Samsung introduced its most technologically advanced tablet in 2014. Its distinctive feature was a Super AMOLED screen with a diagonal of 8.4" or 10.5" - no one has used such large OLED displays in mass products. It was logical to assume that the flagship tablet of 2015, the metallic Galaxy Tab S2, would also be presented. Its release date was set for August 2015. However, this time the company decided to use different screen diagonals: Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. In addition, they have become the thinnest in their class.

The aspect ratio of the new tablets is 4:3, that is, it is a more “square” option. The analogy with the iPad mini and iPad Air is direct, although Samsung probably decided that this option was simply more convenient, but we’ll figure that out later. In general, the company has exactly the same display geometry and diagonals. True, the screens there are much simpler - an LCD matrix, albeit PLS, but with a low resolution of 1024x768. They obviously decided to leave “Retina” for flagships.

At the same time, the tablet market began to “suffer losses” back in 2014, and in 2015 they reached “full strength.” People simply don’t buy these devices because they are content with old ones that don’t break and continue to work. The segment of expensive models is de facto left to Apple and Samsung today, which continue to regularly update their ranges, even successfully releasing something new. In this review, we'll look at what the best Samsung tablets of 2015 are like.

Video review of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

As always, we suggest looking at the tablets through the lens of our video camera - this way you can get a much better idea of ​​them:

Now let's move on to the traditional review.

Design

Samsung in 2015 is difficult to understand. In the smartphone segment, she proposed the following classification: Galaxy A – fashion metal phones; Galaxy E - almost the same design, but in plastic; Galaxy J - budget handsets. But the Galaxy J is already de facto replacing the Galaxy E, and in tablets it has become the youngest, while the Galaxy Tab A is the middle version made of plastic. But the metal was “given” to the flagship Galaxy Tab S2.

Of course, if you don’t try to find connections between smartphones and tablets, then everything is more or less logical, but it somehow comes naturally if you deal with IT journalism every day. Moreover, the Galaxy Tab S2 is not made entirely of metal - only the side ends got it, as was the case with Galaxy Alpha. And besides, there is nothing here, since the back of these smartphones is covered with glass.

Galaxy Tab S2 has a plastic back cover. It is painted in the color of the body, which can be black or white. The paint and the plastic itself are such that they somewhat resemble metal, but still are not it.

Back cover has a smooth soft-touch coating, which differs slightly between white and black tablets Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.

We have both options at our disposal: Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and Galaxy Tab S 9.7. They differ from each other only in screen diagonal, dimensions, weight and battery capacity. At the same time, their design is very similar, but there are some differences.

So the 8-inch tablet received a thinner screen frame on the sides and a speaker above it. Apparently Samsung isn't ruling out the possibility using Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 as a phone. You can really clasp it with your palm, but it still spreads out a lot. And we even tried to put the tablet in a jeans pocket - under certain conditions it will actually fit into men's pants, but walking and sitting down is very inconvenient.

Moreover, both devices are distinguished by an extremely small thickness - 5.6 mm. We have never seen thinner tablets. Maybe some of the readers know them, so we will be grateful if you tell us about them in the comments. Let us remember that the first generation Galaxy Tab S had a thickness of 6.6 mm.

Not only the thickness has decreased, but also the weight. So the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 weighs 265 grams (like a very heavy smartphone!), and the 9.7-inch one weighs 389 grams. For the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5, these figures are 294 and 465 grams, respectively. Of course, the reduction in weight was also influenced by the reduction in diagonal, as well as the reduction in battery capacity, but in any case, both Galaxy Tab S2 are very light for tablets.

Overall, we liked the appearance of the Galaxy Tab S2, especially the 8-inch model, which looks more like a huge and thin smartphone than a small tablet. The devices fit perfectly into hands, which do not get tired at all from working with them. Samsung's technological leadership in new products is clearly visible, but we have not yet moved on to the main feature of tablets - their screen. But we will talk about it in a later section.

Connectors and controls

Changing the screen geometry of the Galaxy Tab S2 entailed the transfer of buttons and connectors. Tablets are now more like huge smartphones for which the long side is considered the main one.

Above the screen, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has a front camera and an earpiece, while the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 does not have the latter. It’s logical - if you can somehow hold an 8-inch tablet with one hand, then a 9.7-inch tablet will have to be used with two.

Below the screen are the traditional task manager buttons, Home and Back. The first and last are made touch, and Home, as usual with Samsung, is mechanical. In addition, there is a built-in fingerprint scanner.

The fingerprint sensor has been upgraded - the same one used in the Galaxy S6 is used. In other words, to scan your finger, you just need to touch it, and not swipe it, as before. Recognition occurs very quickly, but to remember it you need to put your finger on the sensor more than a dozen times. You can see how it all looks in reality in our short video:

The touch buttons are backlit, although they are clearly visible even without it.

On the back cover, special fastenings for the case are of interest. The Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab A had the same ones.

At the top of the back there is a camera, which does not have a flash. Obviously, Samsung believes that you will rarely need to take photographs with the tablet.

On the right side there are volume buttons and compartments for the SIM card and microSD cards. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 also has a conversational microphone on the right.

We received models SM-T715 (8-inch) and SM-T815 (9.7-inch), supplemented with a communication module for cellular networks, so that there was a second slot on the side.

The compartments are opened using an ejector or a thin paper clip. The holders themselves are plastic, so you shouldn’t handle them too roughly. Note that Samsung has switched to using nanoSIM in tablets. If you have any difficulties installing cards in the Galaxy Tab S2, then our short video on this topic will help solve the problem:

The left end was left completely empty.

At the bottom there are two speakers, a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones and headsets, as well as a microUSB connector. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 also has a microphone here.

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has a microphone on top for noise reduction, while the 9.7-inch tablet does not have this at all - Samsung does not position it as a device for calls. Don't think that you can make calls using a tablet, but the company rightly believes that you won't have to walk down the street with it and talk like you would on a phone. And if you have to, then only via speakerphone or headset.

In terms of ergonomics, both tablets, especially the 8-inch one, resemble smartphones. Their main side is the narrow side. The location of the controls and connectors is well chosen and did not cause any negative emotions.

Case for Galaxy Tab S2

As always, Samsung will release branded covers for the Galaxy Tab S2, as it did in 2014 with the first generation of AMOLED tablets.

These will be cases that cover the screen and can serve as a stand for the tablet. Let us remind you that the Galaxy Tab S2 has two mounts on the back specifically for cases.

Screen

The screen has become the main feature of tablets Samsung series Galaxy Tab S. In 2014, the Korean company began producing 10.5-inch Super AMOLED displays in mass quantities. Moreover, the devices that received them did not cost at all the same as a new small car. In 2015 year Galaxy The Tab S2 repeats what happened to its predecessors. During the year, no other manufacturer offered a similar product.

It should be noted that the decision to switch from an aspect ratio of 16:10 to 4:3, coupled with a change in resolution and diagonal, resulted in a lower pixel density than the first Galaxy Tab S. The difference is not great, but it is there. Tablets in 2014 offered a resolution of 2560x1600, while today's ones offer 2048x1536. As a result, the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 provides a pixel density of 264 ppi, while the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 gave 288 ppi. For the “younger” ones, these figures are respectively 320 ppi for the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 359 ppi for the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. But in any case, you shouldn’t be upset - you can’t see the difference by eye, even if you put the old and new tablets next to each other.

Subjectively, the picture on them looks very cool: bright, rich, colors are pleasing to the eye. The screen behaves perfectly in the sun and does not fade very significantly. Viewing angles are maximum as always.

Objective measurements indicate a maximum brightness of 315.63 cd/m2 for the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 358.48 cd/m2 for its 9.7-inch brother. Both of these values ​​are not record-breaking; rather, the figure is slightly below average when compared with modern tablets and smartphones. But in any case, there is enough brightness reserve. The brightness of black, as always, is practically zero - our calibrator does not see light there. This, if anyone is not aware, is one of the main features of OLED technology. So the black color is very natural and deep, the screen contrast tends to infinity.

WITH color gamut The screens of both tablets are in perfect order. As always, it greatly exceeds the sRGB space and approaches AdobeRGB, another AMOLED feature.

