My video review
I wrote my review of the Tab S4 a little over a month ago, but just recently I was able to spend some time on a detailed video review of the Tab S4. I spent 30 minutes going over various aspects of the tablet, and I wanted to give you my hands-on impressions of the device. I hope you enjoy it!
Pros:
- Bright and vibrant screen
- One of the few Android tablets updated to Android P
- Comes with S-Pen
- Still has a headphone jack
- Loud speakers with decent quality
Cons:
- Comes with an outdated processor (Snapdragon 835)
- Unless you find it on sale, it is not worth $650
- If you want the official Samsung keyboard, it will set you back an extra $90 minimum
- Heavier than the new Samsung Tab S5e
Review summary:
If you’re looking for a great device that is for entertainment first and productivity second, this device is definitely for you. It has a fantastic screen, it comes with an S-Pen, and it is more than fast enough for most tasks and most people. It should also be fast enough for many productivity tasks, however, if you want a device that is for productivity first and entertainment second, I would recommend getting a Chromebook instead. You can find one for the same price with more speed that would be much better for productivity.
Galaxy Tab S4 review
Android tablets are dead… Wait a minute… an ANDROID TABLET IS ALIVE!
Yes! The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is alive and is a surprisingly good tablet!
As of today, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 for as low as $399 at Best Buy. I have the details on how to get the tablet for $399 here, so I thought this was the perfect time to review this tablet.
I also want to note that I didn’t feel like the Samsung keyboard case was a good option. The keyboard is originally priced over $100, and typing wasn’t a fun experience on the keyboard. It also didn’t give me a lot of flexibility, because the keyboard case doesn’t allow you to separate the keyboard from the case.
A better resolution would be to get a good Logitech Bluetooth keyboard and get the lightweight Samsung flip case. This would allow you to use your device as a tablet and still have a keyboard when you need it.
Specs, design, and build quality
The Galaxy Tab S4 has a wonderful design and great build quality. It has a 10.5″ screen and a 2560 x 1600 resolution. It also comes with 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and a slightly outdated processor, the Snapdragon 835. The Tab S4 also comes with a 7,300mAh battery which is a big step up from the Tab S3’s 6,000 mAh battery.
Another unique thing about the Galaxy Tab S4’s design is that there is no fingerprint scanner or physical home button as well as the other capacitive buttons. The Tab S4 instead goes with digital home buttons, and for security, the Tab S4 comes with face unlock and an iris scanner. Some may question this design choice, but this allowed Samsung to provide more screen real estate than the Tab S3, without heavily increasing the weight of the tablet. It also allowed this tablet to have slimmer bezels which is an important feature as our society continues to lose more and more bezel.
If a fingerprint scanner is extremely important to you, the Tab S5e has a fingerprint scanner and the Tab S6 that is releasing soon also has a fingerprint scanner, but the Tab S5e has some flaws and the Tab S6 will be $650 upon release. Currently, you can get a pretty good idea on the Tab S4, so you have to consider how valuable a fingerprint scanner truly is to you. For some people, it may be a deal-breaker, but for me, I found it was pretty easy to go without.
Screen and display quality
I often hear people ask this question: “What advantage does an android tablet have over a Chromebook?” After all, Chromebooks can load Android apps, and they typically come with faster processors for the same price. Why spend $500 on a Tab S4 when you can buy a Chromebook with an i3 processor for the same price? The simple answer is: screen quality.
The Tab S4 has a 10.5″ screen and a 2560 x 1600 resolution which is absolutely exceptional. The screen is bright and vibrant, as the screen has up to 463 nits of brightness. My HP Chromebook x360 only has up to 220 nits of brightness in comparison! Your average Chromebook also only holds a 1080P display, while this Tablet has a 4K HDR display.
This means that videos will be a joy to watch. Things look very crisp and the speakers complement the screen well with very loud performance.
The screen is also great for reading. Even a screen with less resolution than this tablet would look great for reading, but this tablet really knocked it out of the park. If you want a device that is bright, crisp, clear, and great for reading, presentations, and entertainment, this device definitely will fit your needs.
