Good price for new Galaxy Tab.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 WiFi 32GB $399 (Was $499)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 WiFi 32GB $399 (Was $499)
Beurer Digital Thermometer $4.95 (Was $12.95)
Oral B Vitality Precision Clean Toothbrush $19.95 (Was $39.95)
LG 58" UHD LED LCD 100Hz Smart TV $2188 (Was $2699)
Sunbeam Planetary Mixmaster Red $199 (Was $299)
Samsung 6.5kg Top Load Washer $499 (Was $699)
(no flash on the back camera is one of them)
Good, maybe that'll discourage people from looking strange. :)
Battery capacity have been decreased a lot
I haven't actually noticed a decrease in actual use between the two. Maybe more hardcore users will. Performance has increased tremendously though.
4:3 isn't exactly good for watching movies imo, it's more for e-books and web surfing (which LCD has advantages in).
I prefer AMOLED for everything. It benefits photos and youtube videos, both of which work fine on a 4:3 screen. e-book readers can be set to use white text on a dark background so it'll be more power-efficient than an LCD screen.
Overall, good price for a decent tablet
Agreed!
I know few people who uses their tablets to take photos, so it might be a minus for them. The main reason I've mentioned it is because it was present on other flagship tablets until Tab S2.
Battery capacity have decreased a lot, but from what I've gathered Exynos 5433 is more efficient with power (i.e. better finFET on SoC, 28nm->20nm). That said, the capacity did decrease a lot, some Chinese phones come with 4000mAh. For some people, it'd show up (others, not so much).
There are options for changing the colour scheme, but generally speaking, websites are mainly white background based, i.e. Ozbargain, Google, etc etc. Yes, you can change the colour scheme on some pages, but that's not available on every places. eBook readers, you could invert colours, but if you look at PDFs with colours, i.e. research reports, that's not an option.
Though, my main concern is, AMOLED is so much better at doing movies. Why the hell are they not using that to their advantage? 16:10 is better than 4:3 in terms of movies. If I were to mainly use my device for movies, I'd get Tab S over S2.
There are few bits and pieces that makes no sense for me, bits and pieces that makes me go, why are they making that aspect of Tab S2 inferior to Tab S1? Overall, it's a decent tablet and all, but that said, I cannot cruise control and go "Grab Tab S2 if you want a better tablet from Tab S1". 5420 was lacklustre and 5433 is still amazing, but other changes are not exactly objectively better.
The stuttering is enough to make me not recommend the Tab S. I'd personally rather have a good LCD and minimal stutter (e.g. Z3 Tablet Compact) rather than awesome AMOLED but stuttering UI.
@eug:
It is not because of AMOLED though. It's more of due to Samsung using a SoC that's more suitable for FHD than UHD. Exynos 5420 with FHD still is a fairly strong performer (i.e. Note 3), whereas UHD, it starts to struggle. Also Samsung Magazine UX and Launcher is more resource demanding than ever as well. While serious gaming is hard to do on Tab S, (games that require fair bit of GPU rendering is hard to play on it), basic ui don't stutter and it plays movies and such at UHD relatively well.
Tab Pro, however, stutters with the default launcher a little, but it's easily solved with Nova launcher and few tweaks like animation speed tweak. I think that stuttering with the UI for Tab Pro was a RAM issue since doing what I've mentioned frees up fair bit of RAM. Even with 2GB RAM, my gf and I use it for basic usage without a hitch (i.e. Web Surfing, I've tweaked build prop to use Quad-Screen multi-window, Kingdom Rush series (my gf finished Origin, all 3 stars and all heroes to max level), and Candy Crush). It's when I try to use it for gaming, like Star Wars: KOTOR, it starts to suffer and I need to change the resolution to play it with reasonable FPS.
@Oversimplified:
Of course it's not because it's AMOLED. I just don't think having a nice vibrant screen is enough to make up for a stuttering UI.
I use Nova Prime on all my devices.
@eug: Sorry, I misunderstood your sentence of "good LCD… and awesome AMOLED…". That said, I think the stutter in UI is fairly easily "fixed" and it's more of a RAM issue than a SoC issue, looking at the problems I had with Tab Pro and how it got solved by basically freeing up RAM. Also, I don't think Tab S was stuttering with the UI, I frankly thought it was responsive enough for my usage (I didn't do anything on it other than getting SimpleRocket, as it was for my dad and I needed to test it because he lives in Korea).
