DeX mode can be enabled without connecting the tablet to a dock. This means apps will launch in resizable windows that you can drag around. This tablet is also the first to support two screens – both the tablet’s screen and the external monitor (connected over HDMI) are available. Older DeX implementations disabled the phone’s screen.
Speaking of, the screen is a 10.5” Super AMOLED panel with 2,560 x 1,600px resolution (16:10). The vivid colors of the screen will be great for watching movies and the quad speakers enhance the experience – they have been tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos (Netflix and Hulu have Atmos content).
The tablet comes bundled with a new S Pen, which is fairly large and with great ergonomics. The tablet and stylus combo can also be used as a digital sketch pad or the tablet touchscreen can serve as a trackpad.
The Galaxy Tab S4 10.5 is powered by a Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB of RAM. With most of the Android tablet market focused on mid-range and even entry-level hardware, the 835 is comparatively fast. And it needs to be to create a PC-like experience. Microsoft’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint are available.
Word will work especially well with the optional Book Cover keyboard. It attaches to the tablet via pogo pins and magnets and turns the Tab S4 into a laptop. There’s also a DeX dock for a desktop experience if you prefer to attach your own accessories.The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 10.5 will launch with Android 8.1 Oreo. It has a 7,300mAh battery and comes bundled with a 15W fast charger. Samsung claims the battery is good for 16 hours of video playback.
Road warriors can pick the LTE (Cat. 16) version, other might prefer the Wi-Fi-only model. Samsung Flow can help with Wi-Fi tethering and will sync the notifications from your phone onto the tablet.
In the US, Best Buy already has the Tab S4 on pre-order, the Wi-Fi version anyway. The 64GB model costs $650, the oen with 256GB storage is $750.
Euro prices for the 64GB model are €700 for the Wi-Fi only unit and €760 for the LTE model. The Book Cover keyboard will be €150 while a regular protective cover will be €70. A charging dock will be available for €60. The tablet will be in stores from August 24.