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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 aims to take on the Apple iPad Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is one of the few high-end Android tablets out there. (Source: Samsung)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is one of the few high-end Android tablets out there. (Source: Samsung)
Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Tab S4, which is aims to satisfy those who swear by Android tablets for personal and professional use. The Galaxy Tab S4 comes with the S-Pen, Snapdragon 835 SoC, and DeX support. The asking price of US$650 gets you the S-Pen but doesn't include the Book Cover Keyboard.

There is a dearth of Android tablets in the market of the likes of the Apple iPad Pro or the Microsoft Surface Pro but Samsung hopes to fill in the gaps with the new Galaxy Tab S4. The Galaxy Tab S4 comes with the S-Pen and an optional Book Cover keyboard that aims to replicate some of the productivity features found in the other aforementioned tablets.

Specs wise, the Galaxy Tab S4 is ticks boxes for a modern tablet. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 gets things rolling, and while it may seem a tad bit older, it is still a fairly capable chip. The tablet boasts an impressive 10.5-inch 16:10 2560 x 1600 287 PPI sAMOLED display, which should result in some vibrant colors and deep blacks. There is 4 GB of RAM and a choice of 64 GB or 256 GB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 400 GB. Android 8.1 Oreo is on board along with Samsung Knox enterprise grade security. On the audio front, the Galaxy Tab S4 features 4 speakers tuned by AKG with Dolby Atmos support. A 13 MP rear camera and a 8 MP front camera provide imaging capabilities. The usual suite of sensors and connectivity options supported by the Snapdragon 835 SoC are available. A 7,300 mAh battery helps keep the device ticking. There is no fingerprint sensor but an iris scanner is available for biometric authentication.

Perhaps, the most interesting aspect of the device is the support for Samsung DeX. Connecting the optional Book Cover Keyboard launches the desktop experience, which can be further extended to a bigger screen using an USB-C to HDMI adapter. This is similar to the DeX functionality in the upcoming Galaxy Note 9. While the entire screen can act as a touchpad in DeX mode, the optional keyboard itself does not come with a touchpad.

Pricing starts from US$650 for the base version and that includes the S-Pen. Expect to shell out another US$150 for the Book Cover Keyboard. At this price, it directly competes with the US$649 Apple iPad Pro 10.5-inch. The Galaxy Tab S4 is still value for money though, considering that you'll have to shell out a lot more to get more storage, Apple Pencil, and LTE support on the iPad Pro. One might also be tempted to look at the Microsoft Surface Go, which starts from US$399 (+US$100 for the Type Cover) with a much more capable Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y and Windows 10. If Android is what you prefer, there is a cheaper alternative available in the just announced Galaxy Tab A 10.5

The market for Android tablets might eventually start shrinking due to the increasing proliferation of Chromebooks that can run Android apps and Google planning to unify the tablet and notebook experiences with Fuchsia OS. These developments can still far off so high-end tablets like the Galaxy Tab S4 will continue to find takers for the foreseeable future. Are you looking to lap up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 yourself? Let us know in the comments below.

(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)
(Source: Samsung)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 08 > The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 aims to take on the Apple iPad Pro
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 2018-08- 2 (Update: 2018-08- 2)