Samsung galaxy tab s 8 4 tablets. If we are talking about its worst features, then sometimes it simply does not work

The Samsung Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 is without a doubt one of the best tablets on the market, and maybe even the best one. small tablets on Android by reasonable price. However, as often happens, it was not without its drawbacks. Or is its improved version, Galaxy Tab, S 8.4, deprived of them?

In many ways, the Tab S 8.4 is identical or nearly identical to its big brother.

Technical specifications

The device was tested in WiFi versions, which was equipped with the following:
Dimensions: 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm
Weight: 294 g
Display: Super AMOLED, 8.4″, 16:10, 2560×1600, D 359, 16 million colors
Processor: Exynos 5 Octa 5420 (4 cores 1.9 GHz, quad cores 1.3 GHz)
GPU: Mali T628 MP6
RAM: 3 GB
Built-in memory: 16 GB
Camera:
Rear: 8 MPX, AUTOFOCUS, LED -, video-1080p (30 fps)
Front: 2.1 MPX
Communication: WiFi, LTE (optional)
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: 3.5mm mini jack
Memory card slot: microSD up to 128 GB
GPS: GPS, GLONASS
Battery: 4900 mAh
Operating system: Android 4.4.2

Appearance

For the first Galaxy look Tab S 8.4 looks almost the same as PRO 8.4 - only minor details differ. The shape 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 part of the device is mostly filled with a large display, like the general size of tablet computers, and is completely covered with scratch-resistant glass. Under the screen there is a place for three standard buttons - multitasking, return, as well as “Home”, which this time additionally functions as a fingerprint scanner.

Above the display there is one of the speakers, a camera, and a set of additional sensors.

Particular attention is once again drawn to the excellent use of space - the shots 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 to accidentally press anything on the screen.

At first glance, Tab S can be distinguished from Tab PRO 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.

One should be afraid of such a combination, but the soft design does not catch the eye at all. In hands, Samsung begins to become a master of the combination of “plastic and metal”. The material and finishing on the edges of the device are of really high quality and leaves an excellent impression in the palm.

The set of connectors and ports is not particularly different from the Tab PRO, although the location of some of them has changed. This especially applies to the speaker - 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 the most important problems PRO, when leaning it, for example, against the stomach, the sound was muffled or completely disappeared.

Now, no matter how we hold it, at least, one of the speakers, plays loudly and efficiently - this is a plus. Microphones are placed in a similar way.

Also, the microSD slot and port have been moved to the bottom of the tablet. The location of the volume buttons, power buttons and IR LEDs has not changed almost at all.

Looking at the device in profile, one cannot help but notice one more thing. The Tab S breaks all the limits when it comes to device thickness of this type. Already 7.2 mm, the Tab PRO was a monumental result. This time Samsung managed to go even lower to a thickness of 6.6 mm. What's surprising already? Is not it?

At the back, the S 8.4 probably gets the biggest design changes over the PRO - the Note 3's plastic skin has been replaced with a finish almost identical to the Galaxy S5.

The choice of just a little harder and smoother material and texture allows the Tab S to feel brilliant in the hands - solid as a rock, even despite its small thickness. And although the PRO 8.4 was not a poorly made device, on the contrary, it beats it in this regard and is an order of magnitude higher when it comes to subjective impressions.

Samsung Tab S can slide on 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 of the Tab S, you can find a camera, a lighting indicator and the manufacturer's logo. On the right side there are two circles, which seem to be needed for “contact” with a special case. Despite the fact that the device has a powerful magnet, the case is attached in a completely “analog” way – by pressing the buttons firmly.

This solution is not very elegant, but it is incredibly practical. While our tablet can fall out of magnetic cases at the slightest movement, the Tab-S stays in the package absolutely confidently.

Fingerprint's scanner

We already know the fingerprint scanner from the Galaxy S5, and in this case almost all of its advantages and disadvantages have been moved. To both should be added the fact that we are dealing with a device, and therefore much larger equipment, and used a little differently.

The advantages are that 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 his worst traits, then sometimes he simply 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 landscape mode, which requires unnatural twisting of your arm.

Screen

This is undoubtedly a display. Even Tab PRO 8.4 fell short of perfection, but the S version sets completely new standards.

The screen has retained most of the parameters - with a diagonal of 8.4 ", a resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10, but instead of an LCD screen, SuperAMOLED is used here, so the difference is visible to the naked eye, and this is not just a marketing ploy.

