Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 hands-on: First look

Unboxing

The retail box of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 features the same design as that of the Galaxy S6 family. Inside it, you will find the slate, a wall charger, a USB cable, a tool to remove the microSD card, as well as the usual set of booklets.

The retail package

Samsung will offer a number of additional accessories for the tablet. They include a wraparound flip cover, as well as a keyboard cover. The latter will only be available for the 9.7" variant of the Tab S2.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 design and hardware overview

Design-wise, the Galaxy Tab S2 is unmistakably a member of Samsung's tablet lineup. However, because of the flagship slate's new screen aspect ratio, Samsung's signature trio of navigation buttons are now placed to access in portrait mode.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 live photos

For comparison, the device's predecessor, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 had the navigation buttons placed in landscape mode. The setup was necessary due to its cinematic 16:10 display ratio.

In the flesh, the Tab S2 9.7 grabs the attention thanks to its ultra-slim body. The positive impressions continue once you handle the tablet, as its lightness is simply uncanny for a slate with such screen size.

Handling the Tab S2 9.7

The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is available in three color options. They include white, black, and gold.

Build quality of the slate is solid, though nowhere near as premium as that of Samsung's flagship smartphones and tablets.

Display

The 9.7" Super AMOLED display of the Tab S2 9.7 has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and a pixel density of 264ppi. Those numbers debuted for the first time in the Apple iPad 3 and are now more or less a standard for high-end Android tablets as well.

The display's resolution and ratio are now an industry standard

Resolution-wise, the newcomer's display is a step down from the eye-popping 2560 x 1600 pixels found on the screen of the first generation. However, combined with the beefier chipset and smaller battery, this should result in improved overall performance with similar battery life compared to those by last year's Tab S 10.5.

Controls

Like we already mentioned, Samsung's trio of navigation buttons are located below the display of the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. The home button has a metal ring around it and packs a built-in fingerprint sensor. Above the screen is where the 2.1MP front-facing camera, an ambient light sensor, and a Samsung logo reside.

A look above and below the display of the tablet

There is nothing on the left side of the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. The power/lock key, the volume rocker, and the microSD card slot of the tablet sit on the right.

The sides of the Tab S2

You will find nothing on top of the tablet. The 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB port, and a duo of speakers.

The top and bottom of the Tab S2

The tablet's 8MP main camera is on the back. There we also find the two dot-like receptacles for snapping accessories to the tablet. The camera of the Tab S2 has no LED flash.

The back of the slate