Samsung - Galaxy Tab S3 - 9.7" - 32GB - Black

Pros Beautiful, vibrant screen Excellent daylight reading High quality build Rounded metal edges are comfortable to hold for long periods Four excellent speakers that are loud without distorting With four speakers you still have sound regardless of how it is held Glass build prevents speakers from vibrating tablet at loud volume Includes stylus giving it many of the features of the Note line Stylus is smooth and responsive Storage doubled to 32GB from previous generations Noticeable faster than previous generations and very smooth Includes Blue Light filter mode to make nighttime viewing better Good battery life Rear facing camera has a flash Photos are good quality for a tablet in good lighting Split screen functionality for better multitasking USB-C MicroSD card slot for storage expansion Includes an LTE model Fast charging Includes plenty of extra stylus tips More capable as a 2-in-1 than other Android tablets Weight feels very good Very thin Cons Launch price is expensive Glass back is likely more fragile Glass back is a fingerprint magnet Glass back makes the tablet feel more slippery 32GB is low for the price point Not waterproof or water resistant Stylus cannot be stored internally Stylus pressure sensitivity inconsistent with stock note app Fingerprint scanner use still not reliable Cameras poor quality in anything but good light Looks like a boring slate even though it is high quality For a long time Android slates have looked fairly similar. They have been overall good quality but not quite the premium feel of competitors. Samsung in their Galaxy tablets improved build quality and used more premium materials but they did not have stylus functionality. The Note tablets could use a stylus but possessed a lower end processor and screen. The Galaxy Tab S3 is set to merge the two lines into one and expand the overall functionality to more of a 2-in-1 device like what most people are looking for today. The Tab S3 uses the exact same dimensions as it’s predecessor with a 9.7 inch screen but now it has a glass and metal build reminiscent the Galaxy smartphones. This gives the Tab S3 a very premium feel. The metal edges are rounded enough to prevent cutting the hand but still provide good grip. The same cannot be said of the back glass. It feels nice in the hand and looks premium but the back glass is more slippery, more likely to be damaged, and is a fingerprint magnet. Some of this could be alleviated by use of a case. In fact if you are accident prone that is the first accessory you should get. The design, although premium, is also very understated to the point of looking a bit boring. There is a definite upside to the glass back and that’s when it comes to sound. Most tables with metal backs cause a reverberation in the metal causing sound to degrade and distort with volume. With the Tab S3, the glass seems to temper this vibration. Combine this with the new four speaker setup and you get very loud, clean sound in a small package. This is quite possible the best sound quality of any tablet. With four speakers, the added bonus is no matter how you hold it you are unlikely to cover all four meaning you still get good sound. The Tab S3 sports the traditional hardware button saddled by two capacitive buttons. The hardware button does have a fingerprint reader that just requires a tap, not a swipe like the first generation Tab S. Unfortunately during testing, use was still unreliable. Sensitivity was excellent so hopefully this just requires a software fix. As with nearly any Samsung product what stands out is the screen. The Tab S3 seems to have bumped up the game quite a bit. The screen is the first thing that strikes you and maybe it’s a good thing the tablet design is somewhat boring because it allows you to fully appreciate this screen. This is the first tablet, other than one with an e-ink screen, that has been readable in the sun. In fact it can get so bright that you could easily use the screen as a flashlight in a dark room. This is also useful because, unless you spend most of your time outside, the screen rarely needs to ramp up the brightness past roughly 30%. The screen ratio does mean you will have black bars on the top and bottom for watching movies but it also means it is comfortable in both landscape and portrait orientation. It does seem Samsung intends most usage to be in portrait as the buttons are configured for portrait use. A welcomed addition to the Galaxy Tab line is the inclusion of an S-Pen. The old Note tablets were nice but lacked a high resolution screen and of course the old Galaxy Tab line lacked stylus support. It seems Samsung decided to simplify and merge the line to the benefit of fans. In fact, they have simplified things so far as to have only one tablet in the series. I suspect this is because if you want more, Samsung wants you to upgrade to their new Galaxy Book line. Otherwise, you essentially have a Note tablet with the high resolution screen and higher specs of a Galaxy Tab. Functionality is very similar to the Note line of phones although not identical. The S-Pen is very responsive and has almost no lag. It is light in the hand and has a nice amount resistance across the screen. Just like other S-Pens, no battery is required. Pressure sensitivity and tilt are included but pressure sensitivity was a bit inconsistent in the stock apps. Unfortunately unlike the Note phones you won’t find an S-Pen slot in the tablet so you are going to