14 DAY TRIAL // | DESIGN | HARDWARE |
| SOFTWARE | CONCLUSIONS |
We live in a time when tablets are quickly losing ground and buyers are more inclined towards 2-in-1 devices simply because they allow for more activities with an extra touch of productivity thanks to detachable keyboards.
There are companies, however, that still believe in tablets and continue releasing new models despite this declining trend. Apple and Samsung are two of them.
While Apple sticks with the original iPad approach and offers a separate iPad Pro model, Samsung is trying to invest in tablets, but at the same time, to also offer a taste of 2-in-1 with separate accessories.
This is the idea behind the brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, a completely new tablet which can also be used with a keyboard should you need to work quickly on a document or send an email without having to use the touch keyboard.
The device itself is clearly positioned as a rival to Apple’s iPad (the standard iPad, not the Pro version), not only when it comes to features and build quality but also in terms of pricing. The Tab S3 is quite pricey at $600, and you’ll even have to spend extra for the keyboard.
So the big question right now for anyone committed to Android is the following: Is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 worth the money? Is it really an iPad killer or is it just Samsung marketing? Read on to discover the answers to both questions.
DESIGN
If we analyze the new Galaxy Tab S3 from a design perspective, there’s no doubt the new Samsung model is one of the best-looking tablets ever made. But while you expect this to be entirely a good thing, there are pros and cons here too. And we’ll discuss them right away.
First and foremost, at first glance the Galaxy Tab S3 looks just like a smartphone, and it’s very clear that Samsung used the Galaxy flagship smartphone series as source of inspiration for its new tablet. The Tab S3 seems to be a bigger Galaxy S8, and this isn’t at all a bad thing given the build quality and the sleek design of the recently-launch Android smartphone.
To achieve this, Samsung went for a premium design that’s all about glass. The all-new glass design indeed gives it the sleekness of a smartphone, and the glossy back looks terrific, but this new approach comes with two major setbacks.
First of all, say what you want but the glass back is not as durable as an aluminum case similar to the one on the iPad, and it makes the tablet substantially more fragile. Keep in mind that it’s not smartphones we’re talking about here, but a tablet that’s supposed to be carried around in a bag, handed over from one person to another or used by kids in the most extreme conditions. Glass is more prone to scratches and hits than aluminum, so while it looks good, we doubt it’s the best choice for a tablet.
“Glossy glass back? Yes and no.”
Then, it’s how the glossy back looks after being used with oily fingers. Again, while the tablet has a very exquisite look, having a glossy back full of fingerprints isn’t quite the best thing in the world, so you might end up cleaning the back of the device a lot more often that you’d expect.
Other than that, it’s the typical tablet you’d expect from Samsung. The front fascia is dominated by the display, with the home button placed below (not beneath) the screen, capacitive buttons for navigation, four speakers (two at the top and two at the bottom), a front-facing camera for video calls, a lock and volume rockers on the side, plus a dedicated port for the keyboard.
The USB-C port and the headphone jack are placed at the bottom of the tablet, and while the position of the audio connector might be criticized by those who’d prefer it at the top, it’s all because the device is also supposed to be used with a keyboard and it makes more sense here.
Overall, the Galaxy Tab S3 is undoubtedly a beautiful product that can easily stand against the iPad, though it clearly has some setbacks. Some could say they’re subjective, but we’re more interested in function rather than form, and we’d always choose a more balanced appearance that could provide both extra strength and an exquisite look.
HARDWARE
In terms of hardware, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is the best Android tablet money can buy at this point, and it’s very clear just by looking at the spec sheet that Samsung targeted Apple’s iPad specifically with the tablet.
Display
Let us set this straight from the very beginning: the display of the Tab S3 is absolutely brilliant and, once again, Samsung shows that it has the know-how to create stunning screens. This is living proof that there’s a reason it’s the number one display maker in the world and even Apple is considering buying OLEDs from Samsung for future iPhones.
The 9.7-inch display installed on the Galaxy Tab S3 is QXGA sAMOLED, which in plain English means that everything is crystal clear, colors are super vivid, brightness is brilliant, black is black, and all without a huge impact on battery life.
The screen has a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, which is more than enough for the majority of games and movies out there, but there’s more. Samsung developed this screen to support HDR video, but unfortunately, you’re not going to enjoy too much of it, not because it’s not working as it should, but because HDR video is nowhere to be seen at the moment.
Samsung originally planned this feature for the videos streamed via the Amazon app, so once such content becomes available on Amazon, you should truly unleash the full capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3.
CPU, RAM, and storage
As for processing power, the Tab S3 comes with the Snapdragon 820, which isn’t the best of the best at this point, but it’s the former flagship chip launched by Qualcomm for the mobile market.
Paired with Vulkan graphics, the processor is 18 percent faster than the previous model, according to Samsung’s own figures, and this is an important achievement given the fact that it’s not using the latest Qualcomm chip. Furthermore, the GPU is 3 times faster than the model it replaces, and this should all lead to better gaming on Android, if you’re into such a thing, of course.
“Just 32GB storage.”
The tablet features 4GB of RAM, which at some point makes you feel like an upgrade is needed, especially if you plan on using the tablet for playing high-quality games like the ones mentioned above. When the GPU kicks in and full processing power is used, the tablet feels like it’d need a boost of RAM as well, but 4GB is all we get on the current generation.
Then, you get 32GB storage which is without a doubt unexpected to say the least. A tablet like this needs more storage space, especially since Samsung highlights its media playing and entertainment features on every occasion. There’s microSD card support, so you still have a backup plan if you run out of space, but built-in storage is always faster and comes in handier.
