Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 review: S-class coupe

Controls

Above the display you will find the ambient light sensor, as well as the front-facing camera. A Samsung logo keeps them company.

The view above the display

Below the screen (portrait) is where the usual trio of Samsung buttons for Android navigation are. The fingerprint sensor it there too - its implementation is the same as in the Samsung Galaxy S5. You can use it for unlocking the slate, authorizing PayPal transactions and even protecting individual images and messages on it.

A look below the display

There is nothing on the left side of the tablet. The right side is home to the power/lock key and volume rocker, the IR port, as well as the microSD card slot. The SIM card slot of the LTE version is also located there.

The view on both sides of the tablet

The 3.5mm audio jack and the microUSB port are located on the bottom of the device. One of the stereo speakers is there too.

The bottom of the tablet

The other stereo speaker and a microphone are located on top of the device. That's the proper placement for landscape mode, which is how you're going to watch videos. The minor niggle is the speakers are facing sideways, not front as on the second Galaxy Tab generation.

The top of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4

The perforated faux leather back of the tablet is home to the 8MP main camera and its single LED flash. Two prominent circles on the right side is where the proprietary flip covers are attached. A Samsung logo completes the picture.

The back of the slate

Battery performance

Samsung rates the 4,900mAh battery of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 to be capable of providing up to ten hours of web usage. The Ultra Power Saving Mode which debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S5 is present too - it can extend the quoted life even further, although we are not sure it makes as much sense on a tablet which is rarely away from a charge.

As usual, we tested the battery performance of the tablet during web browsing and video playback. It performed admirably on both occasions.

Web browsing

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• Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo
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• Alcatel Hero
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• Samsung Galaxy Core LTE
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• Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
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• LG G Pro 2
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• LG G Flex
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• Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE
  9:16h
• Motorola RAZR MAXX
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• Oppo N1
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• HTC One mini
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• Nokia Lumia 610
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• Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4
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• LG Optimus GJ E975W
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• Samsung Galaxy Grand I9082
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• Apple iPhone 4s
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• Samsung P6800 Galaxy Tab 7.7
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• Samsung Galaxy Core I8260
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• HTC One V
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• LG Optimus G Pro E985
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• Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus
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• BlackBerry Curve 9380
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• Sony Xperia E
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• HTC First
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• Samsung Galaxy Ace 3
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• Sony Xperia Z
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• Samsung S7710 Galaxy Xcover 2
  6:35h
• HTC Desire 600 dual sim
  6:34h
• HTC Desire 500
  6:31h
• Huawei Ascend P6
  6:30h
• Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
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• BlackBerry Z10
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• HTC Butterfly
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• Sony Xperia SP
  6:18h
• Samsung Galaxy S III I747
  6:16h
• HTC One SV
  6:15h
• Samsung Focus S I937
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• Nokia Lumia 510
  6:13h
• Sony Xperia ZL
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• Samsung Galaxy mini 2 S6500
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• Samsung P6200 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
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• Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G T769
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• Nokia Lumia 920
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• Nokia Lumia 928
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• Samsung S8600 Wave 3
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• Pantech Discover
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• Oppo Find 5
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• Samsung i927 Captivate Glide
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• Sony Xperia T
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• Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam
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• Nokia Lumia 900
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• Samsung Galaxy Note I717
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• Sony Xperia Z Ultra
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• Samsung Galaxy S Duos S7562
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• HTC Sensation XL
  5:20h
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• Nokia Lumia Icon
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• HTC Desire X
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• HTC Rezound
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• Sony Xperia acro S
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• LG Optimus G E975
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• HTC Rhyme
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• Samsung I9103 Galaxy R
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• LG Optimus L9 P760
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• HTC Vivid
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• Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II
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• Nokia Lumia 820
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• Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V
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• HTC One X
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• Nokia 808 PureView
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• LG Optimus 3D Max P720
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• Nokia Lumia 900 AT&T
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• Nokia Lumia 800
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• HTC One S
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• BlackBerry Bold 9790
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• LG Nitro HD
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• Sony Xperia P
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• Nokia Lumia 620
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• Samsung Galaxy Pocket S5300
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• Samsung Galaxy Note N7000
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• Huawei Ascend P1
  3:23h
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250
  3:01h