Violation of color temperature is also typical for Super AMOLED. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 had a temperature of 7500-7700K, while the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 had a temperature of 7900-8000K. The picture appears slightly cooler than necessary, but overall the excess is not very large.

The display gamma curves of both devices look excellent, almost identical to the 2.2 reference curve. So all areas of the image are displayed without unnecessary highlighting or darkening.

As always, a distinctive feature of Samsung devices equipped with a Super AMOLED screen is the ability to select a color profile. The feature is more than useful because everyone can customize the display according to their preferences.

As always, the screen supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. We didn't expect anything else from flagship tablets.

In terms of screens, both Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablets are the best on the market. Neither the iPad mini/Air, once the standard in this regard, nor any other product surpasses the models from the South Korean company in terms of picture quality.

Camera

Samsung is confident that a camera is not very necessary for tablets today. More precisely, shooting is not a defining function of this type devices. And if you’re not sure, how can you explain the same resolution of the rear and front cameras of the Galaxy Tab S and S2? Let's say more, the Galaxy Tab S2 even has no flash on the back! We will not say that the same sensor is used, but it is very similar.

The camera app has migrated to the Galaxy Tab S2 from the Galaxy S6. It is distinguished by a minimalistic, simple interface, which nevertheless is not devoid of advanced shooting modes.

So in Pro mode you can adjust white balance, ISO sensitivity level and exposure compensation.

There are others interesting modes shooting, including “Dual Camera” - shoots from two cameras at once. It looks like this:

Moreover, you can even capture video in Full HD resolution:

In certain situations, it will be a good idea to film what is happening immediately behind and in front.

The maximum resolution of photos reaches 8 MP and only in the native screen aspect ratio of 4:3. By the way, because of him Galaxy camera The Tab S2 can't shoot video in Ultra HD resolution - it's not wide enough.

The footage looks quite decent, especially those taken outdoors during the day. There is no excessive saturation, the white balance is determined correctly, autofocus worked well. But when there is not much light, the pictures turn out somewhat worse.

Although video is not supported in 4K resolution, the camera can shoot QHD or 2560x1440. By the way, the Galaxy Tab S only provided Full HD video.

What can you say about the video? During the day everything looks great: the colors are beautiful, the picture is clear, the resolution is high.

The front camera does not have a “selfie resolution” of 2.1 MP. Photos and videos are shot in 1920x1080 or Full HD resolution.

The photos come out more or less decent, although somewhat blurry. But in general they are not overexposed, there are no chromatic aberrations, and the white balance is correct.

The video also doesn’t look as good as from the main camera, but it’s still decent.

On the larger side, we are satisfied with the camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and even like it in some places. It’s a very good option for a tablet, but it’s a pity that they removed the flash.

Galaxy Tab S2 Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet lineup consists of four products. They differ in screen diagonal (8.0" or 9.7") and the presence or absence of LTE support. And yes, in theory there are versions with different amounts of memory, although here we do not have exact confidence about the available modifications - according to some information, the minimum will be 32 GB of built-in flash memory, but in our hands there were tablets with 16 GB. Moreover, in theory, there is also a 64 GB version.

Galaxy Tab S in 2014 received a platform from, which was introduced back in 2013. With the Galaxy Tab S2, the manufacturer did exactly the same thing - the flagship tablets of 2015 received filling from Galaxy Note 4.

Thus, the Galaxy Tab S2 acquired a Samsung Exynos 5433 processor. Let us recall that it was the first to receive Cortex-A57 cores (4 pieces, frequency 1.9 GHz) and Cortex-A53 (also 4 pieces, frequency 1.3 GHz), which seem to be 64-bit, but on both the Galaxy Note 4 and Tab S2 they work in 32-bit mode. However, all this is not critical. They may not be the fastest by 2015 standards, but they provide very decent performance. Nothing will slow down, and here's why.

With the first Galaxy Tab S, their video card played a cruel joke - Mali-T628 MP6, used in the Wi-Fi version of the tablet; the accelerator is fast and in the Galaxy Note 3 it performed its tasks perfectly. But on the tablet, the screen resolution almost doubled and some games no longer ran so smoothly. But with the Galaxy Note 4 the story is different - the Mali-T760 MP6 renders the image in a resolution of 2560x1440, and in the Galaxy Tab S2 the screen provides a resolution of 2048x1536, so there are no speed difficulties. Games there do not slow down, even the most difficult ones. But we will talk about this in more detail in the next section.

Volume random access memory expectedly remained at the level of 3 GB. In fact, no more is required - the tablet doesn’t slow down anyway. Flash memory in our case turned out to be 16 GB, and in both versions of the Galaxy Tab S2: 8.0- and 9.7-inch. Presumably, versions with larger volumes will be released. In addition, expansion with microSD cards is available.

As for communications, only versions with Wi-Fi (SM-T710 - 8.0" and SM-T810 - 9.7") and LTE (SM-T715 - 8.0" and SM-T815 - 9) will be on sale ,7"). The latter, due to additional antennas, weigh a couple of grams more, and they also have plastic inserts on the upper end. But the most important thing is that Samsung abandoned the option based on a Qualcomm chip, as was the case with the Galaxy Tab S LTE. Now Exynos 5433 supports all the necessary technologies.

In total, the Galaxy Tab S2 received, albeit last year’s, an extremely high-performance hardware platform. The tablets will not be pre-slowed down, but to make sure of this, let's take a look at the test results.

Performance testing

Let's see how the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has changed compared to its previous generation.

Old benchmarks Smartbench 2012 and Quadrant show a clear superiority of the Galaxy Tab S2.

The constantly updated Antutu test also gave preference to the new device, which is logical.

In the relatively simple graphics benchmark 3DRating from the same Antutu, we got almost parity for both tablets. Let's take a look at what's to come in the more advanced 3D tests.

There is not much difference in GFXBench, where in the T-Rex offscreen test we again got the same results. However, when the T-Rex test was run in full screen, the Galaxy Tab S2 scored 25 FPS, and the Galaxy Tab S only scored 14 FPS. That is, a new tablet is better suited for higher resolutions.

But 3DMark easily and unpretentiously gave victory to the Galaxy Tab S2 - this tablet defeated its predecessor.

The autonomy of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 turned out to be very, very good, according to. However, the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is even better, but let's not forget that the new generation tablets have batteries smaller capacity: 4000 mAh for the 8-inch and 5870 mAh for the 9.7-inch. Galaxy Tab S had batteries of the following sizes: 4900 mAh for the 8.4-inch and 7900 mAh for the 10.5-inch. But autonomy fell slightly, which simultaneously led to a decrease in weight and thickness. And in any case, it turned out to be more than decent.

As you can see, the 9.7-inch tablet lasts a little longer due to the larger battery capacity. At the same time, for both devices, the maximum consumption is for screen operation, 3D games (most of all here) and surfing the Internet via a mobile network.

Overall, we are more than satisfied with the performance and battery life of the Galaxy Tab S2. Even though the speed of tablets is not the best on the market, they de facto have no rivals, especially among analogues. Moreover, the issue with high screen resolution was resolved - it became slightly lower than that of the previous generation, and the video card turned out to be even more powerful, so the devices are even ready for future games, as well as current ones. You can see for yourself.

Games on Galaxy Tab S2

All games on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 run without any difficulties at all, which is what we saw when launching about 20 titles.

• Riptide GP2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Asphalt 7: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Asphalt 8: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• N.O.V.A. 3: Near Orbit: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Modern Combat 5: Blackout: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Trigger: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Trigger 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Real Racing 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Need For Speed: Most Wanted: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Frontline Commando: Normandy: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Frontline Commando 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Eternity Warriors 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Eternity Warriors 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Effect: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Iron Man 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Target: excellent, the game does not slow down;

Actually, that’s what needed to be proven. There are no glitches or slowdowns on the Galaxy Tab S2.

BY

Having received the Galaxy Tab S2 at our disposal, we were somewhat surprised - it was there, although the previously presented mid-level smartphone was supplied. Presumably, flagship tablets were developed earlier, and therefore were tested with an earlier version of the system. But in any case, there is no need to worry, it will be updated, and more than once.

Let us also remind you that both Galaxy Tab S2 work in 32-bit mode, despite the processor. However, this did not affect the overall performance in any way - after all, the Galaxy Note 4 also does not suffer from the lack of 64-bit support.