Battery
As far as the battery goes, the Tab S3 comes with a 6,000 mAh unit, which Samsung says should be enough for 12 hours of video playback.
During our test, however, we experienced mixed performance, and while the battery got close to 10 hours of video playback, autonomy fell substantially when playing games.
This is nothing surprising, though, given that the device used the full processing power, but it’s important to know that you might have to keep the charger close to you whenever you’re going hardcore gaming mode.
On the other hand, recharging is pretty fast, and although a dedicated Fast charging mode is not offered, it takes approximately one hour to reach 100 percent from a fully drained battery.
S Pen
Pens are the new thing in the mobile world, and Samsung has always been one of the companies that invested in this little accessory for its devices.
The S Pen is a masterpiece, and it feels nice in hand, though we’d say that its capabilities are somehow limited by Android. When comparing the S Pen to Microsoft’s Surface Pen, for instance, there’s not a substantial difference in terms of hardware, though Redmond’s version is significantly more capable mostly thanks to the excellent software support in Windows 10.
The S Pen has a diameter of just 9.4 mm, while the pen tip measures only 0.7 mm, which makes handwriting feel pretty natural. It supports 4,096 pressure sensitivity levels, just like Microsoft’s new Surface Pen, and you can try out all its capabilities in the dedicated apps that Samsung pre-installed on the tablet.
The real-life experience brings almost no lag, and the writing on the tablet is a very fluid process. It takes a little bit to get used to it, especially if you’ve not tried a pen before, but once you do it, it’s one beautiful experience.
One thing that needs to be improved is palm detection, as the pen input is sometimes interrupted by the user touching the display with his hand, a thing that Microsoft has managed to deal with impressively on the Surface Pro.
One important detail that needs to be mentioned is that the S Pen comes in the box this time, so you won't have to pay extra to get it, and this clearly shows that Samsung spotted the potential of this accessory and is trying to make it more widely adopted.
Other features
We haven’t tried the keyboard with the Tab S3, but on the other hand, there’s something else to discuss in this section.
Samsung focused particularly on the sound of the device, so the tablet comes with a total of four speakers, two at the top and two at the bottom. This means that no matter how you hold it in hand, you’ll always hear the sound, and this is quite an important feature when comparing it to mono tablets. This obviously contributes to the experience you get when playing games or watching movies, as holding the tablet in your hands can cover one or more speaker grilles.
The quality of the sound, however, is not that breathtaking, even though Samsung bragged that it worked with EKG on offering clear, crisp, and high-quality sound “that immerses you in the experience.”
Of course, you also get the typical Bluetooth and Wi-Fi features, as well as two cameras, one of the rear - 13 megapixels F1.9, and one of the front - 5 megapixels F2.2
SOFTWARE
As far as software is concerned, there’s something that we need to set straight here. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is supposed to be a productivity device, and this is the reason it comes with a pen and with a detachable keyboard.
At the same time, Samsung says it can truly fulfill your digital entertainment needs with high-quality speakers, an awesome display, and high processing power, so the company went for Android to provide you with all of the above. But is Android the best choice in both cases? Yes and no.
There’s no doubt that for playing games, watching movies, and browsing the web, the Tab S3 is a terrific device, and this is partly because of the number of apps available in the Google Play Store. This is the thing that’s missing on rival platforms like Windows, so on Android, you won’t feel like missing anything.
“Android for productivity? Not really.”
But when it comes to productivity, Android can hardly be an option, no matter what others might say, and we included Google here as well because the search giant is positioning its mobile platform as a productivity solution as well.
While Android is great on phones, and the nearly 85 percent global market share is living proof, not the same thing can be said about tablets when productivity is a priority.
The keyboard needs to be there for emails, working with documents, and chatting with workmates or family, but the overall experience on Android leaves a lot to be desired. Many apps look upscaled, the existing Office alternatives lack most of the features you find in Microsoft’s productivity suite, and browsing the web feels unnatural.
So yes, Android is evolving, there’s no doubt about that, but as far as tablets go, it’s better to keep it for entertainment purposes. When it comes to productivity, it’s better to look elsewhere, and both Windows and iOS are better options.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is without a doubt a stunning device that’s pretty much the best rival Apple’s standard iPad could get. And although it could also work with a keyboard to offer better productivity, it’s still far from what Microsoft’s Surface lineup can offer, so it makes more sense for Samsung to concentrate on the tablet market and target the 2-in-1 at a later time with a dedicated device in this regard.
But it goes without saying that in the Android range, the Galaxy Tab S3 is simply the best tablet on the market right now. And even if it comes with a hefty price tag, the feature lineup and the hardware it offers are both living proof it is worth the money if you’re committed to the Android ecosystem.
At this point, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is the iPad of Android devices, offering the best you can get right now on this side of the market.
You want the latest hardware? You got it. Want a beautiful design with a stunning screen? It’s there. Looking for a super-advanced stylus that lets you write and draw just like on a piece of paper? It comes right in the box.
In the end, however, it’s all about what you expect the Galaxy Tab S3 to do. It’s not as capable as a Surface Pro, for instance, mostly because it runs Android, but on the other hand, it has access to a large collection of apps published in the Google Play store.
The insane battery life lets you use it on the go without any concerns of running out of battery life, and the detachable keyboard, which needs to be purchased separately, turns it into a portable laptop that runs Android.
All in all, the Tab S3 is at this point the most advanced tablet, manufactured not only by Samsung, but by any Android OEM. If you’re looking for an Android tablet, this is simply the best one to get.