have to find a way to carry it, such as a case with a pen slot or loop. Overall, the S-Pen experience is very solid for a new product. The Tab S3 is a solid performer with a Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of ram. It might not have the latest processor or the most memory but they definitely didn’t skimp on power. Unfortunately, the storage is only 32GB. Although it doubled previous models and includes expandable MicroSD card storage, a lot of apps refuse to install to the card. This means you have more breathing room but power users will still have to watch their storage usage. Overall, the processor and memory combination leads to a much more fluid experience than existed on previous Galaxy tablets. Even with mild multitasking this tablet doesn’t see to lag at all. Animations are very smooth and fast giving the Tab S3 a fluidity that is rare in Android tablets. If you are an Android fan who has looked at tablet or 2-in-1 offerings and wished that Android had something comparable, this might finally be the one. Although it still leans towards content consumption, it definitely improves things in the productivity front as well. In fact, if there were an option, the Tab S3 would be rated 4.5 stars. If there is any major sticking point, it would be the price. The issue is that even though the specs have been upgraded and S-Pen functionality is now included, the price point puts it right in line with some regular 2-in-1 PC devices which offer greater functionality and similar premium build. Reports have surfaced that Samsung has been including the keyboard case in preorders which definitely sweetens the deal. The suggested retail price at time of launch makes it a little hard to recommend compared to other offerings unless you are a hardcore Android fan wanting a premium Android tablet now. The good thing is Samsung has a track record of running sales and specials shortly after launch. If history holds true, Samsung will make the Tab S3 look even more attractive not very long after launch. Wait for a promotion if you can. If you can’t wait, you will likely still be very happy with your purchase. This entire review was written and posted solely using the Tab S3 with the keyboard case.

First off, I’m an admitted Apple fan – but not one of the zealots who doesn’t give Android or Google credit where credit is due. With that in mind, I was very interested to hear about Samsung’s new iPad Pro challenger, the Tab S3. It looks to be about the same size and specs of the smaller iPad Pro and I figured that I should learn as much about Android as I could. For starters, the overall design reminds me of a giant iPhone 4 – the back of the unit is a glossy black glass which looks really slick, but also attracts fingerprints like a magnet. Since the design of the Tab 3 makes it very slim, I found myself at time babying it more than I would my iPad. The weigh of the iPad made it feel sturdier. The Tab S3 felt much safer in the Samsung keyboard case – which is what I’m using to type this review up now. Another cool point for the Tab was the inclusion of the S-Pen. With the Apple Pencil, you need to have an iPad Pro, sorry iPad Air owners, and it has a battery that needs to be recharged. The Samsun S-Pen made the leap from their phones to the tablet and it’s a welcome inclusion with requires no batteries! I found myself enjoying taking notes in my own handwriting versus typing, correcting and retyping. Compared to the Apple keyboard case and the Microsoft Surface one, this is about the same class as the Apple one and even uses the same connector. I really think that the Surface has the best tablet-to-keyboard configuration out there today. The keyboard doesn’t require a charge to use, which is nice. The keys are reasonably spaced out and typing I comfortable. Just note, the keyboard is an extra accessory that’ll set you back another $130. One of the pain points with Android is a minor, but glaring issue to anyone who’s more familiar with Apple’s ecosystem. There’s the Google apps that are baked into the OS but then there’s Samsung’s apps that do pretty much the same thing installed right along side. With iOS, it’s more like a single sign-on process. When setting this up, I felt the signing into Samsung and Google to be redundant and annoyance. I found the Tab S3 to be snappy and very responsive. The screen is bright and beautiful boasting HDR support. The audio quality in watching movies was superb for a tablet, but it makes sense since Samsung is advertising the audio performance and balancing as a marquee feature. The ability to add additional storage is nice since the Tab S3 only comes in a 32GB option. Not a deal breaker, but when you start adding movies and pictures and apps, you can lose that space very quickly. Something else to consider is that if, like me, you have a mixed OS environment, you may fin yourself in the position of having to pay for the same apps. Meaning, you can’t really transfer purchases from iOS to Android or vice versa. If you’re in the market for a slick Android tablet then the Tab S3 is the one for you. I’ve been using it for a few days now and can honestly say that I continue to use it, even after the novelty of it being new wears off. If you’re heavily embedded into the Apple ecosystem, then I’d say invest in the smaller iPad Pro – or wait until the newer ones are released this year. If you're looking to replace an laptop with a tablet, then I'd say to give the Galaxy Tab S3 serious consideration.