The software shell of the Galaxy Tab S2 generally corresponds to what we saw in the spring of 2015. It was only slightly polished, and at the same time some applications were added.

The only noticeable difference is the presence of Galaxy Essentials and Galaxy Gifts shortcuts on the second desktop, which lead to sections of the Galaxy Apps store of the same name. Under the first link there is a list of additional applications such as Kids Mode, video editor, Story Album, Hancom Office and the like. Well, Galaxy Gifts are subscriptions to various services and materials.

Otherwise, the list of applications looks quite ordinary. There is the necessary minimum such as a browser, notes, a file manager, a calendar, and there are also additional applications SideSync and Smart Manager. We got acquainted with the first in detail in, and the second has been seen more than once on new Samsung devices.

Once again, we repeat that Smart Manager is a utility that contains managers for RAM, energy saving, a flash memory analyzer, and tablet protection tools.

In addition, there is a full suite of programs from Microsoft, namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Skype and OneDrive.

Almost a complete set of Microsoft Office devices from Samsung began to receive under an agreement with the software giant, which was signed in 2015. Moreover, all these applications, except PowerPoint, are already installed. Whereas Hancom Office will have to be downloaded separately.

Samsung, as always, has expanded the capabilities of the task manager - the MultiWindow function is available from it, dividing the tablet screen into two parts and launching two applications at once.

The second application is opened by selecting the one you need from the list of recently opened ones, or simply by clicking on the shortcut.

Applications can be displayed either one under one or next to each other - it all depends on the position of the tablet.

You can also open any program in a window.

By the way, the dialer is also made in the form of a window. Why not? The tablet screen is large and poking at huge buttons is no longer so convenient, although it is difficult to miss them.

We see no point in dwelling on standard applications in detail. They are the most common ones, although they are drawn differently.

All these notes, file managers and so on are available on most Android devices. And if they are made by Samsung, then they look the same.

We are quite satisfied with the proprietary TouchWIZ shell and software set from the South Korean company. Everything is well thought out, well drawn and does not slow down. The only complaint is more about the aspect ratio of the screen - due to the square display, watching movies is not so convenient.

Conclusion

In 2014, the Galaxy Tab S made a splash – no one had ever released mass-produced devices with such large OLED screens before! In 2015, the Galaxy Tab S2 no longer produces the same effect, although the second generation has become noticeably better. First of all, it can be praised for its metal frame, as well as for its screen. Visually it has become even better, the colors look more saturated and rich. It's obvious best display On the market.

On the other hand, we're ambivalent about Samsung's decision to move its tablets to a 4:3 aspect ratio, like all iPads. A more square format may be better suited for web pages, but watching movies is no longer as comfortable - there will always be black bars at the top and bottom.

But otherwise, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has solid advantages: these are the thinnest Korean tablets (and possibly on the entire market), they are very light, especially the 8-inch model, which is made in the smartphone form factor. The autonomy of the devices turned out to be very decent, as well as performance. They have acquired a fingerprint scanner, which you just need to touch with your finger. Add here good camera, which, however, has lost its flash, and you will get, if not a perfect tablet, then close to it. However, a lot depends on the price.

Galaxy Tab S2 price

You can buy a Galaxy Tab S2 for 32 thousand for the younger version with Wi-Fi and 32 GB, and the version with LTE is estimated at 36 thousand. At the same time, prices for first Galaxy Tab S has already dropped to 22-24 thousand for the youngest model.

The only current competitor on Android, and only in the 10.1-inch version, is Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet. At a price of 42 thousand rubles, it looks good: Android 5.0, Snapdragon 810, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory, IPS screen with a resolution of 2560x1600, thickness 6.1 mm and weight 389 grams. Add here a metal case and moisture protection, as well as a 6000 mAh battery. In general, a worthy alternative, unless the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is cheaper.

And, of course, Apple. Here the company has the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. They have greater thickness and weight, similar screens in resolution and diagonal, and a slower processor. Although in general they are still good, and they are not so expensive - from 27 thousand for the younger iPad Air 2. And do not forget that these are 2014 models, and more recent new items are on the way.

Pros:

• stylish design;
• metal body frame;
• excellent workmanship;
• very small thickness of 5.6 mm;
• light weight for a tablet;
• the best screen on the market – high-resolution Super AMOLED matrix;
• good camera for a tablet;
• modern Android version with a guarantee of future updates;
• built-in second-generation fingerprint scanner;
• high performance;
• good autonomy.

Minuses:

• rear camera without flash;

I've tested quite a few Android tablets, but each time I put them on the shelf after a few days. The situation changed dramatically when I received a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 to test. This is the first Android tablet that I want to buy.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet - Reviews

Before this review, I was pleased with the use of the second iPad generation mini. The equipment suited my needs perfectly - it was very mobile and had a Retina screen with good quality. That's what I thought until I got my hands on the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet. I'm not exaggerating, it's like switching from an old car to a new Volvo or Volkswagen.

What Samsung has been doing lately with the screens of its mobile devices deserves the highest praise. The first time I noticed this was when Samsung testing Galaxy S6. The Quad HD Super AMOLED panels used simply fascinated me. Incredible sharpness, combined with fantastic (and unrealistic) colors that looked phenomenal. History repeated itself with Samsung release Galaxy Note 5's screen covers the full spectrum of not only SRGB gamuts, but also the much more demanding AdobeRGB. Independent tests have shown that this is the best screen among all mobile devices at the time of testing.

After testing the Galaxy S6 with short adventures on the Note 5, I thought how great it would be to use the same screen over a large area. Luckily, I won't have to wait long because I have the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 in my hands. After the first few minutes spent with this device, I knew that Samsung had done their best this time.

What's new in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2?

In the case of new smartphones and tablets, the technical specification is not what interests me most. I assume that in this price segment, the equipment simply cannot be bad. This is the case with the Galaxy Tab S2, which has an updated Exynos 5433 processor, supported by 3 GB of RAM. The tablet runs on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. Built-in memory (32 or 64 GB), which can be expanded using Micro SD cards. The tablet features a Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio) and is available in 8- and 9.7-inch versions.

When choosing a mobile device, many are much more interested in other characteristics, namely quality (that is, look, touch and feel), as well as the screen. In these two categories, the S2 Samsung Galaxy Tab is a premium product. The tablet has a very impressive quality of materials used, beautiful elements and details. You can see here that the developers really put their hearts into their work.

The metal body of the tablet is almost impossibly thin. Thickness 5.6 mm, on this moment record low thickness among tablets. The device is also the lightest in its class, with the 8-inch version I tested weighing just 265 grams. I never thought I'd say this, but compared to my Retina-equipped iPad mini, Samsung's new tablet looks like something from a much higher shelf.

Aspect ratio 'will be a game changer'

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is a completely new approach to the philosophy of Samsung tablets, as well as all Android tablets. What has always puzzled me is why almost all tablets come with a 16:9 or 16:10 screen ratio. But in practice, the 4:3 aspect ratio, which for a long time was only offered by Apple, is much better suited. Some time ago, Google company also went this route, introducing the Nexus 9 with much more convenient proportions. Now Samsung has also joined the 4:3 Club.

Let's agree that the 16:9 aspect ratio is only suitable for a tablet when watching TV series. Most films have more wide screen and aspect ratio, so black bars are still inevitable. It’s clear to everyone that a tablet is not a TV, much less a cinema. Surely there are those who love to passionately watch soap operas on their tablet? I can’t say that I’m not guilty of this, but everyday consumption of content from the Internet is more important to me, and it looks completely different here.

A tablet is a phenomenal device for surfing the Internet or reading books or magazines, and the 4:3 ratio wins here. I don’t know what to say to convince you of the convenience of 4:3, but it looks like A4 sheets of paper. After all, we are all already accustomed to reading books, documents, magazines and newspapers in the same format.

Another important aspect of the screen is the orientation.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet has a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels. In a meaningful version, this gives a pixel density of 320 ppi, and in 9.7" it is 264 ppi.

When reading the text, I did not have any comments about the sharpness. The edges of fonts are cut, regardless of font size. This is important because it makes the content and reading experience very enjoyable. I also enjoy reading popular magazines on the Tab S2.

