Galaxy Tab S2

M

mi7chy

2[H]4U
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May 22, 2013
Messages
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Got rid of all my ARM tablets a while back and vowed I would only buy Windows hybrid tablets going forward but have always wanted one with SAMOLED. Then, saw the new Galaxy Tab S2, watched some YouTube videos, 8" is one of the optimal sizes along with ~6" and ~13"+, SAMOLED so no allergy to backlight bleed, Android productivity is close to Windows (comes bundled with Microsoft Office apps), hits the right price point with Best Buy $100 trade-in offer so I pre-ordered a black 8".

Overview
https://youtu.be/2NHRQIHXqjM
https://youtu.be/XPOVifcxfsw

Epic Citadel benchmark is all I need to know
https://youtu.be/onzPYDZ8Tvk?t=176
https://youtu.be/RidL6W1WGx8

Good opportunity to rid of junker tablet, iPad, etc. For the best success with Best Buy trade in it helps that the tablet model you're trading in is listed in their database even if it has zero value. If you have to buy one look for a ~$25 D2-711 or MID7046-4. Theoretically, you can turn in seven $25 junkers ($175 worth) for an 8" Galaxy Tab S2.
 
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I think Samsung has one of the worst designs for a tab. The physical home button and capacitive keys don't belong on a tablet, IMO. There's no reason to not have front facing stereo speakers on a tab with bezels to support it anyways. I don't like the gaudy branding on the front. And touchwiz on a tab isn't very appealing either, not to mention the slow updates that come with it. The only thing that really stands out about them are the displays.
 
I've been rocking a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 for the last year or so I've also been rocking Galaxy Note phones for the last few years once you get used to that SAMOLED screen, you want it everywhere you won't be disappointed in the screen, that's for sure

My main problem with my Galaxy Tab S was the laggy performance at times. I found it most agrivating when browsing complex web sites in chrome Sometimes the Samsung browser would smooth this out a bit but I like Chrome. I don't seem to have these problems on my phone with Chrome (Note 4).

I'm strongly considering the upgrade myself because I think this will resolve my only complaint about my Tab S. I'm tempted to look toward an Apple iPad (next gen) but I do like staying inside the same ecosystem for easier app/service syncing and shared app purchases so...

Also the tab s2 will be 32gb standard this has been an issue for me from time to time had to clear cache etc to make more room since the Tab S only came with 16gb (32gb was technically available but seemingly not in Canada).

Like you, I wanted Windows tablets to be the future, so I bought the original surface pro. I loved it overall but over time I found a lot of apps for various home control, were Android and iOS only or very basic implementations in Windows (some Web based). Also the the Surface pro was heavy, ran hot and had pretty short battery life leading me to plug it in at any chance I got. I still have my Surface Pro around for certain tasks. It serves as my Windows laptop. That full sized USB port is an absolute killer feature on a Windows tablet...

Anyhow, enjoy the new tablet. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. It doesn't launch until September 16th here in Canada.
 
Best Buy carries the 64GB Galaxy Tab S2.

As far as browser lag, it seems to be affected by animated ads and/or heavy ad javascript. I'd suggest trying non-root Adguard.

It's getting released here in the US on Thu 9/3 so as long as it's not oversold I'll post my impression.
 
Megalith said:
4:3 aspect ratio. Terrible.
Click to expand...

Definitely wouldn't do it on LCD with black borders and backlight bleed but SAMOLED doesn't have that issue plus one of my Thinkpads is 4:3 so not a big transition.
 
4:3 is fine on a Tab. Better suited for portrait Web browsing and some apps are better viewe or have to be viewed in portait. Some examples include periscope, twitter, facebook.

I agree 16:9 or 16:10 is better for video but that's not my primary use for my tablet.

I think I'm fine with 4:3. It was never an issue years ago with my iPad, should be fine now.
 
Should the Exynos 5433 be a decent upgrade over the 5420?

I had a Galaxy Tab S 8.4 briefly before returning it due to poor performance - that and my hands kept accidentally covering the speakers, though overall I think I still prefer its aspect ratio over 4:3.

I knew the Exynos wasn't as good as the Snapdragon variant (which I couldn't find for a reasonable price), but I wasn't expecting to be quite that dissatisfied with it.
 
Exynos 5433 is close to the industry leading octa-core 7420 with ARM A57+A53 cores so it should be a noticeable improvement over the older 5420 with A15+A7. UI responsiveness and gaming performance look positive from the Youtube videos linked above.
 
WOW!!

