We live in a world where portability holds more importance in our lives when it comes to gadgets. Today, the purpose of a tablet might be poised to replace the laptop for various reasons, and we believe it has come really close. We reviewed the iPad Pro earlier this month and our first impressions were that it can potentially replace the laptop. Having said that, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3 is up for the same contention, even though people are not buying tablets like they used to a few years ago.
© MensXp_Akshay Bhalla
The device has oodles of power under the hood and has a screen that can only be described as beautiful. It has a 9.7-inch HDR screen that is probably the best screen we've used on a tablet till date. Content from Netflix and Amazon Prime is a dream to watch on the device and we can confidently say it is the best Android tablet on the market today. Here's what we think about the tablet and why it's amongst the best.
DesignThe tablet has a very similar design and shape when compared to older models of the tablet. The 9.7-inch screen, with a 4:3 aspect, makes it look very similar to flagship devices of the past by Samsung. It has the fingerprint sensor in the bottom centre and has the same function as smartphones where one can multitask by opening recent apps. Having said that, the fingerprint sensor did not work accurately every time and we found the design of the sensor to be rather awkward.
The back of the tablet has a glass-coated rear which is also a huge fingerprint magnet. Overall, the tablet has a smooth texture which feels nice when holding the device in your hand. Given the rear glass back and the smooth texture, you may want to use a cover to protect it from scratches and cuts.
© MensXp_Akshay Bhalla
The Tab S3 is just 6mm thick, which makes the device ultra-portable and if you prefer to use it as your laptop replacement, we suggest you use the keyboard smart cover.
Display
© MensXp_Akshay Bhalla
With every Samsung device, one can expect a great screen and the Galaxy Tab S3 is no exception. It has a 9.7-inch AMOLED screen and has a resolution of 2048 X 1536. The High Dynamic Range peaks the brightness to a higher level than any other Tablet and can also display a wider range of colours. Watching TV Shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime was a delight, especially when streaming the Ultra HD version. The brightness peak for the Galaxy Tab S3 sits comfortably at 500-nits and is probably the best you can expect from an AMOLED panel.
The display on the Galaxy Tab S3 is uncompromising and the vivid colours pop from its surface. In order for the display to show us its true colours, we need HDR content to watch on this device and to date, we could only sample one stock demo HDR footage. Netflix - we're looking at you!
PerformanceI have been using the Galaxy Tab S3 for almost a month now and in my opinion, it is a very versatile tablet. The Galaxy Tab S3 comes with the S Pen stylus and I used it with a Bluetooth keyboard to carry out heavy duty tasks.
© MensXp_Akshay Bhalla
Editing documents on Microsoft Word was simple and easy and the keyboard added some great functionality for typing out articles and reviews. The S Pen Stylus was a dream to work with as I could easily take notes by tapping on the lock screen. I used the device at press conferences and the S Pen was the reason why I was so efficient. The S Pen has a rubberised tip which makes it feel like a real pen and I also noticed that there was no latency during the course of my review.
The Galaxy Tab S3 can also be used by designers are artists to sketch or edit images with ease. The S Pen has 4,096 levels of pressure and it is as responsive as the Apple Pencil. I am no designer or artist which is why I handed the tablet to our in-house artist Andrew Lu to test out the performance of the software and hardware. Andrew is capable of drawing comic book strips on a tablet in a matter of minutes and here's what he thinks about it:
"The Galaxy Tab S3 was truly a revelation to me! Over the course of my work, I have used various pads and tablets to draw, sketch and colour various comic book strips and panels and as far as I'm concerned, the Galaxy Tab S3 crushes the competition.
I used the Tab S3 to sketch out a few concepts that I was working on and the ease of use and multi-functional procession gave me a whole new world of art to explore. I did not use Photoshop or any of Adobe's software but instead opted for a small program called Sketch. I have never had any problems with the performance of the tablet as everything I tried to do with it was replicated perfectly. The S Pen Stylus was a dream to use. The rubberised tip gave me a handle on my work that I didn't even find on the Apple iPad. The iPencil was good but it was not as responsive and easy to use as the S Pen Stylus.
Colouring on the tablet was also fantastic as the stylus gave me a level of control that I could only dream of. As an artist, I would recommend the tablet to any budding artist or designer. You will not be disappointed with the Galaxy Tab S3."
© MensXP_Andrew Lu
© MensXP_Andrew Lu
© MensXP_Andrew Lu
The Galaxy Tab S3 in no way is a mid-level, watered down tablet as the device can be described as a "beast". It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset and is coupled with 4GB of RAM. We used the tablet for gaming and watching video content while on the go and the thing never heated up.
Even though we watched movies and played games for hours, the tablet lasted us at least 10 hours which is far more than any laptop we use to consume any sort of media. When you need to charge the tablet, it has quick charge thanks to the USB-C charging port. We noticed that the Tablet can be charged up to 30% in 40 minutes which is great considering it has a battery capacity of 6,000 mAh.
The Final Say
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We can confidently say that the Tab S3 is probably the best Android tablet you can buy today and it even gives the iPad Pro a run for its money. The Tab S3 costs INR 47,990 which makes it one of the more affordable premium tablets in the market. The S Pen stylus integration with the software is exceptional and can be used for various purposes such as taking notes, editing images and sketching.
The marquee feature is the 9.7-inch AMOLED screen which has the ability to display HDR content. This makes the tablet future proof for entertainment purposes even though there's no mobile HDR content available at present.
Photo: © MensXp_Akshay Bhalla (Main Image)
Source: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Review: The Best Android Tablet You Can Buy
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