Samsung this week introduced its new 10.5-inch Google Android-based tablet. The new Galaxy Tab S4 uses Qualcomm’s high-performance mobile SoC, is outfitted with a premium sAMOLED display, and an advanced audio subsystem with the Dolby Atmos badge to satisfy users looking forward mobile entertainment. In addition, the Galaxy Tab S4 now supports Samsung’s DeX platform that enables to run productivity applications on desktop displays as well as Samsung’s Knox security platform.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC (four Kryo 385 Gold cores, four Kryo 385 Silver cores, Adreno 540 iGPU, 64-bit LPDDR4X memory, etc.) that is equipped with 4 GB of RAM, and 64 or 256 GB of NAND flash storage (expandable by 400 GB using a microSDXC card). The tablet has a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2560×1600 resolution, which is a bit larger than the monitor used on the Galaxy Tab S3. As for imaging capabilities, the device has a 13 MP rear sensor as well as an 8 MP front sensor, both equipped with a flash.

Wireless connectivity features of the Galaxy Tab S4 include a 4G/LTE Cat. 16 modem (on select SKUs), a 802.11ac Wi-Fi controller with MIMO support, and Bluetooth 5.0. Wired I/O includes POGO contacts for keyboards as well as a USB Type-C connector for various peripherals. In addition, the tablet has a whole set of sensors people come to expect from this type of products, including an accelerometer, a compass, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, an iris scanner, and so on.

With a powerful SoC, a high-quality screen, and a stereo audio subsystem co-developed with AKG, the Galaxy Tab S4 will certainly attract attention of those who would like to consume content on their tablets. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S4 also supports Samsung’s DeX platform that enables desktop-like experience on Android-based tablets (e.g., open up multiple windows, re-size windows, drag and drop content, etc.). Furthermore, DeX enables to attach the Galaxy Tab S4 using a USB Type-C to HDMI adapter if more screen real estate is needed. To take full advantage of DeX, users will need the optional Book Cover Keyboard that is sold separately. In addition, the Galaxy Tab S4 now fully supports Samsung’s Knox mobile security platform to protect valuable and confidential information.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
  Specifications
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
4 × Qualcomm Kryo Gold at 2.35 GHz
4 × Qualcomm Kryo Silver at 1.9 GHz
Graphics Adreno 540
Display 10.5-inch
2560×1600
Storage 64 GB or 256 GB
+ microSD up to 400 GB
Memory 4 GB LPDDR4
Battery 7300 mAh
Up to 16 hours
Wireless LTE Cat.16 DLCA, 4X4 MIMO on select models
802.11ac Wi-Fi, Dual Band
Bluetooth
Connectivity Type-C Charging
USB Type-C to 3.5-mm Audio
Camera Rear Camera: 13 MP Autofocus
Front Camera: 8 MP Fixed Focus
Dimensions 249.3 × 164.3 × 7.1 mm
482 grams (Wi-Fi), 483 grams (LTE)
Android Android 8.1
Price $649

Tablets have always been a mixed-bag type of product for everyone. On the one hand, high-end tablets are powerful enough for productivity applications. On the other hand, most people use them to consume content rather than create anything. Consequently, many companies nowadays tend to release inexpensive tablets running cheap SoCs and targeted at children and undemanding consumers. As a result, high-end Android-based tablets have become rare birds. In fact, among big brands only Samsung and Huawei release such products. In a bid to maximize sales and address needs of demanding consumers both companies have been expanding functionality of their high-end Android tablets in a bid to make them more attractive. For example, last year Samsung started to offer its S-Pen stylus with its Galaxy Tab S3 tablets and this year Huawei followed the suite with its M5 Pro devices. Meanwhile, the addition of DeX and KnoX enables the Galaxy Tab S4 to substitute notebooks in certain cases (once equipped with a keyboard). Evidently, Samsung is bringing capabilities of its tablets closer to capabilities of laptops and Apple’s iPad Pro devices.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S4 will be available starting August 10 for $649.99 and $749.99 for the 64 GB and the 256 GB model, respectively. The company will bundle a stylus with its new tablets, but the aforementioned POGO keyboard will cost $149.99

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Source: Samsung

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  • Sttm - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    4K HDR screen with 845, and I'd have considered it for $650. I have a 10 inch Amazon tablet and I'd like to get a better one, yet when I look around the high end ones look like total rip offs.

    If I want an OLED screen, I have to get a tablet that has the SoC the phone I replaced in March had. WTF!
  • lilmoe - Sunday, August 5, 2018 - link

    This would have been a great candidate for the Exynos 9810 with adequate thermals and a non-gimped kernel; higher clocks and faster response in ramping them. But that might have added $20 to the BoM I guess, oh the horror.
  • HStewart - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    First of all this is Galaxy Tab S4 and not Galaxy Tab 4 - I had a Tab 4 and this is much more powerful. I have a Galaxy Tab S3 and love it - pretty much use it every day

    I would pick this over that Lenovo Windows for Snapdragron @#%
  • DanNeely - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    I'm baffled by their using last years SoC. It was quasi-understandable when they were doing that when their own chips in older models, especially when the old one was on a different process; and they were trying to get more out of something older before they started retiring/upgrading the production lines; but with them buying from Qualcomm this time there's no reason not to be using an 845.
  • haukionkannel - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    They did got 835 cheaply... Good reason enough...
    But yeah... iPad is so far ahead in soc power that it is not even fun to see Android maker to handicap their devices by using old technology.
    Maybe Samsun desided that it is better sell S4 at 650$ than 999$ (Or more) if They would have used 845? Now this is about the same price as old ipadpro (and slower than that) and cheaper than the new version of iPadpro so maybe this is their way of making the tablet cheap enough to be ”competative” even if would mean slower tablet compared to competition.
  • MrCommunistGen - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    I think the use of the Snapdragon 835 gives an indication for how long this tablet has been in development. It could also be an indication of how many resources the tablet team is getting for development (not many).

    I'd assume that getting all that DeX stuff working took a lot of engineering work.
  • puttersonsale - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    You know whats baffling, why couldn't they use their own exynos chip?

    It would have been much faster and not cost them as much, since its their own.

    I was reading it had to do with their radio (wifi) connection....but could exynos wifi be that bad?

    It sounds to me its more likely some business reason.
  • Vince789 - Friday, August 3, 2018 - link

    Because the 835 is faster than both the Exynos 8895 and newer Exynos 9810
    https://www.anandtech.com/show/12520/the-galaxy-s9...

    That being said for the price it definitely should have the 845 with 6GB LPDDR4X
  • GodHatesFAQs - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    I'd be curious to see whether this uses a PenTile subpixel arrangement or not. None of the Tab S (10.5), S2 or S3 did. They all had full S-stripe RGB pixels and they looked amazing. If they went back to PenTile here it's sadly a great display downgrade.
  • Xex360 - Thursday, August 2, 2018 - link

    It's a bit too expensive you can get a Surface pro, and given the state of Android on tablets (I have two of them) an iPad Pro is better.

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