Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 Review

Lisa Gade reviews the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Samsung's latest high line tablet for mid-2014. We look at the 8.4" model in this review, and Samsung also offers a 10.5" Tab S. The Tab S 8.4 is nearly identical to the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, but it has two improvements: a Super AMOLED display for richer, more accurate colors and better contrast; and a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. The tablet runs on the Exynos 5 Octa CPU with 4 1.9GHz high power cores and 4 1.3GHz low power cores. It has 3 gigs of RAM, 16 or 32 gigs of storage, a microSD card slot, dual band WiFi 802.11AC, Bluetooth 4.0 and a GPS with GLONASS. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung's TouchWiz UI and includes their multi-window multitasking and Pro apps bundle including Hancom Office. The 16 gig WiFi Tab S 8.4 costs $399, and the 10.5" Tab S with 16 gigs of storage is $499. They're direct competitors to the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display.
* Read our full written review here: www.mobiletechr...

[@dahmaster334]

I got my tab s 8.4 for Christmas this year, so happy. My mum bought it for me, I'm only 11.

[@Del-Canada]

The 8.4 and 10 inch tablets differ only in PPI. The 8.4 packs in many more pixels per inch. Awesome review, and you got another subscriber. Also, my cat wants to fight your cat.

[@Strat09Retired]

Lisa enjoyed watching your video, I own several contenders of this tablet. I purchase a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Samsung Galaxy Pro 8.4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. I evaluated all three, in the end the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 was the winner in overall design, comfort, styling and performance. The reviews given by you were very helpful, nice work I look forward to your next review.

[@blahs360]

This definitely has to be one of the most thorough KZbin reviews I've seen on the galaxy 8.4 tab s. Very great job really informative I found you touched on some points that I wanted to know about that some other reviewers haven't even touched on yet I was really curious whether it recorded in 1080p HD or did it have 4k recording capability. With this particular review you have definitely persuaded me to go get a Galaxy Tab s 8.4

[@MalePifko]

Adaptive display adapts to content that you're watching not the environment you're in. And "retina" is just a fancy name for a standard ips lcd display made by apple for commercial purposes

[@MrANTONIOABALO]

I own a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and to be honest it has never lagged. If you're watching movies the super amoled will give everything the Hollywood look which I had on my S3. I use an LG G2 now which I absolutely love but would happily upgrade my tab to this one based on my personal experience with the Note. Turn the tab upside down so you hold it by the front facing camera, that's what I do when I'm watching videos so as not to touch the buttons at the bottom

[@malikperera7489]

I got the tab s 10.5 a couple of weeks ago. A pleasure to use and the display is stunning.

[@bone2455]

I haven't had the opportunity to sample that tablet at Best Buy yet, but just looking at it in your review, that thing looks credit card thin, I love how thin it is. I will certainly check that out, perhaps it will be my next tablet.

[@chriswood642]

thanks so much Lisa for your review, excellent as always - man there are so many Samsung tablets! you make it easier to keep up :)

[@davidintel]

Thanks Lisa, great review as always. I ordered my 8.4' version in Titanium Bronze, can't wait to have access to Google play!

[@SirSamUK]

I love your reviews... Before buying smt, you're the first call of port!!!! (and my friends') Thank you Lisa!!!

[@nuviber]

Pity you didn't have the LTE version because I'd like to know how well it works as a phone. Lovely tablet and good review as always.

[@cmonsterz]

Very cool review. All the stat talking made my mind melt.

[@stridermt2k]

Another awesome review! It almost makes me wish I had waited for the AMOLED display and sensibly placed speakers but I'm still good with the 8.4 Pro.

[@Renovatio2]

This reminds my of Sony a few years ago before they took a look in the mirror and realised they had gone a bit nuts. They had 150 types of earphones in their show booth. Apple had just launched their 1 pair. More is not always better. As for gold its not a timeless colour. Black, white etc yes. I'll stay with my better built metal backed LG GPad 8.3 with 173ppi which is more than enough and has a much better IR blaster placement. Great review btw, as always.

[@angelherg1997]

I really don't like the new dotted / perforated back of Samsung's devices. I prefer the plastic leather with the stitching. Great review btw.

[@InvincibleStormFilms]

Lisa Gade as always great review, going to look into this one at my local Best Buy, but please take care of your hands 👐

[@pongsapatsaechua9620]

the display is very gorgeous. I love it

[@oceanwillows]

The Tab Pro 8.4 WiFi version has a Snapdragon 800 and the Tab S has the Samsung Octacore chipset.

[@thebeesknees1505]

Superb review, very helpful. Thank you Lisa!

