I have this for about a year now and I like it. Battery life is good. I have it running netflix all night so after 8 hrs of playing video it is still charged. I also owned an ipad air 2 and the ipad is still better as far as resolution and color/screen quality
Great tablet for basically everything. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxLNmVocUk8tnSkwWIlYSNFzWRIaFTBuzS I bought it specifically for art, and that 4k screen is really fantastic for it! Also has LOUD audio, even tho the speakers aren't in necessarily prime locations it really projects!You do need to get a case for this bad boy IMMEDIATLY though as it doesn't come with one.Battery life is really good! Standby time us FANTASTIC. This guy can go about a week on standby and be just fine. The screen is massive so the longer you have the screen on, brightness especially, it will effect battery life. I am very happy with it though!One thing that I didn't consider is that since the screen resolution is so high, viewing ticktocks/ reading webtoons can be slightly blurry. There is no way to turn down resolution either, so it just be like that.Would still judge this bad boi at 10/10 for my first tablet. I've had it 3 months now and its not shown any evidence of "slowing down" or anything. Love it!
I have the 8.0 version and i love it! lag is non existent in this tablet, it loads and runs up apps smoothly and it is so much lighter than the tab s 8.4. Prior to purchasing this tablet i thought the reduced resolution and 4:3 ratio was gonna bother me but not at all. I watch movies on it however the black bars are there but they dont bother me. The battery life however is average. Overall i love the feel and design of this tablet and also the fact that it is not fully bloated with touchwiz which i guess is the reason why it runs so smoothly.
Great review. I planned on buying the Tab S2 8.0 as a color ereader but bought the Samsung Tab S2 Nook version instead since I use Barnes & Noble. The Nook offers everything the S2 does but has additional Nook apps, some free books, magazines, free in-store reading, support and is 10% off for B&N members. I knew the tablet would be thin and light but it is really impressive in person. The screen is sharp, vivid and I definitely prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio.
4:3 ratio tablet shows best looking of music sheet from my experience of using ipad3 and note10.1 2014. i am very pleased samsung released the table with that size.
i ordered one cant wait to try it. ive never had a 10inch tablet before dont really need it but eh have the money might as well try one out not like i have a girlfriend or a wife or kids to support so fuck it i can buy what the fuck i want to DONT JUDGE ME FFS i worked hard for my money!!!!!
I bought in September 2017 its been 6 months now , and still awesome, stereo speakers are just awesome for high quality music better than earphones, and super fast during multi tasking, especially its too thin just feel like a book
Great review! Can you use the IGN app on landscape mode? I would like to see if there's a difference with the Tab S 8.4 that being a 16:10 one you just can use said IGN app in landscape mode. Thanks!
I purchased this tablet and I will get it next week. I never thought of it missing the IR and that's a key feature I was wanting. It was on the last model I believe. Pretty bummed that's been removed!
Possibly the best tablet Samsung ever made. The change in the aspect ratio was also a great change, because it makes it more functional, since you're not watching videos all the time and it makes web surfing, gaming and working much more natural.
Hey Lisa, excellent review as always. Everyone seems to be overlooking some of the negative issues with this tablet though. The camera flash has been removed (the Tab S had it last year), the IR port has been removed (last year's featured it), the NFC has been removed (last year's featured it) the Wi-Fi model lacks a vibration motor, and the AnTuTu test I ran on the 8.0 didn't even manage to surpass the OnePlus One let alone last year's Galaxy Note 4. I'm somewhat curious as to what your thoughts were about these things. While I personally didn't care, the fact that Samsung is charging such a high price and actually (in some cases) providing less than the original Tab S is something that came across as cutting corners yet not passing any of the savings onto the customer. I had actually thought Samsung might have a real premium tablet up its' sleeve for IFA, namely a Galaxy Tab Edge. In reality, the Tab E is the Galaxy J series, the Tab A is the Galaxy E series, and the Tab S2 is the Galaxy A series. So where is the true S-class product? : ( Anyway, great job as usual. I always look forward to watching your new reviews!
+Matthew Benson Are you still embarrassing yourself with those silly arguments? This Tab S2 performs much more smoothly than last year's Tab S as every reviewer and everyone that's got it know. What's your obsession with your dumb antutu benchmark about? Also, an Edge tablet? WTF?
+M Stuart Is it wrong to expect premium specs for a premium price? My problem is with the idea that Samsung dropped several features from the tablet yet the price is unchanged. You're welcome to disagree though The Verge's review also mentioned the spec issue. Also perhaps you missed the image that was teased for Samsung Unpacked that showed what appeared to be a curved tablet?
Matthew Benson I find your concept of "premium" quite ridiculous frankly. Just show me a better tablet for the same or less price. The iVerge? Really? If Apple released an iPad with an Amoled display, let alone 32GB of internal storage, they'd be creaming their pants.
+M Stuart It's not my definition of premium, it's based on what Samsung offered last year and what it's offering this year. You seem to be deliberately ignoring the points I raised, namely that Samsung left out numerous features that were present in the original Tab S: IR support, NFC support, and a camera flash. Then I mentioned the Wi-Fi model doesn't have any haptic feedback or vibration, and the series as a whole still lacks a notification LED. Is it wrong to think a device called the Galaxy Tab *S* should have similar features to the Galaxy S smartphone? Also are you familiar with the Asus ZenPad 8 (Z580C-B1)? It costs $199 for the 32GB model and if not mistaken has the same screen resolution as and aspect ratio as the Tab S2, not to mention front firing speakers. Does it have a SAMOLED display? No, but then you're basically paying $200 extra for that display and slightly higher specs. My point is, which you will inevitably continue to ignore, Samsung has deliberately chosen to use the "S" branding for a device that doesn't have flagship specs that match the classification. Anyway I think it's safe to say that we agree to disagree. I tested and posted impressions of this almost an entire month ago. It's interesting that it has taken the rest of the tech world so long to get around to reviewing it, and that no one else has mentioned the cost cutting steps. Excuse me for having the clearly incorrect stance to speak on behalf of customer's wallets and pricing practices. I have never said the Tab S2 is a bad tablet, just that what it provides doesn't seem to justify the price as compared to last year.
