Samsung’s long-awaited Galaxy Tab S2 is here to take on the iPad Air, and it hopes to turn your head with an ultra-slim form factor that measures just 5.6mm thick — half a millimeter thinner than Apple’s latest device. It also adopts the iPad’s aspect ratio, alongside updated internals.
The flagship Galaxy Tab S family has become famous for its stunning Super AMOLED displays, and Samsung says they’ve even better this year. Available in 8- and 9.7-inch options, with 4:3 aspect ratios, they promise to “recreate the viewing experience of browsing through traditional print media.”
That makes the new Galaxy Tab S2 ideal for web browsing, and enjoying e-books and magazines — but not quite as useful for watching movies and TV shows, which always look better on the 16:9 aspect ratio that was employed by the original Galaxy Tab S lineup.
The Galaxy Tab S2 comes with a slight drop in display resolution, too. While last year’s devices came with Quad HD (2560×1600) displays, this year’s models are reduced to 2048×1536. But it’s not all bad news; there are plenty of nice improvements under the hood.
The Galaxy Tab S2 is very similar to the Galaxy Note 4 internally, with the same octa-core Exynos 5433 processor, 3GB of RAM, and up to 64GB of storage that can be expanded with a microSD card. They also boast fingerprint scanners built into their home buttons, and 8-megapixel cameras.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Galaxy Tab S2, however, is its size. Both the 8- and 9.7-inch models measure just 5.6mm thick, and weigh 0.56 and 0.85 pounds respectively; that’s around 10 percent lighter than their predecessors.
You’ll be able to find Samsung’s new slates in stores this August. Pricing is to be confirmed.