Another important aspect for me is the images. I really like it when they are crisp and clear. The S2's colorful screen measures around 16.5 x 12.5cm, which is slightly larger than a standard print. Photos are printed at 300 dpi, and the pixel density in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is even higher, at 320 dpi. Do you have something better? I've never complained about the 300 dpi print quality, so the device's screen is ideal for viewing photos. Moreover, in some respects it is better than paper. I remember looking through old photographs through a magnifying glass to see the details. 300 dpi, unfortunately, did not stand up to the magnifying glass test, while this problem does not exist on the tablet. After all, here any fragment of photographs can be enlarged using a finger gesture, without loss of detail.

The new Galaxy Tab S2 is slightly smaller than last year's predecessor. It should be remembered that the first Galaxy Tab S was larger in both variants (8.4 and 10.5 inches), and had an aspect ratio of 16:10. This makes resolution changes invisible to the naked eye (359 vs 320 dpi). Further increasing the number of pixels would not be wise. More a high resolution is an increase in energy costs, and the battery in the new Tab S2 is unfortunately smaller than its predecessor. We are dealing here with an endless struggle between the uncompromising thickness of the device and the duration of operation. Everyone should evaluate what they care about most.

Vivid colors of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

Galaxy Tab S2 uses a Super AMOLED screen. One of the biggest advantages of OLED technology is the deep blacks that are difficult to distinguish from the bezel surrounding the device. As a result, the screen contrast is very high level. Another plus is the quality of the displayed colors, which is a key aspect for a photographer.

Samsung's new tablet screen boasts 100% display color range SRGB, and up to 94% Adobe RGB. These are the results at levels characteristic professional solutions, but this is a rarity in the world of mobile devices.

Out of curiosity, I checked how the tablet would perform in an online color vision test. I looked at it, in a very interesting web application available on igame.com. It's a lot of fun, and the result goes some way to proving the quality of the color reproduction.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 - I also use it as a companion for mobile image processing. I used the device to do this in Adobe Lightroom Mobile. This is where I encountered a pleasant surprise. My previous tablet only served me to select and grade photos, which could then sync with desktop Lightroom. In the case of the Galaxy Tab S2. I was able to process photos, including white balance and color adjustments. Color fidelity was high enough that I could continue editing in full version programs on an external, calibrated computer monitor.

Bottom line

Samsung has finally created a device for demanding customers who are looking not only good performance, but also high quality. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the first Android tablet I would consider purchasing. At the moment, only the rather mediocre battery life and price are holding me back from purchasing. But the screen, you just have to see it to appreciate the quality of the display. With a clear conscience I can recommend it not only for home use, but also for photographers who want to use mobile devices in their work.

The screen image quality is really good and I wouldn't hesitate to use the Galaxy Tab S2 in professional photo applications. I see no reason not to use the Tab S2 as a mobile briefcase that you can show off at a meeting with a client.

To everything, one more aspect should be added. Many people pay attention to the package and judge the device only by appearance. In this regard, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has absolutely no reason to be ashamed. Even for a complete amateur, the device will look like a premium product that commands respect.

Contents of delivery:

• Tablet
• Charger with USB cable
• Instructions

Specifications

• Android 5.0.2, update to 5.1.1 soon, TouchWiz shell, like on Samsung Galaxy S6/Note 5
• Screen 7.9 inches, SuperAMOLED, 2048x1536 pixels (326 ppi), 4:3 geometry, automatic backlight adjustment, maximum brightness outdoors for text readability (auto mode), additional modes screen settings;
• Chipset Exynos 5433 (as in Note 4), 8 cores up to 1.9 GHz, MALI T760
• 3 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory, memory cards up to 128 GB
• Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
• LTE support
• Fingerprint sensor
• GPS/GLONASS
• Li-Ion 4000 mAh battery, HD video playback time up to 12 hours (maximum brightness), gaming about 6 hours
• Weight – 265/272 grams (Wi-Fi/LTE), dimensions – 134.8 x 198.6 x 5.6 mm

Positioning

The Tab S line is the flagships from Samsung, which were created to directly compete with the iPad, the company never hid this, moreover, when introducing the first generation of Tab S in the USA, they presented the iPad so that anyone could compare the quality of the screens and their differences. It is clear that the screen is not the only parameter for choosing such a device, but they differ like heaven and earth, the difference is visible to the naked eye, we even had detailed analysis differences between these devices and their screens.

Samsung's ideology has always been to give the iPad more technology and capabilities for the price, to present the most technologically rich device possible. Not forgetting its convenience. In the Tab S2, the story is completely repeated with one difference - the tablet market has dropped significantly over the past year, and this applies to all major manufacturers, including Apple. Therefore, Samsung focused on updating the line without introducing any new, sensational features. The goal was to make flagship tablets that would be convenient for daily use, become the most powerful devices on the market in terms of performance (in the Android segment at least), and at the same time offer high-quality cameras plus good time work.

The positioning of this device is typical for flagships - everything is without compromise, it contains the best components, the most productive solutions. For geeks, it’s a shame that the tablet is built on the same platform as the Note 4; with some stretch, they can be called twin brothers. But we must remember that Note 4, which appeared almost a year ago, was 1.5-2 years ahead of the market. Even today, there are no similar solutions from other companies, which makes this device the best in its segment. In short, if you are looking for the most powerful tablet, with the best screen and a camera without regard to its cost, then the Galaxy Tab S2 will probably be among the options. And this will be one of the priority options.

Design, dimensions, control elements

Externally, the tablet turned out to be different from the first Tab S. The screen geometry is different, the frame, like in Note 4, around the body, it is made of metal, with a polished edge. Moreover, the edge is only on the front surface, and the back is plastic - the tablet is comfortable to hold in your hands, it does not slip.

For most consumers, a flagship must be made of metal, although this is not always convenient or correct. When struck, the metal hits the glass that protects the screen, but the plastic does not deform the body in this way. The question of what a manufacturer should use, plastic or metal, has long turned into a philosophical one. But in practice, the difference is noticeable with constant use of devices - for example, the Tab S2 weighs only 272 grams (for the LTE version, the version with Wi-Fi weighs even less - 265 grams), while iPad Mini weighs 341 grams. Minimal difference? How to look. If you pick up the tablet from time to time, you won’t see any differences. But if you play or watch a movie, then the Tab S2 will be more comfortable; it does not pull on your hand and does not feel in it. A child can easily hold it.

The thickness of the device is a parameter in which every manufacturer exercises, in Tab S2 the thickness is 5.6 mm (iPad 7.5 mm). It is very thin, but this parameter does not affect the characteristics in any way. Thin and delicate, after all, thinness is visually pleasing, in the hands it does not make a big difference. The dimensions of 134.8 x 198.6 x 5.6 mm are excellent for this type of device.

On the trip I got so used to it that tablet light and a small one that was addicted to carrying it in the side pocket of his shorts, where he was not felt at all. An attempt to put the iPad there failed; it was noticeably heavier and hit my leg when moving.

The back wall is made of soft-touch plastic, it hardly gets dirty, does not scratch, and is pleasant. The camera lens protrudes, but this is normal for such models. There are two “buttons” on the case for installing a branded case, some may find them superfluous, like me, I don’t wear cases on tablets, preferring to wear them that way.

At the bottom end you can see two speakers, this is not a scam, there are physically two of them, and they sound quite loud. The location of the speakers on one side of the body is not indisputable; I would like to see them spaced apart. But the sound does not suffer in most situations; it is impossible to cover both speakers with your hand. In terms of volume, the tablet clearly outperforms the iPad, however, the sound quality is higher.

At the same end there is a microUSB connector, as well as a microphone. The tablet has two microphones, they are needed for the noise reduction system to work. Let me remind you that the tablet can be used like a regular phone, with or without a headset.

On the left side there is a paired volume key, a power button, just below there is a slot for a nanoSIM card (the choice of this card format is surprising and questionable), as well as a slot for memory cards.

On the front panel, under the screen, there is a physical key exactly in the middle, and two touch keys on the sides. Due to the size, it is convenient to work with the keys, no problems arise.

