Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: analysis of a very complete tablet
We have had the opportunity to spend all Christmas with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 under our arm. A high-end device with a price according to it and that can raise doubts about whether it will be enough for our needs or if it is worth the outlay that it entails. The market for tablets falters, in general, from this: although there are solutions for all budgets and tastes, the user experience may fall short. This is not the case with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S4 , which has convinced us as a device oriented towards productivity but also towards the multimedia world.
What’s in the box of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: analysis of a very complete tablet
In a box of practically the same size as the screen, this Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is presented , along with a quick start guide, the pin for the SIM , the USB Type C cable , the power adapter with a fast charge that does not It is so, a bag with tweezers and spare tips for the S Pen and the S Pen itself.
Design and screen: a key factor in tablets
To choose your tablet, the first thing you should think about is what screen diagonal you want. In this case, the Samsung Tab S4 comes with a size of 10.5 inches , which although on paper it may be small, in practice it is a very versatile size that has convinced us both to use it at home, as well as at home. office or on the move. Obviously it cannot be compared to a 13 ″ -15 ″ laptop screen, but the mobile factor prevails. A point against are the screen frames , quite pronounced and that impoverish the final design of the device. Although we have found a positive point and that is that having these frames the grip is easier since we can put our fingers to catch it better without touching the screen.
It has speakers on the top and bottom . On the right side we find the slot for the nano SIM, the volume +/-, the power button; on the left side the anchor points if we are going to use a keyboard (which is not included and we have not been able to test); at the bottom we have the USB Type C and the headphone jack.
At first glance you can see that it is a high-end device. When you pick it up, we appreciate some materials that are quite pleasant to the eye and to the touch. The back is made of glass , while the metal frame covers the body of the device.
Despite its large dimensions, it is very comfortable to handle and the weight is very appropriate (less than half a kilo).
We go to the screen, as we have said, it has 10.5 inches . Displays are one of the cornerstones of Samsung smartphones and this Tab S4 inherits it too. Its Super AMOLED panel , together with its 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution, give rise to a screen that, if it is not perfect, it lacks little. The level of brightness is sufficient in any setting and the sharpness, contrast and colors leave us with a very good taste in the mouth.
In addition, in the Settings menu we have many quite original customization options, such as that the screen continues to work in standby (later we will return to this) or that we can display information while it is loading.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 performance: can we use it to work?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is compatible with accessories such as the POGO keyboard or the Samsung DeX , which makes it possible to turn our tablet into a desktop device. We have not been able to test either of these two accessories, so we give you our assessment based solely on the device as a tablet.
From it you can work without any problem (with the limitation of having a keyboard only on the screen if you do not opt for an accessory of this type), but Samsung has optimized the resources of this terminal very well so that we can feel comfortable while working with it. . Apart from Samsung’s own suite of apps, we can also use the usual ones. In fact, it comes with pre-installed Google and Microsoft apps , a hoot for those of us who work with Windows to avoid having to look for our lives to use the classic Word, Excel … Of course, keep in mind that it will ask you to log in with an account Office 365 . Personally, I was quite reticent about Android tablets and I always tried to work with Windows, but in this case the experience has seemed very good.
The virtual keyboard is very comfortable to use, with excellent key travel. In addition, the touch response of the screen is smooth and precise. Using the S Pen (yes, we’ll talk about it in more detail later) makes things much easier for us and it will become your best ally.
But apart from working, what can we tell you about its graphic section? Do not expect a response similar to that of a gaming PC, you are not facing this type of device. In fact, it mounts an Adreno 540 , the same GPU of the Samsung Galaxy S9, for example, so its performance is more similar to that of a smartphone than that of a PC. Still, the experience testing PUBG-type games or other lighter ones like Cluedo has been very good. We have also noticed it at the temperature level. Samsung must have done a good job of ventilation, because we have not experienced any rise in temperature , at least noticeable at hand.
Finally, as we know you like it, we leave you the AnTuTu test so you can see its score.
Multimedia section: camera and sound, are they up to the task?
The photographic section is not usually the priority in this type of device and although they are not bad cameras, obviously we cannot compare them with a high-end smartphone, but to get out of trouble or especially for video calls they fulfill their role.
Special mention should be made of the built-in software for the camera, where we have everything from filters and stickers to different modes or one of the functions that I liked the most, that of raising your hand so that the camera can take the selfie by itself. It is very practical considering the dimensions of the device and how complicated it can be to press the shutter button.