The SoC problems show when you use it for something intensive (i.e. 3D games like KOTOR etc). That's something that I dislike, but you can downscale your resolution if you want, whereas physical screen ratio is impossible to change. Though I do agree that it's not a fix.
I agree, S2 has better SoC and better hardware overall (excluding the battery capacity and camera flash), but S1 didn't suffer from stuttering as much as you are implying (i.e. with basic UI). Even if it does and I simply haven't seen it, looking at Tab Pro, it looks like the problem with basic usage is more of a RAM issue (which is easily solvable with few tweaks). I do agree that 5433 will perform better, but 5420 is not that awful.
Also, when I said LCD is better than AMOLED in white screen is because of how the mechanism they work on. LCD uses less power in producing white colour, whereas AMOLED uses less power in producing black colour. Many websites are white background based and 4:3 produces letter box for any movies in widescreen view far more than 16:10.
So I cannot say for certain that Tab S2 is better than Tab S1.
http://www.greenbot.com/article/2834583/how-much-power-does-…
That said, I think the stutter in UI is fairly easily "fixed" and it's more of a RAM issue than a SoC issue,
The stutter/laggyness I saw isn't related to RAM and swapping data in/out - that's a different kind of lag.
I frankly thought it was responsive enough for my usage
Oh it does work fine, it's just not as smooth as a modern tablet should be.
but you can downscale your resolution if you want
Running a screen at a non-native resolution will look pretty blurry.
but S1 didn't suffer from stuttering as much as you are implying (i.e. with basic UI).
I didn't think it was that bad either. Then I bought a Sony Z2 Tablet and noticed how much smoother it was.
Many websites are white background based and 4:3 produces letter box for any movies in widescreen view far more than 16:10.
I'm quite aware of how AMOLED works. I never mentioned websites. AMOLED is also now more efficient than LCD for mixed content.
@eug: Hmmm, first of all, I have used and have set up devices that are in following combination:
I frankly don't think Tab S lagged in the non-heavy usage situations like you are describing. I do agree that my Tab Pro (which has less RAM) lagged in situations like what you are describing. That said it doesn't lag like what you are suggesting after I've done tweaking that are for freeing up RAM. I do agree that performance on it is below what you'd expect on a 2014 flagship, but in my opinion, that's because it cannot run resource demanding games well enough compared to FHD + Snapdragon 800. If it were for movies and basic usage, I don't think it has any problems.
I frankly dislike them moving to 4:3 because 4:3 vs 16:10 and what content it can display best. AMOLED still consumes more battery when you are using it for displaying white screen as a main thing. Since it's impossible to compare screen efficiency (I have no direct data on efficiency), so I cannot say things for certain. That said using Tab Pro and Tab S and battery benchmark by Anandtech, 320mah (Tab Pro has 8220mah whereas Tab S has 7900mah) difference caused around 1 hour differences between Tab S and Tab Pro in terms of web surfing. Whereas for movies it outlasted Tab Pro by 2 hours, it's so much better for movies.
I like AMOLED over LCDs because of colour reproduction, but for displaying contents with a lot of white background, LCD still is better. I dislike using AMOLED for white screen, because of issues with burn ins and blue OLED as well as the battery life, but I think that's another story that I don't want to go into.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8197/samsung-galaxy-tab-s-revi…
^battery benchmark
So my opinion is this, I frankly don't think Tab S was as bad as you are suggesting, the performance on it for basic usage is good enough (Nexus 10 had worse SoC). AMOLED still holds advantages on watching movies, and therefore 16:10 is better than 4:3 on AMOLED tablet in my opinion. 4:3 is more associated with eBooks and websites (vertical estate is as important as horizontal estate) and those are where LCD performs better on. You can watch youtubes and other things on tablet, but fullscreen and letterbox wise, I frankly think 16:10 is better. So in my opinion, if some is going for a tablet for watching movies, I'd recommend Tab S1 over Tab S2. So my opinion weighs advantages of AMOLED on movies, 16:10 and letterbox heavier. I don't think your opinion is wrong, I simply think Tab S2 has given up a lot for 4:3 ratio.
