Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 vs Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet vs Microsoft Surface 3:Most favorite is...........................
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 It's the best screen I've seen on a tablet and the Retina iPads are the only ones that really come close. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S rocks a vividly colorful, razor-sharp screen and exclusive software perks in an ultra-thin and lightweight design. That fabulous display is backed up by plenty of grunt and a battery that ensures you can keep going for a day or two. There's a case to be made that 7-8 inches is the sweet spot for a small tablet, but at least the Tab S offers two choices to buyers. The Galaxy Tab 10.5 is fast. Not as fast as the top-end phones like the Snapdragon powered Galaxy S5 and OnePlus One, but still more than powerful enough. It scores 2,669 in the multi-core test in Geekbench 3, which puts it in the top 5%.
It suffers a little more in the graphics department. Here, more powerful phones and tablets like the Nvidia Shield Tablet have a noticeable advantage. This shows in a 13,500 score in the 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited test, which falls a long way short of the 20,000 or so of the top phones.
But most people won’t notice this difference in actual games. We couldn’t find any game on Android that didn’t run smoothly or look good. The middling graphics performance should only concern serious gamers.
But,The plastic backing and faux-chrome rim will certainly not be to everyone's tastes, but that aside this is a tablet with very few negatives. Starting at $500, it's a high-end purchase. Touchscreen response can lag if many of its memory-hogging apps are open in the background.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Ultimately it's a whisker away from being a 5-star tablet. I'd like to see small improvements in the camera, the hardware design and the way Android fits to larger screens, but other than that it's a tablet that Samsung can be very, very proud of. An exceptional screen and a long list of software goodies make the Galaxy Tab S Samsung's best tablet to date and our top Android choice for an entertainment slate. Key Features: 10.5-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 AMOLED display; Exynos 5 Octa 5420; 3GB RAM; 16GB storage; 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0; microSD up to 128GB; 7,900mAh battery; 465g
Manufacturer: Samsung Price:$500
VS Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Sony's previous Xperia Tablet Z was an incredibly slender piece of kit, measuring only 6.9mm thick, but the new model has managed to slice off even more, coming in at only 6.4mm. Its slimness is immediately noticeable when you pick the slate up as it feels like a thin pamphlet. At 426g it's very light as well, which should help make it comfortable to use for longer periods.Design-wise, not much has changed since the previous model. The front is a button-free, all glass design, while the back panel is a wide expanse of matte black plastic, with the minimal Sony branding in the middle. Like its predecessor, the Z2 Tablet is completely waterproof, allowing it to shrug off an errant spilled drink or let you dunk it in the sink to rinse off smeary fingerprint marks.The 10.1-inch display boasts a Full HD resolution, making it well equipped to tackle glossy, high definition shows on Netflix. It's not quite matching the iPad Air's whopping 2048x1536-pixel resolution, although side-by-side, I doubt you'd notice much difference.On the back of the tablet is an 8-megapixel camera which should be at least good enough for some Instagram shots of whatever you've cooked that evening.Stuffed into that skinny frame is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, clocked at an impressive 2.3GHz, backed up by 3GB of RAM. Specifications
Display type10.1 in
RAM3 GB
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 2.3 GHz
Dimensions (WxDxH)0.25 in
Weight15.03 oz VS Microsoft Surface 3 The Surface 3 is a thinner, lighter, smaller and cheaper version of theSurface Pro 3. It has a 10.8-inch screen and weighs just 887g with the keyboard attached (622g without). The 10.8-inch display makes the Surface 3 wider than 10.1-inch tablets, so the keyboard is bigger than most. This allows Microsoft to use large keys on the Type Cover. Those keys are wonderful and it's possible to type as fast as on any laptop keyboard. The keys have just the right amount of travel and the tactile feedback is first rate.
The top row of keys have tablet control keys along with some standard Windows keys -- Home, End, PrtScn, and others. They also serve as Fn-1 - Fn-12.
There is a small trackpad on the Type Cover that works well, but due to the small size I usually just tap the touch display. Still it's nice to have the trackpad available.
The new Surface 3 costs less than the Pro version, but trickles down much of the design and materials of its more expensive sibling. This budget model finally runs the full version of Windows. The keyboard cover remains the best way to transform a slate into a laptop. The Surface 3's IPS panel provides excellent viewing angles which means you won't have to crane your neck when leaning over to watch video or other content with a friend.
