Is Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 worth the buy? - Galaxy Tab S2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I am considering to buy a new tablet (currently I have an Asus TF700T Infinity, too big and money totally wasted) and I'm considering the 8 inch version.
I would like a powerful tablet for surfing/reading/gaming/multimedia and with long firmware support.
I already have 2 smartphones by Samsung and I was never disappointed, this is the reason why I'm considering Samsung brand for the tablet.
The reviews seem to be good and I've read that it's considered one of the best tablets at the moment.
Do you recommend it? Or is someone disappointed and why?
Thanks in advance!!!

Miss the ir remote and 16:10 ratio like in the first tab s. So it kinda sucks for movies. Everything else is butter. Would still recommend.
Sent from my SM-G935T using XDA-Developers mobile app

I too would prefer 16:10 but it isn't horrible for video. The screen is beautiful. No complaints.

I just bought one and it's great for reading comics and books.

i've got plenty of other tablets which are all widescreen AR. To be honest i struggle to use them daily... no idea why. bought the s2 tab and i've been using all the time... its much nicer to use. Not sure if its becuase its thin and light or because the screen ratio is much nicer to use... prob a combo of them both. not really used it for watching videos, but i'm sure if i needed to it wouldn't be that big of an issue. but then that wasn't my primary reason for purchasing it. (something to browse on/run apps/read ebooks and comics)... all of which, in my opinion, are much better suited on a screen shape like this.

It's a wonderful tablet! I just wish I didn't go for the wifi version, but LTE. I use it a lot away from home. Hotspot works from my S6 Edge, but it drains battery fast. And wifi version don't have vibration feedback, LTE does. Not a dealbreaker, but a nice touch. With the original book cover it's very thin. A friend of mine said "Wow! Is that a tablet? It's so thin!" Battery is average, but got a little better with 6.0.1.
Sent from my SM-T710 using XDA-Developers mobile app

C_Karhu said:
It's a wonderful tablet! I just wish I didn't go for the wifi version, but LTE. I use it a lot away from home. Hotspot works from my S6 Edge, but it drains battery fast. And wifi version don't have vibration feedback, LTE does. Not a dealbreaker, but a nice touch. With the original book cover it's very thin. A friend of mine said "Wow! Is that a tablet? It's so thin!" Battery is average, but got a little better with 6.0.1.
Sent from my SM-T710 using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Average? Maybe for screen on time? maybe? i don't know.. all i know is that i've been using mine and i charged it at the same time as my other 5.1 based tablet (hudl2) and that died after 2 days (and wasn't even using it, sync was off). my tabS2 is still 50% and i've been using it a fair bit. so that might be another reason i'm using it a lot more than my other tabs ever got used.

thefunkygibbon said:
Average? Maybe for screen on time? maybe? i don't know.. all i know is that i've been using mine and i charged it at the same time as my other 5.1 based tablet (hudl2) and that died after 2 days (and wasn't even using it, sync was off). my tabS2 is still 50% and i've been using it a fair bit. so that might be another reason i'm using it a lot more than my other tabs ever got used.
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Well, I compare it to my Nokia N1 that I had before this. It had a 5300mah battery, the S2 8.0 has a 4000mah. That's kind of small for a tablet. The N1 had about 5-6 hours of sot. The S2 somewhere 3-4 hours. But the N1 was running vanilla Android, so no extras. Samsung has A LOT. But the S2 has great standby time! Could probably be lying around for weeks. Samsung could have made it a little thicker and packed another 1000mah. But the battery is not bad, not at all. Not like my S6 Edge... Just not top notch.
Sent from my SM-T710 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Thanks everyone! I ordered my tab s2 online and should receive it today. I can't wait!

Related

Getting a Galaxy note 2, still need a nexus 7?