Matthew Benson It's a tablet. Virtually no one cares about NFC, the IR blaster, or camera flash on a tablet. They don't define the "S" category, in the same way that the note 5 not having IR blaster is no less of a Note. The market leader does not have it and it doesn't matter. A display that no one else can produce, not even Apple, matters, along with finally smooth performance that previous year's Tab S didn't have. . And yeah, I'll gladly pay $200 extra. It's fine if you think it's not worth it... but I do. That's pretty much the definition of a premium product. You cannot really compare the Tab S2 with anything Asus produces for cheaper.
You seemed to imply that a large tablet Super AMOLED display is a new thing. I have owned a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 with a 10.5" Super AMOLED screen for almost a year now! Apart from that, a great review as always Lisa, this is not an upgrade for me though as the aspect ratio and large bezels are no good to me.
4:3 ratio good for reading and web browsing , most of the time I grab a tablet is to watch RUclips videos, anime episodes and web browse . the reason why the nexus 9 is not doing well is the price nexus 7 was the best tablet in price and performance
So, do they want me to watch videos in portrait mode? Why do those two companies have put "stereo" speakers on the bottom? In landscape mode, they become a mono speaker.
+John Phillips I loved that tablet at first, but it left me a very bad impression of samsung. Battery issues, overheating, sometimes the screen turns purple. I also had a problem with the charging cable that came in the box .___.
+Gustavo Alejandro Rivera de la Rosa I know right? Even the simplest tasks on the note 8 drain out the battery, but I only use it for things like watching movies on Netflix or 9gag etc. Its a relaxing tablet 😊
It makes me wonder why they decided to put both of the speakers on the bottom side of the tablet as opposed to one on each side (for a much better stereo effect)....this is a pretty big deal breaker (for me anyways...)
As a long time Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 fan, I don't see this as being a significant upgrade from my 2 year old Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. The biggest improvement is a much better processor and a better, brighter screen. The only problem is that they blatantly copied the iPad Air 2 , which I also own by going from a super high resolution 2560x1600 16:10 screen, to a smaller 4:3 2048x1536 screen. The screen is admittedly bright and beautiful, but it's not worth the $500 asking price when the iPad Air 2 is a superior device. It offers far better app support and looks and feels much more premium. While the newer Exynos Octa is great, the iPad Air 2 is still slightly more powerful with the A8X processor. The screen is also a diamond matrix pentile display, which at a lower pixel density, people like me are sensitive to. I love AMOLED displays, but they're prone to burn-in over time. Look carefully at any store display or the older Galaxy Tab S or Galaxy S phones, you'll see burn-in.
Better wait for the actual tablet flagship from Samsung, they gave us a teaser for a brand new bigger tablet called the Galaxy view, Samsung said they will announce it in October
But why on earth put the charging cord on the bottom right side, i keep knocking it with my knee ? 🤔 & I've always got them (my galaxy tab A 9.7 & my new galaxy tab S2 9.7) charging whilst im using them & i use them both at once all day....frustrating 🤔
+SimplyLeah That's cool. I already have an iPad mini 2 so I really don't need a tablet, but I have some BestBuy credit burning a hole in my pocket so I'll just get the Tab S 8.0 to go with my Note 5.
I like it. Very fast and very smooth. I have an Ipad Retina that I use and an unbranded tablet that is duel boot / windows 10 and Android 5.1. This is a very good tablet. I installed Google Now as my launcher so that I would match what is on my Nexus 6.
Hello everyone, this comment is a question that is open to any and everyone(video poster, viewers, commenter etc) that can shed some light on the issue and/or knows or has the experience of dealing with this very issue(each device/ testing etc). Ok this has to do with "MHL" and the Galaxy Tab S2 devices. Some of you may be very aware of the issue for others that don't this is the issue. MHL is what is used on devices without a mini hdmi output to transfer the video/audio/devices screen onto your tv via the micro usb port using an MHL adapter, HDMI cable and your devices micro usb charger cable to power the MHL adapter. the problem is that there's a lot of mixed information about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (both 8.0 & 9.7) having MHL support(even from Samsung themselves). There are people who say that their device has MHL Support and others that say theirs doesn't. Now there's a number of reasons why this is happening and as of right now it seems nobody has put together anything to help get to the truth/facts. So right now it's all theory and logic. Reasons so far are: 1) Only certain MHL adapters work(brands and/or version ie 2.0 or 3.0 etc) 2) Only certain TV's will work I think the following reasons are heading more so in the correct direction based on the fact that I've seen a lot of people that say their device does support MHL seem to mostly be owners of the original versions released in 2015. Since then the company has made some revisions to the devices (both 8.0 and the 9.7). these changes/upgrades included: 3) Hardware Upgrade 4) Software(OS Upgrade) when changes to either of these to take place is very easy for certain capabilites to be gained or lost in the process. example the 8.0 version are: SM-T710, SM-T713(gsm/phone) & SM-T715 the T710 is the original 2015 model. The T710 & T715 (Both running with) Exynos 5 Octa 5433 (SoC) & Android (Lollipop)OS The T713 (2016 upgraded version runs) Snapdragon 652 MSM8976 (SoC) & Android (Marshmellow) OS Has anyone tested/worked with all version ?. if you have a version of the Galaxy Tap S2 and tested MHL capabilites/support, can you say which version/model and what MHL adapter you used?. I want to get to the facts of this to determine which version actually does support MHL. My theory is the T710 (original version and possibly the T715 both run Exynos & Lollipop) are the MHL compatible versions. Same for the 9.7 Models are: T810 & T815 = 2015 w/ Exynos & Lollipop T819 & T813 = 2016 w/Dragonsnap & Marshmellow leave you experience, insight etc Below this comment/in response to this comment. apologies, not trying to hijack the video or direction. thanks
Apart from the screen size and battery life of the 8" tab s2 being different from the 9.7" model, is there anything else performance wise that separates them?