The combination of fabulous resolution, equally amazing contrast, color saturation with excellent viewing angles gives stunning results.

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 - pitch black, incredibly rich red, and white does not turn 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.

The remaining parameters also do not disappoint. The screen backlight level can be so low that you can easily read messages while lying in bed in the evening, or vice versa, it can be powerful enough to provide moderate comfortable work during the day. Sensitivity and accuracy are also at a high level.

If this is not enough, then we can to some extent regulate the way the content is displayed on the screen. Using the settings drop-down menu on the main screen, we can choose from four modes - Basic, Adaptive, Cinema and Photos. In the first of them, the screen becomes quite neutral, and, one might say, 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 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 ease of use

How much does a tablet with an 8.4 diagonal screen weigh? It turns out that the result achieved by Tab PRO 8.4 was not the best at all. Samsung thus once again beat not only its own result, but also its closest competitors - Apple.

Tab-S, in addition to being incredibly thin and at the same time solid body, boasts a weight of 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 its competitors, we get a product that is simply brilliant when it comes to mobility and the ratio of usable area to total area (volume).

The Tab S's bezels aren't just smaller than the iPad mini's - they're even smaller than the Tabie Pro's, making the device about 7mm lower and another 3mm narrower.

The Tab S's portability doesn't need to be discussed. You can hold it in one hand for hours, carry it even in a small bag and not feel the slightest fatigue. S makes you think about whether you even need a smartphone with a large screen? Maybe we could carry it with us instead regular phone and this tablet?

Components and Performance

Under the hood, the Tab S has better hardware than 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 - Snapdragon 800 (2.3 GHz and Adreno 330). In both cases, they have 3 GB random access memory. To be honest, there are no big differences with the Tab PRO.

Tab S works perfectly in almost all applications. Applications launch instantly, even more demanding games or videos with sufficiently 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 cause any special problems.

Only one problem comes to light... main screen, or rather one of its sub-screens, it, like in all previous tablets, sometimes just freezes for a split second (or more) when we decide to get to it.

In the question of memory, we are dealing rather with norms that do not satisfy the standard. 16 GB in 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 apparently it’s not enough that this version Samsung tablet differs visually, and also offers a whole range of more or less necessary additives.

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, it is possible to change the sensitivity of the display (operation with gloves) and save energy using the characteristics AMOLED screen(more gray and black), extreme economy (almost the same as in S5).

The interface is approximately similar (obviously), 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 must note that Android, as a system for tablet computers, on average gets the job done. Yes, and its openness, as well as the possibility of modification and addition, can help in attempts to make it an advanced alternative for a regular computer, but the use of many, even the most popular applications, alas, it still causes sadness.

Samsung has done a great job - on every device, the software takes full advantage of big screen and high resolution.

Photo and video camera

This element was just “live” transferred from the previous Tab 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 take pictures even from very close distances.

And, as usual, the darker the worse - in the evening or at night, we will have big problems with obtaining photographs with a good amount of detail - with not very beautiful grain, which even modern processing and correction mechanisms are not able to cope with.

What has changed is the location of the lens. Instead of one of upper corners now he's in the middle, which, unfortunately, is not too a good option. Pictures in which the main character was a finger are still not uncommon.

Battery

Small, ultra mobile tablet should provide long battery life on a single charge and the Tab S doesn't disappoint. However, you need to remember one thing - using an AMOLED screen, on the one hand, it can help save battery, on the other hand, it can have an incredibly negative effect on it.

Is it worth buying Samsung Galaxy Tab, S 8.4?

Starting with the benefits, when 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, but when correct setting screen, you can get even more!

More top scores, which can be obtained by using the extreme battery saving mode, although this one will also be useful to us, in fact, only in extreme situations.

However, as is the case with AMOLED, black saves, white kills. Browsing time when browsing the web or documents drops sharply, and in some cases is even slightly less than the PRO 8.4, which has a smaller battery. However, it still remains between 7 and 8 hours (with correspondingly reduced backlight and WiFi operation), which seems to be quite satisfactory.

In testing, fortunately, it turned out that most, even the most demanding users, had no problems using the Tab S all day long without needing to recharge. Basically, being in the zone all the time WiFi actions, and with fairly intensive use of the tablet, the charge lasted about 1.5 days.

