The tablet market may have petered out
but Samsung hasn’t give up on it, even if it
seems the likes of Sony, HTC and Google
have. At MWC 2017 it exclusively launched tablets,
one of which is an iPad Pro rival. While we wait
for the Galaxy S8 launch, Samsung has some new
tablets to keep us entertained. We fi nally have the
Tab S3 alongside two new Galaxy Books running
Windows 10 – these seem to be a follow up to the
Tab Pro S but with a di erent naming system.
MWC: Samsung
Galaxy Tab S3
AA36 PAGES.indd 64 09/03/2017 10:45
ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65
Price
There’s not too long to wait until the Galaxy Tab
S3 is available with pre-orders starting on 17 March
ahead of its 31 March release date. At the time of
writing Samsung hadn’t announced the price, but
we predict the tablet will sell for at least £399, if not
closer to the iPad Pro price of £549.
Design
The Korean tech giant has become a master of
design and build with its Galaxy products (and
others), forming a distinct style emerging since
the Galaxy S6. This design language has now
made its way across a number of products and
the Galaxy Tab S3 is no exception.
For starters it’s astonishingly thin at just 6mm.
Although this is actually a tiny bit thicker than
the Tab S2 (and it’s also heavier at 429g) it’s still
impressive (better than the iPad Pro on both
counts) and can be, we think, attributed to some
of the innovations found in the device.
It feels more premium than its predecessor but it
does look a little odd with the USB port o -centre.
This is made slightly better by the headphone port
being the other side of the home button.
It’s not waterproof like the Galaxy S7 which is
a shame so you’ll have to look to Sony for that on
a tablet (not that the fi rm has anything new so far
this year on that front).
As you’d expect the Galaxy Tab S3 has USB-C
and also four speakers much like the iPad Pro.
We’re not totally convinced by the shiny glass rear
cover, though. You’ll probably keep it in a cover
most of the time, though, as the tablet has Pogo
AA36 PAGES.indd 65 09/03/2017 10:45
66 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
metal contacts to easily connect to the keyboard
case. The tablet has a home button once again,
as per the launch event invitation hint, and
this contains a fi ngerprint scanner. The usual
navigation buttons sit either side.
Hardware
Moving on from a similar design, the Galaxy Tab
S3 cements itself as an iPad Pro rival with its 9.7in
screen that has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It’s still got a
2048x1536 resolution and Super AMOLED display
technology but now supports high dynamic range
(HDR). We’re really impressed with the superbly
detailed screen which has bags of colour and
brightness. The HDR support means better colours
and contrast, in theory, but it’s worth pointing out
that you’ll only be able to take advantage of it via
selected titles on Amazon Prime Video.
Core specifi cations are decent with a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB
of storage. You can always add more if needed via
the microSD card slot. It’s also got features likes
Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO and
optional LTE Cat 6. Performance during our handson
time was extremely smooth but we’ll test further.
Inside is a 6000mAh battery that’s about twice
the size of a typical smartphone. It’s also got fast
charging via the USB-C port and we’ll test the
battery life when we get a fi nal sample.
Not that cameras are especially important on
tablets but the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 13Mp
rear camera and a 5Mp front camera.
Samsung is touting a couple of key features
for the Tab S3 starting with the four-speaker
AA36 PAGES.indd 66 09/03/2017 10:45
ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67
system that’s tuned by audio company AKG.
It’s similar to the iPad Pro’s, although we can’t
comment on whether it’s better yet due to the
noisy show fl oor at MWC.
Another key feature is the inclusion of an S
Pen, although this doesn’t slide into the tablet,
so that’s why it’s not called a ‘Note’ device.
The refi ned stylus has a smaller 0.7mm tip and
improved pressure sensitivity. This reviewer is
no artist but it seems decent, although we did
accidentally push the button on the side a few
times. The S Pen is included in the box.
While the Galaxy Book tablets run on Windows
10, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with Android 7.0
Nougat. The device features Samsung Flow which
allows you to wirelessly tether compatible devices
to transfer documents and sync messages. You log
in with biometrics using the fi ngerprint scanner.
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68 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
Verdict
There’s still a lot to test on the Galaxy Tab S3
including the audio, battery life and performance
but we’re impressed so far and looking forward to
getting our hands on it properly. Chris Martin
Specifi cations
• 9.7in (2048x1536) Super AMOLED screen
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 4GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• MicroSD card slot
• Bluetooth 4.2
• GPS
• 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO
• LTE Cat 6
• USB-C
• 6000mAh battery
• Fast Charging
• 13Mp rear camera
• 5Mp front camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• Four speakers
• 237x169x6mm
• 429g (Wi-Fi), 434g (LTE)
but Samsung hasn’t give up on it, even if it
seems the likes of Sony, HTC and Google
have. At MWC 2017 it exclusively launched tablets,
one of which is an iPad Pro rival. While we wait
for the Galaxy S8 launch, Samsung has some new
tablets to keep us entertained. We fi nally have the
Tab S3 alongside two new Galaxy Books running
Windows 10 – these seem to be a follow up to the
Tab Pro S but with a di erent naming system.