What do you guys think, the note 2 is big enough to serve as a mini tablet. Those of you who have the nexus 7 and plan on getting the note 2, will you get rid of your nexus 7? If you plan on keeping the nexus 7, where will it fit between your computer and your note as far as daily usage?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
The biggest thing you need to realize that coming from a former note user is that using it as a "phablet" is a killer on battery life. Plus I used to think that having an asop device with the latest software was overrated but I don't think I can ever go back to anything blurred, sensed or wizzed on.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
dmbrown81 said:
...I used to think that having an asop device with the latest software was overrated but I don't think I can ever go back to anything blurred, sensed or wizzed on.
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+1. Never going to waste my time with a non-nexus device again.
The Note 2 does look pretty badass. We'll see what's inline for the next nexus/nexi, but I'm considering it. I got some funny looks when I tried shoving a Galaxy Note tethered to a display case into my pocket to see if it was too big. Certainly wouldn't get rid of the n7 though.
Generally I use the device with the bigger screen. So if I had both in hand, I'd probably use the N7. The only difference is that, where I can't take the N7, I'd still have a nice and large screen to work with. Plus, the battery had been saved from when I was using the N7.
Nexus experience is Priceless
I actually looked at the note. With much consideration . Its to big to be a phone and Just to small to be a tablet . I too read about terrible battery life trying to use it for a tablet..
So to me
a 4 inch android smart phone(just really needs to call and offer fast thether)
and a Nexus 7 is perfect combination .
i have a 10 inch acer a500 as well and i know its to big..
The NEXUS Experience is almost Priceless. Im loving it..
I was planning on getting a note before getting the nexus 7 . Now I have no interest in the note but I have to say the note 2 looks bad ass
dmbrown81 said:
The biggest thing you need to realize that coming from a former note user is that using it as a "phablet" is a killer on battery life. Plus I used to think that having an asop device with the latest software was overrated but I don't think I can ever go back to anything blurred, sensed or wizzed on.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
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You got a point. Actually last year, I sold my iPad 2 because I thought my note 1 could replace it as a tablet but it couldn't. Also the battery life does take a hit when you use it as a tablet. But the reason why I ask is because 7 inch vs 5.5 inch. Obviously theres a difference but not like 5.5 inch to 9.7 inch (iPad). I won't get rid of my nexus though
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
thebobp said:
Generally I use the device with the bigger screen. So if I had both in hand, I'd probably use the N7. The only difference is that, where I can't take the N7, I'd still have a nice and large screen to work with. Plus, the battery had been saved from when I was using the N7.
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this is pretty much how i go about it as well. If im home i use the N7, if im out i use the note. its nice having a big device on the go that fits in my pocket. Battery lifes fine on my note, last me all day, but i do carry a fully charged spare in my wallet because it just comes in handy for those super late nights.
thebobp said:
Generally I use the device with the bigger screen. So if I had both in hand, I'd probably use the N7. The only difference is that, where I can't take the N7, I'd still have a nice and large screen to work with. Plus, the battery had been saved from when I was using the N7.
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Make sense, I guess use the nexus at home like you said and the note 2 on the road to have a tablet like experience ( with carrier data connectivity).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I'm pretty stoked for the Note 2. I actually don't think it's big *enough*, if anything. I would love it if my Nexus 7 made calls (and accessed data over the cell network). Then again, I use data a lot more than I make calls, so I guess it's all in how you use your devices. I make like one call a week on my cell phone, whereas I use my tablets *constantly*. So having a phone that's huge like the Nexus 7 would be a totally acceptable tradeoff in size vs. usability (and stupid-lookingness, I guess), for me.
Anyway, so I'm excited for the Note 2, as pretty much the biggest phone out there (LG announced a phablet today too, but it's not as good), and yeah, I probably will get rid of my Nexus 7 at that time. But that's only because I also have a Xoom. If the Nexus 7 was the only tablet I had, I'd probably keep it for the better battery life and being able to read a book or magazine on it properly. A 5.5" screen is still a little too small for that.
But there's definitely no justification I can make (especially to my wife!) for having a 15" laptop, a 10" tablet, a 7" tablet and a 5.5" phone. There's just not enough I can do on each larger screen that I can't do on the next level down. And the Note 2 can do like 90% of what the Nexus 7 can do, plus make calls, plus take pictures, plus access data on the cell network, plus it's probably actually faster. So the Nexus 7 is probably gonna go, and I'll still have a bigger tablet for when I want one but don't need the laptop. I'll either sell it or give it to my wife, but she insists that she doesn't want a tablet, and anyway she's an Apple person even though she complains all the time about all of her Apple devices.
erica_renee said:
Its to big to be a phone and Just to small to be a tablet . I too read about terrible battery life trying to use it for a tablet..
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I appreciate this is all about opinion, but from my experience with the Note 1, this isn't true on all accounts.
Firstly on size, yes it is big but that is the whole point of it. When I bought mine this time last year, I bought it to be a companion device to my phone as I felt it would be too large to use as my primary phone. Two days after receiving it, my HTC Sensation was retired and my Note became my daily driver. It fits into my trouser pockets without issue and really feels fine to use as a phone - I see no downside.