There are not much Android tablets with premium specs in the market compare to Apple iPad, but Samsung is not ready to give up the fight with the release of high-end Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 with significantly updated specs, HDR screen and improved S Pen support. It is equally positioned with iPad Pro. Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 screen has a 9.7-inch 1536 x 2048 Super AMOLED display with support of HDR content and it matches the iPad Pro 9.7 in size and resolution. Samsung Tab S3's screen size and resolution have not changed with pixel density of 264 pixels per inch. It has Super AMOLED display, for brighter, richer colors. The main upgrade over the Tab S2 is HDR content support. There is not a huge amount of HDR content yet, but once there is this it will be really helpful with Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. Another big change for this model is that there's no 8.0-inch option, Tab S3 only coming in a 9.7-inch size. Tab S3 has metal and glass build with similar size to Tab S2. Samsung upgraded the design for the Galaxy Tab S3, replacing the soft plastic back of the Tab S2 with a glass one, but retaining the metal frame. The overall appearance like an oversized Samsung Galaxy S7. While cameras are never the highlight of a tablet, Samsung Tab S3 came with 13MP back side camera and 5MP front facing camera with LED flash. It does include an autofocus and can record 4K video at 30fps.Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 came with 6,000mAh one and it can last up to 12 hours of video playback. I have used more than 10 hours without any issues. It supports fast charging via USB Type-C, so you shouldn't be waiting too long. Tab S3 runs the latest major version of Android 7.0 overlaid with Samsung's own interface. It came with quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 only comes in one size - 32GB, but it also has a microSD card slot with support for cards of up to 256GB if you need more storage for apps and games. Beyond the core specifications, Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is packed full of features, including support for Samsung's S Pen stylus. This is the latest and greatest version of the stylus, with a smaller 0.7mm tip and increased pressure sensitivity. It also works with S Pen features like Screen Off Memo, which lets you take down notes without turning the screen on or launching an app. The Tab S3 also supports keyboards using a pogo connection, so all that along with the screen specification make this remarkably similar to the iPad Pro 9.7. It has 4 stereo speakers tuned by AKG promises distortion free sounds. It came with fingerprint scanner and it supports Samsung Flow, which can sync notifications between your tablet and Galaxy handset. I have listed the key specifications below • 9.7-inch 1536 x 2048 Super AMOLED display • Supports HDR content • Matches the iPad Pro 9.7 in size and resolution • A metal and glass build • Similar size to Tab S2 but thicker and heavier • 13MP rear camera with autofocus • 5MP front-facing camera with LED flash • 6,000mAh battery with fast charging • Supposedly lasts through 12 hours of video on one charge • Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4GB of RAM • Android 7.0 out of the box • Just 32GB of storage, but microSD support of 256GB • Supports S Pen stylus and keyboards • Four stereo speakers tuned by AKG • Fingerprint scanner It is one of the best android tablet with premium features and equally matching iPad Pro. It worked really well with Samsung Book Cover Keyboard for accurate and comfort typing.