The build quality of the device is a plus, there are no problems. The downside is that due to the thickness of the model, I had to sacrifice the usual Corning coating Gorilla Glass 4, here is a “light” version with a smaller thickness of the outer layer. As a result, the screen quickly becomes covered with small scratches. You can only see them when they are turned off; it is, of course, impossible to feel them with your fingers.

The tablet can be bought in black or white, below you can see what the white device looks like, it is no less interesting than the black one that I reviewed.

Screen

In order to understand how high-quality the screen is on the Tab S2, you need to look at it in real life. This is perhaps the best tablet screen that exists today. Here are its technical characteristics - 7.9 inches, SuperAMOLED, 2048x1536 pixels (326 ppi), 4:3 geometry. Now let's talk about what he can do in practice.

Let me start with the fact that these weeks I often flew a DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter, and in order to watch video from it in real time (transmits at a distance of up to 2 kilometers in HD quality), I installed a Galaxy Tab S2. A little trick, you need to set it in the settings automatic adjustment brightness, then the maximum backlight brightness will increase twice compared to the standard one when the tablet realizes that it is outdoors. In direct sunlight, the picture remained fully readable; there was no need to look for a shadow. The photograph does not convey this; it seems that the screen has faded, but in real life it is readable.

Now let's talk about why SuperAMOLED is criticized for having too bright colors. In the settings, you can choose one of five operating modes (adaptive is the default, Movie AMOLED, Photo AMOLED, basic, for reading).

In principle, it’s worth choosing the adaptive mode; it perfectly adjusts the picture to the displayed content, plus it processes external lighting conditions. That is, the adaptive mode itself will turn on the reading settings, realizing that you are reading a book or page in the browser.

But if you don’t want to trust this mode, you can customize everything for yourself. And then the colors will not be so aggressive or become muted, it all depends on you. Other tablets do not have such technologies or they are in their infancy; the iPad, for example, only recently became able to adjust the font size, and nothing similar to the technology described simply does not exist. You can't select on iPad color temperature screen. Some may quite rightly say that this is not necessary on the iPad. This may be true for you. Most likely, you simply have not seen what a quality screen is, and therefore continue to consider the faded iPad screen to be acceptable. He is not bad in his class, but has long become average, nothing more.

I repeat that if the display was excellent in the Tab S, then in the second version it became amazing. Good, clear picture, high brightness in the sun, pleasant viewing of photos and videos.

The screen geometry has become the same as in the iPad - 4:3. I like it less than 16:10, because I like to watch videos on my tablet. There are still black bars, just like on the iPad. But on the other hand, the picture quality overshadows everything. This is a tablet with the best screen on the market, as even ardent critics of all Samsung products admit (reluctantly or through gritted teeth).

Battery

Built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 4000 mAh. At first glance, this is not much for a tablet; we are used to seeing batteries with a capacity of 5000-6000 mAh in such devices. But given the fact that it uses an energy-efficient chipset and a new screen option that consumes less than in previous models, the operating time in different modes has increased.

For example, when playing video in HD resolution (MX Player, hardware acceleration, AVI, maximum brightness), the operating time is about 12 hours. If you turn on automatic backlight adjustment or reduce the brightness, the operating time will increase to 13-14 hours. This is noticeably more than any tablet in this class. And if you take into account the weight and dimensions of the tablet, it can be considered a kind of record.

When using a SIM card in a tablet, when you make calls and write SMS, everything is not so rosy. It will work for a day or more with an average load (2 hours of screen, about an hour of calls). The cellular module eats up the battery quite quickly. If we limit ourselves only to data transfer, then everything will be typical for such devices, comparable to the same iPad - about 7-8 hours of operation. Here, for example, is how long my device worked when watching three episodes of a series (2 hours 15 minutes), working in other applications (half backlight brightness, automatic mode).

In games, you can achieve a maximum of 7-7.5 hours of work, which depends on the screen settings. But in games it is involved maximum number cores, which negatively affects operating time, the tablet noticeably warms up.

If you want maximum battery life, don't use Chrome; Samsung's browser is much more energy efficient. The difference in operating time will be almost double! As for me, Google urgently needs to do something about the energy efficiency of Chrome; it eats up the battery of mobile devices too quickly, although it is convenient in other aspects.

Traditionally, there is a power saving mode when you can limit processor performance, remove the backlight of touch keys, degrade animation, and so on. Unfortunately, in this mode you cannot select individual items, you can only enable them all at once. The best part is that you can install automatic switching on this mode when the battery is discharged to a certain level (5, 15, 20, 50%).

In maximum power saving mode, the display turns gray and background data transfer is limited. This mode has no analogues from other companies and is directly related to the capabilities of the display.

Full battery charging time is about 3.5 hours (2A), mode fast charging, unlike Note 4, is not supported. Overall, the Tab S2 is optimal in terms of operating time, if you remember its capabilities and performance.

Memory, memory cards, performance

The tablet uses the same processor that we saw in the Note 4 - Exynos 5433. This processor was way ahead of its time and offered a very high performance bar, it remains one of the best on the market. They don’t look for good from good, and for a tablet whose screen resolution is lower than that of Note 4, they decided to use it. Many expected that this would be a new generation of processor, but there was simply no need for it - it could only be needed when using high-resolution screens. Specifications The processors are as follows - 4 cores with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz, 4 cores up to 1.9 GHz. Fast RAM (1066 MHz). However, look at the results of synthetic tests.

The built-in memory is 32 GB, you have about 24 GB of space available for your programs and data. You can install a memory card up to 128 GB, there is almost no difference in access speed, so applications stored on the card will work just as fast. There are versions of the tablet with 64 GB of internal memory, but they will not be supplied to Russia.

The amount of RAM is 3 GB, which is quite enough for any task. In the interface, the device works very quickly, there are simply no slowdowns.

Communication capabilities

Samsung is consistently refusing to use the infrared port for control household appliances, it was installed on most top models in 2014, including it can be found on the Tab S, but it is not here. Likewise, the tablet has lost NFC support, which is doubly offensive, since for most, the presence of this technology makes using the device more convenient (quick pairing with other phones or tablets with one touch).

Surprisingly, the Tab S2 will lack support Samsung Pay(there is no separate chip for crypto-protection of transactions), but there is no point in worrying about this, since the technology is focused only on the US market in 2015. You can only use a tablet for payments in the absence of NFC the old fashioned way.

Other strengths Samsung tablets are still here, the Wi-Fi antenna is dual-band, works at 2.4/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, traditionally available Wi-Fi Direct. Bluetooth version 4.1.

GPS/GLONASS support is implemented well; the tablet turned out to be successful as a navigation device. BMW chose it as a standard navigator for its 7 Series model.

The radio module supports the following frequencies:

• LTE: 700/ 800/ 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2100/ 2600
• 3G: 850/ 900/ 1900/ 2100
• 2G: 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900

Here is a device that will easily work in LTE around the world.

Camera

If we approach it formally, the cameras have not changed in any way compared to the Tab S; the front one also has a resolution of 2.1 megapixels, the main one has 8 megapixels. But unlike the Tab S, the main camera doesn't have LED flash. The front camera has become faster, as well as the main camera (f=1.9 versus 2.4 in the Tab S).

Look at sample images and the camera interface. I think you can see the similarities with the Galaxy S6. Photos look great on a tablet screen, noticeably better than their actual quality on a PC screen. The reason is the outstanding characteristics of the display, but not the camera; it is quite ordinary and inferior to most top-end smartphones on the market. On the other hand, this camera is one of the best for tablets, as you can easily see by looking at the comparison with the iPad Mini (right).

And this is how the tablet films in the evening and during the day, and also records video. It won’t be able to replace a top-end smartphone, but it’s quite good for everyday tasks.

Photo examples

Now I want to dwell on one of the features directly related to the camera and tablet performance. In the shop Samsung applications There is a 3D Capture program, it allows you to obtain three-dimensional images of objects. You press shoot, slowly walk around a stationary object, preferably at the same distance, and in a minute you have a model in front of you that can be rotated as you please, exported to other programs for editing three-dimensional images (file format .OBJ and also .MTL). The built-in editor allows you to clean up the image, remove the background, highlight individual zones, and it is quite advanced, covering all the possibilities that are needed. For most, this program will become a kind of toy, but someone will find the right use for it.

