My experience with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 after two weeks

A high-flying tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is Samsung's new proposal for demanding users. A team that is oriented to both leisure and work , and that requires a good investment. Its WiFi version is already on sale for 700 euros, but its interior houses very high-end features. Starting with its 10.5-inch screen with Super AMOLED technology, going through its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor or its excellent 7,300 milliamp battery .

Its autonomy surprises beyond the 16 hours of video that Samsung itself announces, since I have been able to work with it without problems for two days (and intensively) without having to look for a plug. It is the old wish that I keep waiting for in high-end mobiles, which are still lacking on this side (no matter how fast-charging technologies advance).

View of one of the four speakers that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has

I have had the opportunity to test the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 in depth for a few days. These are my impressions of this tablet that you can find in stores for 700 euros for the WiFi version and for 760 euros if you also want space for a 4G SIM card.

The rear of the Galaxy Tab S4 is covered with resistant glass

Data sheet Samsung Galaxy Tab S4

Autonomy, blessed autonomy

It is, in my opinion, the great success of the Galaxy Tab S4. Autonomy is one of the main reasons that would lead me to buy this equipment instead of its competitors. According to official data from Samsung, we have a range of up to 16 hours of video playback and 10 hours of WiFi browsing. I was surprised (by the low) this second figure, since I have tried the 4G version of the tablet and I have made it my “shoe” for a couple of days.

During this test I have been able to use it for more than one day and I only had to connect it to the network at the end of the second day. That is why the official figure of only 10 hours of navigation surprises me.

This tablet is as thin as the thinnest mobiles on the market

In short, it is a device that will not leave you stranded on long journeys and that is more than a small substitute for a work laptop. Samsung also wanted to highlight its fast charging system. Specifically, it takes 200 minutes to fully charge the Tab S4's 7,300 milliamp battery . It is not a marvel (more than three hours) but it is not a bad figure.

Advancing the concept of Samsung DeX

Samsung DeX was the verification of a reality. Smartphones have become so powerful that they can already function as a miniature computer. With this base and its accessories, the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be turned into a functional PC. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 takes this functionality further to Huawei mode. You no longer need a dock, just buy an HDMI adapter for your tablet and connect it to a monitor.

Although they are not a key feature, the S4 has both a rear camera and a front camera

As soon as this adapter is detected, we can start working as if it were a PC. The tablet screen itself works like a trackpad to move through menus and files. I have not had the opportunity to test it in situ (at least not in the Tab S4, although in previous versions of the Galaxy S) but it promises a lot.

By the way, it also supports manual writing via an S Pen without we bought it separately.

Sample of the back in glass and the sides in aluminum

Elegant and minimalist design but few distinguishing details

Let's be honest. If with smartphones it has often happened to us that too many models seem like a copy with respect to other equipment, with tablets this problem worsens. At this point, it is difficult to innovate in these gadgets that have become increasingly thin and with reduced frames.

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has Super AMOLED technology and a size of 10.5 ″

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 inherits the infinity screen from other models of the brand. The frames have been greatly reduced and the physical start button has disappeared to accommodate a 16:10 screen.

We have said before that it is difficult to innovate in tablet designs, but that does not mean that the Tab S4 is ugly. On the contrary, it gives off a sense of elegance from the first glance. Starting with its finesse. Just 7.1 millimeters thick, a real success when you consider the battery it houses. It is not particularly light, but it is comfortable to hold and take anywhere.

Detail of the upper frame of the tablet

This tablet has two shades. I have been able to test the one with a white glass back, with the Samsung logo in silver. This material makes it attractive, and although fingerprints remain relatively easily they are not easily noticed with this color. The use of reinforced glass is a guarantee that it will not break at the first hit , although I have not been able to get rid of that feeling of fragility that glass always gives. The side area is reinforced by gray aluminum.

It should be noted at this point that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has four AKG speakers , two in the upper area and two in the lower area. The idea is to create an immersive audio experience (not in vain it is certified by Dolby Atmos). The audio experience is correct and this experience is created, although it is not the section that has surprised me the most. Probably the thinness of the tablet means that there is less surface to create the resonance and this is quite noticeable in the bass (or the lack of it).

The screen resolution is 2,500 x 1,600 pixels

The best on screen

Honestly, if you are looking for a tablet with the best that can be offered in the screen section, you have to go for a Samsung. The use of Super AMOLED technology is an excellent claim. Lower energy consumption, higher brightness and brighter colors than with LCD panels. And to this we must add a very high resolution, 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. That is, twice the resolution than with a traditional Full HD panel.

As I explained earlier, a couple of design elements have been removed to make a screen with thinner frames and a 16:10 aspect ratio . That is, slightly longer than usual. Despite being thin, they leave some space so that we can grip the tablet by the edges without pressing the touch screen.

In operation there are no doubts. The display experience is excellent, both for resolution and color reproduction. These may seem more vibrant than they would be in real life, but I personally appreciate this point of spectacularity when watching series, movies or YouTube videos.

The rear camera sticks out slightly

Powerful processor and 64GB memory

In the guts of this tablet we find a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 83 5 processor . This powerful eight-core chip is clocked at 2.35 GHz in four of the cores and 1.9 GHz in the remaining four. It is combined with 4 GB of RAM, enough to run a good number of processes without problems without us seeing performance drop. The truth is that during its use I have not experienced any kind of stop. Everything is fluid, from the tablet's own menus to applications, through videos or games. Of course, later we will have to test its performance when it comes to functioning as a complete PC.

The internal memory of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 goes up to 64 GB . It's not a bad figure, but here I would have liked to see a jump to 128GB in the basic configuration. The reason is simple. We are talking about a tablet very oriented to leisure and that invites you to store a good amount of movies and videos in high quality to take advantage of its resolution. The 64GB can come up relatively easily.

The Tab's speakers create a Dolby Atmos surround effect

Complete connections

Within the field of connections, this team has the main connectors that we expect in a tablet. The key connection is the USB Type-C port that is used to charge the computer. In addition, this connector can also be used to insert an HDMI adapter and use the S4 as a PC. Of course, we must bear in mind that if we are using it as a PC we will not be able to load it at the same time . It has a high enough autonomy to maintain the type, but we must not forget this point.

It is appreciated that the company maintains a Jack for the headphones. We also have a slot to expand the space by means of a microSD card. But surely the most interesting thing is the inclusion of a SIM card slot in the advanced settings . This addition is key if you are looking for a tablet that is always connected when you go on a trip.

Rear camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4

Speaking of WiFi, the tablet supports the WiFi AC protocol . That is, it can be connected to both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bandwidths. The former is more congested and has not been thought to work with many devices connected to the network at the same time. The second allows higher speeds, is less congested and is designed to support up to 100 devices on the same network simultaneously.

It also includes Bluetooth 5.0, a version that already allows the tablet to be paired with two peripherals simultaneously , such as a mouse and wireless speakers.

Price and reviews

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 can now be purchased in Spain for a price of 700 euros for its WiFi version. For the WiFi + 4G version the price goes up to 760 euros .

In short, we are facing a very complete model that seeks to be something more than a tablet to use. On the one hand, the option of inserting a SIM card gives us a lot of play to take the Tab S4 on a trip or on business trips. We can also turn it into a PC to use just by buying an HDMI adapter and a wireless keyboard and mouse. And all this with its good autonomy of up to 16 hours of video playback, one of the sections that I liked the most (and surprised me) during its test.