I guess if you want to play games on an Android tablet and have to choose one, Tab S2 wouldn't be a bad choice.
If it were for movies and basic usage, I don't think it has any problems.
A premium flagship tablet should do more than basic usage.
So my opinion is this, I frankly don't think Tab S was as bad as you are suggesting
Thanks for your opinion. My opinion is that it's noticeably stuttery/laggy compared to other tablets like the Sony Z2/Z3 tablets and the Tab S2.
Lag/stutter is subjective. Some people don't mind a bit of lag here and there. I'm of the opinion that a premium flagship tablet should have minimal lag, if any at all. There's room for more than one opinion. :)
It's an iPad clone. Not interested. They copied the dimensions and resolution of the iPad (which is a downgrade from the 1600p of the S1).
I hope this new tablet puts the S1 at clearance prices so I can get one of those for cheap.
I wouldn't say it's a copy of an iPad, I'd say it's following what Nexus 9 did.
Nexus is a reference device which people tend to forget.
The Nexus 9 copied the iPad. Same diff. It copied something that copied an iPad.
10.1" @ 2048x1536, 264ppi or 8.0/7.9" @ 2048x1536, 326ppi.
Even the bezel is about the same size. It can't be a coincidence.
I liked the old aspect ratio. It was not just better for movies but better for multitasking as well. I liked it for being different to Apple's products. Now it's just the same thing. To me it looks like Android have ceded that they can't beat iPad in tablet sales (they've led in smartphone market for a long time, but not in tablet market), and if you can't beat them, join them.
@lostn: Eh, maybe. I don't want to go into who started what first argument. iPad is the dominant tablet with 4:3 ratio now and it does look like Android copying the dominant player. I frankly hate the new ratio as well (my Tab Pro will be staying with me for longer after all).
Well, at least it made my "I cbf to recommend you stuff so just grab an iPad, they are decent enough, even though you pay a lot for it" argument more valid. Air 2 is better than S2 as far as I know in terms of performance, Apple is allowing multitasking a lot more with iOS 9 as well. What Android is doing will eat away its sales a lot more (as it's less distiguishable on the tablet end). AMOLED is better for movies and such, with advantages in displaying black colour and such. Why not use that advantage by using a ratio that's more for the movies? Argh.
Samsung is planning on release a new tablet called Galaxy View which has 16:10 or 16:9 ratio by the looks of the rendering but nothing spec related has been leaked (other than some weird looking spec that I cannot really trust, 5000mAh for a 18 inch tablet sounds ridiculous).
By that logic the iphone 6 plus was a copy of the Samsung note series…so i guess samsung is even with Apple :)
I mean ok so it has the same aspect ratio….who cares!
That's a crazy price on the S2.
I have one and I love it.
Sheesh that's like $50 cheaper or so from the best price I've seen AND Aussie stock!
Agreed, usually Tab S 8.4 is around that price (from Dick Smith), when they are slightly discounted during Dick Smith's sales (that are frequently on).
I really want the 9.7 but this price makes it tempting to settle for less inches.
Consider ipad air? I'm now weighing up this and the ipad air. Hmm.
I'd go for this because of multi window, and also because i don't like ios.
This is also extremely light, thin (thinnest tablet in the world, thinner than Samsung's thinnest phone) and feels solid. Can't go wrong in my opinion.
Thought ios9 took care of the multi window issue?
Decisions decisions
@inose: Nah, models with 2GB RAM does proper multitasking, later models with 1GB RAM (i.e. Air 1, Mini 2, 3) does somewhat limited one, at least from what I've heard.
What do you mean proper multitasking?
I'm talking about something like Multi Window, something Samsung has had since the Galaxy S3.
@inose: I've mixed multi-tasking and multi-window, I always confuse those two terminology. Anyways, iOS 9 started to support multi-window like features for their tablet line.
1GB models has some limitations on how the multi window function is performed (I think only Slide Over and Picture in Picture (think of Youtube app on Android) was allowed or something like that). 2GB model on the other hand does Split View (which is basically the multi window function, though doesn't look like they offer something like quad one or pop up multi window).
iOS 9 split screen is still behind the multi window functionality on the tab s. Over time as more apps support split screen it could be good. At this point you can't even split the browser in two. And you need an iPad air 2 to do split screen.