[@Cheesyonmytoasty]

Excellent review, as always. Thanks!

[@davemz999]

Thank you for talking about the new tablet Lisa. So if your like me and want the best features such as having an S pen, Snapdragon 800 cpu and the super Amoled screen then what it boils down to is buying three separate top of the line tablets. Is this just a coincidence? Or is Samsung trying to sell three top of the line tablets for every one person? In the end I did not go for all three but settled for the Tab Pro 8.4. Maybe the S stands for surplus. lol

[@UKgamer87]

I've finally seen a tablet worth my money.

[@swedelisch164]

Thank you for this video and all others, i think your great and ceep the good work up :-) Thomas Sweden

[@hongyiable]

I guess it's worth mentioning that super Amoled is every battery efficient when it comes to watching movies because a very large portion of the screen is in black. Depending on the movie you watch, the battery can last 60% longer than Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

[@whydontyouwork]

These reviews are great and put other reviewers to shame

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Hi Lisa, great fun review as always. Can you please do a review of the Nvidia Shield Tablet? I would like to compare the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 versus the Nvidia Shield. I play alot of games, and look at videos and movies and the internet alot. I hear the Samsung has better graphics, but lags when playing games..Thank you again.

[@konalavajava]

Another great review as usual. Mahalo from Hawaii. We're still extremely disappointed that Sammy has fallen asleep at the switch insofar as an 8.4 Note is concerned. We've been waiting for a refresh for over a year now. Manager of Note division in Korea needs to be fired ....

[@drumtwo4seven]

What about software... in your review of the Galaxy Pro you mentioned the included software which was compatible with Microsoft Office... Does the Tab S come with the same software as well? I ask because it was a reason I considered the Tab Pro Your help/thoughts much appreciated. Thank you for the great videos, very helpful and informative!

[@patriotcam1776]

I find it to be fastening that every device Samsung makes with the letter s in it doesn't have and s pen. Every device with the pen doesn't have s in the name. Amazing

[@mrnyc220]

Great review as always thank you

[@singaporehikers]

Good review and did your cat scratched you?

[@0525xavi]

The titanium one is soooo nice

[@brother_Tennessee]

Nice review I wish it had the s pen feature :(

[@TheBeecas]

Can I buy this tablet after you complete your review??? I wonder what yo do to all these products once you review them..:)

[@hiroxxxx79]

it has a memory slot so you don't need 32gb. just slot in a 64gb card.

[@vincentlyle8126]

Tab S vs Tab Pro smackdown please!

[@euniceling5213]

De las mejores Tablet

[@test24711ytkj]

Thanks grandma

[@10ahmedhassan]

I love Pen Stylus. Where is the new version of note 8 ?!!! They should done that note 8.4 long time ago. Shall I wait the new note 8 or they will not produce it anymore ? Any leaks Lisa?

[@larivera70]

Great review! , ....thanks

[@gaming-zombie1392]

Thanks Lisa...

[@GiveLove777]

tried it in the samsung store but found out that my eyes are very sensitive to the pentile diamond arangement so i decided to get the Tab S 10.5 which is RGB amoled.

[@LoveLife-yh7ke]

Nice tablet but I'll take my iPad mini with retina display over this anytime.

[@PerfectBlade20]

I'll be shooting for the 10 inch version because game emulation and youtube and in general a big screen will be awesome for me , I have a question. Is touchwiz worse than than stock android? Another question, do super amoled screens lose their color/brightness/contrast over time? I have my nexus 7 daily for hours and I'm afraid if I put the tab s to the same use it would ruin the screen

[@mobiletechreview]

In the useful lifetime of the device, you won't see any screen degradation.

[@DachiaTheDogMom]

When you say "useful lifetime", how long is that? I tend to keep my tech devices for many years.

[@IAmTheRealKen]

MobileTechReview What do you mean by "useful lifetime"? How many years are we talking here? 2, 5, 10?

[@davidreyna202]

Ken S. Dachia Arritola This should not be a concern at all. Samsung is one of the top manufactures of Super AMOLED displays and just as long as you take care for the tablet then it will last you a lot of years.

[@victorkwan]

i think by the time the screen degrades ur gonna want to upgrade your tab already

[@pinkfrezz123]

Lisa! What happened to your hand?

[@jacobrh1]

I have my tab pro 8.4 and I happy with my purchase but why release as another one? Plus the grab pro looks a bit more premium to me

[@GamingGodAdamW]

Honestly touchwiz makes allot more sense on a tablet.

[@terrylam4787]

Samsung's business plan is to release as many tablets as possible and hopefully one catches fire, none thus far. The tab S seems like a solid tablet but with so many version out there it's confusing the average user.