Even at a smaller 10.8-inches in size, its 1,920 x 1,200 pixel-resolution allowed me to comfortably fit two screens side-by-side, making it great for getting productive on the go.
The display supports full 10-point multi-touch, which I found fast and responsive - although it's easier to pick out toolbars and menus using the Surface Pen if you have scaling set to a low percentage in Windows. The Surface 3's benchmark figures are higher than those generated by the Asus T100 Chi. In PCMark 8 Home test, its 1.6GHz Intel Atom x7-78700 proved 32% faster than the Z3775 in the Chi while beating it by 19% in Cinebench 11.5's Multi-Core CPU test and 48% in its GPU test.
If that was something of a fair fight, things become predictably one-sided when comparing the Surface 3 to the Surface Pro 3, which saw its Core i5-4200U chip hammer the Surface 3's Atom chip in Cinebench 11.5's CPU test, producing a 196% bigger number. The Surface Pro 3 also scored higher in PCMark 8's Home test by 26%, while graphics came on top by 75% on Cinebench 11.5's GPU test. The Surface 3's 13-watt micro USB charger stretches from to nothing fully-charged in around 2.5 hours and once juiced up can go for a long time due to the efficiency of the 1.6GHz Intel Atom x7-78700. It packs a 27Wh battery, just short of the 30Wh battery in the T100 Chi - and PCMark 8's battery tests, which simulates real-world applications and loops video, produced similar scores as a result.
The high-end Surface 3 finds itself in an unusual position. Compared to the entry-level model, you get 4GB of RAM (instead of 2GB) and 128GB of storage (compared to 64GB) for $121 more. It means you'll be able to store more data on it while enjoying slightly less slowdown when multitasking, but the benchmarks show that it's nowhere near as powerful as the Surface Pro 3 - so its capabilities are still relatively limited.
But,Trading down to a low-power processor means this isn't a full-time PC. The clever keyboard case is still sold separately, and costs a lot compared to the base hardware. The kickstand has only three preset angles.
THE BOTTOM LINE The budget-priced Surface 3 is a solid tablet that finally runs the real version of Windows, but it would be a much better value if the must-have keyboard cover was included. Key Features: 10.8-inch, 1,920 x 1,280 display; 662g; 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor; Bluetooth 4.0; 802.11ac Wi-Fi; USB 3.0; Mini DisplayPort; microSD; 3.5-megapixel front camera; 8.0-megapixel camera
Manufacturer: Microsoft Price:$499
It suffers a little more in the graphics department. Here, more powerful phones and tablets like the Nvidia Shield Tablet have a noticeable advantage. This shows in a 13,500 score in the 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited test, which falls a long way short of the 20,000 or so of the top phones.
But most people won’t notice this difference in actual games. We couldn’t find any game on Android that didn’t run smoothly or look good. The middling graphics performance should only concern serious gamers.
But,The plastic backing and faux-chrome rim will certainly not be to everyone's tastes, but that aside this is a tablet with very few negatives. Starting at $500, it's a high-end purchase. Touchscreen response can lag if many of its memory-hogging apps are open in the background.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Ultimately it's a whisker away from being a 5-star tablet. I'd like to see small improvements in the camera, the hardware design and the way Android fits to larger screens, but other than that it's a tablet that Samsung can be very, very proud of. An exceptional screen and a long list of software goodies make the Galaxy Tab S Samsung's best tablet to date and our top Android choice for an entertainment slate. Key Features: 10.5-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 AMOLED display; Exynos 5 Octa 5420; 3GB RAM; 16GB storage; 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0; microSD up to 128GB; 7,900mAh battery; 465g
Manufacturer: Samsung Price:$500
VS Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Sony's previous Xperia Tablet Z was an incredibly slender piece of kit, measuring only 6.9mm thick, but the new model has managed to slice off even more, coming in at only 6.4mm. Its slimness is immediately noticeable when you pick the slate up as it feels like a thin pamphlet. At 426g it's very light as well, which should help make it comfortable to use for longer periods.Design-wise, not much has changed since the previous model. The front is a button-free, all glass design, while the back panel is a wide expanse of matte black plastic, with the minimal Sony branding in the middle. Like its predecessor, the Z2 Tablet is completely waterproof, allowing it to shrug off an errant spilled drink or let you dunk it in the sink to rinse off smeary fingerprint marks.The 10.1-inch display boasts a Full HD resolution, making it well equipped to tackle glossy, high definition shows on Netflix. It's not quite matching the iPad Air's whopping 2048x1536-pixel resolution, although side-by-side, I doubt you'd notice much difference.On the back of the tablet is an 8-megapixel camera which should be at least good enough for some Instagram shots of whatever you've cooked that evening.Stuffed into that skinny frame is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, clocked at an impressive 2.3GHz, backed up by 3GB of RAM. Specifications
Display type10.1 in
RAM3 GB
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 2.3 GHz
Dimensions (WxDxH)0.25 in
Weight15.03 oz VS Microsoft Surface 3 The Surface 3 is a thinner, lighter, smaller and cheaper version of theSurface Pro 3. It has a 10.8-inch screen and weighs just 887g with the keyboard attached (622g without). The 10.8-inch display makes the Surface 3 wider than 10.1-inch tablets, so the keyboard is bigger than most. This allows Microsoft to use large keys on the Type Cover. Those keys are wonderful and it's possible to type as fast as on any laptop keyboard. The keys have just the right amount of travel and the tactile feedback is first rate.