For the specs and performance it'd definitely great. I just got one today which is great. As for battery if it's getting you close to 7 hrs that's pretty good. If someone needs 14 hrs sitting watching Netflix you need a better hobby lol. Overall pretty good tablet
Lisa, any chance of you reviewing the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA)? I know the Samsung has the better display, but the price of the Tab S2 is so high that I'm wondering if the Asus isn't the better 4:3 device. Either way, keep up the great work. Always enjoy your reviews. Thanks.
I have one question and I hope it will be answered. I am very familiar with Apple products, though expensive when you get a 64g or 128g you know thats where the memory is being used. However, I was about to purchase this SGT S2 and I was told although you can get a high memory MicroSD card, you can't really set the card as the primary location to store apps downloaded. You have to manually move each one and it truly isn't moved, just copied. Is that true?
hi Lisa nice review as always. slightly off topic but I wandered if you could answer a couple of questions & steer me in the right direction. I've been using the note pro 12.2 since its launch & use the note 4 phone. I'm thinking of jumping ship to apple because I'm getting frustrated with android with nowhere to turn for help. problem is I use s note everyday as my diary on my phone but I can't share them on my tablet. I can't share my notes via email with friends because it keeps asking them for a password & I don't know it. I've tried clearing the data but it didn't work. now I want to learn to draw. I use my tablet for movies (can't streem them onto the TV as it's so hard with Samsung ), reading, surfing, taking notes & writing & RUclips & now I want to draw. what do you recommend I do? latest apple or Samsung tablets? how can I seemlessly share my files from 1 device to another like s note. I hear that anything I start on 1 apple device would be waiting on the other device. is this true & why can't samsung do this? could you do a video about these questions for me please? I'm sure there's loads of people who have these same questions but are afraid to ask. many thanks
The problem isn't with the tablet it's self but with TouchWiz. TouchWiz is the greatest culprit for those jumping ship to iOS. Before you go off and buy an iPad try replacing TouchWiz with another Android version like Cyanogmod 12.1. I'll post the link at the end to the site that can help you do this. CM 12.1 is a fantastic OS and will breath new life into you Tab Pro 12.2, which by the way is still a fantastic tablet. Not only will you get back more than a gigabyte memory as TouchWiz just gobbles that stuff up like it's an all you can eat Buffett but CM 12 .2 will also remove all of those useless Samsung apps. I also recommend installing a new launcher called Smart Luncher Pro 3, it's absolutely fantastic and will improve you experience 10 fold. As promised -> forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-pro-12-10-8/general/qa-how-to-root-install-custom-recovery-t3087451 and this forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-pro-12-10-8/development/cyanogenmod-tab-pro-12-2-sm-t900-t2914975
I guess it really depends. Tablets are mostly for consumption, but they are getting better for work and school. If you're more of a social media person who just needs to write papers for class and do occasional presentations, a tablet with a nice bluetooth keyboard is totally fine. I'm a little biased and can't do work on Android or iPads, but I know people who do all their school stuff on Android tablets and they make it. There's apps like OneNote or Evernote for class notes and Google Docs or tablet Word for writing papers. Keep in mind that the formatting may be a little off, but you can always correct it with library computers. If I had to use an Android tablet for school, I'd use a Samsung with SPen capabilities for written notes.
I didn't say that laptops were a must for writing papers. Actually, I myself stated that if OP was into social media (i.e. using Facebook, RUclips, etc), does light gaming, light to no coding, and school work (i.e. note taking and writing papers), then a tablet would be cost effective for them. They don't even need to run Debian if they're that person I just described cause there are apps for social media content and apps for note taking and writing papers. I would probably download Debian, but I know many others that don't need it and make it just fine. Overall, we're basically on the same page that tablets do work in the college setting for those who don't need that much processing power.
OneNote on my phone is okay. Not sure about formatting. LibreOffice is helpful for formatting. But really, if you're in college, chances are you won't use wireless printers that connect to your tablet. You'd end up using the free printing stations around school where you can easily plug in a USB or use a cloud service to download the word doc and then quickly format it. That's what I would do since I have to use the school computers anyway to print my papers...
I've had a Nexus 7 2013 tablet for almost 2 years and plan to upgrade. After watching this review I don't know what to think. The bad battery life and the 4:3 aspect ratio seem like a big turn off. So far my tablet is looking pretty nice by comparison. I hope the galaxy view is good. I might soon be looking for an android tablet with great battery life, fast and smooth performance, a 16:9 aspect ratio, a micro SD card slot, a great design. Any recommendations?
+Daniel Bernard Don't wait for the Galaxy View, it's neither high end, nor meant for portability, it's a "family device". I'd go for the Dell Venue 8 7000 or the Nexus 9.
Karlo Schallibaum I need a tablet with either a micro SD card slot or about 64 gb of internal storage. Nexus 9 doesn't have that for me, I will check out the Dell one.
Daniel Bernard The LTE version was good. You cannot buy them anymore though, because the battery in those devices are a fire hazard and Nvidia has recalled them.
I have the tab pro 8.4 but want to upgrade to tab s2 with amoled display. my s6 edge plus has a beautiful amoled display and I miss that on my tablet. I also think it's less strain on the eyes.
+Ed Tamez Super high res displays on pricey smart phones is overkill -- they're more suited to devices like the 9.7 inch S2. The display on the S2 is brilliant.