[@CrucialConflict.]

Samsung needs to get rid off Touchwiz, We want vanilla Android! a solid battery and no more plastic. I know they can do all this but they just being dicks lol

[@CrucialConflict.]

***** most of android tablets don't have good batteries ( unlike apple's ipad ) ipads are well known for it. my ipad air battery can last up to 12 hours ( at 40% brightness )

[@calvintanner80]

When will the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, and 10.5 Snapdragon chipsets be released.

[@MrPrincecharming88]

Is this tablet capable of connecting to an HDTV to be able to see whats on the tablet's screen on the television screen?

[@tgarris2873]

I still prefer 8.4 pro you should do a comparison video

[@babiboib7]

MobileTechReview Hey Lisa..I noticed at the point of the video(7:37) that there's a function for vibration/vibration intensity in the settings is that true?..If so, its about time samsung took a page from the lg g pad 8.3 settings. Because i have a serious gripe without having a vibration function on my tablet.

[@edwardbishop9487]

Will you please do a review of the galaxy 8.4? With the lollipop update?

[@GeeksCollective]

HELP!!! could anyone please tell if the device supports OTG (on the go usb drive) as in connecting an external usb flash drive through the OTG cable?

[@allanrojas5735]

Hi, I have 2 questions, this tablet can reproduce 2K video? second one, the battery can be replace? thank you!

[@EVEmasta]

Miss, i hope your cat is just very affectionate. lol

[@pabellony]

Watching in my new Galaxy tab S 8.4 best table

[@mpperrusquia]

I don't think an 8.4 inch table would be that comfortable.

[@CatchingFireHG]

The Goddamn Batman Lol!!

[@aloksmaurya]

can you tell how much is the battery life for browsing web? thanks

[@TeckWai97]

8.4 or 10.5 ?? I already have the note 3 .. and this look like a larger version of it

[@chiefc4515]

I still don't know if the iPad mini is better than the tab s

[@jaychokshi]

Lisa you didn't do 10 inch review?

[@calvintanner80]

Can you transfer apps from the Samsung Galaxy S5 to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S using SideSync.

[@Gilleouplus]

Hi , could you on sidesync choose the size of the sinde sync windows on this version? at the right bottom there is an arrow which version do you advise me the 8.4 or 10.5 with less than 100 difference

[@bryanreyes336]

Could you do a comparison between the 8.4 pro and the 8.4 s

[@rafbet]

anybody know why samsung didt launch a note 8.4 this year i have note 8 from last year i was waiting for this product

[@QbanCelli]

Hardware buttons on a tablet are a show stopper, for me.

[@ShelsStudio]

Hello Just received this Tab in lte which is great, BUT the front page has Accu weather and it is in Celsius how do I change it to Fahrenheit ? Hopefully you can help. Thk u

[@abamabam7845]

Nice auntie review

[@irekirek123]

can you do a comparison between the tab s 8.4 and the tab pro 8.4 or just a speed test.

[@SuperStareGry]

White has a red hint to it on samsung. I am not a fan of anything samsung makes. With so many tablets they release dont expect any after sales service and defo no updates.

[@SuperStareGry]

***** I was talking about the screen not the camera. And i have used samsungs warranty service on my s4. After three repair attempts of faulty speaker phone was refused to be repaired by samsung with no reason given. Fortunately vodafone took the phone in and replaced it with a new handset. So yeah dont let facts in the way of your options. I cant count on luck when dealing with warranty service like samsungs. Imagine if i had their tv with no options of repair or replace other than buy a new stuff again. Also build quality is just below average from phone to their tvs included. Everything just squeaks even on light touch. Enjoy ur plastic m8.

[@toroprathisto]

I love your comments... i feel like this is the most unbiased one and I agree that samsung's after sales service is terrible.

[@AAM29290]

Does this tablet have "S Note" and can I use this tablet with an "S Pen" like the note 10.1's "S pen"?

[@TheMarfa3een]

Lisa, what happened to your right hand ? hope it is doing fine by now . take care

[@sagonz1]

Always pick a LCD display over a Amoled display with the same specifications, Amoled does not give accurate representation of colors even with the software options available on the tablet, and touchwiz is the worst OS, wait for the Nexus 9

[@Fruitarian.]

omg this is so beautiful.. is it available in black?

[@arieledery9129]

Yes

[@bkuhn30]

no it's bronze/brown but it looks real nice

[@b0rracho420]

What's up with the scratches on her hand?

[@kazumakiryu1996]

Should I change to tab s? I'm currently using note 3. Please help me

[@LAK3RSNPOPT4RTS]

Hey guys! Are these Samsung tablets any good for school? I'm starting my 2nd semester of college and I'm getting tired of my plain iPad mini. Should I invest in one of these, or wait for the new iPad release? Thanks!

