Last year, Samsung redefined how many pixels you can cram into 10 inches with the Galaxy Tab S; this year, it’s back with a thinner and lighter second round.
The Tab S2 will come in two sizes, just like the tablet it’s replacing: a smaller 8-inch model, and the full-size 9.7-inch version (a tad smaller than the 10.5-inch screen on the original Tab S). The screen was the main selling point on the first Tab S, and things are looking similar this time around: 2048×1536 Super AMOLED, which will hopefully translate to another jaw-droppingly-good display.
Under the hood, things are more or less what you’d expect: octacore processor, with one quad-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz, and one at 1.3GHz. There’s 3GB of RAM, 32/64GB of internal memory, and a microSD slot for expansion. Software-wise, you can expect the not-quite-latest 5.0 version of Android, with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin on top.
Aside from the run-of-the-mill specs upgrade, there’s two real pieces of news: a thinner, lighter metal build (the Tab S didn’t exactly have a beer belly, either), and a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button.
Both sizes will have Wi-Fi and LTE options, launching for an undisclosed price sometime in August.
Update: Samsung Australia has shared an official comment on its plans for the Tab S2: “Samsung Electronics Australia is excited to confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 will be made available in Australia later this year. We will provide pricing and availability details for our latest flagship tablet range closer to the local launch.” We can’t wait!
[Samsung]