Its not been announced yet dude, wait till October, nobody except Samsung knows the exact screen size, and im sure it will most likely not have an 18 inch display
Most people don't like the out dated 4:3 format, can't watch movies properly on that format. Looks like I'm not replacing my Asus Transformer TF701t for a long time and will only replace it if it stops working.
Don't be ridiculous, there are still plenty of Android tablets that use the 16:9 aspect ratio. The Sony Z series for instant, which consists of the Z1, Z2, Z3 Compact and new Z4 are fantastic tablets. Also, 4:3 is not archaic, it's just an aspect ratio, not actual technology. 4:3 is also great for a lot of purposes, your's seems to be more in line with someone who likes to consume media. Which is fine but saying that 4:3 is archaic because you don't see the value in it is just plain silly. If you read more, especially magazines, 4:3 would be a better respect ration for you, if you worked more with MS Office or other productivity apps, 4:3 is great, etc. Actually, the reason why more and more manufactures are going with 4:3 is that 16:9 is really only good for one thing and that's media, games don't need it, apps in general look better in 4:3, so buy a 200 dollar Nvidia Shield for your films and than grab a much nicer tablet for everything else.
Are you able to connect the s2 to a mobile hotspot? Say, my phone? So I can just use the data plan on my phone? Someone told me this feature isn't available on the S2...?
I will tell you that the tab s2 is better but no one buys Samsung tablets because they are laggy and bad when you use them for a lot of time I would say buying an iPad is better 📱
Good for you Huawei just released a 8.4", 16:10 tablet at IFA 2016. It's called The "MediaPad M3" It's actually really good too (WQHD display, dual stereo speakers, 4GB ram, great build etc.)
I really don't get why Samsung has such ridiculous pricing on their keyboard though as one can pick up a generic one at one-quarter the price such as the fantie blade X1 which can give you a fold-out keyboard
Wait, turns out that the s2 is not the flagship this year, Samsung gave us a teaser for a new big tablet with a new display technology called the Galaxy view
Go for the 8", you'll absolutely love the size. I would also look at the new MiPad 2 from Xiaomi or Asus ZenPad 8 (the one with 4GB of memory and 2K resolution) both of these tablets are cheaper and just as good as the Samsung, even better in a lot regards.
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I have this for about a year now and I like it. Battery life is good. I have it running netflix all night so after 8 hrs of playing video it is still charged. I also owned an ipad air 2 and the ipad is still better as far as resolution and color/screen quality
Great tablet for basically everything. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxLNmVocUk8tnSkwWIlYSNFzWRIaFTBuzS I bought it specifically for art, and that 4k screen is really fantastic for it! Also has LOUD audio, even tho the speakers aren't in necessarily prime locations it really projects!You do need to get a case for this bad boy IMMEDIATLY though as it doesn't come with one.Battery life is really good! Standby time us FANTASTIC. This guy can go about a week on standby and be just fine. The screen is massive so the longer you have the screen on, brightness especially, it will effect battery life. I am very happy with it though!One thing that I didn't consider is that since the screen resolution is so high, viewing ticktocks/ reading webtoons can be slightly blurry. There is no way to turn down resolution either, so it just be like that.Would still judge this bad boi at 10/10 for my first tablet. I've had it 3 months now and its not shown any evidence of "slowing down" or anything. Love it!
love this review this lady is top notch.
This is the best review about this device I've seen so far. Thanks for your work and passion!
I have the 8.0 version and i love it! lag is non existent in this tablet, it loads and runs up apps smoothly and it is so much lighter than the tab s 8.4. Prior to purchasing this tablet i thought the reduced resolution and 4:3 ratio was gonna bother me but not at all. I watch movies on it however the black bars are there but they dont bother me. The battery life however is average. Overall i love the feel and design of this tablet and also the fact that it is not fully bloated with touchwiz which i guess is the reason why it runs so smoothly.
is there any way to change the black bars?
Best review yet of this tablet..THANKS..
I love your reviews
Great review. I planned on buying the Tab S2 8.0 as a color ereader but bought the Samsung Tab S2 Nook version instead since I use Barnes & Noble. The Nook offers everything the S2 does but has additional Nook apps, some free books, magazines, free in-store reading, support and is 10% off for B&N members. I knew the tablet would be thin and light but it is really impressive in person. The screen is sharp, vivid and I definitely prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio.
I got the 8.0 yesterday and I love it!
Jevon Rodgers how is playing RUclips and Netflix and Amazon prime video on it?
You're one a the best in the game, Lisa. As always, awesome review. Thanks.
I had the ipad air 2 and changed it for the tab s2. The different is HUGE!! I have made the best choice of my life.I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can we have a smack down of this against the Nexus 9? Love your videos as always!
Your reviews are ALWAYS top notch.
I've been waiting for this tablet from Samsung for a couple years now :) About time.
Oh wow was I waiting for you to review this tablet, thanks a lot!
I wish more brands would make tablets :(
Lisa is the best tech reviewer hands down before any major tech buy I have to have her stamp of approval
4:3 ratio tablet shows best looking of music sheet from my experience of using ipad3 and note10.1 2014. i am very pleased samsung released the table with that size.
i ordered one cant wait to try it. ive never had a 10inch tablet before dont really need it but eh have the money might as well try one out not like i have a girlfriend or a wife or kids to support so fuck it i can buy what the fuck i want to DONT JUDGE ME FFS i worked hard for my money!!!!!
hiding in my room dude, chill and just buy what you want man
I bought in September 2017 its been 6 months now , and still awesome, stereo speakers are just awesome for high quality music better than earphones, and super fast during multi tasking, especially its too thin just feel like a book
Great detail in this review. I really appreciate how you compare to other models that are similar. Thanks!
Had a chance to get my hands on one of these today. What an awesome device.