I also use my Note as a travel tablet, and it works wonderfully in that guise too. I even use it for work to connect to the VPN with regular RDP sessions and Citrix applications. In some ways, and it is better than the Nexus 7 is this regard since it has the same screen resolution, but no soft keys taking up space. (I'm a little disappointed that the Note 2 drops to 720p)
Last point - battery. Battery life on the Note is great - I regularly get 5+ hours screen on time with my Note which is very good, and since the battery is user replaceable, I can carry a spare or two if I'm expecting to use it heavily. Given the Note 2 has an even more capacious battery, I'm expecting better battery life from it.
For me, the Nexus 7 is for home mostly and the Note for when I'm out an about.
Regards,
Dave
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
dmbrown81 said:
I don't think I can ever go back to anything blurred, sensed or wizzed on.
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Click to collapse
100% agree. I'm really tempted to get a Note 1 or 2 but I can't deal with slow/no updates and touchwiz hi or whatever crappy overlay manufacturers bog the system down with.
I'm going pure Android / Nexus or nothing at all.
I also wish the Note 2 was bigger. If it was a 6" 1080p screen with minimal bezel I could see myself ditching the N7 while holding up the Note 2 like a torch of liberty. But while the screen is definitely more eye-friendly than my current S2, it's still going to feel cramped reading books and comics, watching movies and surfing the web. Those are the things that I can't bring myself to use my phone for since purchasing the N7.
As for Touchwiz, Samsung makes rooting painless, and the community will surely port the popular ROMs. Also, you can install Apex or Nova without needing root if you don't like Touchwiz.
I seriously entertained the thought of getting the GNote2 it really looks sick. Given the slow updates of Sammy when it comes to software is what's turning me off. Maybe the next Nexus will approach phablet territory.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
It depends on your preference, i personally won't want 2 devices to both require 2 handed use.
If i need the large screen i'll just switch on wifi hotspot and use it with nexus 7.
But that's just me.
dmbrown81 said:
The biggest thing you need to realize that coming from a former note user is that using it as a "phablet" is a killer on battery life. Plus I used to think that having an asop device with the latest software was overrated but I don't think I can ever go back to anything blurred, sensed or wizzed on.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
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Hi are you a existing user of Note? The Note 2 has a bigger battery, 3100 mAh vs 2500 mAh. Would it address your concern enough? I am a bit concern about the weight, 180 g vs 112 g of Samsung Galaxy S2. Could you please share your comments as an actual user. Thanks!
---------- Post added at 05:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:49 AM ----------
badasscat said:
I'm pretty stoked for the Note 2. I actually don't think it's big *enough*, if anything. I would love it if my Nexus 7 made calls (and accessed data over the cell network). Then again, I use data a lot more than I make calls, so I guess it's all in how you use your devices. I make like one call a week on my cell phone, whereas I use my tablets *constantly*. So having a phone that's huge like the Nexus 7 would be a totally acceptable tradeoff in size vs. usability (and stupid-lookingness, I guess), for me.
Anyway, so I'm excited for the Note 2, as pretty much the biggest phone out there (LG announced a phablet today too, but it's not as good), and yeah, I probably will get rid of my Nexus 7 at that time. But that's only because I also have a Xoom. If the Nexus 7 was the only tablet I had, I'd probably keep it for the better battery life and being able to read a book or magazine on it properly. A 5.5" screen is still a little too small for that.
But there's definitely no justification I can make (especially to my wife!) for having a 15" laptop, a 10" tablet, a 7" tablet and a 5.5" phone. There's just not enough I can do on each larger screen that I can't do on the next level down. And the Note 2 can do like 90% of what the Nexus 7 can do, plus make calls, plus take pictures, plus access data on the cell network, plus it's probably actually faster. So the Nexus 7 is probably gonna go, and I'll still have a bigger tablet for when I want one but don't need the laptop. I'll either sell it or give it to my wife, but she insists that she doesn't want a tablet, and anyway she's an Apple person even though she complains all the time about all of her Apple devices.
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I am also looking at Note 2 to see if I will replace my Galaxy S2 with it. I strongly believe Note 2 will replace lots of more functions of Nexus 7. I have exact question that what are left to Nexus 7? One thing I am sure to resolve is that MS Office. MS Surface Pro is my dream machine. Is 7" tablet a right form factor? I have no answer at the moment!
I can't even figure why would this be a discussion when the Nexus doesn't even have phone function.
I carry my note and nexus 7 everyday and I will do most of my surfing on the tablet. Occasionally I would need to surf on the note and that's when you thank God that you have a 5 incher instead of 4.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Will likely be using my Nexus 7 less once I add Note II considering that its 1.6GHz Exynos will be faster than my 1.4GHz Exynos Note 10.1 which is faster and smoother than Tegra3 Nexus 7.
I ctually have the note 1, the nexus 7, and the note 10.1 and love all 3 devices. The note is my hybrid phone that is in a class to itself. Nothing out there like it. I will be getting the note 2. My nexus 7 is perfect for my flashoholic junkie fixes I need and I love the fluidity of JB and the purity of it. I use this as a family tablet for me and the kids. The note 10.1 is my mack daddy tablet that I use for school. I'm a registered nursing student and it's perfect for what I do. It to is super fluid and clean.
I love all my devices and won't part with any.