Calling all Gamers and Movie Watchers... this is the BEST Android tablet on the market as I type. It is the multimedia lovers tablet! I'm going to cover many of the things you want to know so you can build a case whether this is worth your hard earned money. -=The "Skinny" on Build Quality=- We all know the debacle that was Galaxy Note 7. I loved this phone and was sad to see the recall run its course. I was refreshed to see this tablet. It screams premium from the moment you open the box. It is packaged like a high class item in a sleeve that protects against scratches. This tablet oozes sophistication, style, and class like the Note 7 did. It follows the same Samsung design language found in their post 2015 flagship phones. You will hold this and know you have a great tablet. It doesn't feel cheap and "plasticky" with its glass front and back. The metal rim is slightly curved like the S7edge and Note 7 were and surrounds a USB type C connector. It also brings S Pen functionality much like the Note 7. The SPen is solid and build to last. You could say this is a Note 7 without the awesome camera and iris scanner. This S Pen is eerily similar in size to a normal ball point pen and the tip is .07mm like what most of us write with (see photo for comparison). It feels solidly built and comfortable to use. The best comparison is last year's Galaxy S2 Tab but build with upgraded materials and software/hardware. A+ for Samsung here. //CONS// This beautiful design is a fingerprint magnet and there is nowhere to put the SPen. So DON'T lose it or you can buy a case that has a place for it. The replacement cost is around $80 ouch! -=The Screen=- This screen is gorgeous! It uses a 9.7" Super AMOLED display with resolution of 2048x1536. This means the pixel density is right there with that if other major competitors on the market at 264ppi. The screen supports HDR which makes this tablet future-proof. Details are crisp and colors are accurate (when not in "Adaptive" mode). This makes the screen ideal for web browsing, studying, reading and streaming HD content. You need a tablet to use outside? This tablet has a peak brightness output of 465 nits, ensuring that clarity isn’t compromised when it’s used outdoors under direct light. It's screen color reproduction is most accurate using the "basic" color mode which is accurate to the sRGB gamut. //CONS// Not much is stated on what type of glass this is. I would expect Gorilla Glass is here somewhere, but it isn't clearly notated anywhere. Get a screen protector to be safe! -=Performance=- This is snappy quick like the processor it has. The Galaxy Tab S3 uses the same quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 GB of RAM found in the Note 7 and S7/edge. Before you get upset or disappointed, this is more than enough to handle anything you have to do on the tablet. It doesn't lag during applications. I wouldn't call this a laptop replacement, but it is definitely a nice tablet. Pro users will need to look elsewhere for something to replace the laptop. -=Battery Life=- I would say this is average. It has a 6,000 mAh cell that last anywhere from 6hr 45 mins to 8 hrs of heavy use. That encompasses It's enough to get through the day with heavy use but this is offset with the Quick Charge 3.0 technology. In my experience, I have fully recharged this tablet from 15% to 100% in roughly 1.5hrs to 1hr 45 mins. Now that is IMPRESSIVE! With light use, you may be able to charge every 2-3 days. //CONS// I wish the battery lasted longer, but this is offset with the Quick Charge 3.0. Standby time is decent as well. You be the judge... -=Hardware=- Camera's are decent. You get a front facing 5MP camera with an aperture of f/2.2. The rear shooter is 13MP with an aperture of f/1.9. These are NOT the awesome quality of photos we are used to with our cell phones so don't let the MPs fool you. They are however leaps and bounds over most other tablet cameras. In low light conditions it is average at best. The rear camera is capable of recording in 4K while the front camera only can record in 1080p. It has an LED flash on the back which is very nice. //CONS// These cameras could be the high quality found in our cell phones these days, but I see they cut cost to make a profit. Nothing wrong with that. Besides who is actually using their tablet to take photos when we all have cell phones :) This is just me being tough on them. They aren't the best in low light. The SPen comes bundled with the purchase unlike other tablet competitors make you shell out another $80-$100 for that functionality. It is roughly the size of a standard gel roller ball point pen. It has a .07mm tip with 4096 levels of sensitivity and writes so smoothly. The stylus is compatible with a variety of apps, too, including Samsung's own S Note app, and Microsoft OneNote. And though I'm not much of an artist, I am a fervent note taker, and SPen felt just as natural to use as a BIC ballpoint pen to a piece of paper. Perhaps the SPen's only flaw in