Great review! Can you use the IGN app on landscape mode? I would like to see if there's a difference with the Tab S 8.4 that being a 16:10 one you just can use said IGN app in landscape mode. Thanks!
Another fantastic review Lisa. Thanks!
I always count on you for reviews
I purchased this tablet and I will get it next week. I never thought of it missing the IR and that's a key feature I was wanting. It was on the last model I believe. Pretty bummed that's been removed!
it's finally a better review, but I would like to see a comparison between the previous model.
Possibly the best tablet Samsung ever made. The change in the aspect ratio was also a great change, because it makes it more functional, since you're not watching videos all the time and it makes web surfing, gaming and working much more natural.
Yes you right Samsung Tab is the best 📱
Hey Lisa, excellent review as always.
Everyone seems to be overlooking some of the negative issues with this tablet though. The camera flash has been removed (the Tab S had it last year), the IR port has been removed (last year's featured it), the NFC has been removed (last year's featured it) the Wi-Fi model lacks a vibration motor, and the AnTuTu test I ran on the 8.0 didn't even manage to surpass the OnePlus One let alone last year's Galaxy Note 4.
I'm somewhat curious as to what your thoughts were about these things. While I personally didn't care, the fact that Samsung is charging such a high price and actually (in some cases) providing less than the original Tab S is something that came across as cutting corners yet not passing any of the savings onto the customer.
I had actually thought Samsung might have a real premium tablet up its' sleeve for IFA, namely a Galaxy Tab Edge. In reality, the Tab E is the Galaxy J series, the Tab A is the Galaxy E series, and the Tab S2 is the Galaxy A series. So where is the true S-class product? : (
Anyway, great job as usual. I always look forward to watching your new reviews!
+Matthew Benson Are you still embarrassing yourself with those silly arguments? This Tab S2 performs much more smoothly than last year's Tab S as every reviewer and everyone that's got it know. What's your obsession with your dumb antutu benchmark about? Also, an Edge tablet? WTF?
+M Stuart Is it wrong to expect premium specs for a premium price? My problem is with the idea that Samsung dropped several features from the tablet yet the price is unchanged. You're welcome to disagree though The Verge's review also mentioned the spec issue.
Also perhaps you missed the image that was teased for Samsung Unpacked that showed what appeared to be a curved tablet?
Matthew Benson I find your concept of "premium" quite ridiculous frankly. Just show me a better tablet for the same or less price. The iVerge? Really? If Apple released an iPad with an Amoled display, let alone 32GB of internal storage, they'd be creaming their pants.
+M Stuart It's not my definition of premium, it's based on what Samsung offered last year and what it's offering this year. You seem to be deliberately ignoring the points I raised, namely that Samsung left out numerous features that were present in the original Tab S: IR support, NFC support, and a camera flash. Then I mentioned the Wi-Fi model doesn't have any haptic feedback or vibration, and the series as a whole still lacks a notification LED.
Is it wrong to think a device called the Galaxy Tab *S* should have similar features to the Galaxy S smartphone?
Also are you familiar with the Asus ZenPad 8 (Z580C-B1)? It costs $199 for the 32GB model and if not mistaken has the same screen resolution as and aspect ratio as the Tab S2, not to mention front firing speakers. Does it have a SAMOLED display? No, but then you're basically paying $200 extra for that display and slightly higher specs.
My point is, which you will inevitably continue to ignore, Samsung has deliberately chosen to use the "S" branding for a device that doesn't have flagship specs that match the classification.
Anyway I think it's safe to say that we agree to disagree. I tested and posted impressions of this almost an entire month ago. It's interesting that it has taken the rest of the tech world so long to get around to reviewing it, and that no one else has mentioned the cost cutting steps. Excuse me for having the clearly incorrect stance to speak on behalf of customer's wallets and pricing practices.
I have never said the Tab S2 is a bad tablet, just that what it provides doesn't seem to justify the price as compared to last year.
Matthew Benson It's a tablet. Virtually no one cares about NFC, the IR blaster, or camera flash on a tablet. They don't define the "S" category, in the same way that the note 5 not having IR blaster is no less of a Note. The market leader does not have it and it doesn't matter. A display that no one else can produce, not even Apple, matters, along with finally smooth performance that previous year's Tab S didn't have. .
And yeah, I'll gladly pay $200 extra. It's fine if you think it's not worth it... but I do. That's pretty much the definition of a premium product. You cannot really compare the Tab S2 with anything Asus produces for cheaper.
Great review Lisa as always!
You seemed to imply that a large tablet Super AMOLED display is a new thing. I have owned a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 with a 10.5" Super AMOLED screen for almost a year now! Apart from that, a great review as always Lisa, this is not an upgrade for me though as the aspect ratio and large bezels are no good to me.
Excellent review, Lisa!
Im honestly sticking with my S8.4.
4:3 ratio good for reading and web browsing , most of the time I grab a tablet is to watch RUclips videos, anime episodes and web browse . the reason why the nexus 9 is not doing well is the price nexus 7 was the best tablet in price and performance
solid review, hope I learn to like the 4:3 ratio. just got a new 9.7 for 260
where!?
I'm happy with my Tab S. but upon hearing the sweet reviewer, I think I'm getting this :)
ooo nice, new tablets. Im in the market so it's nice to see some direct iPad competition
What are the two round metal pads you are touching at 13:00 in the video?
So, do they want me to watch videos in portrait mode? Why do those two companies have put "stereo" speakers on the bottom? In landscape mode, they become a mono speaker.
Watching this from the Galaxy Tab S2's uncle, Galaxy Note 8.0
+John Phillips I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Note 8!
+John Phillips I've still got a Note 8.0 and I love it as a tablet.