MWC: Samsung
Galaxy Tab S3
AA36 PAGES.indd 64 09/03/2017 10:45
ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65
Price
There’s not too long to wait until the Galaxy Tab
S3 is available with pre-orders starting on 17 March
ahead of its 31 March release date. At the time of
writing Samsung hadn’t announced the price, but
we predict the tablet will sell for at least £399, if not
closer to the iPad Pro price of £549.
Design
The Korean tech giant has become a master of
design and build with its Galaxy products (and
others), forming a distinct style emerging since
the Galaxy S6. This design language has now
made its way across a number of products and
the Galaxy Tab S3 is no exception.
For starters it’s astonishingly thin at just 6mm.
Although this is actually a tiny bit thicker than
the Tab S2 (and it’s also heavier at 429g) it’s still
impressive (better than the iPad Pro on both
counts) and can be, we think, attributed to some
of the innovations found in the device.
It feels more premium than its predecessor but it
does look a little odd with the USB port o -centre.
This is made slightly better by the headphone port
being the other side of the home button.
It’s not waterproof like the Galaxy S7 which is
a shame so you’ll have to look to Sony for that on
a tablet (not that the fi rm has anything new so far
this year on that front).
As you’d expect the Galaxy Tab S3 has USB-C
and also four speakers much like the iPad Pro.
We’re not totally convinced by the shiny glass rear
cover, though. You’ll probably keep it in a cover
most of the time, though, as the tablet has Pogo
AA36 PAGES.indd 65 09/03/2017 10:45
66 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
metal contacts to easily connect to the keyboard
case. The tablet has a home button once again,
as per the launch event invitation hint, and
this contains a fi ngerprint scanner. The usual
navigation buttons sit either side.
Hardware
Moving on from a similar design, the Galaxy Tab
S3 cements itself as an iPad Pro rival with its 9.7in
screen that has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It’s still got a
2048x1536 resolution and Super AMOLED display
technology but now supports high dynamic range
(HDR). We’re really impressed with the superbly
detailed screen which has bags of colour and
brightness. The HDR support means better colours
and contrast, in theory, but it’s worth pointing out
that you’ll only be able to take advantage of it via
selected titles on Amazon Prime Video.
Core specifi cations are decent with a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB
of storage. You can always add more if needed via
the microSD card slot. It’s also got features likes
Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO and
optional LTE Cat 6. Performance during our handson
time was extremely smooth but we’ll test further.
Inside is a 6000mAh battery that’s about twice
the size of a typical smartphone. It’s also got fast
charging via the USB-C port and we’ll test the
battery life when we get a fi nal sample.
Not that cameras are especially important on
tablets but the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 13Mp
rear camera and a 5Mp front camera.
Samsung is touting a couple of key features
for the Tab S3 starting with the four-speaker
AA36 PAGES.indd 66 09/03/2017 10:45
ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67
system that’s tuned by audio company AKG.
It’s similar to the iPad Pro’s, although we can’t
comment on whether it’s better yet due to the
noisy show fl oor at MWC.
Another key feature is the inclusion of an S
Pen, although this doesn’t slide into the tablet,
so that’s why it’s not called a ‘Note’ device.
The refi ned stylus has a smaller 0.7mm tip and
improved pressure sensitivity. This reviewer is
no artist but it seems decent, although we did
accidentally push the button on the side a few
times. The S Pen is included in the box.
While the Galaxy Book tablets run on Windows
10, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with Android 7.0
Nougat. The device features Samsung Flow which
allows you to wirelessly tether compatible devices
to transfer documents and sync messages. You log
in with biometrics using the fi ngerprint scanner.
AA36 PAGES.indd 67 09/03/2017 10:45
68 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
Verdict
There’s still a lot to test on the Galaxy Tab S3
including the audio, battery life and performance
but we’re impressed so far and looking forward to
getting our hands on it properly. Chris Martin
Specifi cations
• 9.7in (2048x1536) Super AMOLED screen
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 4GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• MicroSD card slot
• Bluetooth 4.2
• GPS
• 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO
• LTE Cat 6
• USB-C
• 6000mAh battery
• Fast Charging
• 13Mp rear camera
• 5Mp front camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• Four speakers
• 237x169x6mm
• 429g (Wi-Fi), 434g (LTE)
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