First impressions of Nexus 7

I got my Nexus 7 a week ago (at an airport departure lounge so it was duty-free). I had previously owned an Asus Transformer 101 (with keyboard). The 10" was a little large for carrying around and it was showing its age in terms of performance.
My initial impressions about the Nexus were so-so. I liked the size (the 7" hits a sweet spot). The device was physically unattractive and thicker than I would have liked. I liked its speed (particularly it's boot speed). I liked the screen quality. But it didn't really seem to offer anything new.
But gradually the device has grown on me. Initially, I recognised Jellybean was a nice improvement. I particularly liked Google Now. Then I started to install apps and my appreciation for the device grew. It runs *everything* superbly. It's as happy playing games as crunching spreadsheets. The sat nav is wonderful Google Earth was made for this device. Google Maps is perfect on a 7" screen.
I have a Samsung S3, which is the best smartphone by a country mile, but I still prefer to use the Nexus for almost everything.
The Nexus is an understated wonder!
Couldn't agree more. I rarely touch my s3 anymore except for phone calls and text messages.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I agree, before I had my N7 I would come home with 25-40% battery in my S3 after my day in college, since I've got it I now have 75-85% battery left after my day.
Only reason I'm using my S3 now is because my N7 is in my bag and I'm standing in a packed train.
Gonna sell it and get the nexus 4 I think, touchwiz and Samsung can kiss my ass.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Love the device and I am much the same with my One X, the battery used to get battered, now I use it for music to and from work, texts and phone calls. Lasts a few days now.
Even then, when at home I do all my texting through my N7 thanks to Tablet Talk.
I love it and it is good for almost everything.
I can do my writing on there, browsing, note taking, music, TV when the Mrs is hogging the TV (either streaming show from PC or TVCatchup) gaming, catching up with news. It is great.
Wondering how much a perfect condition HOX would sell for, never had a Nexus phone before and the N7 has turned me into a Nexus lover, can't see me getting a non Nexus device again.
Just curious I have an S3 and am getting the 32GB Nexus 7 next week - are you tethering the Nexus to your S3? I'm looking to tether via Bluetooth as that supposedly saves battery but just wondering if you have put this into practice and what you think.
BBOOZE said:
Just curious I have an S3 and am getting the 32GB Nexus 7 next week - are you tethering the Nexus to your S3?
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Yes, I have no idea why anyone would get a 3G enabled tablet since tethering is so simple to do. But then, I don't understand why anyone buys any Apple product.
I use wi-fi sharing or USB sharing if I want to share and conserve battery. But wi-fi sharing isn't too bad on the battery unless you plan to tether for a long time. USB sharing means that you finish up with a fully charged phone when you complete your surfing.