With extreme energy consumption, the device operates for about 4 hours, which is also an excellent indicator.
You can only complain about the battery charging time. This figure was just over 4 hours.

Advantages:

Brilliant screen
Incredibly thin, light and mobile
Good workmanship
Useful additions from Samsung and thoughtful applications
Interesting solution for attaching the case
Performance is satisfactory in most cases
Very good battery(under certain conditions)
Very good speakers

Flaws:

Less good battery capacity results in browser and similar applications
Not the best new processor
Android apps are still not all suitable for tablets
Not everyone will like the mini-jack at the bottom

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Samsung is gaining momentum in tablet production: to existing Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Tab 1/2/3/4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro have now added a couple of tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4. 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 higher than the vaunted Retina Apple iPad mini. However, Samsung used a Pentile scheme in the matrix, which “saves” subpixels and makes the image less clear. Secondly, AMOLED provides unprecedented contrast and incredible viewing angles and features lower power consumption. True, the colors on it turn out to be oversaturated and unnatural. One of the consequences of such a display is high time battery life, but it will greatly depend on the tablet's usage scenario.

Otherwise, everything is quite typical for a premium device. It has an eight-core processor from 2013, which does not prevent the tablet from slowing down from time to time when performing tasks. various tasks. 8- and 2-megapixel cameras will 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 diagonal of the device, it is a little atypical, but due to the narrow side frames it is narrower than most 8-inch tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 case is thinner and lighter than the iPad's mini Retina, but not as thin as the Sony Xperia Tablet Z2.

The price of the tablet is high, and as of 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 stable operation and speed.

Where can I buy

Materials and design - 3.0

From the 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 has become a little narrower, which makes the side frames even thinner. 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 the tablet is decorated with decorative edging, typical for Samsung.

If you look at the rear panels, then more noticeable differences begin to appear. The backs of the new Tab S are not made to look like leather, but are perforated, like on the Samsung Galaxy S5, which should make these tablets similar to 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 LED backlight and the lens are not combined together by one frame enclosing them. In addition, there are two round buttons on the back panel for the original case. The location of the speakers is unusual - one is on the left side of the top end, the other is on the left side of the bottom end, both are not far from the mysterious round buttons “under the cover”.

In general, the appearance of the device left a contradictory impression: even the IR port on the right side from a distance 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 “sawed off” the edges of the case around the USB and audio connectors, so it seems as if for the sake of these connectors they had to specially thicken the case in this place.

As for the case materials, plastic is used here, as always, but it is not glossy on the back and will not attract fingerprints. The build quality is excellent. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 can be purchased in black or white.

Dimensions and weight - 5.0

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is thin and light. Its weight is only 295 g, which is lighter than such giants as Apple iPad mini Retina and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The thickness of the case reaches 6.9 mm; in our tests, only the tablet is thinner Sony Xperia Z2. With a diagonal of 8.4 inches, handling the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, in our opinion, is not very convenient, and if you accidentally bump your finger into an accessory button that is being pressed into the body, then out of surprise 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 IR port and slots for microSD and micro-SIM cards; the top and left are empty, except for a tiny microphone hole. At the bottom there is an audio jack and a 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 pair of stereo speakers and microphones at the top and bottom. According to availability Samsung connectors Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is richer than the Apple iPad mini with Retina or Nexus 7. In terms of wireless interfaces, they are approximately the same, only the Nexus has NFC, Samsung has an infrared port and the high-speed 802.11 ac standard, and the Apple iPad mini Retina is better, at least because it works not with Micro-SIM cards, but with Nano-SIM. Everything else is in place on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4: 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 good, but on the other hand, it’s exactly the same as on the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4.

Performance - 3.8

If you wanted a tablet Qualcomm processor Snapdragon, then the 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 not with different ones, but with the same 8-core Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor (four cores at 1.9 GHz and four at 1.3 GHz) with a whopping 3 GB of RAM! The graphics accelerator is Mali-T628MP6. The tablet passed the processor performance benchmarks well, but with graphics, not everything is 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, the Apple iPad mini with Retina did not experience such problems, despite its equally impressive characteristics. However, do not forget that, as a rule, it is impossible to change the graphics settings in games to higher or lower ones.

