Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 hands-on: First look

Introduction

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is the Korean giant's latest entry into the market for premium full-size tablets. Launched alongside a compact variant with 8" display, the ultra-thin newcomer is aimed squarely at Apple's iPad family in its segment.

In a bid to attract the attention from current and prospective Apple iPad buyers, Samsung has made the Galaxy Tab S2 the thinnest and lightest slate in its class. With a 5.6mm waistline and 389 grams of weight, the Tab S2 is sleeker and lighter than the already impossibly thin Apple iPad Air 2.

Of course, as expected from a flagship tablet by Samsung, the specs of the Galaxy Tab S2 aren't too shabby either. Take a quick look at what the tablet has to offer below.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 at a glance

• Display: 9.7" Super AMOLED unit with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels; 264ppi; 4:3 aspect ratio
• CPU: 1.9GHz quad-core Cortex-A57; 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A53
• GPU: Mali-T760
• Chipset: 20nm Exynos 5433 SoC with big.LITTLE architecture
• RAM: 3GB
• Memory: 32/64GB of built-in memory; microSD card slot
• Dimensions: 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm; 389 grams (Wi-Fi model); 392 grams (LTE variant)
• OS: Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with TouchWiz UX
• Cameras: 8MP main camera with 1440p video capture @ 30 fps; 2.1MP front-facing unit
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.1; microUSB v2.0 with MHL TV-out; GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS; optional 4G LTE network connectivity
• General: Built-in fingerprint sensor; dual speakers

Displays with 4:3 aspect ratio have quickly become the norm in the Android tablet realm, so it is hardly a surprise that the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 features one. Samsung first introduced a 4:3 screen on the budget-friendly Galaxy Tab A series of slates earlier this year.

Samsung's own 20nm Exynos 5433 chipset/3GB of RAM combo found in the Tab S2, while not as capable is the beastly Exynos 7420 found in the Galaxy S6 family, is surely not a slouch. The SoC was featured in a variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

With all that said, follow us on the next page for an unboxing of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, followed by a closer look at its design and build quality.