this particular case is that it doesn't physically attach to the Galaxy Tab S3. You will need a pencil pouch to keep tabs on the stylus, or you'll need to get into the habit of clipping it onto your shirt. Like the old days. There is a few milliseconds of lag between you writing on the screen and actually seeing what you write. Not a big deal but worth nothing for those who will draw on this. It has all the same SPen features that were found on the Note 7. For more info, google Air Command tutorials. Did I mention there is no battery to recharge or replace? This is great! //CONS// Did I mention there isn't anywhere to put the pen? The fingerprint sensor is also a welcomed addition to this. I found it to be very finicky if it isn't clean. Nothing like the speed and reliability of the one found on the S7 series or Note 7. //CONS// In my experience, it takes a few times to get my fingerprint registered to unlock. I have tried to reregister my fingerprints to see if it helps, but only when the sensor is clean. The speakers BOOM with sound since there are 4 of them tuned by AKG. They employ the accelerometer to change the orientation of the sound to match how the screen faces. They sound louder with clear mids and highs, but lack heavily in the lows and bass areas. This will NOT be something you stream music from, I recommend pairing it with an external Bluetooth speaker. //CONS// Sounds like two cell phone quality speakers. Lacking in the low and bass departments. I recommend pairing with a Bluetooth speaker to make it a better experience. //VERDICT// The Galaxy Tab S3 is good enough that you could use it for working, gaming, reading, binge-watching, and almost everything else your little laptop can do. The only issue you might have getting used to multitasking on Android itself. Even with the Tab S3's native multi-window functionality, I'd much rather have the freedom of a laptop to spread out my work than be confined to a finicky task switcher. Also, there is no waterproofing which I would like to see, but I don't think there are any tablets that have this feature. Another huge gripe of mine is the fact there isn't a place to put the SPen. This means you can easily lose it. I find it hard to justify the price point of $599. It is clearly trying to take on the standard for tablets -which I will not mention- but it is a worthy competitor. There are many accessories that can make this better. To date, there is a keyboard that doubles as a case for protection. It does not use a battery or Bluetooth which is a plus. It simply plugs in to the pogo connectors on the tablet. Overall this is a great tablet. If you are looking for a future proof tablet and are deeply integrated into the Android platform this is for you. If not, wait for the price to drop and catch it on the Black Friday sale or something. -=Spec Sheet=- This is a spec list for my people who want to nerd out directly off the Samsung website: OS - Android 7.0 Processor - Snapdragon 820 Quad Core(2.15 GHz + 1.6 GHz Quad), Qualcomm APQ8096 Build Type - Wi-Fi Color -Black Size - Weight 0.95 lbs Dimensions (inches) 9.34" x 6.65" x 0.24" Camera - Front 5MP f/2.2 // Back 13MP AF with LED Flash f/1.9 Digital Optical Zoom x4 (Digital) Battery Type and Size - Li-Ion 6000mAh Memory Internal Memory 4GB(RAM) Storage - 32 GB External Memory Expandable with microSD™ capacity up to 256GB Connectivity USB Type-C (3.1) Bluetooth v4.2 Bluetooth Profiles - A2DP,AVRCP,DI,HFP,HID,HOGP,HSP,MAP,OPP,PAN,PBAP Earjack - 3.5mm Stereo Wi-Fi Direct Display Main Display Resolution 2048 x 1536 (QXGA) Main Display Size 9.7" Main Display Technology Super AMOLED S Pen Compatible Yes (Included in box) Audio Features Audio Streaming, Music Player Audio Playing Format MP3,M4A,3GA,AAC,OGG,OGA,WAV,WMA,AMR, AWB,FLAC,MID,MIDI,XMF,MXMF,IMY,RTTTL,RTX,OTA Speaker Quad Speakers (DSL Type 1709 3.0t) Video Features Video Streaming, Video Player Video Playing Format MP4,M4V,3GP,3G2,WMV,ASF,AVI,FLV,MKV,WEBM Sensor Types - Accelerometer,Fingerprint Sensor,Gyro Sensor,Geomagnetic Sensor,Hall Sensor,RGB Light Sensor What's Included in Box? Tab S3 9.7" S Pen Quick Start Guide Power Adapter USB Type-C cable

For those looking for a "total package" tablet then this would probably fill just about every need for one. The screen on this is quite nice. Playing some HD movies and YouTube channels on this looked really nice so there's no need, or concern, for a tablet with just another run-of-the-mill screen. Images are clear and video playback is crisp as are the colors. Keyboard is a welcomed addition and works pretty well with the tablet. I've personally never used a keyboard with my tablets however getting accustomed to this keyboard was relatively easy and intuitive. The S-Pen takes some time getting used to. Like with the keyboard, never used a pen/stylus on my tablets. While it's great for taking notes/drawing/etc, seems the UI/software takes a little getting used to. That said, I think with some time, it'll come to be a great little