With the iPad Pro 11 and Samsung’s own Tab S4 both on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 faces more competition than ever, but it’s still cheaper than it was before and remains a top Android slate. Despite the release of the newer Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 remains the greatest Android tablet available. It can accomplish almost everything the iPad Pro 11 does, but for a lot less money.
That’s essentially what we’ve got here. With strong specs to match, it’s Android’s 1st true competitor to the iPad Pro 9.7 (and the rest of the Pro range, though that one in particular because it has the same screen size), and it blends well with the elegant-looking Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 – both feature-packed and encased in glass.
What Will You See Here?
Design
Even though it’s easy to confuse it for Samsung’s 16-month-old tablet from the front, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 boasts a tiny but pleasing design change over the Galaxy Tab S2.
The best improvements are on the back, where the Tab S3 has a new black or silver glass back panel. It looks and feels better than the Tab S2’s grippy plastic cover, and the glass is more comfortable to hold; you’ll end out ahead if you trade the older model’s sweat marks for prints and smears on the Gorilla Glass back.
With specifications of 237.3 x 169 x 6mm and a weight of 429g, Samsung may still boast that the Tab S3 is lighter and thinner than an iPad Pro (the iPad Pro is 6.1mm thick and weighs 437g). But don’t be fooled; the differences are barely discernible. The Tab S2 is 5.6mm thick and weighs 389g.
With a helpful physical fingerprint reader home button and ‘back’ and recent capacitive keys placed at the bottom, the Tab S3 feels and looks like a blown-up Samsung Galaxy S7 phone. It thrives as an entertainment hub first and foremost without the keyboard attachment.
HDR Display and Quad Speakers
With brilliant and pixel-dense Super AMOLED display panels, Samsung tablets and phones already have the greatest screens on the market. Samsung has improved them even further by using HDR technology.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) provides a greater contrasting ratio and brighter highlights for the same 2048 x 1536 Quad HD display. This is particularly crucial in darker movie scenes, as shadows tend to obscure too much of the image.
Support for the new HDR10 standard on the Tab S3 is actually more important than if Samsung crammed a 4K screen onto a 9.7-inch tablet. More pixels matter when dealing with a larger 4K television, thus the wider luminance spectrum does more than additional pixels would at this small size.
The quad speakers that run the length of the frame provide excellent sound. Even at a mid-range volume, they’re powerful even if they’re not front-facing speakers aimed at you, the viewer. We also enjoy how the stereo orientation changes as the tablet is flipped. They’re smarter, more powerful, and better tuned than other tablet speakers, and they’re just as good as the iPad Pro’s four speakers.
Instead, we had to make do with Samsung HDR demo and feature films to get a taste of what would be the future of video. It’s a significant improvement in quality, but because the content isn’t available yet, you’re paying for a device that will give that increased quality in the future, but not just now. As a result, the Tab S3 is a remarkable technical achievement, but it will be tough to sell to general consumers at launch.
Keyboard Attachments
What’s missing in this picture? There are no functional keys at the top , and it lacks a home button, forcing users to reach for the tablet’s fingerprint home sensor and maybe spilling your coffee in the process. We’d like to see the query key open Google Search rather than Google Now On Tap, eliminating the need for a second screen tap to access the search bar.
Everything folds up neatly, encasing the tablet on both sides in a soft plastic shell. That’s a significant advantage. Apple’s iPad Pro keyboard cover only covers the front screen, and aluminum dents in the same way that glass does. Samsung practically gives you a free back cover.
The best part is that no Bluetooth pairing or charge is required. Above the top row of keys, there are six Pogo pins that magnetically hook to the Tab S3’s side frame. Samsung has created its own Smart Connector.
S Pen
With the bundled S Pen and keyboard adapter, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 changes its appearance and potential. They’re essential accessories for getting the most out of this 2-in-1 tablet.
The S Pen replaces the small stylus that came with Note phones and the Samsung Chromebook Pro. It’s bigger and easier to grasp at 9.4mm thick, and it makes the prior S Pen look like a splinter in contrast. It still includes a fine 0.7mm tip (made of rubber rather than plastic) and a clickable side button for accessing the familiar Air Command capabilities.