The sharpness of the image is quite mediocre, generating noise if the lighting conditions are not the best. The difference with and without HDR is almost negligible and we advise against the use of zoom. As for the front camera, the image comes out better choosing the selfie focus, the blur is well worked, although not the crop.
We leave you some example images. In the captions you can see comments on how each one was made.
- Auto capture with 5x zoom
- Automatic capture without zoom
- Automatic capture
- Automatic capture
- Close-up without HDR
- Close-up with HDR
If the cameras have not convinced us much, the opposite happens to us with the sound . Signed by AKG , we find a fantastic sound, both in terms of volume and clarity. We do not appreciate the “drawer effect” that occurs in speakers of mediocre quality and the presence of two speakers, one at the bottom and the other at the top, gives us the feeling of a great surround sound to listen to music or watch our favorite series.
A very improvable battery
What about your battery? With intensive use, maximum brightness and with low resolution but constant games, it has given us screen marks of between 6-7 hours , which is quite good. If we adjust the brightness and we dedicate ourselves to navigation, productivity tools (editors, mail …) the autonomy can reach 10 hours of screen , which is quite good.
On the other hand, although Samsung boasts of having fast charging, it is a not dazzling fast charge. In our case, from 0% to 100% it took 4 hours to fully charge the device.
Connectivity and security
Samsung integrates Samsung Knox for this device and although we find some shortcomings, such as the absence of a fingerprint , in terms of biometrics Samsung is probably the firm that works best. We can make use of facial or iris recognition, even a smart scan that combines both for even greater reliability. With Samsung Pass we can use this biometric data to avoid entering passwords every time we access certain apps. Something very, very comfortable and from which we get a lot out of it.
As for the connectivity options, we find a very complete device: WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.0 (watch this), GPS (GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO) and USB Type C. We miss NFC, a technology not only useful for mobile payments, also for file transfers and which we could have taken advantage of on this tablet.
S Pen – the ideal accessory
If there’s one thing that stands out about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and sets it apart from the competition (with Apple’s permission), it’s the S Pen . There is usually a lot of talk about him and it is not for less. Although at first it may seem like a superficial accessory, it is not at all.
The most practical is undoubtedly the option to take notes with the screen off , a tool that we have taken advantage of a lot. It also helps us to translate texts, create animated messages, search for products on the Internet, zoom in on certain areas of the screen … The experience of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 would not be the same without the S Pen and the best of all is that it is included in the box.
Technical characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: analysis of a very complete tablet
| SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S4 | |
|---|---|
| DESIGN | |
| Dimensions | 249.3 x 164.3 x 7.1 mm |
| Weight | 482 grams |
| Colors | Black White |
| SCREEN | |
| Display technology | Super AMOLED |
| Dimension | 10.5 inch |
| Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels / 287 ppi / 78.6% screen-to-body / 16:10 ratio |
| Multitouch | Yes |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| CPU | Snapdragon 835 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| STORAGE MEMORY | |
| Capacity | 64 GB |
| SD slot | Yes, microSD up to 512 GB |
| OS | |
| Version | Android 8.1 |
| CAMERA | |
| Rear camera | 13 MP (Video: 2160p @ 30fps) |
| Front webcam | 8 MP (Video: 1080p @ 30fps) |
| BATTERY | |
| Capacity | 7300 mAh |
| CONNECTION PORTS | |
| loading port | USB Type C |
| Headphones | Yes |
| CONNECTIVITY | |
| Wifi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Gps | A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | No |
| Radio | No |
| OTHER FEATURES | |
| Box contents |
|
| Sensors | Iris, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity and compass scanner |
Availability and price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: analysis of a very complete tablet
We leave you on these lines the best offers to buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. Remember that it is available in two versions, with WiFi or with WiFi + 4G . The price difference between the two is 100 euros, taking into account that it is a high cost price, it is a not crazy figure. Which one do we choose? Evaluate your needs and buy the one that will really accompany you best.
Regarding our experience, would we recommend the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4? If you are looking for an inexpensive, simple tablet, just to navigate or install a couple of games without many requirements (the classic adaptations of board games, Candy Crush, children’s games …), we recommend that you look at other cheaper options. Also, if one of your priorities is the photographic section, this model is not for you. However, if you want a device that stays halfway between your smartphone and your personal computer, a very versatile product that helps you both to work and to enjoy the multimedia experience, very comfortable to use, with the support of a large brand and with a lot of extras that justify its price (S Pen, biometric security, connectivity, AKG sound …), take a look because you are going to love it.
For all these reasons, we awarded the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 the gold GizAward , a product that has also been awarded at the GizAwards 2018 as Best Tablet of the Year.