In synthetic tests, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 showed results typical for a premium tablet. Our tests, each of which was carried out several times, show average values ​​over five iterations. In the Geekbench 3 benchmark, the tablet has good results - 2776 points in Multi-Core tests, which better than Apple iPad mini with Retina with its 2514 points. In the SunSpider benchmark - 462 milliseconds, which is quite brisk, but with the Apple iPad mini with Retina we got an average of 417 milliseconds, which is faster. But the graphics chip has unimpressive results for the high price - 14.1 fps in the T-Rex HD Onscreen C24Z16 test from the GFXBenchmark benchmark, apple tablet iPad mini with Retina with its 21 fps again overtook the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4. By the way, even tablets that are 2-3 times cheaper—Nexus 7 (2013) and Dell Venue 8—perform the test better. In addition, it seemed strange that NOVA 3 is not supported on this tablet, and the Epic Citadel does not come with a native resolution, but only 1280x800 pixels, which does not look very presentable.

With daily use, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 can slow down: for example, if you open several windows at once in multitasking mode, play games at the highest graphics settings, or if you open many pages full of various media content in the browser and scroll quickly. However, in most Samsung cases Galaxy Tab S 8.5 does not slow down.

Display - 4.7

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet uses a Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560x1600 - an impressive ppi of 359 pixels per inch. The pixel density per inch is technically higher than that of the Apple iPad mini 2, but the image will be less clear due to the use of the Pentile scheme. Here, the subpixels are arranged so that red and blue subpixels are half as common as green ones, but the resolution is calculated based on the green subpixels. And if we recalculate the pixel density at the rate of 3 subpixels per 1 pixel, then instead of 359 we get 239 pixels per inch, not much 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, with touch input no problem. The result of the maximum measured brightness, if set to solid White background, low - only 278 cd/m2. However, this is one of the features of the technology: if you reduce the white area, the luminosity of the white areas of the display will increase. If you draw a white circle on a black background, the brightness increases to 406 cd/m2. However, even with a solid white background, the image looks much brighter than, for example, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 with its 418 cd/m2.

Most likely, the issue here is the backlight, which is simply not present in AMOLED displays; in an LCD display, the crystals need to be illuminated. In the case of an AMOLED display, the organic compounds of the LEDs glow. Apparently, this fact also made it possible to make the body of the device thinner. Which is not surprising, because you don’t need a whole highlighting layer at once. The brightness distribution turned out to be low - 85%, the contrast was high, the device showed 1946:1. However, making such contrast measurements does not make much sense, since the black color in this case is simply black, which is obtained by “turning off” the pixels.

Separately, it is necessary to note the viewing angles: they are simply 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 rendition of the display suffers; the problem is partly solved by the fact that it can be corrected by choosing different screen modes: adaptive, AMOLED movie, AMOLED photo, basic. In the first three, colors turn out to be oversaturated, with large color deviations, but there is a wide color gamut that covers almost the entire Adobe RGB standard. When switching to the main mode, deviations are reduced, colors become more natural, and the color gamut narrows to sRGB. The display can be described as impressively bright, but the color reproduction may be off-putting for those who want to work with images.

Battery - 4.7

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, power consumption depends on what exactly is shown on the display: while the tablet uses almost no energy to display black, it requires more energy to display white than a regular LCD display. Galaxy Tab S 8.4 lasted an average of 4 hours 21 minutes. according to three tests in load mode, 26 hours 21 minutes. - in minimum load mode and 13 hours 40 minutes. —in HD video viewing mode. The tablet fully charged in about three and a half hours, which is a bit long for its capacity. Self Charger small and light.

Where can I buy

Software

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 runs on operating system Android Kitkat 4.4.2. When purchasing a Samsung tablet, you can expect that it will be equipped with some specific, unusual functions and a bunch of pre-installed applications. The device can operate in multiple windows mode, there is a “Children” mode and a private mode for the safety of personal content and data.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 also has a fingerprint scanner. In order to “set” a fingerprint, you will have to move your finger over the “Home” key as many as 8 times. It’s good that it is possible to set an alternative symbolic password. To unlock the tablet, you only need to swipe your finger once. By the way, after 5 wrong attempts you will have to wait 30 seconds and try again. The maximum number of fingerprints 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 index fingerprint with their left and right hand one at a time. Thus, the tablet could be unlocked by any of these 4 people. True, we managed to turn on the tablet using 5 fingers out of 8, and not always the first time.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has a smart display shutdown feature - the screen will remain on as long as the tablet sees that your eyes are directed at the display.