On a tablet with a thicker S Pen, handwriting and sketching are naturally better. It’s about the same length as the Apple Pencil, but it’s a little shorter and has four times the number of pressure levels. It truly records every aspect, which, depending on the app, can be useful for shading. Samsung includes two apps – Notes and PEN.UP, which is similar to a coloring book – and the Google Play Store has many more.
Movies, Music, and Gaming
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s strongest suit is that it is a fun device to use. This is the greatest Android tablet for watching movies, listening to music, and playing games. Its HDR-ready screen looks wonderful while watching standard HD video, and it now also supports genuine HDR content from Netflix.
The quad speakers that run the length of the frame provide excellent sound. Even at a mid-range volume, they’re powerful even if they’re not front-facing speakers aimed at you, the viewer. We also enjoy how the stereo orientation changes as the tablet is flipped. They’re smarter, more powerful, and better tuned than other tablet speakers, and they’re just as good as the iPad Pro’s four speakers.
The vivid Quad HD screen and additional speakers on the Tab S3 give games a boost. This tablet can run the greatest Android games we’ve been playing on our flagship phones for the previous year thanks to a powerful Snapdragon 820 CPU and Vulkan API.
Bonus points: Game Launcher, which debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, simplifies tablet gameplay. It also allows you to turn off the sensitive capacitive recent and back keys while playing. You can also turn off notifications, capture screenshots in-game, and even record video, including a front-facing camera for Let’s Play videos.
Battery Life
Indeed, this was the first major Samsung gadget to be released since the Galaxy Note 7 was recalled. When we tell people we’re analyzing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, the first thing they ask is if it caught fire or blew up.
Its 6,000mAh battery is slightly larger than the Tab S2’s 5,870mAh, but it’s still little in comparison to the iPad Pro 9.7’s (7300mAh) and Google Pixel C’s (7300mAh) power packs (around 9,200mAh). It was also surpassed by the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4’s 7,300mAh battery.
We found the Tab S3 to have above-average battery life, with enough juice to get you through a long-haul journey across the United States while watching movies and working. A 90-minute HD video played at nearly full brightness depleted the battery by 13%, leaving us with 87 percent.
Samsung claims that the Tab S3 has enough battery life for 12 hours of video playback, and our testing backs up that claim almost perfectly, with only 30 minutes of a discrepancy between what we experienced and the official estimate. When you’re not near an outlet, the Tab S3 has a power-saving mode that can allow you to attain this goal.
Is Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 still worth buying?
Despite the fact that it costs the same as the Apple iPad Pro 9.7 and the Google Pixel C, it doesn’t perform as well. However, if you’re looking for a tablet with a sharp screen, fantastic audio, and a good pen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is a great option for binge-watching on the move.
Because of its all-glass design, future-proofed HDR-ready display, and bundled S Pen, the Galaxy Tab S3 is hands down the best Android tablet you can consider buying now.
Can you use Galaxy Tab 3 as a phone?
Don’t be fooled by its size. A Galaxy Tab can be used as a smartphone even if it is classified as a tablet. This does not necessitate the purchase of any additional pricey equipment. All you’ll need is your Galaxy Tab and a little bit of tinkering knowledge.
Conclusion
With 2-in-1 S Pen and keyboard features, a gorgeous HDR-ready screen, and four thumping stereo speakers, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is the greatest Android tablet yet.
When it comes to value, the iPad Pro has met its match. Samsung includes the S Pen stylus in addition to all of Apple’s primary hardware features. The keyboard case is an added cost, but it’s less expensive than Apple’s keyboard attachment and wraps around the entire tablet. Samsung takes the lead because of the microSD card slot.
However, value isn’t everything. It’s hardly a universal endorsement; no Android tablet comes close at this price. The iPad still has superior software and app support on a big scale. While Android Oreo and TouchWiz have narrowed the disparity, multitasking on a tablet isn’t enough for productivity pros, who may save money by purchasing a slightly bulkier laptop.
