Samsung Galaxy Tab S review

If you're after a tablet with an impossibly great screen...this is it

Samsung Galaxy Tab S

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So where does the Tab S fit in with the smorgasbord of similar tablets on the market at the moment and how does it compete in terms of specs and price?

iPad Air 2 and Mini 3

With Samsung targeting the iPads directly and few other premium Android tablets to speak of, it makes sense to start with Apple's tablets.

For my money, these Tab S models have a better screen, but they lack the overall aesthetic appeal of Apple's metal unibody creations - and the new Air 2 in particular pushes this on. The Samsung devices are thinner and a touch lighter, but not to an extent that it makes much difference.

iPad Air 2

Android and iOS each have their own strengths, but right now it's the Apple OS that feels like a better fit on a tablet — and that's coming from someone who uses an iPad mini and a Nexus 7 on a regular basis. At this stage the iPads have better software and better accessories, but that's not to say the Tab S is a failure.

Samsung has got closer to the iPads than I thought it ever would, and if you're a real lover of Android then it makes sense to choose one of the Tab S models rather than an iPad, but the Air 2 is still our pick of the best tablet on the market.

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

The Z2 Tablet may be a touch more austere in the looks department than the Tab S, but it has a more streamlined version of Android and boasts some useful extra features, such as a waterproof body.

It manages to be thinner than the Tab S slabs, though the display, impressive as it is, doesn't quite reach the heights of what Samsung has put together.

Z2

There's no smaller Z2 Tablet of course (though there is now a Z3 Tablet Compact), so we're only really comparing it with the 10.5-inch version of the Tab S. The Tab S has the better display and more power behind it, so unless you particularly need a waterproof tablet or like Sony's take on Android then I'd recommend picking up a Tab S.

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

With a powerful processor, brilliant battery life and a thin, light design the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is a worthy competitor for the 8.4-inch Galaxy Tab S. It also one-ups the Galaxy Tab S with water and dust resistance.

Z3 Tablet Compact

But it misses out on other features which the Tab S does offer, such as an IR blaster and a fingerprint scanner. Perhaps most damningly though its screen just isn't up to scratch. Few can match the display on the Tab S, but with a resolution of just 1200 x 1920 the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact doesn't even come close.

Nexus 7

Google's Nexus line-up has been a huge blessing for lovers of stock Android: excellent hardware at a decent price without any software bloat. The Nexus 7 isn't as pretty as the 8.4-inch Tab S, but it's a whole lot cheaper, to the tune of £120 less for the 16GB model.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 review

It's that price vs quality balance that you're going to have to consider when you weigh up the Tab S against virtually any other Android tablet.

The Nexus 7 can run Netflix just as well as the Samsung device, but it won't look as good. If you want the best Android slate that money can buy, the Tab S is it. If you'd rather save some money, have a look elsewhere.

Nexus 9

At 8.9 inches the Nexus 9 straddles the line between the two Galaxy Tab S sizes, though it's closest to the 8.4-inch model.

Strong front-facing speakers make it great for audio but the Tab S edges it overall for media thanks to its sumptuous screen, though the Nexus 9 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, giving it a software edge for the time being.

Nexus 9

It's likely that the Tab S will make the jump soon, but even once it does it will have the divisive TouchWiz running over the top, so for Android purists the Nexus 9 is a better option.

Sadly its price tag isn't quite as appealing as we've come to expect from Nexus devices as it starts at £319 / $399 / around AU$460, making it a direct competitor to Samsung's 10.5-inch slate and that's a fight it can't quite win.

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.