Samsung is attempting to take a share of the tablet market from industry leaders Apple and Microsoft, with a new product that’s all about productivity.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 was launched with a promise to offer “tablet mobility and PC power”. This tagline, analysts have suggested, is a result of Samsung seeking to establish itself as a market leader in productivity terms, as it knows that the iPad can’t be beaten on the volume and quality of its tablet-optimised apps.
A central tenet of Samsung’s pitch for the productivity market is DeX, which was previously announced as a tool that could “turn your phone into a PC-like experience with a single cable.” The Tab S4 will come with DeX software directly built in, allowing users to toggle between separate DeX and Android modes. Interestingly, whilst Samsung is to release a designated keyboard for the Tab S4, DeX will allow it to work with any Bluetooth-enabled keyboard and mouse – giving users more freedom than some of the company’s closest competitors would dare to allow.
On the technical side, Samsung’s latest device will offer 4GB of RAM and a battery capacity of 7,300mAh (promising up to 16 hours of life). It’s powered by a last-gen Snapdragon 835 processor and comes with 13MP cameras on both the front and back. The storage options are 64GB and 256GB – with, of course, a price difference separating the two.
Elsewhere, the Tab S4 offers a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display (2560×1600) with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s also noticeably slimmer than its Android predecessors, with Samsung having done away with bevels (meaning there’s also no home button, so the device is unlocked with iris and face scans, or the more old-fashioned password entry).
At the launch of its Tab S4, Samsung made clear its aim of providing industry-leading productivity. It went over numerous use cases, showing how the device could be used by various businesses, in stores as an EPOS, and even within the healthcare industry.
Reviewers have noted that, whilst the Tab S4 may not beat its competitors in the sheer power stakes, its flexibility and resemblance to familiar desktop devices could be enough to win many consumers over.
