Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Will hybrid outshine Tab S2?
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7-inch was officially unveiled in July this year together with the 8-inch model. The tablets are slowly arriving to U.S. carriers. For instance, the new tablet will be arriving to U.S. Cellular by Sept. 11.
Sprint, on the other hand, started offering the device last Sept. 3 for $648, which is comparable to T-Mobile's slate priced at $650, as reported by CNET.
However, tablet sales are expected to go downhill this year and Samsung could face some challenges trying to attract customers to go for the Tab S2.
Cheaper, yet decent tablets, is being introduced and they could also pose a challenge to the Tab S2. One such rival, although not expected to be cheaper, is in the form of the heavily rumored Microsoft's Surface Pro 4.
For the specs, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is powered by the latest Android operating system (OS), 5.1 Lollipop. It sports a 9.7-inch screen with a 2048 x 1536 screen resolution.
Tab S2 runs on an octa-core processor and has a 3 GB RAM. It is also powered by 5,870 mAh battery pack, which is already considered a good battery for its size.
Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 4 is rumored to carry a 12-inch display with 2160 x 1440 resolution. Pro 4 is reportedly the same size and weight as Surface Pro, 3 but the latter seems to be thinner.
Design&Trend reported that Pro 4 will come in another variant — a 14-inch tablet with the same resolution.
As for the camera, Surface Pro 4 is said to have two 5-megapixel shooters, front and back, while Tab S2 has a 2.1-megapixel selfie cam and an 8-megapixel rear cam.
As for the price, it was mentioned that Sprint will offer the Tab for $648; but a report from CNET detailed the retail prices of the tablet, with the cheapest — the 8.0-inch Wi-Fi only model — selling at $399. Prices could go up to $599.
On the other hand, Surface Pro 4 is expected to cost the same as Pro 3, which means the upcoming tablet could be around $800 for the 12-inch variant. The larger variant is expected to cost more.
The difference between the two is that Samsung's tab is already available, while Microsoft's is just awaiting launch.
Time will tell if Surface Pro 4 will indeed be a great competitor of the Tab S2.
