battery charging time. This figure was a little over 4 hours.
Benefits:
Brilliant screen
Incredibly slim, lightweight and mobile
Good workmanship
Useful add-ons from Samsung and smart apps
An interesting solution is fixing the cover
Satisfactory performance in most cases
Very good battery (under certain conditions)
Very good speakers
Disadvantages:
Less good battery performance in browser and similar applications
Not the newest processor
Android apps still not all suitable for tablets
Not everyone will like the mini-connector below
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