The device comes pre-installed with a lot of things: Google services, S Voice voice recognition system, WatchON application for controlling the TV, Remote PC and SideSync for working with personal computer and smartphone, as well as the WebEX application for holding conferences, Hancom Office Viewer for viewing documents and much more. 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. Front 2.1 megapixel for video calls, with the ability to shoot Full HD video, if available fast internet connection. 8.1 megapixel (3264×2448) rear camera with a typical set: autofocus, LED flash, face and smile detection. It takes good pictures for a tablet, although only in good lighting. In general, it’s a long way from professional cameras, and even from top-end smartphone cameras. The manufacturer has equipped the camera with various settings and effects for an interesting pastime: there is image stabilization, continuous shooting, different modes and effects. According to their own technical specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 cameras are superior to the Apple iPad mini Retina cameras. However, cameras are not so important for a tablet.

Photos from the camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 - 5.0 tablet

Temperature - 4.0

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 barely gets warm during operation, but it is a little hotter than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. Apparently the more compact dimensions and, accordingly, closer arrangement of the contents of the case had an effect. 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 as much as 2 degrees. Since the tablet showed suspiciously low results, we repeated the test twice and while charging from the mains, in this case the tablet warmed up in some places to 45 degrees, which is not a record, but already quite hot.

What I didn't like

assembly (the case creaks at some points), if you play, the battery becomes like sugar - it melts before your eyes. The RAM is definitely not enough for good games, well, judging by the lags, the percentages are also so-so

What I liked

cool display, reading mode, camera is not bad

What I didn't like

it is very thin and, as a result, very flimsy; when you squeeze the body, there is a crunching sound, i.e. The build quality and materials are poor even for a Samsung. remain instantly deep scratches and chips on the body due to light impacts and rubbing.
now software...
In some places (in some programs) I noticed that the gray color on the display is unevenly filled, perhaps the problem is in the software.
It froze tightly several times and there were incomprehensible and unfounded software glitches.
the price absolutely does not correspond to this device, i.e. The price/quality ratio is poor, especially considering that it is positioned as an assistant to a young active business person.

What I liked

bright colorful display, fast hardware

What I didn't like

The battery life is average for a tablet, even below average. As usual, the firmware from Samsung does not lag, but it lacks smoothness.

What I liked

Light, thin, chic display.

What I didn't like

What I liked

Display, dimensions.

What I didn't like

What I liked

Screen, speed, weight

What I didn't like

Few internal memory. Some applications are not installed on the card.

What I liked

Light, thin, fast. Doesn't freeze.

What I didn't like

A lot of unnecessary Google and Samsung software.

What I liked

Excellent display, hardware too (all games are great), camera (so great for a tablet), touchwiz too, build quality (probably got a good one), price-quality ratio.

What I didn't like

I didn't get the best assembly, the screen panel in one corner is poorly glued and creaks when pressed, top part screen (~5cm) at an angle displays white in pink, 8 cores are a scam :) in fact there are 4 active cores, the remaining 4 are weaker and are needed to work in economy mode, as a result the device loses in the benchmark even to the 5th Nexus :)
3GB of RAM is of course good, but at best there will be 500-700 free, because the rest is eaten up by the nasty touchwiz interface :(

What I liked

Lightweight, fast, relatively cheap

What I didn't like

Haven't found it yet

What I liked

Display, filling, price (if, as they wrote, you don’t buy the Rostest)

What I didn't like

autonomy (well, yes, this is the problem with all Android flagships).

What I liked

Compact, lightweight, productive

What I didn't like

1. The battery is certainly weak, but within normal limits, you don’t need to rush from charge to charge. But what if there are energy saving modes?
2. Applications have very small text (since high density pixels). The size can be changed in the settings, but this will not affect many applications. My wife’s Tabs S 3 can see everything fine, but for me, you can at least grab a magnifying glass. I think how to get out, otherwise my eyes get very tired
3. Feature of the screen - different shades at different angles. That is, if you twist it, color changes are noticeable. In principle, it doesn’t interfere much.
4. On the second day I noticed dead pixel(green on black). I didn't find it on the third. Thought about it.