accessory for me. The overall fit and finish of this tablet is excellent. Previous Samsung tablets I had seemed kind of sloppy in terms of appearance. This is a solid piece design so that back doesn't come off. Everything from the buttons, speakers and SD slot are tightly fit giving this tablet a very sleek look. You probably will want some screen protectors or a nice case to ensure the tablet doesn't get messed up. The quad speakers is a very nice addition. When using the tablet in landscape mode watching a video or something, very nice to have the sound distributed evenly from the tablet as opposed to coming from one/two speakers. As expected there is a fair bit of Samsung bloatware on this so be prepared for that as well as some other pre-loaded apps. One of the nice things about this is the ability to create user accounts so this one tablet can be setup differently for multiple people in the household. Overall, really impressed with this. Battery life is quite good and charges quite fast compared to older tablets I've owned. Pretty stout hardware on the tablet so it's plenty fast enough for any task/app you'll need it for.

I recently received a Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 to review. This unit came with an S-Pen and a Samsung Keyboard/Cover. Opening the box to a glass covered 9.7 inch Android Tablet with specs that deliver was such a pleasure. I have owned several of the lower end Android tablets, so comparing this to them really is like comparing apples to oranges. Starting with it's 4 Gig of ram, you can launch application after application, and switch tasks, and there is absolutely no lag. It's Snapdragon 820 processor is ready at attention to go, when you need the horsepower. This unit is my first Android tablet to have 32 Gigs of memory, which allows me to install pretty much any application I want without worrying about the storage. It also allows for an additional Micro SD Card up to 256 Gb. If you are into using tablets to snap still shots or videos, Samsung did not forget you with this tab S3. It's front camera is a 5 megapixel sensor and it's back camera is a 13 megapixel sensor, and from just playing around with it a little, the captured images and video are outstanding. Now onto some pros and cons as I found them during my typical use of this device for a week. Keyboard - This unit came with it's Samsung Keyboard Case in Gray. Upon first use, I was afraid it might be too small. But after getting my bear-paw/hand acclimated to it. It is very comfortable to type. I had to adjust how far I reached with my left fingers, each time I went to type a W, I touched the screen, thus disabling the keyboard and looking for more input from the touch screen. But once my reach remained within the keyboards playing field, it has been a pleasure use. I did find one slight caveat, I noticed that when using the physical keyboard, it would not do predictive text or offer spell check. I did some poking around, with this unit being brand new on the market, and in pre-order status, I did not find an isolated resolution. If I am missing a setting please enlighten me and comment with the "Samsung Solution". I did find a work around that works really well. I wish I would have saved the blog that I found it on, so I could give credit where credit is due. Anyways, I downloaded SwiftKey for an additional keyboard, which allows enabling spell checker/predictive text on a physical keyboard. I am pleased to say, I may stick with this work around, due to it working so well. The predictive text appears at the bottom of the screen, within reach of my fingers, so as the choices came up, I can quickly tap them without having to re-home my fingers on the keyboard. I actually appreciate it not being a Bluetooth device, leaving all of it's juice for it's robust processor and beautiful screen. It obtains its connection via a well designed pogo connector at the base of the tablet, and stays attached quite well with some strong magnets. This accessory is an added expense, but I think it is totally worth it if you are looking to make this a portable machine, much like a Chromebook. S-Pen - This unit comes with the S-Pen and is pretty self explanatory, with the ability to sketch, draw, write or use it as a pointer. If you download an app from Google called Google Hand Writing Input: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.handwriting.ime You can easily use the S-Pen for every input you do. It's pretty neat, I just don't know if it is completely efficient. Usb-c Charger - This unit is yet another device being powered/charged by a USB type C cable, which offers to top off it's 6000 Milliampere hour battery in rapid fashion. Screen - It's 9.7 inch screen is relatively comfortable size for both tablet use and pc use (with keyboard) even while on your lap. It is very crisp and clear with precise auto brightness function. Some tablets really don't utilize auto brightness very well. I think Samsung got it right this time around.