+John Phillips I loved that tablet at first, but it left me a very bad impression of samsung. Battery issues, overheating, sometimes the screen turns purple. I also had a problem with the charging cable that came in the box .___.
+Gustavo Alejandro Rivera de la Rosa I know right? Even the simplest tasks on the note 8 drain out the battery, but I only use it for things like watching movies on Netflix or 9gag etc. Its a relaxing tablet 😊
+MobileTechReview Do you know why Samsung aborted the Note line? (written with a Note 8)
great review as usual
It makes me wonder why they decided to put both of the speakers on the bottom side of the tablet as opposed to one on each side (for a much better stereo effect)....this is a pretty big deal breaker (for me anyways...)
As a long time Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 fan, I don't see this as being a significant upgrade from my 2 year old Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. The biggest improvement is a much better processor and a better, brighter screen. The only problem is that they blatantly copied the iPad Air 2 , which I also own by going from a super high resolution 2560x1600 16:10 screen, to a smaller 4:3 2048x1536 screen. The screen is admittedly bright and beautiful, but it's not worth the $500 asking price when the iPad Air 2 is a superior device. It offers far better app support and looks and feels much more premium. While the newer Exynos Octa is great, the iPad Air 2 is still slightly more powerful with the A8X processor.
The screen is also a diamond matrix pentile display, which at a lower pixel density, people like me are sensitive to. I love AMOLED displays, but they're prone to burn-in over time. Look carefully at any store display or the older Galaxy Tab S or Galaxy S phones, you'll see burn-in.
Better wait for the actual tablet flagship from Samsung, they gave us a teaser for a brand new bigger tablet called the Galaxy view, Samsung said they will announce it in October
+Shaun Lew Cool. That's the first time I've heard of it. Samsung's roadmap two years ago had a 4k tablet for 2015. It would be nice.
They gave us a teaser during the gear s2 keynote
+Shaun Lew Cool. I'll be on the lookout for that. I want Samsung to wow me again with some unique tech and specs. Not just trying to copy Apple.
Hi Lisa. I really like how you do the reviews I just subscribed
Can you include bench marks on future videos?
But why on earth put the charging cord on the bottom right side, i keep knocking it with my knee ? 🤔 & I've always got them (my galaxy tab A 9.7 & my new galaxy tab S2 9.7) charging whilst im using them & i use them both at once all day....frustrating 🤔
The 9.7 inch tablet has a RGB Stripe display, the 8 inch has a PenTile matrix set up.
An excellent review. Thanks much!
Whenever i need to buy new gadgets, I will come to this channel. Lisa do help me to buy my HP Spectre x360 and now I am considering to buy this tablet
thanks for the awesome review!
great review as always.thx.
I am watching this video on one, 8", and I love it. I have the black and truly like that color.
that's the size I want! I had a 10 inch before but I want something smaller and more comfortable for reading books
+SimplyLeah The 8" version is on sale for $299.99 at Best Buy. I have an iPad mini, but I may pick this up.
+Ralph Miller III thx I caught the sale but I got the 9.7 inch instead. so far I love it!
+SimplyLeah That's cool. I already have an iPad mini 2 so I really don't need a tablet, but I have some BestBuy credit burning a hole in my pocket so I'll just get the Tab S 8.0 to go with my Note 5.
+Ralph Miller III 😂😂😂 so u like smaller tablets? why not get the 9.7 if you already have a small one?
Excellent tablet the TabS2 definitely a kool first Tablet if I say so myself.
will you do a review for lumia 940 xl after release?
Would you recommend this over the Xperia Tablet Z4? Or would you recommend waiting for the new iPad?
I like it. Very fast and very smooth. I have an Ipad Retina that I use and an unbranded tablet that is duel boot / windows 10 and Android 5.1. This is a very good tablet. I installed Google Now as my launcher so that I would match what is on my Nexus 6.
Hello everyone, this comment is a question that is open to any and everyone(video poster, viewers, commenter etc) that can shed some light on the issue and/or knows or has the experience of dealing with this very issue(each device/ testing etc).
Ok this has to do with "MHL" and the Galaxy Tab S2 devices. Some of you may be very aware of the issue for others that don't this is the issue. MHL is what is used on devices without a mini hdmi output to transfer the video/audio/devices screen onto your tv via the micro usb port using an MHL adapter, HDMI cable and your devices micro usb charger cable to power the MHL adapter.
the problem is that there's a lot of mixed information about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (both 8.0 & 9.7) having MHL support(even from Samsung themselves). There are people who say that their device has MHL Support and others that say theirs doesn't.
Now there's a number of reasons why this is happening and as of right now it seems nobody has put together anything to help get to the truth/facts. So right now it's all theory and logic.
Reasons so far are:
1) Only certain MHL adapters work(brands and/or version ie 2.0 or 3.0 etc)
2) Only certain TV's will work
I think the following reasons are heading more so in the correct direction based on the fact that I've seen a lot of people that say their device does support MHL seem to mostly be owners of the original versions released in 2015. Since then the company has made some revisions to the devices (both 8.0 and the 9.7). these changes/upgrades included:
3) Hardware Upgrade
4) Software(OS Upgrade)
when changes to either of these to take place is very easy for certain capabilites to be gained or lost in the process.
example the 8.0 version are:
SM-T710, SM-T713(gsm/phone) & SM-T715
the T710 is the original 2015 model.
The T710 & T715 (Both running with)
Exynos 5 Octa 5433 (SoC)
&
Android (Lollipop)OS
The T713 (2016 upgraded version runs)
Snapdragon 652 MSM8976 (SoC)
&
Android (Marshmellow) OS
Has anyone tested/worked with all version ?.
if you have a version of the Galaxy Tap S2 and tested MHL capabilites/support, can you say which version/model and what MHL adapter you used?.
I want to get to the facts of this to determine which version actually does support MHL.
