Samsung finally unveiled its much awaited Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 on Feb. 26.
The Galaxy Tab S3, the successor of the Galaxy Tab S2, brings with it many firsts including the discontinuation of the smaller 8-inch variant.
Here's a look at how the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 compares against the old warhorse Galaxy Tab S2.
Design And Display
Both the tablets are quite similar to each other when it comes to the design. Like the Galaxy Tab S2, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes in a solid metal build and features the same rounded corners and fingerprint sensor, which is embedded within the home button.
Although both the tablets share similar design sensibilities, the Galaxy Tab S3 is slightly thicker than its predecessor. The new tablet measures 237.3 x 169 x 6.0 mm compared to Galaxy Tab S2's 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm.
The Galaxy Tab S2 comes in two display sizes, one 9.7-inch and the other 8-inch option. However Galaxy Tab S3, comes in only one display size i.e. 9.7 inches.
In terms of radiance, sharpness, and crispness of graphics, both the tabs are similar as they feature a Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels. However, this is where the similarity ends. The Galaxy Tab S3 also comes with HDR and 4K video playback.
Processor And RAM
The Galaxy Tab S3 scores far better in terms of processor as it houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. The Galaxy Tab S2, on the other hand, comes with either a Snapdragon 625 processor or an Exynos 5433 chipset, depending on the region the tablet is being bought from.
In terms of RAM, the Galaxy Tab S3 is one step ahead as it comes with 4 GB of RAM, compared to the 3 GB of RAM on the Galaxy Tab S2.
Storage
The Galaxy Tab S3 is available in both Wi-Fi and LTE versions and comes with an onboard storage of 32 GB. The Galaxy Tab S2 comes with two types of onboard storage memory i.e. 64 GB and 32 GB.
Both the tablets support microSD card memory expansion of up to 256 GB.
Camera
Clicking photos will be a treat with Galaxy Tab S3 as the newly-launched tablet comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with flash for luminous selfies.
The Galaxy Tab S2, on the other hand, provides its users with an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and a paltry 2.5-megapixel front snapper.
Battery
In terms of battery, the Galaxy Tab S3 beats Galaxy Tab S2 by a whisker as the former boasts a 6,000 mAh battery, compared to the latter's 5,870 mAh one.
The Galaxy Tab S3 also comes with fast charging. One now has to wait for the newly-launched tablet to hit the market to test out how many hours of talktime its supports in the Wi-Fi, as well as LTE model. The Galaxy Tab S2, supports 30 hours of talktime on its 3G model.
Operating System
The Galaxy Tab S3 will come pre-loaded with Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, while Galaxy Tab S2 was launched with Android Lollipop on board.
With time, the Galaxy Tab S2 has been updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It currently awaits being upgraded to Android Nougat.
Additional Features
The most striking additional feature that sets apart the Galaxy Tab S3 from the Galaxy Tab S2 is the inclusion of Samsung's own stylus, the S Pen.
The Galaxy Tab S3 comes with an S Pen in the bundle. The "redefined S Pen" comes with increased pressure sensitivity along with a smaller 0.7mm tip. The stylus allows the user to access features such as Screen Off Memo, PDF Annotation, and professional level drawing with Advanced Drawing Tools.
Although Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Tab S3, it is yet to announce its release date and price. If one goes by earlier rumors, it is believed that the newly-launched tablet will be priced at around $599, which is $100 more than its predecessor.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is currently available in the market. One can purchase the 8-inch model at $349.99 and the 9.7-inch model at $499.99.