I was able to make a three-dimensional picture of the bread on a plate with my hands, it was like some kind of miracle. I immediately rotated the picture and showed my friends what happened. I tried to position the tablet motionless and rotate the plate, but no shooting happened - the tablet requires that it be rotated around the object.

I have always been amazed by technologies that become commonplace - ten years ago it was impossible to imagine that something like this would be in a mass device. This is what can be called high technology, and it is becoming publicly available. This tablet is a cheap way to produce 3D models. Of course, this raises the question of their detailing and quality. But for the mass consumer, this will definitely be the first encounter with such technology and the opportunity to use it.

Under no circumstances should you assume that 3D photography will be a feature that will attract attention to this product. It’s hard to believe, but this feature is unique, and other companies don’t have it (I haven’t seen it in any product). Of course, there are a dozen programs for iPad and Android that make 3D objects in .OBJ, but none of them are popular (maybe they are all niche?), and according to the description, the quality of the resulting files is not very good. I don’t presume to judge this; there will probably be those among the readers who have played with such programs and can evaluate their quality better.

Software Features

The model comes with Android 5.0.2, with an update to 5.1.1 coming soon. Inside is a lightweight TouchWiz that is completely or almost identical to what we see on the Galaxy S6. In the review of this phone, I examined in great detail all the pros and cons of this solution, focusing on all the little things. You can read about this in the review text.

Or watch a video using the Galaxy S6 as an example.

Just like with other flagship devices, you are offered free services and applications, for example, OneDrive from Microsoft gives you 100 GB of cloud storage upon registration. You can get a free subscription to various magazines, navigation and the like.

Multimedia capabilities The tablet is excellent, it is omnivorous and digests most video formats (AC3 out of the box is not supported due to patent disputes, just install MX Player and everything will work).

I like the fact that you can download any files onto this tablet and immediately start watching and listening to them. As usual, maximum omnivorousness, no need to convert or download anything through a computer, everything is done from the device, it is completely independent.

IN file manager Bookmarks have appeared, you can open different pages and copy files from one page to another.

The fingerprint sensor works by touch, no problems.

From interesting tricks I note that when working with Bluetooth, you can add “trusted devices” to the list. For example it could be Speakerphone in the car. Then, when connected to such a device, the tablet will remain unlocked. At home I set it up in this quality wireless speaker, and there is no need to put your finger on the sensor every time, the tablet is open.

There are quite a lot of such small features in the system, each of them means nothing, but together they make the device convenient. The LTE version supports nanoSIM and voice calls, as well as SMS, unlike the iPad, where a SIM card is needed only for data transfer.

You can love or hate TouchWiz, but the shell is very complementary standard Android, introducing convenient features, there are many of them here.

Accessories for Tab S2

There is a standard set of accessories available for the tablet, including various wired and wireless headsets, but I would like to draw your attention to three accessories that are different from other models and are suitable only for this tablet.

Let's start with the Keyboard Cover, this is the cover in which the keyboard is built in, it is attached to magnets on the back surface. This accessory is not available for the 8-inch model, only for a tablet with a large diagonal, which may seem to some to be a sufficient reason to choose it.

At the same time, you can simply choose Book Cover, this is a regular cover that allows you to place a tablet to watch videos.

Finally, you can purchase the MT800 docking station, which has remained unchanged since the first generation of tablets and is familiar to us. This station has an HDMI connector with support for 4K video, two full-fledged USB connectors, microUSB, Ethernet - you can turn your tablet into a full-fledged computer.

Impression

I didn’t like the Tab S2 at all; it seemed like the tablet didn’t bring anything new, and its thinness was a tribute to fashion. In life, I changed my opinion to the opposite - it’s convenient to work with, and the screen is excellent, no one else has anything like it. I was especially pleased with the work outdoors, however, the ultra-bright backlight eats up the battery quickly, but on the same DJI quadcopter you can fly even on a summer afternoon, when the sun burns everything around and nothing is visible on the screens of other devices.

Even if you watch movies all day, you will have enough battery power until the evening; in my normal mode, the tablet worked for about 2 days, which is not bad (the iPad runs out in a day). In a word, I liked the device, but not its price. It is clear that we need to stay on course, but still the flagship turned out to be expensive and not accessible to everyone - but should flagships be accessible to many? Question.

The Tab S2's competitor in Russia is the first generation of this tablet, primarily due to the fact that its old prices remain the same. However, let's compare. The price for the Wi-Fi version is about 21 thousand rubles, for the LTE version – about 23,000 rubles. Of the minuses - less internal memory (16 GB versus 32 GB), old version OS, no update to 5.1.1 in the near future, slightly worse screen with fewer operating modes. The operating time of the first Tab S is a little lower, but noticeably higher than that of all devices in this class. This line has become a kind of record holder for survivability thanks to technical solutions, which are used by the manufacturer.

The price for the Wi-Fi version of the 32 GB Tab S2 (SM-T710) is 31,990 rubles, for the 32 GB LTE version (SM-T715) – 35,990 rubles. The difference is simply radical, and the appeal of the first generation Tab S is greater from all points of view. You lose almost nothing by purchasing the previous model, but the savings are noticeable, enough for one or two more devices of a lower class.

U Apple There are no direct competitors to the Tab S2 yet, new model didn’t come out, so we’ll have to compare it with the best offer that exists now, which is the iPad Mini 3. It would have to be compared with the Tab S, they are classmates, but let’s compare it with the Tab S2. The initial memory configuration for the iPad is 16 GB, it costs 26,990 and 35,990 rubles (Wi-Fi/LTE) in the official store. There is no 32 GB version, so it’s not possible to compare directly; the next 64 GB version costs 33,490 and 42,490 rubles. It turns out to be quite an interesting picture, if the LTE versions cost the same, but the Tab S2 has twice as much memory, plus there are memory cards, then Wi-Fi looks a little more expensive. The quality of the screens is incomparable; the Samsung model is a big winner. As well as in terms of operating time, weight and size, but many may like the fact that the iPad body is made of metal. I am like iPad owner Mini, I can note that the Tab S2 is noticeably more convenient in everyday life, it wins in all respects. Anticipating the question of why I didn’t choose it or its predecessor - I’m not so wasteful as to change tablets every year, the old one does the job quite well. But the battery is starting to die a little, it’s possible that I’ll replace the old one with a new one in the coming months. When choosing a new tablet today, I would definitely compare the iPad Mini 3 and Tab S2, and then focus on the amount that I have.

In real life, the Tab S2 and iPad Mini 3 are completely different; they differ radically from each other. The aesthetics, the feel in the hand, the way you use these devices. In a word, look for yourself and decide what you like; no one can be your advisor here. An attempt to compare the Tab S2 with Android flagships from other companies is obviously doomed to failure. What other companies call flagships does not in any way technically correspond to this name - the models are weaker, just look at their screens and performance, they play in a different league. However, here it is quite fair to ask the question whether you need everything that the Tab S2 offers, or is it better to save money and buy something simpler rather than a flagship, but the answer to this question is again up to you.

I especially highlighted the review of the 8- and 9.7-inch models in different materials, as I said above. The difference between these models is fundamental: one is mobile and always accompanies you, the second is suitable for those who spend more time at home or carry a bag with them that can accommodate a folder for papers and, accordingly, the Tab S2 9.7. Functionally, these models are identical, only their perception, price and positioning differ, we’ll talk about this in the review of the older device. As for me, Samsung has turned out to be an excellent model, which has, perhaps, everything you expect from a flagship - the best screen on the market, excellent operating time, the ability to make and receive calls, SMS support and full-fledged LTE in any country in the world. The price is steep, but the previous generation of the device is even more attractive. This is a flagship without any discounts, we just have to wait for the fall and the next iPad Mini to see what Apple can do with this device. I'm afraid that the answer will only be iOS9 and an increase in RAM; there are no fundamental differences to be expected. This means that the Tab S2 will remain the most interesting device in terms of the combination of characteristics it has. But here the question is how committed you are to this or that platform, and this can be argued for a long time and without much result.

The new 8-inch Samsung tablet looks exactly like its older brother Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. As far as possible, the same components are also used as “filling”. Let's check whether the move to a more compact size causes a decrease in device performance.