Initial 24 hour review

I first want to say that over the years i've had the resource of XDA to let me get the most out of my phones and really appreciate everyone on the site. I'm a huge phone nerd and have owned the following to give some perspective.
HTC EVO 4g
HTC EVO 3D
Samsung Galaxy 2 (Epic 4g Touch)
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
HTC EVO 4g LTE
Samsung Galaxy S3
Apple Iphone 5
and so Ive been on both sides of the HTC v. Samsung war and even tried the iphone(2 weeks and couldnt stand it)each time I try a HTC I come rushing back to the galaxy series. Now that I have the S4 and decided not to even try the One. I decided to write a quick review after the inital 24 hour period.
Got the phone at BB simply due to the amount they were giving me for the S3($250), got the phone and right out of the gate did a factory reset, set the phone up and disabled/removed all the bloatware I could(granted not that much). The build quality is something that is not given its fair due because it still is plastic, but it is a solid high quality phone and rivals any phone ive held.
The screen is hands down the best ive seen including the LCD used in the HTC's and the Iphone. With all the new features and sensors the phone does almost anything you can think of like waking up when the sensors realize you are reaching for the phone! Also another cool thing is controlling my Direct TV or TV with my phone!
The sound quality is much improved over the S3 and I bring this up mainly in terms of bluetooth streaming, bringing back all the gestures the music player is VERY nice.
The 4.2.2 menus do take a little to get used to and this is coming from a touchwiz user for years, but make the experience much more streamlined once you get familiar.
Nothing I have thrown at the phone yet has even slowed it down, from syncing all of my accounts, playing music and browsing the phone all at the same time the phone just keeps chugging along. Which even makes the S3 look slow.
Now on to what has reall impressed me so far and thats the battery life, I charged the phone fully while powered off once i got the phone and trying to run the battery down to allow me to do another full charge has proved to be a chore. With HEAVY wifi, screen time and app use and standby overnight im still at 36% battery!!
All in all i know its only the first day of owning the phone, but i couldnt be any happier or impressed. The hard part is waiting for accesories to come out.
But for anyone on the fence or not sure I would say take the plunge you won't be disappointed, and you will have the best phone out!
Good stuff. Yes, I agree. Some of the gesture features are actually quite awesome....and I've never been a big fan of gestures. But the wake up by reaching towards the phone feature is awesome. I used it twice (unfortunately) last night when I woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to know what time it was.
And yes, the battery life is fantastic. On the first couple of charges, I averaged about 4 hours of screen on time and that's also accounting for me being in a weak 3g area and leaving my mobile data on (for testing purposes).
I also want to add(it won't let me edit my original post) is that i usually always HAVE TERRIBLE service at work and since ive had this phone can actually make and receive calls and texts. And while around town data has been MUCH improved, streaming pandora is no longer something I could only dream of but a reality(with the high quality audio enabled). Browsing the web has been much quicker.
If anyone has questions feel free to ask.
i dont have the phone yet...im still debating if its much of an upgrade frkm the s3....but i do wanna know if it has the feature where u can be on the phone and can browse the net at the same time (s3 has this feature)...tia...
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
musclehead84 said:
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
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Nothing yet, though I'm coming from the E4GT so of course it seems a lot better.
It does not have this for 3g, but i have been able to do so while on wifi and have read it is capable while on LTE.
The s3 did do this while on 3g, this might be the only thing ive noticed that the s3 has the ability to do but not the s4.
No i have no dislikes so far for the s4, i think the 5in screen on the s4 is perfect. Ive messed around with the note2 and just not my cup of tea...but in regards to the s4 it has better specs than the note2 while still having a big screen.
musclehead84 said:
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Ok.....I'll bite.
#1 --> Price is too high. Note 2 premiered at this price but is larger and has a digitizer (Phablet). Way overpriced in my opinion compared to other new devices (at least on Sprint).
Coming from the S3, I find the build for the S4 very cheap feeling. It has a bit of a "hollow" sound to it. Also do not like the body style compared to the S3. It is boxier, more like the iphone5 with the chrome ring around it, and doesn't feel as good in my hand. When putting it to my ear it digs in a bit and not comfortable. I would rather see the power button back on top and not stick out so much. Last thing for now is how the camera sticks out (unlike the S3) and the phone sits right down on it.
Once I get a good case for it a lot of these gripes will disappear for me. However, for the cost of the device I was hoping for more.
There are far more positives than negatives but you didn't ask for those.
Do I think it is a worthwhile upgrade from the S3? Only if you have an upgrade to burn or upgrade every time a new phone comes out. Otherwise, an S3 with the right custom rom and tweaks gives a pretty good experience.
My $0.02.
Op.. you said that BB gave you $250 for the S3? How does that work if you don't mind me asking. Do they offer some type of trade in deal or was your contact up? I still have a year to go but the HTC one and the S4 seem very interesting
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musclehead84 said:
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
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My only dislike is how slippery the battery cover is. Coming from the E4GT I got used to the textured battery cover. Its nothing a good case wouldn't fix
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
http://www.bestbuytradein.com/bb/QuoteCalculator.cfm?category=mobile-phones
Find your phone on there and print the value off(just in case they try to hassel you) but take the phone in with the charger and anything you have like box or anything(just to ensure you get the highest value)
if you are not out of contract you might want to swap an old phone on your line so the One is not tied to the account. but my S3 was on my line and I didnt have an issue, but they put the value of the phone on a giftcard and then use that gift card towards the s4.
They buy back alot of stuff, i had a couple ps3 games and what not, but just find the value and go to a store.