Video playback

• LG G Flex
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• Motorola RAZR MAXX
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• Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
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• Samsung Galaxy Note 3
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• Samsung I9190 Galaxy S4 mini
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• Nokia Lumia 1020
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• HTC One Max
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• Sony Xperia C
  12:53h
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
  12:52h
• Samsung Galaxy Premier I9260
  12:51h
• Apple iPad Air
  12:49h
• Nokia Lumia 1520
  12:31h
• Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4
  12:30h
• BlackBerry Q5
  12:28h
• Huawei Ascend Mate
  12:18h
• Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE
  12:10h
• LG G2
  11:51h
• Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
  11:46
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo
  11:38h
• Samsung P6800 Galaxy Tab 7.7
  11:37h
• Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4
  11:29h
• Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100
  11:27h
• Oppo N1
  11:15h
• BlackBerry Q10
  11:15h
• HTC One (M8)
  11:14h
• Apple iPhone 5s
  10:31h
• Apple iPhone 5
  10:12h
• HTC First
  10:03h
• HTC One
  10:02h
• Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
  10:01h
• Samsung Galaxy Express I8730
  10:00h
• Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus
  10:00h
• Nokia 808 PureView
  9:53h
• Alcatel Hero
  9:49h
• Sony Xperia M
  9:49h
• Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam
  9:42h
• Samsung Rugby Smart I847
  9:34h
• Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom
  9:30h
• HTC One S C2
  9:28h
• HTC One S
  9:28h
• Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
  9:27h
• Apple iPhone 4s
  9:24h
• Samsung Galaxy mini 2 S6500
  9:22h
• Nokia Lumia 1320
  9:17h
• HTC Butterfly S
  9:03h
• Motorola DROID RAZR M
  9:00h
• Sony Xperia E
  9:00h
• Samsung Ativ Odyssey I930
  8:59h
• Sony Xperia Z Ultra
  8:45h
• BlackBerry Z10
  8:44h
• Samsung Galaxy Grand 2
  8:41h
• LG Optimus G Pro E985
  8:40h
• Nokia N9
  8:40h
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200
  8:34h
• HTC Butterfly
  8:28h
• Samsung Galaxy Note N7000
  8:25h
• LG Optimus GJ E975W
  8:15h
• Samsung Galaxy S III I747
  8:14h
• HTC One X+
  8:11h
• Samsung Galaxy Grand I9082
  8:11h
• Motorola RAZR i XT890
  8:11h
• Sony Xperia J
  8:11h
• Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II
  8:00h
• Samsung Focus S I937
  7:55h
• Samsung S8600 Wave 3
  7:52h
• HTC Desire 500
  7:50h
• Samsung I8190 Galaxy S III mini
  7:46h
• Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V
  7:45h
• Apple iPhone 5c
  7:41h
• Asus PadFone 2
  7:38h
• Huawei Ascend P1
  7:38h
• Nokia Lumia Icon
  7:34h
• Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G T769
  7:33h
• Sony Xperia ZR
  7:30h
• Samsung Galaxy Core I8260
  7:30h
• HTC DROID DNA
  7:30h
• Samsung S7710 Galaxy Xcover 2
  7:30h
• Samsung Galaxy Note I717
  7:30h
• Sony Xperia SP
  7:27h
• HTC One mini
  7:23h
• Nokia Lumia 610
  7:23h
• LG Optimus G E975
  7:16h
• Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active
  7:03h
• Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo
  6:55h
• Huawei Ascend P6
  6:55h
• HTC One SV
  6:55h
• Pantech Discover
  6:55h
• Samsung Galaxy Ace 3
  6:54h
• Nokia Lumia 928
  6:54h
• HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE
  6:51h
• HTC Desire 600 dual sim
  6:49h
• Nokia Lumia 720
  6:43h
• Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue
  6:40h
• Motorola Moto G
  6:37h
• Nokia Lumia 900
  6:37h
• Meizu MX 4-core
  6:33h
• Nokia Lumia 620
  6:32h
• Nokia Lumia 625
  6:29h
• Sony Xperia E dual
  6:27h
• HTC Windows Phone 8X
  6:27h
• HTC Desire 700 dual sim
  6:26h
• Nokia Lumia 810
  6:26h
• Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos S6802
  6:25h
• Nokia Lumia 820
  6:25h
• Nokia Lumia 510
  6:23h
• LG Optimus Vu F100S
  6:23h
• Samsung I9103 Galaxy R
  6:21h
• Nokia Lumia 920
  6:19h
• Sony Xperia Z1
  6:12h
• HTC Sensation XL
  6:12h
• LG Nexus 5
  6:06h
• Samsung Galaxy Pocket S5300
  6:06h
• Samsung i927 Captivate Glide
  6:04h
• Sony Xperia ion LTE
  6:03h
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250
  6:02h
• Motorola ATRIX HD MB886
  6:01h
• Sony Xperia T
  6:01h
• HTC Vivid
  6:00h
• HTC Radar
  5:54h
• Oppo R819
  5:54h
• LG Optimus L9 P760
  5:53h
• Nokia Lumia 800
  5:52h
• Nokia Lumia 520
  5:50h
• LG G Pro 2
  5:49h
• BlackBerry Bold 9790
  5:47h
• HTC One X
  5:45h
• Sony Ericsson Xperia pro
  5:44h
• Sony Xperia Z
  5:39h
• Meizu MX3
  5:38h
• Pantech Burst
  5:38h
• HTC Desire X
  5:38h
• Sony Xperia acro S
  5:38h
• Samsung Galaxy Core LTE
  5:34h
• Sony Xperia ZL
  5:28h
• Meizu MX
  5:27h
• HTC Rhyme
  5:23h
• HTC One V
  5:20h
• Oppo Find 5
  5:18h
• Acer CloudMobile S500
  5:18h
• Nokia Lumia 900 AT&T
  5:18h
• Samsung P6200 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
  5:16h
• BlackBerry Curve 9380
  5:09h
• HTC Rezound
  5:03h
• Samsung Galaxy Fame S6810
  5:02h
• LG Nexus 4 E960
  4:55h
• Sony Xperia L
  4:44h
• Samsung Galaxy S Duos S7562
  4:30h
• Sony Xperia P
  4:30h
• LG Nitro HD
  4:17h
• LG Optimus 4X HD P880
  4:14h
• LG Optimus 3D Max P720
  3:28h
• Nokia Lumia 710
  3:27h

