The Galaxy Tab S series has not changed much on the outside, but after ten years the software is up to date

In 2014, Samsung felt the need to reinvent its flagship tablet line to take on its big counterpart – the Apple iPad. Since the release of the first tablet in the Galaxy Tab S series, Samsung’s tablets have only gotten better and better, eventually evolving into the productivity powerhouse they are today. A new tablet in this line is due to be released soon.

Interestingly, though, the hardware on these tablets hasn’t received a major overhaul compared to previous generations, aside from internal upgrades year after year. What really makes today’s Samsung tablets far superior to their predecessors is their software. That’s the right kind of change that people could actually use, rather than getting paper-thin redesigns year after year.

The first Galaxy Tab S

A time capsule

2014’s Galaxy Tab S wasn’t Samsung’s very first tablet. The company had already been making tablets for over four years at that point, but the Tab S series was a turning point that shaped the evolution of our favorite Android tablets. This revamped naming scheme also gave Samsung a much-needed opportunity to clean up its portfolio, which thankfully remains intact to this day.

Our review of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4 from a decade ago is itself a time capsule and shows how excitingly new everything felt with these tablets at their quite affordable prices – they were only $499 and $399 respectively. And not to forget the good old joy of not having to worry about storage thanks to a microSD expansion slot. We’ve really come a long way since then!

While microSD cards and physical navigation buttons are now a thing of the past, you’ll be hard-pressed to find that much else has changed when you look at the spec sheets of models from 2014 and today. 10 years ago, you got a high-resolution 2K OLED display, a flagship processor, plenty of RAM, an acceptable rear camera, and other basics, and the same is true of current versions.

Unlike smartphones, which look and feel very different from their ten-year-old siblings, tablets have not undergone a transformation of comparable magnitude. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t changed at all.

Turn on the display and you will see

The magic of software

Until Samsung revamped its tablet lineup in 2014, there was a separate Note series of tablets that exclusively offered stylus support. I suppose this made sense for Samsung for brand consistency, but it just made things confusing. It took a couple of generations for the Galaxy Tab S series to get stylus support, and now we can say it was worth the wait.

A key advantage of the S Pen over iPads is that Samsung includes its stylus in the box, so you don’t have to spend $100 on an accessory that’s essential to a modern tablet experience. But just because Samsung includes a stylus for no extra charge doesn’t mean the S Pen is a cheap stylus with limited features.

The S Pen attaches and charges magnetically to the back of the tablet, so it’s always within reach. Plus, it can also be used as a remote control to take photos, adjust the device volume, and more. At the same time, you still get the hover menu, which has gotten better over time, as well as all the note-taking and doodling features you like. The S Pen is very capable and can easily keep up with the Apple Pencil.

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Write, draw and comment to your heart’s content

Software really is king

Android apps finally look good

During the days of TouchWiz (Samsung’s now-defunct user interface), Samsung had a terrible reputation when it came to software by any measure. But today, One UI is not only the most feature-rich Android operating system, but its update releases are so timely that it has become the benchmark for comparison with other Android OEMs.

When you think of Android tablets, Galaxy Tab models are the first thing that spring to mind, but Google still plays a major role in the software experience. Thankfully, Google has started giving Android tablets the attention they deserve, and the results speak for themselves. Apps on tablets no longer look like bloated versions of their phone counterparts; they’re now specifically designed to take advantage of the extra display space, with multiple windows for a desktop-like experience, and more.

DeX: one tool to rule them all

It has become commonplace for Samsung phone and tablet users to connect their device to a monitor, turning it into a computer. real one with app windows for multitasking and keyboard and mouse support.

On Samsung tablets, you can switch to DeX mode directly on the tablet without the need for an external monitor. This gives you access to a Windows-like machine from anywhere. You don’t have to learn any new gestures and you can seamlessly switch from your work PC to a Samsung tablet without missing a thing.

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DeX alone makes today’s Samsung flagship tablets a better portable productivity device than the iPad. You don’t have to put up with a limited mobile interface if you want to get serious work done. With these software advancements, Samsung has pushed the entire Android tablet segment in the right direction compared to the state it was in a decade ago.

Samsung’s software implementation has changed the situation – iPads are no longer the default tablet. If anything, iPads seem to be a little behind in terms of software. iPadOS is unable to make the most of its overpowered innards for most consumers who use their tablets primarily for entertainment.

In comparison, Samsung’s tablets have a strong argument in their favor and there has never been a better time to invest in one.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

$700 $800 Save $100

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is more than powerful enough for gaming and has a top-notch display. It is one of Samsung’s most powerful devices and is underpinned by the Snapdragon chipset. It is a real winner in the tablet space and makes for strong competition compared to all the others.