The Galaxy Tab S4 is finally here, making its debut a week ahead of the Galaxy Note 9. The Tab S4 has taken some time to get here thanks to the fact that the Galaxy Tab S3 was released earlier than usual after the Galaxy Note 7 was cancelled. What has all that extra time in the oven got to show for it? Well, we list a few features that we think make the Galaxy Tab S4 worth buying.
16:10 AMOLED display for watching videos as intended
Yes, Samsung has finally heard our pleas and reverted to a 16:10 aspect ratio for the display. The Galaxy Tab S2 and Galaxy Tab S3 weren't great for watching videos thanks to the iPad-like form factor, but it should no longer be an issue. After all, you don't buy a flagship tablet just to read books, right? The previous two Tab S tablets were good for reading and browsing, but now you can throw in a good video watching experience as well.
Four AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos support
What's a good display without good audio to go along with it? The Galaxy Tab S4, like the Tab S3, comes with four loudspeakers that are tuned by AKG. This time around, Dolby Atmos is present as well, so you'll get a richer and more immersive audio experience. Not that the Tab S3 owners are missing out on much, as Samsung also brought Dolby Atmos to the Tab S3 with the Oreo update. But we're talking about the Galaxy Tab S4 here, and you can rest assured it will offer excellent audio quality over its speakers.
A desktop experience right on the tablet with Samsung DeX mode
Were you wondering how Samsung would make the Galaxy Tab S4 work with DeX? Well, by making DeX a part of the tablet itself. A Samsung DeX mode, when enabled, turns the tablet into a PC. Any apps you open will open in a desktop-like interface, just like they would when you connect a Galaxy S9 to the DeX dock. Oh, and if you want to use an external monitor, you can just use a USB Type-C to HDMI adapter and connect the tablet and monitor directly. This will make the tablet display work as a second screen, and combined with the S Pen, also double up as a sketch board . Productivity on a tablet never looked so convenient!
Iris sensor with Intelligent Scan
You have probably noticed there's no physical home button on the Galaxy Tab S4, and that means no fingerprint sensor, either. Not at the front, not at the back, and certainly not in the power button (a la Sony). But the Tab S4 does have an iris sensor, which makes sense with a tablet. There is also Intelligent Scan, which means the tablet will use both the iris scanner and facial recognition for faster unlocking of the device.
What do you like about Samsung's newest AMOLED display-toting tablet? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to read our hands-on experience with the Tab S4.