The ultra power saving mode which made a debut on the Samsung Galaxy S5 is on board too. It drastically prolongs the tablet’s battery life by allowing only a handful essential apps to function.

Ultra power saving mode

The feature also utilizes the energy efficiency of the Super AMOLED display via a black background. As you probably know, AMOLED displays turn off their individual pixels while showing black color.

Connectivity

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 comes in two flavors - Wi-Fi only and LTE. The LTE model features quad-band GSM and 3G support with HSPDA up to 42Mbps. The LTE support covers six bands and is category 4, which means you get up to 150Mbps downlink and up to 50Mbps uplink speeds.

Both tablet versions feature Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac support, with 2.4GHz and 5GHz band compatibility. Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA support are also available as well as GPS and GLONASS receivers. Bluetooth 4.0 is also available for local data transfer.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 also supports USB-on-the-go, but you will need to buy an additional adapter for that. The tablet can work with USB storage, USB mice and keyboards. Of course, you can always hook up a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard to the slate without relying on the cable connection.

You can also buy a MHL HDMI adapter and use it to pair with HDTV via a regular HDMI cable.

An IR blaster on the right of the tablet allows it to remotely control TV's and other devices using the Samsung WatchON app.

The last piece of the connectivity puzzle, NFC, is missing though.

SideSync 3.0 allows you to pair your tablet with your Galaxy S5 smartphone. The latter shows up virtually on the tablet's display; you can control its functions, make calls, and answer messages while it is in your bag or pocket. It really works very well and can come in handy if you use your tablet at home, while the phone is charging somewhere.

The Remote PC client is also preinstalled on the device. It seriously boosts its productivity credentials.

The Samsung AllShare feature is integrated with the Samsung's default apps - the Video Player app, the Gallery, and the Music Player - and it allows you wirelessly stream all sorts of multimedia content to your connected stereo or HDTV.

Samsung Link (previously known as AllShare Play) is another proprietary service offered by Samsung. Once you download the dedicated app, it automatically syncs all the multimedia content on your device to Samsung servers so it's backed up and also available for instant play on your other Samsung devices, including your Samsung SmartTV.