I don't think Google decided to go with 4:3 to copy apple. I think the reasoning was to give consumers more choice. I wish that Apple would copy the front facing speakers.
@Ronnnie: I personally think iOS probably would end with better multiwindow support since almost every app developers would include that in their update (whereas Samsung one is not done with every app, and modification to the device to allow multiwindow on apps that are not supported can cause some issues). That said, I hope Android adapts the multiwindow function natively as well, so that all the Android app developers decides to include that in.
It's what you do with it that counts.
That's just what the little guys tell themselves. Size matters.
besides the chip upgrade there were many areas missing or downgraded…good for purists…id go for the tab s8.4 still.
Having had both, I'd definitely go for the S2. It's a lot smoother.
If it's purely for watching movies though, the original Tab S would have a better aspect ratio. But it feels nowhere as smooth as the S2, unfortunately!
Problem is will.they do new versions of android , i dont see too many manufacturers extending the life span of devices by making new versions of android available, my tab 4 will never see lollipop and its only 12 months old
At least my 4 year old ipad gets updates.
Might be changing following the stagefright vulnerability and lessons learned..
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/09/first-ever-monthly-an…
Not sure what Samsung's commitment is on its different devices though…
my tab 4 will never see lollipop and its only 12 months old
I don't think you can compare a low-end Android tablet with an iPad. You should be comparing it with high-end Android tablets, like the Tab S series. The Tab 4 and Tab S came out around the same time if I'm not mistaken, and the S has Lollipop.
At least my 4 year old ipad gets updates.
I keep reading about how new iOS updates slow down old devices. I'd rather not upgrade if that were the case.
Which Tab 4? They've started rolling out Lollipop on all Tab 4 models ages ago (which pissed me off a lot actually, since my tablet was stuck on 4.4.2.), some of them (10.1) even got 5.1.1. before the flagship tablets.
XDA :)
Bonus $50 Voucher, how do I get that? doesn't mention anywhere on the site.
I'm guessing you mean $50 eBay voucher, which mean this link here http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Samsung-SM-T710NZKEXSA-Galaxy-Tab…
If I didn't have my note 3 i would buy tab s2 lte version to use as a phone
Will you hold that mammoth up to your ear?
Will buy a bluetooth headset with the $50 voucher mate :)
Awesome deal! Bought one. If you want a cover for your tablet, my GG store had Belkin Galaxy Note 8 covers that fit like a glove, for $12.
Be careful with 3rd party covers for the Note 8, and note 10.1
There is huge design difference between OEM, and 3rd party covers in the way the tablet is held in place
Samsung covers hold the tablet with little force on each 4 corner areas. Secure enough, without placing pressure all around the tablet.
3rd party covers on the other hand tend to surround the entire screen, placing pressure all around. This seems to throw off the digitizer layer causing it malfunction.
I had in the past bought 2 note 8.0, and a note 2014 10.1 tablets on Gumtree from people convinced, their tablets were faulty.
The fix in every instance was to ditch the cover, fixing the problem.
The Belkin cover may be designed better, but I thought to write this for info.
Thanks for the warning. Seems like a snug but not excessive force, which may be due to the difference in thickness of the Note (8mm) and Tab S2 (5.6mm)?
Thanks Xuqi, did you get them for a good bargain off gumtree? Ie what was the price differential?
One Note 8 was from Gumtree, purchased mid last year for $200. The note 10.1 2014 (SM-P605) was also from Gumtree, purchased early December last year for $320.
Another Note 8 was purchased from the OCAU forums, for $180 mid last year.
OW PB $379
How did you get that? OW is $399 as well.
Officeworks probably updated to match it after the deal was posted.
I nearly bought at OW yesterday for $462, so yes, adjusted since.
Bloody good price…….
omg, the S2 price is INSANELY good! With the $50 coupon I doubt we can find a lower price within half a year time.
Bought one, thank's OP… Not sure if I need it though, like all the other 'good price' things I impulsively buy bcoz of OZB…
Quite tempted to buy one of these tablets.. I use the Samsung Tab s 10.5 its great but I want something a tad smaller and thinner
I didn't know there were tablets much thinner than the tab s. I had one and I thought it was too thin if anything. I have a nexus 9 now, and it seems thick, but even its thin. I'm glad that I moved away from lagwiz.:)
This new Samsung tab looks good, its a shame that it didn't get the exynos 7420 instead.
