Introduction
The Apple iPad Pro has been being touted as a cross between these ‘desktop tablets’ and a mobile device. Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 marks the same place – it is a direct competitor compact version of the firmware, with a display of the same diagonal and resolution, with a plug-in keyboard-case and, of course, with a stylus. An essential feature of the Tab S3 is the platform it bases on. Samsung is proud, and deservedly, of its systems-on-a-chip, equipping its smartphones for the global market with only them. But the tablet came out right away for everyone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 on board – and turned out to be the only modern device of this format with last year’s flagship platform. This decision looks strange considering that the Exynos 7880 is at least as good as it gets.
Design
The tablet is made in the style of the top Samsung smartphones of recent years. The front and back panels cover with glass, and the frame is made of aluminum. The Tab S3 will have two color options for the back of the case. In this case, the front panel remains black. The case’s dimensions and shape remained the same as in the previous flagship Tab S2 – 237.3×169 mm. But the thickness and weight due to the use of metal and glass have slightly increased and are 6 mm and 429 (434 with LTE) grams, respectively.
Almost the entire front panel of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is occupied by a display, underneath you can find touch-sensitive navigation keys and a mechanical Home button, into which a fingerprint scanner inscribe. Above the screen are a light sensor and a front camera lens. On the right side of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, there is a power button, volume control, two microphones, and a tray into which a microSD memory card insert and a SIM card if this is a tablet version with LTE. At the bottom of the case, you can find a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a USB Type-C port. On the top and bottom, there are external speaker grilles, and there are four of them. In general, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is not unusual, it is similar to the Tab S2, but due to the glass on the back panel, it feels more pleasant in the hands. In addition, the weight of the tablet allows you to hold it with one hand comfortably, and the small thickness does not make the case bulky in the case.
Display
The 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 has a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels. Traditionally, for this type of matrix, the image on the screen looks very colorful and bright. Simultaneously, in the settings, you can change the color rendition, choosing either more saturated or natural. We measured the display in Basic display mode and showed excellent factory calibration with 100% sRGB coverage, 6500K color temperature, reference gamma, and even backlighting.
S Pen Stylus
One of the main features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is support for the updated S Pen stylus. Moreover, now it comes with a tablet. The S Pen itself is similar in thickness and size to a regular ballpoint pen, its diameter is 9.4 mm, and the body has no sharp corners, and it fits perfectly in hand. The S Pen nib is just 0.7 mm thick, allowing you to draw thin lines on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 display as if you were writing on display with a fountain pen. The stylus has 4096 degrees of pressure, which also allows for more accurate pen input. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s S Pen has a button responsible for invoking a pop-up menu with quick actions. From it, you can: create a note, cut out a part of the screen, take a screenshot and draw something on it, enlarge the display area, minimize applications to a small window, and also translate words by merely pointing the stylus. The latter is merely irreplaceable if you want to read more in foreign languages.
Platform & Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, clocked at 1.6 GHz and 2.15 GHz, depending on load. The Adreno 530 graphics accelerator complements it. Other specs for the Tab S3 platform include 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. At the same time, there is support for microSD memory cards. We tried installing a 256 GB card in the tablet, and it works fine. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s performance is excellent; the interface runs smoothly, apps launch quickly, and doesn’t immediately unload memory when minimized. Games run at maximum graphics settings.
The tablet is running the Android 7.0 operating system with the new Samsung shell. The animation is a little better, but in general, the interface logic remains the same. The user has access to desktops, where you can place application icons and widgets; there is a separate menu for programs. The notification shade contains quick settings and has become more compact in itself. The settings menu has also redesigned, now it is divided into sections, under which there are signatures, the settings of which functions can find in them.
Cover & Keyboard
Two branded cases will be available separately for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: a cover and a cover with a keyboard. The regular body is made of rubber with a rough fabric coating inside to protect the tablet from scratches. The cover is magnetically attached to the Tab S3 and grips very well, but at the same time, it is easy to remove. Like most covers of this type, it folds down to form a tablet stand. In this version, the Tab S3 can install in two positions. In general, such a cover does not significantly increase the tablet’s size, thickness, and weight, but protects it from scratches. The second cover has a built-in keyboard that connects to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 via magnetic connectors on the left side. The keyboard is powered by a tablet and does not need to charge separately.
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