Performance
When the Tab S4 released, many people expected it to release with a Snapdragon 845, but for some reason, Samsung chose to release the Tab S4 with only a Snapdragon 835. Instead of releasing with 6 GB of RAM as some people expected, the Tab S4 only comes with 4 GB of RAM. While this might be disappointing to some, performance is just fine. Your everyday user isn’t going to notice having 4 GB of RAM, as it should be sufficient for most everyday tasks.
Will the processor be fast enough for you? That depends on what you do. This tablet is fantastic for entertainment, web browsing, and even gaming.
Your average person should really enjoy the performance of this device. I had no issues with multitasking, and I could even have 15 apps open at one time with no issue. I jumped between pages with relative ease, and I was able to load demanding apps fairly quickly.
This device even does well in gaming. I was able to play PUBG mobile on ultra settings and in most cases I didn’t experience lag.
Can this tablet replace your laptop and be the productive beast you want? It really depends on your expectations. If your expectations are entertainment first and productivity second, this device is a great device that should meet your expectations. But if you expect this device to have the speed of an m3 processor or an i3 processor you would find in a laptop, you will be disappointed. As I tried to use this as a productivity device, it was able to do most tasks I needed, but the Tab S4 has its limitations. The web browser is a mobile version of chrome, and even with a Bluetooth keyboard things weren’t as quick or responsive as they would be on a quicker Chromebook or laptop. Still, for entertainment, this device was lighting fast. When I needed to pay some quick bills, I could access apps quickly and with ease, and when I wanted to browse facebook things were very quick.
In short: This device performs great and very quickly when using android apps or when using it for entertainment, and it functions OKAY and well for productivity purposes, but productivity should be considered a SECONDARY function of this tablet, not a primary function.
Battery life
The Tab S4 has a 7,300 mAh battery and has a great battery life overall. The Tab S3 only has a 6,000 mAh battery and the Tab S5e has a 7,000 mAh battery, so in comparison to its competition, the Tab S4 has a step up on the competition. Running a video for about 2 hours only dropped roughly 16% of battery life. The battery also drains very slowly when not being used. Even if you’re doing heavy browsing on this tablet, this tablet will last you a good while. LaptopMag has this tablet running for over 9 hours when doing continuous web surfing.
This device also has fast charging, so when the battery does die you can charge it up pretty quickly.
Other features
The Tab S4 isn’t devoid of features. For example, it comes with the S-Pen, which is very improved over the Tab S3 S-Pen. It is very responsive and it is very refreshing that it comes with the tablet rather than needing to be purchased (like with the Surface Pro or the Pixel Slate). Honestly, the S-Pen feels like you’re using a real pen, and it is the best stylus I’ve ever used with a tablet.
The Tab S4 also has great speakers that are plenty loud. This makes it great for watching movies or really anything regarding entertainment.
One thing you might be wondering about is the Tab S4 optional keyboard. Simply put, I don’t think it is worth it. You can’t have the case on without the keyboard, so when you don’t have the keyboard attached you don’t have a case either. I want to use my tablet as a tablet, and I want it protected while I do it. I get you can detach the keyboard case and then put it in a separate tablet case, and move the tablet back and forth, but how inconvenient is that? It shouldn’t be a chore to use my device, and at its cheapest, you will spend around $90 on it.
A much better solution is to buy a good case for the tablet and get a Bluetooth keyboard separately. You can get a really nice Logitech Bluetooth keyboard for $30. You can get other Bluetooth keyboards for $20. Not only is this option much cheaper, but it allows you to protect your device at all times. I should also add that the key travel isn’t very good on the optional Samsung keyboard, and I found a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard to be a much better option.
Good bang for your buck?
So is this device a good buy? It really depends on the price. At a full $650 this device is a tough sell. The Galaxy Tab S6 is releasing within the next month, and it will most likely release for around $650. The Tab S6 will have a much faster processor, more RAM, and should be a better device.
Still, lately, I’ve seen the Tab S4 as low as $500, with an extra discount for Students.
For $400 to $500, this device is a great buy.
If you’re looking for a great device for entertainment purposes, taking notes, and general productivity, this is a great buy. Just make sure you spend $500 or less on this device to get a good deal!
Please click here to view the Galaxy Tab S4 at Best Buy!