I am an accomplished tablet user. Sometimes you want to be connected, but just not on a full-size computer. So for that, there are tablets. My tablet of choice has been the iPad, but I have used other operating systems, too. This was my first foray into using a Samsung Galaxy Tab though and I must say, it’s quite impressive. First of all, I have to remark at it’s glorious glass visage. It’s a glossy look and feel, which can lead to a lot of fingerprints, but it’s smooth and feels great in your hands. With it being a 9.7-inch tablet, it’s the same size as the iPad Air 2, iPad Pro 9.7, and the brand new iPad 9.7. So, for me, it was an easy transition — style wise — to the Tab S3. The Tab S3 ships with a redesigned S Pen, which allows you to write, draw, annotate, etc. all on your tablet. This was not foreign to me because of the Apple Pencil, but I have to admit that the S Pen actually feels better in my hand than the Apple Pencil does. It’s lightweight and the shape is similar to an ink pen. I actually spent some time handwriting on the Tab S3 and found that the pen/tablet combo works very well. It takes a little getting used to because the surface of the screen is so smooth, but the responsiveness between the pen and the screen is so precise that it really is like writing on paper. As far as utility goes, the Tab S3 works like a charm. I didn’t use it a lot for presentations or the like, but I did do a lot of typing on it and some basic tablet tasks. It’s very quick and responsive to commands. There is a keyboard case that magnetizes to the Tab S3, but it is sold separately. I can recommend the pair though because they work really well together. The screen is bright and colorful. I had a very easy time reading when using the tablet. One of the main functions of a tablet that I will use frequently is Bluetooth connection. I have a great set of BT headphones and they are super easy to pair with my Apple products. When I went to pair them with the Galaxy Tab, it took a couple of tries before they popped up on the BT menu. On the plus side, I disconnected the headphones and when I reconnected them they were automatically recognized. Watching videos on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is a brilliant experience. The screen is QXGA (2048 x 1536) sAMOLED so the resolution is just gorgeous. Most of the media I watch these days is streamed from apps. My tests included watching a trailer for Beauty and the Beast on YouTube and the other was to watch part of Finding Dory on Netflix. I did this for two reasons. First, I know that CGI and animated features can sometimes lose their integrity and quality on a poor screen. And secondly, I knew that streaming media can also lose quality easily even on the highest resolution displays. The Tab S3 passed with flying colors. Finding Dory, just like Finding Nemo, has some of the most vibrant colors. I honestly would love to have a TV that looked this good. The Tab S3 has quad speakers, but I have to say that I would like to get more bang for the buck with them. They sounded good and very clean, but I thought I would get more volume from them than I did when I was watching videos. Now, when I put my headphones on I found that the volume wasn’t a problem at all. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is a really solid tablet. It’s going to be great for professional or personal use.

Many reviews of the tablet complained about the separate stylus. However, there seems to be a way to carry the stylus with the tablet more or less securely. The stylus has a metal clip, and the back of the tablet has magnetic areas. Slightly above the Samsung logo is an area with strong magnetic field. If you attach the stylus as shown in the picture, then it will be relatively secure in its place.