Display is amazing. Design is professional and clean. Bloat is very light. Got the 5.0.2 to 5.1.1 Lollipop update out of box. Soft touch back is very familiar and comfortable if you've ever used a Thinkpad or Nexus 7 2013. Although SoC model numbering would suggest otherwise CPU and GPU performance of Exynos 5433 is very close to 7420 with difference of about maybe -10% but still overkill when throwing everything at it and there's SD card slot along with OTG support. WIFI model has built-in GPS and works great with Nokia HERE offline maps. Don't care so much for thin and light but I guess it's beneficial to keep everything compact if you decide to get the book cover case with bluetooth keyboard and touchpad that can separate from the cover. I want to say multiwindow multitasking is easier and better implemented than Windows. And, with Microsoft now officially adopting Android the bundled Office app quality and seamless integration really show. Not only does RDP feel like running Windows directly on the Galaxy Tab S2 but instead of hiding Android underneath it seamlessly integrates Android apps on top (see screenshot) for the best of both worlds. Amazing how technology has evolved since my experience with 4:3 Thinkpad x61 tablet with fingerprint and pen in 2007. There's no pen option announced but spotted 'SPen com.samsung.android.sdk.spenv10' in app manager and along with previous observation that Samsung touch sensor can be used with fingernail along with YouTube video showing someone using a metal spoon as pen we may soon see a precision capacitive pen. This is the real near-PC replacement.

Make sure you claim your additional two-year of 100GB OneDrive storage.

Note 5 is getting a little jealous
20150905_095242a_zpse854wjyg.jpg


TouchWiz multitasking
Screenshot_2015-09-05-08-21-55a_zpsuarna48c.png


Seamless desktop integration of Windows and Android (3 windows on right plus 4 round icons in upper right are Android otherwise everything is Windows, swipe gestures work for bringing up Windows keyboard, charms bar, etc.)
Screenshot_2015-09-05-09-26-59a_zpsjusnfehc.png
 
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Sounds like it's a significant improvement over the Galaxy Tab S from your comments and the reviews that have been trickling in.

I haven't made up my mind yet. I'd kind of like to save the money and keep my Tab S but the lag annoys me every day... I wish they would have made the Tab S with a beefier SOC and I doubt I'd even be tempted to upgrade...
 
4:3 shouldnt bother people on an AMOLED.

I had the original tab S, and that was the best screen i had ever seen. It's too bad that the cpu/gpu couldnt drive the 2k resolution or else I wouldve kept it.
 
T4rd said:
I think Samsung has one of the worst designs for a tab. The physical home button and capacitive keys don't belong on a tablet, IMO. There's no reason to not have front facing stereo speakers on a tab with bezels to support it anyways. I don't like the gaudy branding on the front. And touchwiz on a tab isn't very appealing either, not to mention the slow updates that come with it. The only thing that really stands out about them are the displays.
Click to expand...

The OG galaxy note 10.1 had front facing speakers and software keys! Then they changed it for some reason, oh yeah the multi-tasking was way better than the current version as well.
 
Canon said:
Sounds like it's a significant improvement over the Galaxy Tab S from your comments and the reviews that have been trickling in.

I haven't made up my mind yet. I'd kind of like to save the money and keep my Tab S but the lag annoys me every day... I wish they would have made the Tab S with a beefier SOC and I doubt I'd even be tempted to upgrade...
Click to expand...

They're releasing a 10inch+ note version that runs windows 10 with an amoled screen. It will be out before the end of the year I think.
 
That would be cool if I wanted another Windows tablet... My surface pro does everything I want with a Windows tablet.
 
On this forum, I always hear about how dreadful touchwiz is, and figure somehow I must just be extremely lucky with my S6. Now, I just traded in an ancient tablet under their "recycle" program which still gives you $50GC + $50 coupon on a S2, so have been watching lots of reviews on Youtube and online, and all of them praise how awesome touchwiz is without exception... LOL!

Its still $300 though even after the $100 promotion, and primarily I would be upgrading it as a "carputer" to my Nexus 7 (2013), and trying to decide if its really worth it.

One thing the Nexus 7 has that this doesn't is wireless charging. I have a magnetic charging dock, so I can slap it on and off the dash easily on the go.

No biggie, the S2 probably has the new rapid charging 2.0 technology at least, so I can recharge it on the go really fast in the car. Nope!

Hmmm... $300 is still a lot for a 8" tablet these days. And I was really hoping it was going to get the same processor as my S6, and not a downgrade.
 
Keep trading in devices. You can probably find Verizon Ellipsis 7" junker tablets for ~$20 to convert to $50 GCs. I know it says you can only use one $50 off coupon but has anyone actually tried two?

This thing is in a much higher league and I had both the Nexus 7 2013 and original Galaxy Note 10.1. I think I might be liking it more than the Note 5 and wished all my pants had cargo pockets. :p

Z was a hardcore hater but I have a feeling he's drinking the TouchWhiz now. There's another equally hardcore hater who's been silent. Maybe he's busy with his test drive Note 5 and probably the one I returned.
 