What I liked

1. Excellent screen with rich colors, which can be slightly adjusted 2. Dimensions and weight 3. Fast operation 4. Large RAM 5. Very quickly catches and connects to wifi networks. Connected to the iPhone (in the form of a modem) with a bang 6. Watching movies was a blast. Unlike the iPad, the resolution is just cinematic.

Samsung is a company that has been on everyone's lips for a long time. This is one of the few manufacturers whose products are not outright failures, much less of poor quality. Some people don’t like the plastic casing of their smartphones, others are not satisfied with the software shell or the price. But from year to year the company releases more and more technologically advanced mobile devices.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is significantly different from its predecessor. With the same high screen resolution of the QHD standard, a SuperAMOLED matrix is ​​used here. The tablet has a different processor installed, the amount of RAM has been increased, and support for even more capacious memory cards has been added. There are other additions as well. For example, the Tab S has a fingerprint scanner.

In addition, Samsung worked on the design and reducing the size of the device. In fact, we have to get acquainted not just with a more recent modification, but for the most part with a new model.

South Korean company this moment has practically monopolized the niche of eight-inch Android tablets with advanced hardware and high-resolution displays. As in the case of the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, it will only have to compete with a few previously released models from Apple, LG and ASUS, or a few “Chinese” ones. In all cases, some compromises will have to be made. At the same time, the Tab S, like the Tab Pro, is even more rapidly moving away from its competitors in terms of its level of technology. The only thing that can stop you from buying is the price of the new product, which is quite high and fluctuates on average around 20 thousand rubles. Only this factor does not allow Samsung to lead with complete confidence against the backdrop of more affordable solutions.

The new tablet is available in white and dark gray with LTE and Wi-Fi only. The storage can receive 16 or 32 GB of flash memory (according to preliminary information, the price for the 32 GB version is unknown). We received a white tablet with 4G and 16 GB of memory for testing.

Detailed Galaxy review Let's start with Tab S 8.4 with a brief description of its parameters.

Specifications

Device type	Tablet
operating system	Android 4.4.2, Magazine UX
Housing materials	Plastic
Screen	8.4", SuperAMOLED, 2560 x 1600, 359 ppi
CPU	Exynos 5240, 4 cores Cortex-A15 1.9 GHz and 4 Cortex-A7 1.3 GHz cores
Video processor	Mali-T628 MP6
RAM	3 GB
Built-in storage	16 GB
Memory card slot	Micro SD (up to 128 GB)
Interfaces, communication and data transfer	USB 2.0 (MHL), Wi-Fi (b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, (A) GPS/GLONASS, 2G (850/1900), 3G (850/2100), 4G (800/2600), IR port
SIM slots	1 piece, micro-SIM
Cameras	8 megapixel main with autofocus and flash, 2.1 megapixel front
Battery	4900 mAh
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, lighting, proximity, geomagnetic, fingerprint, Hall
Dimensions	212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm
Weight	298 g
Price	18,000 – 23,000 rubles

Tab S 8.4 has become even more compact and lighter. The hardware is now more impressive, and the fingerprint scanner and new design bring the tablet in line with the latest Samsung devices.

There are not many weak points here. Except that there is no NFC, and the battery for all this power and a power-hungry screen does not look the most capacious. And some potential buyers will traditionally have a negative attitude towards the all-plastic body and oversaturated SuperAMOLED screen. This is a matter of taste.

Packaging and equipment

The hero of the review arrived for testing without packaging or delivery kit, so we will simply list what the buyer can find in the box after purchasing the device.

Small cardboard box will contain the required minimum. As usual, there are no surprises here:

• Charger;
• USB cable;
• User guide.

Let's begin the external inspection of the laboratory guest.

Appearance and design

Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is made in a plastic non-separable case. The entire front panel is occupied by protective glass, under which the screen is located. It is slightly deeper in relation to the ends.

The back is covered with plastic that imitates perforated leather (like the Galaxy S5). Only here perforation is not so frequent. The ends are framed by a plastic edging, stylized as polished golden metal. Here it is worth noting once again that the new product can be found in white and dark gray.

The appearance of the device is typical for devices Samsung latest generations. The case is very thin, its thickness is 6.6 mm over the entire area. The edges of the back panel and corners of the tablet are smoothed.

The device is comfortable to hold and does not seem big. The owner of an average-sized hand can even pick up the tablet like a regular smartphone and put it to his ear for a conversation without any problems. Texture back cover allows the device not to slip out of your hands.

