Samsung announces Galaxy Tab S2 Android tablet with 8 and 9.7 inch screen options

The tablet market has felt a bit stale lately. Apple's iPads are in need of a refresh, while the Android options have been yawn-worthy too. Other than the Nexus 9, there really hasn't been anything to fire up the Android community.

Today, Samsung hopes to change this with the all new Galaxy Tab S2 tablets. Consumers can choose between a 9.7 inch screen or an 8 inch variant. In other words, Samsung is offering options with its tablets -- much like Apple with the Air and mini -- which is rather smart. After all, one size does not fit all when it comes to tablets.

"At just 5.6mm thin and only 389g (9.7 -inch) and 265g (8.0 -inch) weight, the Galaxy Tab S2 is perfectly designed for reading and consuming content due to its stunning Super AMOLED Display. By recreating the same viewing experience of browsing through traditional print media, the Galaxy Tab S2 also makes it comfortable to read digital content, including e-books, magazines, webpages and newsfeeds. This reading-optimized ratio allows the user to enjoy a seamless reading experience without unnecessary scrolling.", explains Samsung.

The popular manufacturer further explains, "for enhanced manageability, the Galaxy Tab S2 is built with a touch-enabled Fingerprint Scanner for hassle-free authentication. A built-in advanced security sensor now offers easy access to the personal device with a simple press against the home key. For the most streamlined device management options, the Galaxy Tab S2 features Smart Manager which displays the device’s settings automatically, including battery power levels, storage and RAM availability for users to efficiently manage their devices. It is also pre-installed with anti-malware for an extra layer of protection."

Kudos to Samsung for delivering its improved fingerprint sensor technology to these tablets. Like the Galaxy S6 smartphone, users no longer have to slide their fingers, but instead just press it against the sensor. This makes securing and accessing the device a breeze; pins and passwords are archaic by comparison. Quite frankly, all tablets and smartphones should have some form of biometrics in 2015.

Samsung shares the following specs.

Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

• Network :LTE : 700/ 800/ 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2100/ 2600
  3G : 850/ 900/ 1900/ 2100
  2G : 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
• AP :Quad 1.9GHz + Quad 1.3GHz, Octacore application processor
• Display :9.7 inch 2048x1536(QXGA) Super AMOLED
• OS :Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
• Camera :8MP AF(rear), 2.1MP(front)
• Video :H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, VP8
  Recording: QHD(2560x1440)@30fps
  Playback: UHD(3840x2160)@30fps
• Audio :MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC
• Google Mobile Service :Chrome, Gmail, Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Hangouts, Play Store, Play Movies; TV, Play Music, Drive, Photos
• Connectivity :Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz/5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth4.1 BLE
• GPS :GPS, GLONASS
• Sensor :Accelerometer, Finger Scanner, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall Sensor, RGB Sensor
• Memory :3GB(RAM) + 32/64GB internal memory
  microSD up to 128GB
• Dimension / Weight :169 x 237.3 x 5.6mm, 389g(Wifi)/392g(LTE)
• Battery :5,870mAh

Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

• Network :LTE : 700/ 800/ 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2100/ 2600
  3G : 850/ 900/ 1900/ 2100
  2G : 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
• AP :Quad 1.9GHz + Quad 1.3GHz, Octacore application processor
• Display :8.0 inch 2048x1536(QXGA) Super AMOLED
• OS :Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
• Camera :8MP AF(rear), 2.1MP(front)
• Video :H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, VP8
  Recording: QHD (2560x1440) @30 fps
  Playback: UHD (3840x2160) @ 30fps
• Audio :MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC
• Google Mobile Service :Chrome, Gmail, Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Hangouts, Play Store, Play Movies; TV, Play Music, Drive, Photos
• Connectivity :Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz/5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1 BLE
• GPS :GPS, GLONASS
• Sensor :Accelerometer, Finger Scanner, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall Sensor, RGB Sensor
• Memory :3GB (RAM) + 32/64GB internal memory
  microSD up to 128GB
• Dimension / Weight :134.8 x 198.6 x 5.6mm, 265g(Wifi)/ 272g(LTE)
• Battery :4,000mAh

While the specs look amazing, I am a bit dismayed to see Android 5.0 and not 5.1. With that said, Samsung is very good about updates, and a move to 5.1 is almost a sure thing.

Some fans of Samsung smartphones may have been upset by a lack of expandable storage on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, but that is not an issue here. Yes, the Galaxy S2 tablets have micro SD slots, meaning you can add up to 128GB of additional storage. Heck, the recently released 200GB card may even work as well despite not being listed.

Microsoft fans in particular will be interested in the Tab S2. Why? Samsung explains, "the tablet comes fully equipped and preloaded with Microsoft Office Solutions for ultimate productivity on the road, such as creating and editing documents, while conveniently storing up to 100GB of files on the cloud via OneDrive for two years for free".

If you are interested in buying one of these tablets, you will not have to wait long. They will be available globally in black and white colors next month. While pricing is not yet official, they should be in line with current premium tablet prices.

Will you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2? If yes, which size and color? Tell me in the comments.