Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 Review: Multitasking On Android
Tab S2 Design & Software
From a straight on view, the Galaxy Tab S2 looks similar in design to ASUS's ZenTab S 8.0, though they're not carbon copies of one another. Both have a rectangular shape, rounded corners, and a spiffy metal accent, but in addition to being thinner and lighter than the ZenTab, the Galaxy Tab S2 stands a little shorter with smaller borders above and below the Super AMOLED display. It also has a physical button with a built-in fingerprint scanner that works quite well -- it's every bit as good as Apple's polished fingerprint sensors.
Overall this is another premium looking tablet that feels more like a professional gadget than a toy, the opposite being true of Amazon's Fire HD 7. It also has one of the best looking displays we've ever seen. The 2048x1536 Super AMOLED panel displays rich tones and is plenty bright with proper color saturation, and of course viewing angles are superb. There's a crispness here that other panels don't quite match, just be warned that when your friends and family post photos of food on Facebook, you might be tempted to lick the display (there are better ways to clean it, by the way).
One thing you might notice about the resolution is that it represents a 4:3 aspect ratio. This decision by Samsung isn't without some controversy, especially since the original Tab S wore a 16:10 aspect ratio. Which is better?
If you're watching movies, 16:10 is the preferred aspect ratio. Many would argue that's also true of playing games, but for reading and magazines, the additional width in portrait mode is appreciated.
The back panel doesn't completely thwart fingerprints, but the ones that do show up are easily wiped away. More importantly from a functional standpoint, it feels smooth without being slippery, which is a somewhat rare combination.
Samsung cheated a bit to come up with such a thin design. The measurements don't take into account the rear-facing camera, which bumps out of the backside. Samsung isn't the only one to do this, it just happens to be ever-so-slightly more noticeable here because it's not just the lens itself but a square border that protrudes like an "outie" belly button.
You'll also notice what look like a pair of circular buttons on the back. They're not actually buttons, but magnets for grabbing hold of Samsung's cases.
A microSD card slot sits on the lower third of the right side. The tray is built into the tablet, so you'll need to use the included extractor tool to open the slot
Software
The Galaxy Tab S2 has a few other tricks up its sleeve too. One of them is SideSync, a proprietary feature that lets you wirelessly pair your Samsung phone with the tablet. When you do that, your phone's display appears in a window on the Galaxy Tab S2, where you can make calls, send instant messages, and transfer files back and forth.
Another feature along those same lines is Quick Connect. This allows you to mirror content from the Galaxy Tab S2 to your TV or vice versa, though it requires a compatible Samsung brand television.