Together with the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, a competitor to the iPad-Air-2, Samsung released a more compact one, which can be considered as an alternative to the iPad Mini 4. The design of the new product is reminiscent of the Galaxy A series smartphones. The main difference from its predecessor Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is the format 4 display: 3 instead of 16:10. The amount of RAM remains the same and is 3 GB. Like the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE uses Samsung's 1.9 GHz Exynos SoC, but the new product uses a more modern chip. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 with module mobile communications LTE is about 5,000 rubles more expensive than the Wi-Fi-only version of the tablet. Direct competitors of the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 are the super new iPad Mini 4 and its Android counterparts Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and the less compact Google Nexus 9.

Technical Galaxy specifications Tab S2 8.0:
Screen	8’’ resolution 4:3, 2048 x 1536 pixels, glossy surface, glass, Super AMOLED, Capacitive Multi-Touch, up to 10 touches, G-sensor;
CPU	Exynos 7 Octa (5433) 8 cores (4+4), up to 1.9 GHz + 1.3 GHz;
Graphics accelerator	Mali-T760;
operating system	Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop);
RAM	3 GB;
Built-in memory	32 GB;
Memory card support	microSDXC, microSDHC, microSD up to 128 GB;
Connection	GSM, HSPA+, LTE cat.6, VoLTE, standards 700/ 800/ 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2100/ 2600;
SIM card	Nano-SIM (12 x 9 mm);
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, Bluetooth 4.1;
Sound	x2 built-in speakers on the bottom;
Navigation	GPS (satellite), A-GPS ( base station GSM), GLONASS;
Cameras	main - 8 million pixels, autofocus, f1/9 aperture, QHD video recording (2560 x 1440) @ 30fps; front - 2.1 million pixels, fixed focus;
Sensors	accelerometer, compass, Hall sensor, gyroscope, RGB sensor, fingerprint scanner;
Connectors	micro USB 2.0, headphone jack, Nano-SIM card slot, USB OTG support;
Battery	4000 mAh (Li-Pol battery; charging time - 210 minutes);
Dimensions	19.86 x 0.56 x 13.48 cm;
Weight	0.272 kg;
Color options	White black;

Frame

Size aside, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 looks exactly the same as the 9.7-inch model. The only difference is the slot for the telephone speaker above the Samsung logo on the 8-inch model. The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is thinner and noticeably shorter than its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4; due to the transition to a 4:3 screen format, it has gained almost a centimeter in width. The camera protrudes a little awkwardly, about 1.8mm above the back of the tablet. In lightness, with a weight of 272 grams, only the SONY Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact weighing 270 grams can be compared.

The previous flagship tablet Galaxy Tab S 8.4 looked like the corresponding Galaxy flagship smartphone S5. The design of the new Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is inspired by the Galaxy A smartphones. For the first time, the tablet uses an eye-catching shiny metal frame that is rough to the touch. The back cover is made of rough plastic; The tablet does not try to slip out of your hands. Unfortunately, fingerprints on the Galaxy Tab S2 become noticeable quite quickly and are difficult to erase. On the back of the device you can see latches for separately purchased cases. The metal frame makes the Galaxy Tab S2 feel very durable. The gaps are small; when you try to twist the tablet, only a slight crackling sound is heard.

Components

It uses the same components as the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. The tablet has a built-in Exynos 5433 Octa SoC 1.9 GHz processor, 3 GB of RAM and a 32 GB Flash drive, of which 25 GB is available to the user. It supports the use of microSD memory cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB and moving programs and applications to the memory card.

Power supply and external devices connect to the tablet via a Micro USB 2.0 connector. It's a shame that it's not via the latest USB 3.0 Type C. The good news is that it supports USB-OTG for connectivity peripheral device(flash drive, keyboard, mouse, etc.) and MHL for transferring photos and videos to a large display. Supports Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi Direct for wireless transmission images and ANT+ for wireless transmission of information from sensors. The Tab S2 8.0 does not have an infrared port, like the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. NFC technology is not supported.

I'm glad that the tablet has a vibration motor for tactile feedback. The tablet does not have LED indicators familiar to users of Android smartphones.

Right side: Nano-SIM card slot, microSD memory card slot, volume control, power key Left side: no connectors.

Bottom: speaker, 3.5 mm headphone jack, microphone, Micro-USB connector, another speaker. Top: microphone

Software

The operating system is Android 5.0.2 with Samsung TouchWiz shell. To date, TouchWiz has left a good impression and offers many additional features and customization tools. Unfortunately, it is not yet known whether an update to Android 5.1 or 6.0 will be released for the tablet. As is typical for Samsung tablets, the Tab S2 8.0 comes pre-installed with plenty of third-party apps. Most of these apps are easy to uninstall. Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNnote, Skype, OneDrive) are not completely removed; you can only deactivate their individual components.

A bunch of Samsung programs offer helper functions. Thus, the Smart Switch application simplifies the transition to using a new tablet by transferring settings, contacts and data from another mobile device. Check out the SideSync app for controlling your tablet from a Windows computer or mobile device. Unfortunately, an attempt to control it from another Samsung tablet was unsuccessful. At the same time, the connection between the Windows laptop and the Tab S2 8.0 worked fine after installing the appropriate software on the laptop. A long press on the left touch button activates the split screen mode.

Communications and GPS

The built-in WLAN a/b/g/n/ac module provides very high data transfer rates. When contacting ASUS router RT-AC56U this speed reached 780 Mbit/s with a theoretical limit of 866 Mbit/s in the 5-GHz range. As the distance between the tablet and the router increases, the data transfer speed decreases slightly. The Tab S2 8.0's wireless range and reception quality in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands are on par with other comparable mobile devices.

In the absence of Wi-Fi, it is possible to use an LTE modem with data transfer rates of up to 300 Mbit/s (LTE Cat. 6). If necessary, for example, when downloading a large amount of data, you can activate the “accelerator” for parallel use of Wi-Fi and the mobile network.

Thanks to the presence of a conversational speaker, the Tab S2 8.0 can be used as a giant smartphone. Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 does not have this feature. The voice quality of the Tab S2 8.0 during phone calls is at a high level, like that of expensive smartphones. When using a headset, if the background noise level is not too high, speech is also transmitted clearly.

The tablet supports satellite systems GPS navigation and Glonass. Outdoors, the current position is determined quite quickly; The reception strength is slightly lower than the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. Indoors, GPS satellite signals are not detected even after a long wait.

When used as control device bicycle computer Garmin Edge 500 Tab S2 8.0 showed a slight total deviation of 2% and a tendency to take shortcuts, typical of many tablets. The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is a little more accurate in terms of positioning, and the Apple iPad Mini 4 turns out to be an absolute champion, surpassing even navigators.

Cameras

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 uses the same cameras as the older Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. On the front side of the tablet there is a selfie camera with a rather pitiful resolution of 2.1 megapixels (1920x1080, 16:9 format, 1/2.2 aperture). Selfies, unfortunately, turn out blurry and pale.

selfie camera with a rather pathetic 2.1 megapixel resolution

Photos from the 8-megapixel rear camera (3264x2448, 4:3 aspect ratio) are significantly better, although not comparable in quality to images taken with cameras on modern high-end smartphones. On the other hand, few tablets are capable of better photography than the .

It's a shame that using a faster lens (1/1.9 on the Galaxy Tab S2 instead of 1/2.4 on the Galaxy Tab S) did not improve the quality of low-light images. As before, such images are characterized by high digital noise (the appearance of a noticeable number of dots of random color and brightness) and loss of detail. In addition, unlike its predecessor, it has Galaxy tablet Tab S2 does not have an LED flash.

Upon closer inspection, you may notice a loss of clarity in the corners of the images. Due to the camera's location near the edge of the tablet, when taking photos in landscape orientation, you have to be careful not to get your fingers in the frame. From automatic mode you can switch to professional and manually set white balance, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, etc. In addition, there are applications for obtaining HDR (extended brightness range) and panoramic images.

Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 provides high-quality video recording. Supports recording in 2560x1440 resolution in the popular 16:9 format at up to 30 frames per second. There is a clear improvement over its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S, which is capable of capturing video at resolutions no higher than Full-HD.

