Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S4 tries to challenge a abounding PC acquaintance with abate bezels, a bigger battery, and a much-needed computational boost.
It’s 2018 and the tablet-laptop amalgam chic is still activity strong. We afresh saw Microsoft bare the Surface Go, a book amalgam bringing exceptional Windows to the masses, and alike Apple launched a added affordable adaptation of the iPad. Now, Samsung wants to get in the mix with the addition of the Galaxy Tab S4.
The Tab S4 is an Android tablet, but you apparently won’t use the accepted Android interface much. The better affair ambush of Samsung’s new adversary is its adeptness to about-face into Dex mode, an Android-based interface from Samsung apery a acceptable PC experience.
Dex is added than a new interface for Android. It allows for amphibian windows for apps, affianced files on the desktop, and the adeptness to use Bluetooth accessories like mice. The acquaintance feels appealing full-proof, but we’ll accept to analysis this added afore we can acclaim it as a committed backup for your laptop.
If you appetite to use an alien monitor, you can use a USB Type-C adapter to collaborate with Dex on a bigger display. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use it as an continued monitor. Connecting the book armament the Tab S4 into the Android interface while the alien adviser maintains the Dex desktop style. Samsung told us that this was to use archetypal Android apps like YouTube on the book while you’re working, but this doesn’t assume absolute abundance focused. We’re acquisitive it enables an continued desktop approach in the future.
Samsung is accepted for its panels, and it brought a abundant one to the Tab S4. The book rocks a 10.5-inch 2,560 x 1,600 Super AMOLED affectation and it looks appealing great. The adverse ratios seemed acceptable during our abbreviate amount of time with the device, and it’s bright that agreeable burning was accustomed aloof as abundant application as productivity.
The bezels on the accent accept additionally been decidedly bargain from the Tab S3, authoritative it assume abundant added exceptional than the aftermost generation. This resulted in the abatement of the home button and fingerprint reader, but I adopt the appearance of the new design. Smaller bezels are beneath confusing for both assignment and play, admitting the accident of biometric affidavit is a bit of a drag. You’ll accept to blazon your countersign for things like cyberbanking apps, but you could consistently use a countersign administrator instead.
More: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 review
Surrounding those bezels are cloister stereo speakers acquainted by AKG. The book additionally has Dolby Atmos support, acceptation it should complete appealing arch for the size, abnormally aback the complete emits from all sides.
Fortunately, the Tab S4 packs a big 7,300mAh array to run this affectation and apostle system. Samsung says you can apprehend up to 16 hours of video playback from this device, but video playback is not a acceptable representation of absolute array life, so we’ll accept to run our own tests separately.
The new book additionally includes a new S-Pen, which has a abundant added acceptable attending and feel than the one in the Galaxy Note line. It supports 4,096 levels of burden for agenda painting, but it feels a little cheap. The apartment is fabricated of a ablaze bright plastic, and it feels like you could accidentally able this affair if you apprenticed too hard. The admittance of the S-Pen is still nice, because added options crave a abstracted purchase.
The Samsung Tab S4 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM, which is apparently absolutely accomplished for ablaze productivity. You won’t be able to run abounding applications like Adobe Premiere Pro or Photoshop, but the Android versions of some of these apps are optimized for beneath able accouterments as it is. You could absolutely adapt photos on apps like Adobe Lightroom CC, but don’t apprehend a accomplished lot added out of this thing.
Dex approach would additionally accord you a appealing big advantage during adaptable gaming sessions. Android accepts Bluetooth mice and such standard, but the bigger awning and added built-in affinity could accord you an bend in amateur like Vainglory. I’ll be testing how advantageous this absolutely is in my abounding review, but for now this seems like a appealing nice option.
All this affinity is conceivably bantam by the 64GB of accumulator that comes accepted in this device. If you’re activity to be application this as a desktop backup 64GB is apparently not enough, but you can advancement the accumulator up to 400GB via the microSD amplification slot. There is additionally a 256GB accumulator variant, but Samsung hasn’t yet appear how abundant this archetypal will cost.
Probably the best polarizing allotment of this accent for me is the keyboard case. I’m a concrete aficionado at heart, and the keys on the keyboard case acquainted awkward and mushy. They don’t accept the nice concrete animation of Microsoft’s Surface Keyboard accessory. Unfortunately the keyboard is one of the primary affidavit to get this device.
There are POGO pins appropriate aloft the keyboard area of the case to berth the book for a defended connection. The magnets are abundant and feel absolutely secure, yet accessible to abolish if you charge to abutting the accent quickly. You can change some settings to automatically about-face to Dex approach aback the keyboard is absorbed which is absolutely cool, but you’ll accept to about-face aback to the primary Android approach manually.
The affliction allotment about the keyboard is the actuality that it’s accessible separately, for $150. The Surface Go additionally pushes the keyboard as a abstracted accessory, but the Tab S4 starts at $650. To acquaintance the accent as intended, you’ll accept to pay a ample $800, as abundant as a appropriate Windows laptop. The focus actuality is acutely portability though, so you’ll accept to adjudge if the amount is account it for a Snapdragon-based desktop experience.
If you acquirement the Tab S4 afore September 8 you can accept 50 percent off the keyboard accessory, bringing the absolute amount bottomward to $725. This is a nice benefit if you’re absolutely hot on the abstraction of an Android / Dex admixture device, but is still appealing cher if you’re attractive for article to alter your laptop. Still, we charge some added time with this affair to absolutely actuate if it’s account your time and money.
The Samsung Tab S4 launches Aug. 10, aloof one day afterwards the company’s Galaxy Note 9 event. If you’re absolutely antsy, you can assets your book through Samsung.com, but we’ll be putting calm our final thoughts afore then.
What are your thoughts on the Samsung Tab S4? Let us apperceive in the comments area below.
Next: Samsung Galaxy Note 9: All the rumors in one place
Dex makes Android a accessible PC
Made for agreeable burning and creation
Phone-level specs on a bigger display
The characterless keyboard should accept been included
The abounding analysis is advancing soon
Samsung DeX analysis – can your smartphone alter a PC?
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 specs
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 | |
|---|---|
| Display | 10.5-inch Super AMOLED 2,560 x 1,600 resolution 287ppi |
| Processor | Snapdragon 835 quad-core |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64 or 256GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 400GB |
| Camera | Rear: 13MP AF with f/1.9 aperture Front: 8MP with f/1.9 aperture |
| Battery | 7,300mAh Non-removable |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth 5.0 USB 3.1 USB Type-C |
| Software | Android 8.0 Oreo |
| Dimensions and weight | 249.3 x 164.3 x 7.1mm Wi-Fi: 429g LTE: 434g |
$150 is a lot to pay for such an capital accessory.
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