CNET declares Tab S 5th best product out of 100!

Thats not just 5th best tablet. Thats 5th best consumer technology product of any kind and the top pure tablet on the list. Considering CNET's love affair with Apple this is impressive.
http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-tab-s-10-5-inch/
Not bad. Quite happy as well with the 8.4 myself after tweaking it a bit here and there. Super AMOLED is mostly the reason I keep getting Samsung stuff, if only other Android based brands would provide Super AMOLED as well and give Samsung some competition, ie LG. I only know LG as the other brand who does OLED products.
Yes. Once you have gone super amoled on an Android device it is hard to go back to LCD. Windows devices allow us to dial down the gamma which gives just as good blacks as amoled, but until Android allows that as well, amoled is your only option for truly black blacks.
Sent from my SM-T700 using XDA Free mobile app
@jball yeah I still have the S III. It's collecting dust though. I moved on to the S V. You still rockin the S III?
Y.G. said:
@jball yeah I still have the S III. It's collecting dust though. I moved on to the S V. You still rockin the S III?
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Please start an S3 thread in the S3 forum if you wish to discuss the S3.
Sent from my SM-T700
mitchellvii said:
Please start an S3 thread in the S3 forum if you wish to discuss the S3.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Was just answering a question (seems to be deleted now). Not trying to derail your thread breh.
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
mitchellvii said:
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Agree. Somehow for me the 8-8.4 size in THE sweet spot for tabs. Got on board with SAMOLED when I bought the original "First" SAMOLED Sammy tab 7.7 a few years back. Got it up to 4.4 (thanks to Civato) and still like to play with it ever so often. Probably will never sell it. I read somewhere the 7.7 was the tab that got Apple all riled up at Sammy...lol! But this Tab S is just perfect!
skeeterpro said:
Agree. Somehow for me the 8-8.4 size in THE sweet spot for tabs. Got on board with SAMOLED when I bought the original "First" SAMOLED Sammy tab 7.7 a few years back. Got it up to 4.4 (thanks to Civato) and still like to play with it ever so often. Probably will never sell it. I read somewhere the 7.7 was the tab that got Apple all riled up at Sammy...lol! But this Tab S is just perfect!
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I really wanted to like the Surface Pro 3 but it just was so meh to me. Plus if you read the forums it has so many problems. Overheating, throttling, wifi drops, pen drops, touch drops. Just couldn't do it.
Even at the higher resolution the ppi is actually lower than the Surface Pro 2.
Sent from my SM-T700
mitchellvii said:
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Click to collapse
The Pro 3 isn't supposed to be compared to tablets like the Tab S. It's supposed to be compared to other ultrabooks and high-end laptops like MacBook Pros and Airs.
That being said, I don't think my Pro 3 feels cheap at all. It has a very, sturdy, premium feel to it.
I've haven't compared the screens since I only have the 8.4 and the Pro 3 is so much bigger. I do love the display on the Tab S though.
Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
I'm probably returning my 8.4.. It's slow in all tasks compared to my iPad Air.. battery life just drains when using it.. it gets hot. Android is still clunky on tablets.. iPads still do everything better in my opinion. If only Apple used this OLED panel on their iPads it would be perfect. .
For being the same price as a iPad Mini I don't see how this is a winner unless you have some aversion to iOS..
I know I must sound like a troll but this Samsung is just slow and choppy/lagging just browsing the web and yes i've tried a stripped, clean, deodexed rom as well which improved it marginally. The choice of a slow Exynos over a 801 Snapdragon is likely a reason, for a "premium" tablet and "premium" pricing Samsung went full derp on the CPU choice.
Most of my above complaints are 90% Android's fault, not Samsung.. If Android actually ran natively to hardware, it might actually smoke iOS in terms of smoothness and speed.
I think Android is far suited better to phones still, even after 3+ years of Android tablet history, it's still a bad experience.
Diversion said:
I'm probably returning my 8.4.. It's slow in all tasks compared to my iPad Air.. battery life just drains when using it.. it gets hot. Android is still clunky on tablets.. iPads still do everything better in my opinion. If only Apple used this OLED panel on their iPads it would be perfect. .
For being the same price as a iPad Mini I don't see how this is a winner unless you have some aversion to iOS..
I know I must sound like a troll but this Samsung is just slow and choppy/lagging just browsing the web and yes i've tried a stripped, clean, deodexed rom as well which improved it marginally. The choice of a slow Exynos over a 801 Snapdragon is likely a reason, for a "premium" tablet and "premium" pricing Samsung went full derp on the CPU choice.
Most of my above complaints are 90% Android's fault, not Samsung.. If Android actually ran natively to hardware, it might actually smoke iOS in terms of smoothness and speed.
I think Android is far suited better to phones still, even after 3+ years of Android tablet history, it's still a bad experience.
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Click to collapse
I'm in the market for the Tab S 8.4, after reading this, I'm not too sure anymore. Can anyone confirm? I havent used both device neither.
xaznxplaya said:
I'm in the market for the Tab S 8.4, after reading this, I'm not too sure anymore. Can anyone confirm? I havent used both device neither.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have any of the issues he's talking about, but I have the Tab S 10.5 (32Gb version) though I doubt they are much different performance wise.
In my case, it's as fast as my wife's iPad 3rd gen, but it has less issues than the iPad which was pissing me off quite often lately..
Battery life should last for weeks if not using it (dropping about 1-2% during the night).