Tab S2 is the thinnest tablet available at the moment (5.8? 5.6? Can't remember).
Bit the bullet and purchased one an hour before midnight lol.
So it should be in time before the $50 ebay voucher closed out.
Yeah but is the difference discernible?
@Ronnnie: Battery capacity is :P Well, as with all portable devices, thinner, lighter the better (assuming that it doesn't kill battery life). I've heard mixed results on the battery capacity reduction, though the consensus seems to be, while lower battery capacity is bad, it's countering some of it at least with better finFET on SoC and better display technology (in terms of energy efficiency); The battery life isn't as bad as the battery capacity suggest it would be.
At least it'd be easier to lie down and hold the tablet up since it's lighter as well (and end up bashing your face with the tablet because you fell asleep in middle of watching a movie like that, oh wait, 4:3, !@#$).
I had Tab S 10.5, felt that it was bit too long to hold for reading books and comics. I gave it to someone else and bought Tab S2 9.7, the new screen ratio and tablet size is much better for me in everything including reading and movies. I would recommend you to try holding it in person (in stores) to choose the size that best suits you (9.7 or 8.0).
Any recommendations if I am looking for a tablet that is as cheap as possible but can still run Hearthstone well on it (which is basically all I will use it for)?
Thanks OP I really appreciate this post, my dainty lil hands are ever so thankful!
i bought this tablet Tab S2, which is still entitled to receive a $50 credits from ebay,
but where can i see the $50 credit?
Thanks.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/211727
http://pages2.ebay.com.au/Buyer_coupons/get50
How to Qualify for a Voucher:
To be eligible to receive the $50 eBay voucher, you must, during the Offer Period:
be signed in to your eBay account on eBay.com.au;
make a purchase of $100 or more (item costs only, postage not included) at a Participating Store in one transaction; and
pay for the item with PayPal.
The offer will commence at 10.00am (AEST) on 18 September 2015 and end at 11.59pm (AEST) on 22 September 2015 (“Offer Period”)
Your $50 eBay voucher will be issued on 1 October 2015, and must be redeemed before 23:59pm (AEST) on 31 October 2015, after which time the voucher expires.
Managed to pick one up at Officeworks for $379 thanks to team member discounts! Thanks OP. Don't even know why I bought it fml
For Netflix in bed?
Anyone know of the best screen protector for this tablet? There are so many different brands on the market but so few reviews.
Cheap glass one from Aliexpress, when they break, get a new one from them, repeat.
At least, that's what I'd do (unless you are getting some kind of case that covers the front as well).
Just be aware that the cheap glass ones have very poor oleophobic and anti-reflective coatings on them, if they have them at all. That means fingerprints will show up and reflections will be more obvious in bright areas.
I've found the difference to be minimum to be honest. Most of the glass protectors available are from China anyways.
Thanks for the advice. I don't take mine out of the house very often, do you think it's still worth it? I have yet to break any of my tablets yet. Using the gorilla glass bare feels kinda premium vs a protector.
Here it is:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 WiFi
how about:
Galaxy Tab S2 (8.0, LTE)
What is the difference?
The LTE model has 4G connectivity.
Just picked it up from good guys.. wow so sleek, shiny and classy! Haven't turned it on yet but it looks good :)
Nice price on Tab S2. That said, I've heard few things being removed from Tab S2 that were present in Tab S1 (no flash on the back camera is one of them). Battery capacity have been decreased a lot (S2 8.0 has 4000mAh which is small considering that it's an 8 inch tablet, though it's world's thinnest tablet).
Also, the ratio change might put people off from getting it (changes from 16:10 to 4:3 and people's preferences on them).
I never understood the concept of using AMOLED on a 4:3 tablet. 4:3 isn't exactly good for watching movies imo, it's more for e-books and web surfing (which LCD has advantages in).
SoC improvement is large (Exynos 5420 vs Exynos 5433), but Exynos 7420 would've been better. Though 5420 to 5433 is fairly large improvement nonetheless.
Overall, good price for a decent tablet.