Two strange buttons appeared on the back panel. It turns out that they are needed to attach the branded case.

The gadget is designed for use primarily in portrait orientation. This is evidenced by the location of most elements on the body.

The height of the device is 212.8 mm, width – 125.6 mm. Galaxy Tab S is noticeably more compact than its predecessor. The frames on the sides of the display are very narrow, at the bottom and top they are somewhat wider. The device weighs 298 g, which is 37 g less than the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4. The tablet feels light for its size, fortunately the weight is evenly distributed throughout the body.

All connectors and buttons are distributed across several ends. The surface of the rear panel is rough and hardly attracts fingerprints. The white color of the case has a slight pearlescent tint.

Above the screen are the front camera, earpiece, light and proximity sensors. The speaker is equipped with a medium-sized slot covered with a convex grille. Below it is the company logo. There is no event indicator or charge level.

At the bottom center of the front panel there is a wide hardware Home button with a fingerprint scanner. Two touch buttons are located on the sides and are visible without backlight. The buttons have a white backlight, which is bright enough to be clearly visible in low light.

The main camera is now centered at the top of the back panel, rather than on the edge. Its module protrudes slightly above the level of the case and, most likely, will be scratched. There is a flash located under the camera.

At the bottom there is a USB connector, a call microphone hole, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and one of two speakers.

The upper end is reserved for the second speaker and noise-canceling microphone. Thus, this model solves the problem of the Galaxy Tab Pro, where the speakers were located at one end. Now you can get a stereo effect and uniform sound on both sides of the screen. In this case, the speakers will not overlap when gripping the device with both hands.

The double volume control button and the power button are on the right side. Here in the center there is an IR port window. Just below are slots for a Micro SIM card and a MicroSD memory card.

These connectors are closed with tight plugs.

There are no elements on the left side.

The quality of materials and their processing is very good. The plastic is of sufficient thickness. The case is assembled very well, nothing creaks or plays. The fit of the parts is precise and tight. Controls and connectors are conveniently located. The size of the buttons is sufficient; they are pressed with a short stroke and a quiet but noticeable click. During active use and under heavy loads, the tablet body heats up slightly. The vibration motor works well.

The design of the device fits into the overall design of the 2014 line of smartphones and tablets. There will be no discoveries for the user here. The only thing that will amaze you is the truly small thickness of the gadget.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	212.8 mm (millimeters) 21.28 cm (centimeters) 0.7 ft (feet) 8.38 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	126.6 mm (millimeters) 12.66 cm (centimeters) 0.42 ft (feet) 4.98 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	6.6 mm (millimeters) 0.66 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.26 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	298 g (grams) 0.66 lbs 10.51 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	177.81 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 10.8 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	White Bronze Golden
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Plastic

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is that it provides higher speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974AB
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	Krait 400
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption.	4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes)
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	2300 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 330
Number of cores GPU Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications.	4
GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	578 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	3 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	933 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	Super AMOLED
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	8.4 in (inches) 213.36 mm (millimeters) 21.34 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	7.12 in (inches) 180.93 mm (millimeters) 18.09 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.45 in (inches) 113.08 mm (millimeters) 11.31 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.6:1 16:10
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	2560 x 1600 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	359 ppi (pixels per inch) 141 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	76.19% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Sensor size	3.6 x 2.7 mm (millimeters) 0.18 in (inches)
Pixel size	1.103 µm (micrometers) 0.001103 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor	9.61
Diaphragm	f/2.4
Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. The equivalent focal length is also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera.	3.33 mm (millimeters) 32.02 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting.	LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image.	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video with maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality.	Autofocus Digital zoom Geographical tags

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera.	Samsung S5K6B2
Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution.	2.4 x 1.8 mm (millimeters) 0.12 in (inches)
Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels per unit area, thereby increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size may have a negative impact on image quality when high levels photosensitivity (ISO).	1.25 µm (micrometers) 0.00125 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device.	14.42
Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger.	f/2.4
Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the additional camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported video resolution additional camera.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at the maximum resolution.	30fps (frames per second)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser.

HTML HTML5 CSS 3

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	4900 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	29 h (hours) 1740 min (minutes) 1.2 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics device battery.	Fixed

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates maximum amount electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device next to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard established by the CENELEC Committee in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.	0.264 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards.	0.989 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.63 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard.	1.56 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)