Last time I charged it, it was about 3 days on battery, with a bit over 3 hours screen on time, and there was 72% battery remaining.
For me it's more than enough, I guess some people would need more but I'm ok with it.
Performance is great for me, I haven't had any complains.
Sure, there is sometimes a micro stutter, but they are pretty rare compared to my previous Android tablet.
All in all, it's very nice to use, I'm not thinking about the performance of the device when I'm using it, so I guess that means it's fast enough for me
It boots very fast too if turned off, the sound is better than the iPad 3rd gen, and the screen is just in a league of its own, way ahead of the iPad's and other Android tablets.
There are sometimes Android related quirks like on phones (an app that crashes, etc..) but nothing that's really annoying, and it happens rarely.
I guess you should try it out yourself though (if using one in a store, be sure to kill everything first, as it most likely is filled with stuff in RAM) before making a decision.
I am probably a bit biased because I don't like the limitations of iOS to begin with (though I was using my wife's iPad quite a bit more than my Asus Transformer Prime for performance reasons, even if I was pestering about things I couldn't do on iOS when using it ), so I was waiting for a good Android tablet, but my wife actually wants to replace her iPad with a Tab S now.. she keeps using it when I leave it at home instead of her iPad.
Mithrandir007 said:
I don't have any of the issues he's talking about, but I have the Tab S 10.5 (32Gb version) though I doubt they are much different performance wise.
In my case, it's as fast as my wife's iPad 3rd gen, but it has less issues than the iPad which was pissing me off quite often lately..
Battery life should last for weeks if not using it (dropping about 1-2% during the night).
Last time I charged it, it was about 3 days on battery, with a bit over 3 hours screen on time, and there was 72% battery remaining.
For me it's more than enough, I guess some people would need more but I'm ok with it.
Performance is great for me, I haven't had any complains.
Sure, there is sometimes a micro stutter, but they are pretty rare compared to my previous Android tablet.
All in all, it's very nice to use, I'm not thinking about the performance of the device when I'm using it, so I guess that means it's fast enough for me
It boots very fast too if turned off, the sound is better than the iPad 3rd gen, and the screen is just in a league of its own, way ahead of the iPad's and other Android tablets.
There are sometimes Android related quirks like on phones (an app that crashes, etc..) but nothing that's really annoying, and it happens rarely.
I guess you should try it out yourself though (if using one in a store, be sure to kill everything first, as it most likely is filled with stuff in RAM) before making a decision.
I am probably a bit biased because I don't like the limitations of iOS to begin with (though I was using my wife's iPad quite a bit more than my Asus Transformer Prime for performance reasons, even if I was pestering about things I couldn't do on iOS when using it ), so I was waiting for a good Android tablet, but my wife actually wants to replace her iPad with a Tab S now.. she keeps using it when I leave it at home instead of her iPad.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback. I heard you can sync it to your s5 as well(receiving phone calls, etc... ) ?
xaznxplaya said:
Thanks for the feedback. I heard you can sync it to your s5 as well(receiving phone calls, etc... ) ?
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Click to collapse
You can indeed use sidesync with the Tab S and an S5
xaznxplaya said:
Thanks for the feedback. I heard you can sync it to your s5 as well(receiving phone calls, etc... ) ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, that works fine as well, though I mostly used it to test out the feature, I haven't really had the need to use it, except once when I was too lazy to go get my phone that I forgot upstairs and wanted to check my sms messages
I am been thinking about getting a new tablet hopefully a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. I have S4 phone so I love Samsung products but been torn between Surface Pro 3 or the new 10.5 Tab S. After reading few posts here seems a few of you guys been doing same product comparisons. You seem to swaying me to the Tab... .
RonH54 said:
I am been thinking about getting a new tablet hopefully a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. I have S4 phone so I love Samsung products but been torn between Surface Pro 3 or the new 10.5 Tab S. After reading few posts here seems a few of you guys been doing same product comparisons. You seem to swaying me to the Tab... .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
let's say your going to pay full price or close enough to it.I would get the
"Tab pro" or a Nexus Tablet .this tablet is nice but the chip isn't the best compared to a Snapdragon in my opinion.not a big enough difference in clarity between Amoled and LCD also in my opinion. Oh and the biggest factor and why most of us are on XDA is the overall development
mitchellvii said:
Just stopped by BestBuy to look at the Surface Pro 3. Is it just me or does that thing look and feel cheap? Hated how it felt in my hands. Definitely too big for a tablet. And the screen doesn't come close to the Tab S. Super Amoled has spoiled me forever.
Sent from my SM-T700
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Click to collapse
After selling my 32GB Amazon Fire HD 8.9", I also looked at the MS Surface Pro 3 at BB and was not impressed either! You're right, definitely felt cheap and is more overpriced than the Samsung Tab S. Once I saw the display on the Tab S, I was sold. I bought the 32GB 10.5" Tab S mid July and have not regretted the purchase at all!
jball said:
let's say your going to pay full price or close enough to it.I would get the
"Tab pro" or a Nexus Tablet .this tablet is nice but the chip isn't the best compared to a Snapdragon in my opinion.not a big enough difference in clarity between Amoled and LCD also in my opinion. Oh and the biggest factor and why most of us are on XDA is the overall development
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you compare this one to the Tab 4?