You cannot take photographs while recording video at maximum resolution. Also, in video recording mode at maximum resolution, electronic image stabilization does not work. Recordings in both Full-HD and QHD quality are contrasty and clear. Still images from videos have better detail and more vibrant colors than photos taken with the front camera. The front camera, however, captures video at 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second and can be used occasionally for video calls.

8 megapixel rear camera

Accessories

Like the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, the scope of delivery is limited to only the essentials. Included with the tablet quick guide, Charger, USB cable 5V 2A and a small metal extraction tool Nano-SIM cards or microSD. Additionally you can.

Input Devices

Sensory Galaxy screen Tab S2 handles touches with high precision. There is no need to apply any pressure on the screen; Your fingers glide across the protective glass with very little friction.

An advanced fingerprint scanner is built into the Home key. A similar scanner is used in the top-end smartphones Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. You no longer need to swipe your finger over the scanner over and over again, just one touch is enough. You can use the scanner when making purchases in the Samsung App Store or to access web forms. To the built-in system on-screen keyboard It's hard to find fault. The already familiar functions of word suggestions and continuous (without lifting your finger from the screen) input are supported. If desired, the keyboard can be moved from the edge of the screen to any other location on the display. You can also divide the keyboard into 2 parts to make typing easier with your thumbs.

The tablet responds to user actions quickly; there are no annoying slowdowns even when switching between applications. The tablet responds to changes in screen orientation (from vertical to horizontal or vice versa) with some delay by very smoothly rotating the display contents. The lag probably serves to prevent accidental rotation.

Screen

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0's 8-inch 4:3 Super-AMOLED display offers the same 2048 x 1536 resolution as the 9.7-inch model. The pixel density of the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has a fairly high value of 320 ppi, which, however, does not exceed the 359 ppi density of its predecessor Galaxy Tab S 8.4.

The average brightness of the tablet screen is 348 cd/m2, which is significantly higher than the 261 cd/m2 of its predecessor, but lower than the brightness of LCD screens, which, for example, in the iPad Mini 4 or Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact exceeds 400 cd/m2. To ensure readability of information from the screen, the brightness during automatic adjustment, depending on the readings of the light sensor, may exceed the values ​​​​set manually by the user.

Unlike LCD screens, a Super-AMOLED display does not require a backlight, so the brightness of black points on a Super-AMOLED display is 0 cd/m2, and the contrast of a Super-AMOLED display tends to infinity. Competing tablets with LCD screens fundamentally cannot compete with the Galaxy Tab S2 in terms of contrast. Thus, the Lenovo Yoga 2 8 LED screen has the maximum contrast ratio of 1556:1 among comparable tablets. It should also be noted that, according to subjective perception, the colors on the screen are displayed most vividly.

As with the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, the user of the 8-inch model has access to the “Movie AMOLED”, “Photo AMOLED”, “Main”, “Reading” color modes, as well as the “Adaptive Display” mode, in which the color spectrum, saturation and clarity is adjusted automatically depending on the nature of the information displayed on the screen.

Productivity and Gaming

Like the 9.7-inch modification, it uses Samsung’s own ARM processor Exynos 5433 Octa, which is a single-chip SoC system. Unlike the Exynos 5420 used in the first generation Galaxy Tab, the Exynos 5433 supports 64-bit applications. Like all 8-core Exynos 7 Octa processors, the 5433 works on the big.LITTLE principle: 4 high-performance Cortex-A57 cores with a frequency of up to 1.9 GHz are used under high load, and 4 economical Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz allow reduce power consumption when high computing power is not needed. If necessary, all 8 cores are switched on. The processor has a built-in Mali-T760 MP6 graphics core.

Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 shows first-class results and outperforms SONY Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. According to subjective feelings, the performance of the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is more than enough for quick view Internet pages, launching web applications and interacting with web services.

in Idle mode does not exceed 30°C. Of the competitors, only the Lenovo Yoga 2 8 remains significantly cooler in standby mode. Under load, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0's temperature does not rise above 43°C, which is significantly higher than its predecessor Galaxy Tab S 8.4, but at the same level as current competitors.

Like the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, the drop in performance of the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 observed in GFXBench when the tablet is running for a long time under load is up to 40%, and the graphics frequency drops from 600 MHz to 350 MHz. Due to throttling, slowdowns are possible when playing on the tablet for a long time.

Energy consumption

Regarding power consumption, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 cannot boast of any particular success. In Idle mode, only the larger Google Nexus 9 is more power hungry than the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0. Under load, only the Lenovo Yoga 2 8 Windows tablet consumes more than the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0. The power of the 10-watt power supply (5V, 2A) included in the package is barely enough to Galaxy work Tab S2 8.0 under load; There is almost no reserve left to charge the battery. When the display is off, battery charging time is approximately 2.5 hours. The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 does not charge from a regular USB port in Standby mode; It is possible to charge from the USB port only when the tablet is turned off.

Battery life

It would seem that the battery capacity reduced by 23% compared to its predecessor and higher power consumption do not bode well for acceptable battery life for this tablet. However, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 lasts longer than the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 both in Idle mode and under load. More than 7 hours in Internet tablet mode is sufficient for most users. In terms of H.264 1080p video playback time (13 hours), the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is second only to the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

Samsung is probably using some tricks to extend the tablet's battery life. For example, the display brightness decreases by 5% when switching to battery power, regardless of the current settings and without switching to power saving mode.

Conclusion

pros		Minuses
+	Very thin and light	-	Significant throttling under stress load
+	Workmanship	-	Micro-USB-2.0 only
+	microSD card slot	-	No NFC
+	AC-WLAN & Bluetooth 4.1	-	The infrared port that the predecessor had has disappeared
+	Fingerprint's scanner	-	The GPS receiver is slightly weaker than that of the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
+	High precision touch screen	-
+	Record video in QHD resolution	-
+	Speaker for use as a telephone	-
+	Excellent display with exceptional contrast and color reproduction

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	237.3 mm (millimeters) 23.73 cm (centimeters) 0.78 ft (feet) 9.34 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	169 mm (millimeters) 16.9 cm (centimeters) 0.55 ft (feet) 6.65 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements.	5.6 mm (millimeters) 0.56 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.22 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	392 g (grams) 0.86 lbs 13.83 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	224.58 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 13.64 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Black White
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Metal Plastic

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on GSM standard and applies to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE 700 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5433
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	20 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	4x 1.9 GHz ARM Cortex-A57, 4x 1.3 GHz ARM Cortex-A53
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8-A
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster as system memory, and other levels of cache memory. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core performs program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	8
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1900 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	ARM Mali-T760 MP6
Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications.	6
GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	700 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random Access Memory (RAM) in use operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	3 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means more high speeds data transmission.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	825 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	Super AMOLED
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	9.7 in (inches) 246.38 mm (millimeters) 24.64 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	7.76 in (inches) 197.1 mm (millimeters) 19.71 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	5.82 in (inches) 147.83 mm (millimeters) 14.78 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.333:1 4:3
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	2048 x 1536 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	264 ppi (pixels per inch) 103 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	72.89% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor model	Samsung S5K4H5
Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Sensor size	3.6 x 2.7 mm (millimeters) 0.18 in (inches)
Pixel size	1.103 µm (micrometers) 0.001103 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor	9.61
Svetlosila	f/1.9
Focal length	3.23 mm (millimeters) 31.02 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Image Resolution	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels 3.69 MP (megapixels)
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Digital zoom Self-timer Scene Selection Mode

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the sensor used by the camera.	Samsung S5K6B2
Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution.	2.4 x 1.8 mm (millimeters) 0.12 in (inches)
Pixel size Pixels are usually measured in microns. Larger pixels are able to capture more light and therefore provide best shooting in low light and wider dynamic range than smaller pixels. On the other hand, smaller pixels allow for higher resolution while maintaining the same sensor size.	1.25 µm (micrometers) 0.001250 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor specific device.	14.42
Svetlosila F-stop (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of a lens's aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically the f-number is specified to correspond to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture.	f/2.2
Focal length Focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera equal to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, which will achieve the same viewing angle. It is calculated by multiplying the actual focal length of a mobile device's camera by the crop factor of its sensor. Crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35 mm full-frame sensor and the sensor of a mobile device.	1.87 mm (millimeters) 26.97 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

SAR level for body (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards.

0.885 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard.

1.585 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)