The top row of keys have tablet control keys along with some standard Windows keys -- Home, End, PrtScn, and others. They also serve as Fn-1 - Fn-12.
There is a small trackpad on the Type Cover that works well, but due to the small size I usually just tap the touch display. Still it's nice to have the trackpad available.
The new Surface 3 costs less than the Pro version, but trickles down much of the design and materials of its more expensive sibling. This budget model finally runs the full version of Windows. The keyboard cover remains the best way to transform a slate into a laptop. The Surface 3's IPS panel provides excellent viewing angles which means you won't have to crane your neck when leaning over to watch video or other content with a friend.
Even at a smaller 10.8-inches in size, its 1,920 x 1,200 pixel-resolution allowed me to comfortably fit two screens side-by-side, making it great for getting productive on the go.
The display supports full 10-point multi-touch, which I found fast and responsive - although it's easier to pick out toolbars and menus using the Surface Pen if you have scaling set to a low percentage in Windows. The Surface 3's benchmark figures are higher than those generated by the Asus T100 Chi. In PCMark 8 Home test, its 1.6GHz Intel Atom x7-78700 proved 32% faster than the Z3775 in the Chi while beating it by 19% in Cinebench 11.5's Multi-Core CPU test and 48% in its GPU test.
If that was something of a fair fight, things become predictably one-sided when comparing the Surface 3 to the Surface Pro 3, which saw its Core i5-4200U chip hammer the Surface 3's Atom chip in Cinebench 11.5's CPU test, producing a 196% bigger number. The Surface Pro 3 also scored higher in PCMark 8's Home test by 26%, while graphics came on top by 75% on Cinebench 11.5's GPU test. The Surface 3's 13-watt micro USB charger stretches from to nothing fully-charged in around 2.5 hours and once juiced up can go for a long time due to the efficiency of the 1.6GHz Intel Atom x7-78700. It packs a 27Wh battery, just short of the 30Wh battery in the T100 Chi - and PCMark 8's battery tests, which simulates real-world applications and loops video, produced similar scores as a result.
The high-end Surface 3 finds itself in an unusual position. Compared to the entry-level model, you get 4GB of RAM (instead of 2GB) and 128GB of storage (compared to 64GB) for $121 more. It means you'll be able to store more data on it while enjoying slightly less slowdown when multitasking, but the benchmarks show that it's nowhere near as powerful as the Surface Pro 3 - so its capabilities are still relatively limited.
But,Trading down to a low-power processor means this isn't a full-time PC. The clever keyboard case is still sold separately, and costs a lot compared to the base hardware. The kickstand has only three preset angles.
THE BOTTOM LINE The budget-priced Surface 3 is a solid tablet that finally runs the real version of Windows, but it would be a much better value if the must-have keyboard cover was included. Key Features: 10.8-inch, 1,920 x 1,280 display; 662g; 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor; Bluetooth 4.0; 802.11ac Wi-Fi; USB 3.0; Mini DisplayPort; microSD; 3.5-megapixel front camera; 8.0-megapixel camera
Manufacturer: Microsoft Price:$499
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