Thinking of ditching my Nvidia Shield Tablet and jumping on a Tab S

Title say's it all really.
I bought my Shield thinking game streaming from my PC would be fun, but I hardly ever use it. I expected the Shield to be a killer tablet and although it has plenty of power I'm sick of the bugs, glitches and general lag. The battery is not that great and I find the aspect ratio and size a little bit annoying. To be honest it's been a bit disappointment.
I just recently upgraded my phone from Galaxy S2 (I know old) to a Galaxy A5 and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with with Samsungs updates, my phone feels way smoother and nicer to use than my shield, so much so that I'm thinking of selling it and getting a Tab S, most probably 10.5. I've been reading and watching plenty of reviews and I'm liking it more and more.
What do you guys think? Should I jump ship? I think I'm basically looking for some reassurance that it's a good thing to do! lol
burt_ie said:
Title say's it all really.
I bought my Shield thinking game streaming from my PC would be fun, but I hardly ever use it. I expected the Shield to be a killer tablet and although it has plenty of power I'm sick of the bugs, glitches and general lag. The battery is not that great and I find the aspect ratio and size a little bit annoying. To be honest it's been a bit disappointment.
I just recently upgraded my phone from Galaxy S2 (I know old) to a Galaxy A5 and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with with Samsungs updates, my phone feels way smoother and nicer to use than my shield, so much so that I'm thinking of selling it and getting a Tab S, most probably 10.5. I've been reading and watching plenty of reviews and I'm liking it more and more.
What do you guys think? Should I jump ship? I think I'm basically looking for some reassurance that it's a good thing to do! lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i saw the nvidia shield and i really didnt care for it at all.. it was quite big for what it does and didnt seem special at all.. you can do the same and more with a tab s and the screen is a lot larger and its a ton lighter.. i do have the t807v which isnt rootable but i use it as a media/gaming tablet and it lasts for a long time on a full charge. it is snappy even though the t807v doesnt have root..
with that being said, id say it depends on which version you get since a rootable tablet clearly would make it even easier for you to decide.
i use ps4 remote play on the tablet and it works great (even without pairing a ps4 controller)
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app
I'm used to having tablets with a 10" screen, so the Shield was a bit of downgrade in that area. Also after looking at the lovely screen on my Sammy A5 the Shield looks pale and a little washed out in comparison.
I'm annoyed with the Shield as it seems like an effort to have to get things working, and the lag is really bad at times. On my Galaxy A5 everything just works as it should and I don't really need to tinker that much. I'm also quite enjoying touchwiz, it's improved a lot since the days of my Galaxy S2, and TBH I'm quite sick of vanilla android, I always root and install custom firmware on my devices, and it's the reason why I've managed to keep my S2 going for so long, but touchwiz actually feel's like a breath of fresh air at the moment. But I'll probably end up installing custom ROMs on my phone/tab in a year or so anyway (once I tire of touchwiz).
I'd definitely want be rooting my Tab S if I were to get one, so I'll have to avoid the t807v. How many different version/models are there? I'm in the UK so will that make a difference to any region specific versions?
Also how long does the Tab S take to charge? The Shield takes between 2-4 hours to get a full charge, but my new phone the Galaxy A5 went from 3% to 80% in about half hour so I'm pretty impressed.
Go for it ! And the Tab S 10.5 has a really good battery life
I actually went for the 8.4, compared side by side with the 10.5 and I found the 8.4 much lighter and comfortable to use.
The screen and battery size difference weren't a deal breaker for me. All other specs are the same.
Make sure your new Tab arrives in a sealed box, and with a charged battery.
If your battery is next to none or empty, it may be unable to use it's full capabilities.
burt_ie said:
I'm used to having tablets with a 10" screen, so the Shield was a bit of downgrade in that area. Also after looking at the lovely screen on my Sammy A5 the Shield looks pale and a little washed out in comparison.
I'm annoyed with the Shield as it seems like an effort to have to get things working, and the lag is really bad at times. On my Galaxy A5 everything just works as it should and I don't really need to tinker that much. I'm also quite enjoying touchwiz, it's improved a lot since the days of my Galaxy S2, and TBH I'm quite sick of vanilla android, I always root and install custom firmware on my devices, and it's the reason why I've managed to keep my S2 going for so long, but touchwiz actually feel's like a breath of fresh air at the moment. But I'll probably end up installing custom ROMs on my phone/tab in a year or so anyway (once I tire of touchwiz).
I'd definitely want be rooting my Tab S if I were to get one, so I'll have to avoid the t807v. How many different version/models are there? I'm in the UK so will that make a difference to any region specific versions?
Also how long does the Tab S take to charge? The Shield takes between 2-4 hours to get a full charge, but my new phone the Galaxy A5 went from 3% to 80% in about half hour so I'm pretty impressed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an T805 which is an international one but has little development (CM based roms and such) and if you play games and such, the tab s sends to get warm near the camera. There is an SM-T800 (10.5 wifi), SM-T700 (8.4 wifi) and so on. Typically it takes 2-4 hours to charge fully, but I don't keep track so around that. There's no quick charge for us ?
You could wait a bit as new tablets are coming out this summer. So you might see prices go down ?
The one I was looking to get is the T800, is that one and to root?
burt_ie said:
The one I was looking to get is the T800, is that one and to root?
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Click to collapse
The T800 is the one you want. Lets you access to all the goodies
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Free mobile app
zombolt said:
The T800 is the one you want. Lets you access to all the goodies
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Awesome! Just what I wanted to hear!
Well I've initiated the return of my Shield to Amazon...just printed out the return label.
burt_ie said:
Awesome! Just what I wanted to hear!
Well I've initiated the return of my Shield to Amazon...just printed out the return label.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. The T800 (I own that also ) has cm12, Resurrection remix, and a few more. It's awesome
DUHAsianSKILLZ said:
Yeah. The T800 (I own that also ) has cm12, Resurrection remix, and a few more. It's awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even better news! xD
I'll have to get reading in the forums to find out how to root this baby...now I cant decide if I should order one on line and save myself some money or just buy one from the shop across the road! lol
Well i have one now... went and bought it from the local store!
I have 45 days to see if I like it, already rooted and so far so good
For what its worth, I had the Shield for a few months, just returned it and got an 8.4. The Shield was good for gaming but suffered from lag after lollipop hit. Wifi was bad as well. I was willing to live with it until a crack appeared in the volume button area. I then gave up and got the 8.4.
I'm learning to live with Touchwiz - its not terrible. The rest of the tablet runs smoothly.
I like the shield, but I hardly ever use if for gaming, I bought the control pad and game streaming wasn't as fantastic as I thought it would be.
burt_ie said:
I just recently upgraded my phone from Galaxy S2 (I know old) to a Galaxy A5 and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with with Samsungs updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The A5 has mediocre specs and screen. If you are impressed with the A5 you will be blown away by the Tab S.
Eddie Hicks said:
The A5 has mediocre specs and screen. If you are impressed with the A5 you will be blown away by the Tab S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the A5 is only mid range, but I'm really happy with it. It had the right specs and performance that I was looking for and within my price budget.
I have the Tab S now (typing this from it) and so far so good, it's taking me a little while to get used to going back to a bigger screen but it is beautiful to look at (especially compared to the Shield Tablet).
I'm rooted and looking for a good ROM and possibly lollipop.
burt_ie said:
I know the A5 is only mid range, but I'm really happy with it. It had the right specs and performance that I was looking for and within my price budget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess that's all that matters. I probably would have picked up a used S4 or something on Swappa. Anyway you will love your Tab S, 10.5. I purchased mine the first day they were available. I am rooted but I have not installed a custom ROM. This is my first Android device I have not installed a ROM. So far, especially with Lollipop I am happy with it the way it is. That may change down the road if someone makes a ROM that has a significant improvement on performance.
I think I'm on my 6th, maybe even 7th android device now! I'm just looking at the stock lollipop Roms, deciding whether to try one out or wait for the official UK one from Sammy.
I had the Shield Tablet LTE. It did everything well but the battery couldn't last me over 6 hours on average. I was envious of my friends having the Tab S with their beautiful Super AMOLED screens. Finally, I decided to trade it in for a Tab S 8.4. I love the Tab S and so far it's done everything that the Shield could do. It's performance on gaming isn't up to par with the Shield but otherwise everything else is equal if not better than the Shield tablet. I'm glad the battery of the Tab S 8.4 could last me close to 9 hour on average.
Well so far I'm loving 10.5 Tab S, I'm rooted and running Lollipop 5.0.2. The screen is amazing and I much prefer the size over the 8 inch Shield, the colours are really vibrant and it's light and really thin, it's a joy to use.
Like you said, it's not quite as good for gaming as a shield but to be honest I don't care, I don't think hard core gaming on a small device is really that impressive so I'll stick to my PC for that.
My Shield is all packed up and ready to be sent back to Amazon today, to be honest I'm happy to see it go and I don't regret my decision at all!

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