My theory is the T710 (original version and possibly the T715 both run Exynos & Lollipop) are the MHL compatible versions.
Same for the 9.7
Models are:
T810 & T815 = 2015 w/ Exynos & Lollipop
T819 & T813 = 2016 w/Dragonsnap & Marshmellow
leave you experience, insight etc Below this comment/in response to this comment.
apologies, not trying to hijack the video or direction.
thanks
Thanks for the nice review.
Love your style!
hey, Samsung has had a 10.5 super amoled tablet out for over a year! The Tab S pro!
!
amazing review god how did i miss that thnx
I bought this tablet..the 8.0...and I think this tablet is fantastic!
How much memory does the system take up (the one needed to run the os/ui for the tablet to run)? thanks
+S'mOreo 6.57 gb for the system memory
+Judy Anne thank you :)
+Judy Anne can you store apps on sd card?
+S'mOreo you're welcome, and yes you can store apps on the sd card
Apart from the screen size and battery life of the 8" tab s2 being different from the 9.7" model, is there anything else performance wise that separates them?
Tablets are dying? But I love Tablets! I can't live without my tablet !
Does this tablet have any memory leak issues, or aggressive RAM management (like the S6)?
For the specs and performance it'd definitely great. I just got one today which is great. As for battery if it's getting you close to 7 hrs that's pretty good. If someone needs 14 hrs sitting watching Netflix you need a better hobby lol. Overall pretty good tablet
I'm not one of those people that like the 4:3 ratio.
Lisa, any chance of you reviewing the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA)? I know the Samsung has the better display, but the price of the Tab S2 is so high that I'm wondering if the Asus isn't the better 4:3 device.
Either way, keep up the great work. Always enjoy your reviews. Thanks.
if It had a spen it would been perfect....wonder if samsung will make a updated note 8 tab
I have one question and I hope it will be answered. I am very familiar with Apple products, though expensive when you get a 64g or 128g you know thats where the memory is being used. However, I was about to purchase this SGT S2 and I was told although you can get a high memory MicroSD card, you can't really set the card as the primary location to store apps downloaded. You have to manually move each one and it truly isn't moved, just copied. Is that true?
I want to get the 8 inch one but idk if I should get that or the 9.7 one
hi Lisa nice review as always. slightly off topic but I wandered if you could answer a couple of questions & steer me in the right direction. I've been using the note pro 12.2 since its launch & use the note 4 phone. I'm thinking of jumping ship to apple because I'm getting frustrated with android with nowhere to turn for help. problem is I use s note everyday as my diary on my phone but I can't share them on my tablet. I can't share my notes via email with friends because it keeps asking them for a password & I don't know it. I've tried clearing the data but it didn't work. now I want to learn to draw. I use my tablet for movies (can't streem them onto the TV as it's so hard with Samsung ), reading, surfing, taking notes & writing & RUclips & now I want to draw. what do you recommend I do? latest apple or Samsung tablets? how can I seemlessly share my files from 1 device to another like s note. I hear that anything I start on 1 apple device would be waiting on the other device. is this true & why can't samsung do this? could you do a video about these questions for me please? I'm sure there's loads of people who have these same questions but are afraid to ask. many thanks
The problem isn't with the tablet it's self but with TouchWiz. TouchWiz is the greatest culprit for those jumping ship to iOS. Before you go off and buy an iPad try replacing TouchWiz with another Android version like Cyanogmod 12.1. I'll post the link at the end to the site that can help you do this. CM 12.1 is a fantastic OS and will breath new life into you Tab Pro 12.2, which by the way is still a fantastic tablet. Not only will you get back more than a gigabyte memory as TouchWiz just gobbles that stuff up like it's an all you can eat Buffett but CM 12 .2 will also remove all of those useless Samsung apps. I also recommend installing a new launcher called Smart Luncher Pro 3, it's absolutely fantastic and will improve you experience 10 fold. As promised -> forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-pro-12-10-8/general/qa-how-to-root-install-custom-recovery-t3087451 and this forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-pro-12-10-8/development/cyanogenmod-tab-pro-12-2-sm-t900-t2914975
I need a laptop for back to school and now I'm tempted to get a tablet instead of a laptop
Do not buy a tablet when you need a laptop. That would be a bad choice.
Jeong-hun Sin okay thank you, I'll stick to getting a laptop then
I guess it really depends. Tablets are mostly for consumption, but they are getting better for work and school. If you're more of a social media person who just needs to write papers for class and do occasional presentations, a tablet with a nice bluetooth keyboard is totally fine. I'm a little biased and can't do work on Android or iPads, but I know people who do all their school stuff on Android tablets and they make it. There's apps like OneNote or Evernote for class notes and Google Docs or tablet Word for writing papers. Keep in mind that the formatting may be a little off, but you can always correct it with library computers. If I had to use an Android tablet for school, I'd use a Samsung with SPen capabilities for written notes.
I didn't say that laptops were a must for writing papers. Actually, I myself stated that if OP was into social media (i.e. using Facebook, RUclips, etc), does light gaming, light to no coding, and school work (i.e. note taking and writing papers), then a tablet would be cost effective for them. They don't even need to run Debian if they're that person I just described cause there are apps for social media content and apps for note taking and writing papers. I would probably download Debian, but I know many others that don't need it and make it just fine. Overall, we're basically on the same page that tablets do work in the college setting for those who don't need that much processing power.
OneNote on my phone is okay. Not sure about formatting. LibreOffice is helpful for formatting. But really, if you're in college, chances are you won't use wireless printers that connect to your tablet. You'd end up using the free printing stations around school where you can easily plug in a USB or use a cloud service to download the word doc and then quickly format it. That's what I would do since I have to use the school computers anyway to print my papers...