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mi7chy said:
Seamless desktop integration of Windows and Android (3 windows on right plus 4 round icons in upper right are Android otherwise everything is Windows, swipe gestures work for bringing up Windows keyboard, charms bar, etc.)
Click to expand...
Er, sorry for the noob question, but how are you doing this? You're remoting from your S2 Tablet into a desktop running Windows?
 
Battery life is pretty consistent for browsing, videos and productivity apps. Slightly better after 2nd charge but to be expected after a few complete discharge/recharge cycles.

Screenshot_2015-09-07-15-12-15_zps3e3p1fsy.png
 
I've decided to skip this, as we are supposed to see tablets with Qi 2.0 as well as the existing Quickcharge 2.0 that's already out. If this had one of the two, I'd jump on it.

Qi 2.0 standard will allow tablets to charge at up to 2 amps wirelessly and 3 amps wired.
 
I'm pretty likely to take a pass on this. It feels like a pretty half hearted effort on Samsung's part. If it was $100 cheaper, maybe I would be more interested.

I still feel like I got burned on the Tab S. I could have bought an iPad or waited for a Nexus 9 for a much better experience (except that SAMOLED screen I love so nuch).
 
Well, the iPad has really stagnated IMO and isn't worth it. Its way too limited in functionality compared to modern tablets, and the hardware is lackluster for the price. The only thing I can really give the iPads is that they have great battery life, but I think the lack of multitasking and lower end hardware explains that.
 
Megalith said:
4:3 aspect ratio. Terrible.
Click to expand...

It's better for everything that's not watching movies. And if your tablet is primarily a movie consumption device, the Tab S2 is too high-end for your needs.

This isn't in the 16:9 market space, it's competing with iPads and Windows tablets in terms of productivity. 16:9 for media consumption, 4:3 for productivity.
 
CEpeep said:
It's better for everything that's not watching movies. And if your tablet is primarily a movie consumption device, the Tab S2 is too high-end for your needs.

This isn't in the 16:9 market space, it's competing with iPads and Windows tablets in terms of productivity. 16:9 for media consumption, 4:3 for productivity.
Click to expand...

Pros and cons either way but 16 by 9 in a 8 inch form factor fits in larger pockets like cargo shorts and can be easier to fit on a dash if you use it like a carputer like I do.

8 inches is also a little small for productivity.
 
CEpeep said:
This isn't in the 16:9 market space, it's competing with iPads and Windows tablets in terms of productivity. 16:9 for media consumption, 4:3 for productivity.
Click to expand...
I don't use 4:3 monitors on any of my desktop workstations. I never use them to watch movies.
 
mikeblas said:
I don't use 4:3 monitors on any of my desktop workstations. I never use them to watch movies.
Click to expand...

Unless you also spend a lot of time holding your monitor in your hands, the use cases are quite a bit different. Microsoft and Google are onto something good with their 3:2 ratio screens on touch devices, but 16:9 is too elongated to be an optimal reading ratio. User studies where people are given large, unfolded documents like maps to read almost always result in the user folding the document into something between a 3:2 and 4:3 ratio to examine it. 4:3 is also a close ratio to average human vision space, which it was normally used as the ratio for monitors until LCDs became inexpensive. 16:9 is largely a product of the film industry (that drove LCDs into inexpensive ubiquity) and isn't really optimal in most other areas. For a device Samsung is pushing for productivity (reading websites, creating documents, editing photos, etc.) 4:3 makes the most sense for its use cases. Its pro competitors (iPad Air 2, Surface 3) aren't using 16:9 either.
 
When I'm doing productivity work with my tablet or laptop, I don't hold it in my hands.
 
mikeblas said:
When I'm doing productivity work with my tablet or laptop, I don't hold it in my hands.
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Plenty of people do. Nurses, doctors, warehouse workers, anyone using their tablet for a stand-up presentation...
 
Aurelius said:
Plenty of people do. Nurses, doctors, warehouse workers, anyone using their tablet for a stand-up presentation...
Click to expand...

I think his use is atypical as well, but it depends on what sort of peripherals he's using. The sort of productivity apps we design are largely the type you identify above (where the user holds the tablet with one hand in some workplace scenario and uses their other hand to interact with the app or real-world objects) but if he normally uses his tablet with a keyboard or a pen, having it sit on a desktop or lap is likely typical. Most of the use cases we design for are ones where desktops or places to sit are not always available or appropriate. The idea of not holding your tablet in your hands without access to a chair or table means your tablet is either attached to your body or suspended in the air.
 
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