The Android tablet market is declining globally, owing to big, powerful smartphones being launched every now and then. But this isn’t stopping Samsung. The South Korean giant has recently announced a new Galaxy Tab S6, a flagship Android tablet that can be used for both productivity and entertainment needs on the go.
As a content consumption device, the Tab S6 has a 10.5-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. And as a productivity device, the Tab S6 comes with a new S Pen, an improved keyboard, with a built-in trackpad and a dedicated DeX key, and new features in the DeX mode. Let’s take a closer look at the Galaxy Tab S6.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 comes in mountain grey and cloud-blue colours and is priced at Rs 59,900.
Design and display
To make the overall footprint smaller, Samsung has slightly trimmed the bezels of the Tab S6. With a slim body, measuring 5.7mm and weighing only 420g grams, the Galaxy Tab S6 is extremely light and can easily slip into a bag or a purse. The screen is great and so are the quad speakers tuned by AKG and Dolby Atmos, which keep you completely immersed in the action. Overall, it’s thin and light enough to be used for extended sessions of content consumption.
The face recognition system has been replaced by an in-screen optical fingerprint scanner. At the back, the Tab S6 sports a dual-camera setup comprising a standard 13MP lens with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP f/2.2 lens with 123-degree wide-angle view. There is an 8MP camera at the front. The performance of both the cameras is decent enough for most of the uses. The back also has a magnetic strip, which allows for the S Pen stylus to be attached to the tablet. And similar to the iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil, the S Pen charges automatically when it’s attached and displays a charging notification on the screen. Samsung’s optional keyboard and the folio case for the tablet come with a sheath for the stylus.
The S Pen stylus has a few identical features as the S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 10+, including the ability to advance PowerPoint slides and to open the camera remotely. A few other gestures including the ability to scroll through media are also there.
Performance
The main USP of the Tab S6 is its 10.5-inch OLED HDR display that supports HDR10 and HDR10+. The screen is just fantastic and offers vivid colours, deep blacks, and great brightness for working in bright daylight. The screen is great for watching movies or YouTube videos. There is no headphone jack, and you will have to end up either using a Bluetooth headphone or a USB-C dongle for private listening.
Armed with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, the Galaxy Tab S6 packs enough power for faster, more powerful productivity and entertainment experiences. With the built-in Bluetooth remote control S Pen, users can take selfies and videos spontaneously or scroll through multimedia content even when the tablet is out of reach.
The S Pen also makes taking notes a breeze. Handwritten Samsung Notes can be converted to digital texts and exported to formats like Microsoft Word with just one click. The Transparent Notes feature allows users to take notes while watching a video.
The Galaxy Tab S6 runs on Samsung’s OneUI 1.5 version on top of Android 9 Pie. The tablet also supports Samsung’s DeX interface, which is designed to provide a desktop-like experience when using the tablet with a keyboard. The company has also integrated a dedicated key to launch the Dex instantly.
You can also project DeX to an external display using the Tab S6’s USB Type-C port. The keyboard offers various features for better functionality, including a trackpad, a free-angle stand, and a dedicated indent for the S Pen.
Samsung has also integrated the Tab S6 into its device ecosystem, which makes your life a lot easier. For instance, if you have a Samsung smartphone, you can answer calls and respond to messages from the Tab S6 as well.
The 7,040mAh battery offers enough juice to last for a full day, even if you are continuously using productivity apps and watching videos.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a well-made two-in-one Android tablet. The device is excellent for all kinds of content consumption and offers almost similar levels of performance in terms of productivity.
Price: Rs 59,900
Pros
Display, battery
Cons
At times, the in-display fingerprint sensor isn’t accurate