[@s.v.jyothiraditya6622]

Buy Samsumg bcoz it is very geeky. Ipad is not for college students, it is for old people. In samsumg , You can expand memory with microsd card slot up to 128 GB. we can connect pendrives to device with usb cable. We can download almost any app (.apk) for free on web.You can customize android as your wish. There are no restrictions like Apple. The display (AMOLED) is awesome and vibrant. Have a try , U will definitely love samsung :)

[@toroprathisto]

Uughh... costumization, widgets, amoled, over blown colours... snap dragon this and that.. well advertised but doesn't actually do well esp in long term in real life.

[@LoveJoyandFreedom]

But can you still draw with it, with an S-pen??

[@DiorQtr]

Support hd voice calling Thanks

[@CrucialConflict.]

This tablet does have a better screen than ipad's mini retina, I know this because i have seen it with my own eyes. ipad mini retina and it's crappy LG display

[@drdeath4398]

Can you install apps on SD card for these tablets.

[@samkennedy6677]

would anyone know what the biggest memory card i could use for the 10.1 version? im wanting to replace my acer laptop with a tab s.

[@faizal7183]

can you use the s pen on this? i was thinking for a laptop for university

[@MinhThanhSLC]

Batterh life?

[@stephenmark1130]

I have got the white tab pro 8.4 is it worth the upgrade to the tab s 8.4

[@zbenkert]

the tab pro 8.4 has been discontinued

[@junkim3694]

hey lisa can u review the Lenovo U530 Touch?

[@preetsingh218]

lisa you should do a review of akashtablet by datawind!!

[@Thereis2reis]

Can i copy files from memory card from camera to this device?

[@ulysessnino1161]

How do you change your storage to sd card

[@ennybautista]

Good. Video

[@dlaroc]

They put the speakers in the wrong spot (Or IR blaster on the wrong side). If you hold it with the IR blaster pointed towards your TV, your hands will cover the speakers.

[@Candikanelane]

Good point... I agree. There's definitely something off with the design.

[@Candikanelane]

***** Yes, I often am multi-tasking. We live in the technology age.

[@arturodeguzman]

Candikanelane sure.

[@PhilGerb93]

Candikanelane Yeah, because rotating your tablet while you watch Tv is such a hard thing to do. I'm sure you need your speakers when you use your IR blaster man.

[@bkuhn30]

Candikanelane as opposed to most tablets having rear speakers or the ipad's retarded speaker just on one side??? Those are terrible design, side speakers can be avoided with your hands, front speakers are the way to go but only a hand full have those and none have the best display ever like this one.

[@Fanistic.]

would the LTE model be able to make calls on mobile

[@Gamedesigndiary]

Is the screen the only difference? In Amazon it says it has 3GB of Ram but the Pro has 2GB of Ram. Is this true? If they have the same Ram, then I'll go Pro but if not then I'll go S for the screen and extra memory.

[@cookiesareyum1043]

tab s has more ram

[@dxmxo9427]

I have it,I love itttt

[@j.d.hutchens3561]

Lisa I have a question. Do you think the galaxy tab s 8.4 will get a update to 5.1.1? The 5.0.2 is just having problems. which I don't understand why the tab 4 8.0 and 10.1 got 5.1.1 and they work great. So just wanted your expertise on this.

[@sebanofear]

actually this slate tab it's awaiting approval for android 6.0 for next year between april and may

[@j.d.hutchens3561]

Ok thanks

[@PrivateWolf98]

First comment :) . Thanks for the review .

[@ericding42]

I thought the tablet would last for 12 hours of HD video-playback but it didn't plus I turned on airplane mode, turning on power saving mode and brightness at 25% and it gave me like 3 to 4 hours of battery life! Why!!!! Pls help me

[@crankyboiy]

Change from adaptive mode to basic mode and change ur launcher to nova

[@SergeyMalovatov]

There is one flaw about Android OS that might kill Samsung GALAXY tablet computers in the long run. It is true that Samsung has introduced novel features that are better than Apple's. But certain problems remain. Sometimes when I try to playback certain video files on KZbin my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android smartphone refuses to play them. Instead I have a message: "This video is unavailable on this platform". Meanwhile, my Windows platform devices can work with files of any type. I was going to purchase one of Samsung GALAXY S tablets. But I have found that three out of ten files I tried to work with was "unavailable" on Android platform devices. If Samsung is going to sell tablets to those people who are used to enjoy the versatility of Windows operating systems, Android platform should be able to work with all types of files.