I've had a Nexus 7 2013 tablet for almost 2 years and plan to upgrade. After watching this review I don't know what to think. The bad battery life and the 4:3 aspect ratio seem like a big turn off. So far my tablet is looking pretty nice by comparison. I hope the galaxy view is good. I might soon be looking for an android tablet with great battery life, fast and smooth performance, a 16:9 aspect ratio, a micro SD card slot, a great design. Any recommendations?
+Daniel Bernard Don't wait for the Galaxy View, it's neither high end, nor meant for portability, it's a "family device". I'd go for the Dell Venue 8 7000 or the Nexus 9.
Karlo Schallibaum I need a tablet with either a micro SD card slot or about 64 gb of internal storage. Nexus 9 doesn't have that for me, I will check out the Dell one.
Daniel Bernard
That doesn't have Micro SD either unfortunately. In that case the Tab S2 and Xperia Z3 Compact are the only reasonable android choices.
Karlo Schallibaum what are your thoughts on the shield Nvidia tablet?
Daniel Bernard
The LTE version was good. You cannot buy them anymore though, because the battery in those devices are a fire hazard and Nvidia has recalled them.
I have the tab pro 8.4 but want to upgrade to tab s2 with amoled display. my s6 edge plus has a beautiful amoled display and I miss that on my tablet. I also think it's less strain on the eyes.
+Ed Tamez Super high res displays on pricey smart phones is overkill -- they're more suited to devices like the 9.7 inch S2. The display on the S2 is brilliant.
I'm getting the 8 inch one thanks for the review
Better wait for the actual tablet flagship this year called the Galaxy view, Samsung will announce it in October
+Shaun Lew isn't it over 18 inches? too big for a tablet.
Its not been announced yet dude, wait till October, nobody except Samsung knows the exact screen size, and im sure it will most likely not have an 18 inch display
this is probably where I got that info, dude.
www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-view-teased-639471/
Thx for the info
Most people don't like the out dated 4:3 format, can't watch movies properly on that format. Looks like I'm not replacing my Asus Transformer TF701t for a long time and will only replace it if it stops working.
Don't be ridiculous, there are still plenty of Android tablets that use the 16:9 aspect ratio. The Sony Z series for instant, which consists of the Z1, Z2, Z3 Compact and new Z4 are fantastic tablets. Also, 4:3 is not archaic, it's just an aspect ratio, not actual technology. 4:3 is also great for a lot of purposes, your's seems to be more in line with someone who likes to consume media. Which is fine but saying that 4:3 is archaic because you don't see the value in it is just plain silly. If you read more, especially magazines, 4:3 would be a better respect ration for you, if you worked more with MS Office or other productivity apps, 4:3 is great, etc. Actually, the reason why more and more manufactures are going with 4:3 is that 16:9 is really only good for one thing and that's media, games don't need it, apps in general look better in 4:3, so buy a 200 dollar Nvidia Shield for your films and than grab a much nicer tablet for everything else.
Are you able to connect the s2 to a mobile hotspot? Say, my phone? So I can just use the data plan on my phone? Someone told me this feature isn't available on the S2...?
Can you review iPAD Pro?
Hi. In terms of speakers sound quality and loudness which is better between this and the iPad Mini 3 or Asus Zenpad S 8.0?
I will tell you that the tab s2 is better but no one buys Samsung tablets because they are laggy and bad when you use them for a lot of time I would say buying an iPad is better 📱
+Momed TV you must be very unlucky because based on my experiences my tab s2 has always been faster and more efficient than my friend's iPad air 2
Wonder if they'll come out with a Pro version. (basically just add in the S-Pen.)
What 16:9 or 16:10 tablet do u suggest for someone who watches many movies?
Those tablets have been pretty much phased out by big manufacturers. You could get the last gen Tab S?
You can still get tablets with this aspect ratio. Acer, Asus, Lenovo and some other manufacturers do them.
Good for you Huawei just released a 8.4", 16:10 tablet at IFA 2016. It's called The "MediaPad M3"
It's actually really good too (WQHD display, dual stereo speakers, 4GB ram, great build etc.)
Thank you for the nice review
Can you tell me if this tab plays the latest version of airport city, version 4.7.9? Thx
Lisa review the Black Tab S2 8.0
I'm disappointed in the bubble swipe on my tab S2 I don't see it I currently have a tab S4 it's a pretty interesting tablet I still have my S2
What are the two silver things on the back of the tablet?
It's for the Smart Cover.
I really don't get why Samsung has such ridiculous pricing on their keyboard though as one can pick up a generic one at one-quarter the price such as the fantie blade X1 which can give you a fold-out keyboard
MY God those bezels. Were they that big for the last generation because I do not think so nor remember.
No they weren't. The regular tab looks much better.
does it have a pen? Or support for a pen I can buy afterwards?
Is it worth buying it now? or shall I wait?
I'm still using my samsung galaxy note 10.1 with the front speakers lol... its heavy & I'm ready for an upgrade.
Are there any good styluses for this tablet? And is there a way to know with styluses are compatible?
+chinezeFURY i think there is wacom.
how can you take out the bars on a full screen video ?
Even the wifi version has the SIM slot?
Wait, turns out that the s2 is not the flagship this year, Samsung gave us a teaser for a new big tablet with a new display technology called the Galaxy view
+Shaun Lew That tablet is reportedly going to have a 1080p, LCD display.
Oh then we're see
Should I go for the Tab S2 8" or 9.7"? Want to use it for a little bit of everything but mostly for reading ebooks. "PPI doubts". Help, please... ☺
Go for the 8", you'll absolutely love the size. I would also look at the new MiPad 2 from Xiaomi or Asus ZenPad 8 (the one with 4GB of memory and 2K resolution) both of these tablets are cheaper and just as good as the Samsung, even better in a lot regards.
Is this tablet compatible to the Galaxy HDMI adapter?
why such a thick bezel?
Just bought one today!