Samsung unveiled on Thursday the Galaxy Tab S, calling it its new flagship tablet, at an event Thursday evening in New York City. It comes in two sizes: 8.4 and 10.5 inches.
Samsung is positioning the Tab S as a high-end tablet with an emphasis on entertainment and consumption. Samsung name-checked Google, Netflix and Flipboard as important content providers for the Tab S at the event.
The Galaxy Tab S boasts a high-res SuperAMOLED display with 2,560 x 1,600 resolution — rivaling even the iPad's "retina" display. Samsung says its screen technology gives better color and deeper contrast while consuming less power than the LCD displays in most tablets. Until now, Samsung has kept SuperAMOLED displays only in phones.
To optimize the viewing experience, Samsung equipped the Tab S with an adaptive display, which will change the white balance of the tablet based on the ambient light. The screen also has less reflectivity in bright sunlight.
The Galaxy Tab S borrows an important feature from the Galaxy S5 smartphone: a fingerprint scanner. Up to eight people can use fingerprints to log into different profiles on the device.
The Tab S also has an upgraded version of the Magazine Mode that's common on Samsung tablets. The new Magazine mode has a new widget for a personal timeline, putting your calendar alerts and notifications in one place.
Samsung is emphasizing magazine content on the Galaxy Tab S with its own magazine platform called Papergarden. The company also announced partnerships with Condé Nast, Marvel Comics National Geographic, who both said they would bring titles to Papergarden, complete with interactive features.
Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada said Samsung products would be featured inAvengers: Age of Ultron, due to hit theaters in 2015.
Both Tab S tablets are just 6.6mm thin, or 0.26 inch — thinner than the iPad Air. The weight is 465g (16.4 ounces) for the large size and 294g (10.4 ounces) for the smaller design. Both sizes come in white and bronze, and Samsung is offering optional covers as well as a keyboard.
The Tab S includes SideSync, which lets the tablet pair with a Galaxy S 5. Once paired, the tablet can mirror the tablet's screen in a smaller virtual window, letting users take calls on the tablet via its speakers and microphone. SideSync can also be used to transfer files or even run apps.
The tablet also features multi-window, a feature borrowed from Samsung's Galaxy Note products, and allows the running of two apps on the screen, in different windows, at the same time.
In the U.S., the Samsung Galaxy Tab S will cost $499 for the 10.5-inch version, and $399 for the 8.4-inch.
The Galaxy Tab S is a departure from previous Galaxy Tab tablets, which have been Samsung's value brand in tablets, with plastic designs and cheap prices. The company's Galaxy Note line sell at a premium, but emphasize use of an accompanying digital pen, which the Tabs lack.
source: MASHABLE
