The second generation of the Super AMOLED display-toting Galaxy Tab S tablets is in the works at Samsung, and as we revealed earlier this week, the Galaxy Tab S 2 will come in 8-inch and 9.7-inch flavors (with model numbers SM-T710 and SM-T810) and will be thinner than Apple's iPad Air 2. Today, we have information of the full spec sheets of the two tablets, thanks to our trusty insiders.
Like the original Tab S tablets, the Galaxy Tab S 2 slates will be similar to each other in most respects, and the most noticeable change this time around is the switch to a 4:3 aspect ratio for the Super AMOLED displays, something we reported on in our previous post. The resolutions have also gone down to 2048×1536 pixels from 2560×1600 pixels on the first-generation tablets, though that shouldn't really make much of a difference as the resolution is still high enough to prevent pixels from being visible to the naked eye, especially on an 8-inch display.
Under the hood, our source tells us that both variants will be powered by an Exynos 5433 processor, though this might be upgraded to an Exynos 7420 because the tablets will run Android 5.0.2 out of the box and hence support 64-bit processing (something the Exynos 5433 lacks). Cat.6 LTE (up to 300 Mbps) connectivity will be on-board thanks to Samsung's in-house LTE modem; battery capacities on the 8 and 9.7-inch models is said to be 3,580 mAh and 5,870 mAh, but these aren't final just yet and could change before the tablets are released.
Other specs of the Galaxy Tab S 2 duo will include an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage expandable by up to 128GB through a microSD slot. The 8-inch model has dimensions of 198.2×134.5×5.4 and the 9.7-inch model comes in at 237.1×168.8×5.4, and both are considerably light at 260g and 407g.
According to our insider, the Galaxy Tab S 2 tablets feature a metallic frame. We're not sure if that means that the back of the tablets is like the back of the Galaxy Tab S – it seems highly unlikely that Samsung would be able make the tablets so thin without making it fully metal on the sides and back. Samsung hasn't made a tablet with a metallic design since the Galaxy Tab 7.7. and it will be interesting to see if the Galaxy Tab S 2 will feature an all-metal design like Apple's iPads or even the Galaxy S6.
The Galaxy Tab S 2 looks like just the right upgrade over its predecessor, with Samsung fixing previous weak points like an outdated processor and a not-so-premium design. It remains to be seen when the two Tab S 2 tablets will be made official, though a mid-2015 release is likely.
What do you think about how the Galaxy Tab S 2 is shaping up to be?
