Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

ebilcake · 18 Sep 2019 at 09:02

Has anyone tried this device yet?

Surprised it's not getting more attention, the specs look great for an Android tablet and it's been a while since Samsung went all out with the specs. Seems to have gone under the radar a little, or is the interest in Android tablets really this bad now?

I'll probably drop in JL later and pick one up, need a replacement for my Pixel C.

https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_s6-9781.php

ebilcake · 18 Sep 2019 at 10:17

bimmerboii said:
Im on the fence of getting the 256gb one. I already have an 11" iPad pro but use a Note10+. It makes more sense to have a Tab S6 as my tablet as it has call & text continuity which is a big factor for me. I know performance-wise the iPad is unbeatable but I havent found use for such power on a tablet.

I'm gonna get the 256G model, it's not a lot extra imo

Also I've watched a few videos where it seems to be a bit quicker when starting apps and even benchmarks a little faster, but who knows, it was clearly a sponsored video.

I have no interest in iPads at all, if it runs iOS in any form I'm just not interested.

ebilcake · 18 Sep 2019 at 19:24

Strangely the JL near me didn't have the bookcover in stock so I've just got the tablet for now, not had very long to play around with it but it's incredibly thin and light for a 10" tablet. Much thinner than my Note 9 and my chunky Pixel C.

Fingerprint scanner works really well and it's fast, I think it's optical similar to the OnePlus devices. Performance seems fine so far, very snappy and the display is of course gorgeous. The sound while good feels like something is missing, I guess sound from a device this thin is never going to blow anyone away, it's miles better than Pixel C though.

Will give it a full charge and play around some more, I'll probably pickup the bookcover before the weekend.

ebilcake · 19 Sep 2019 at 10:13

bimmerboii said:
Nice first impressions. You bought the 256GB one? Do you use a Galaxy phone as well? Wondering how well call & text continuity works?

Edit: Can you confirm if the Tab S6 has UFS 3.0?

Yep, it's the 256GB model, not a big enough price difference to even consider the 128GB version imo. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't shell out the extra.

Not had a chance to test call/text continuity, as far as I'm aware it's UFS 3.0 but I'll test it later.

One complaint about the tablet is the oversized icons, which don't appear have increased in resolution at all vs the icons on my phone, looks a bit ganky if I'm honest. Tried Nova Launcher almost right away but it doesn't seem to work correctly, switching to landscape mode seems glitched, with the dock staying to the right, no obvious way to access the app draw and a weird menu when swiping from the right... I'll play around with it when I have time, the Nova settings menu is a complete mess though. Obviously not an issue with the tablet itself, just Nova Launcher being weird.

EDIT: Almost forgot, the lack of a headphone jack is disappearing, plus they never included an adaptor which is annoying. Will any Type C Audio/Jack work or do we have to buy one from Samsung? Let me guess, another £15. :confused:

ebilcake · 19 Sep 2019 at 18:46

Don't know how you go about confirming if it's UFS 3.0.. But here are some benchmark results..

ebilcake · 19 Sep 2019 at 21:40

Anyone got Google Assistant working on this tablet? Keeps freezing for me, the settings as well so every time try starting it I basically have to restart the tablet.

Noticed I can use my Note 9 pen with this tablet, which is handy as the chunky one that came with it I left in the box.

ebilcake · 21 Sep 2019 at 13:21

Picked up the book cover earlier this morning and it's great, I would even say is an essential purchase for this tablet, the back adds protection as well as being a stand and pen holder. The keyboard with trackpad is functional and lightweight.

Got everything working, Google Assistant started working after a few restarts, and there was a zoom setting in the tablets settings that was glitching Nova Launcher, once changed it works as expected.

ebilcake · 25 Sep 2019 at 12:23

Participant said:
I've got my eye on this with the book cover as a combined family / work device. It looks really appealing, apart from the lack of stereo jack.

Will probably plump for the 128GB version, as with an SD card the storage it comes with is irrelevant and I can't see an extra 2GB of RAM making any real difference to any but power users.

@braveheart With the LTE version, presumably you have to take out a new SIM card subscription separate to your mobile phone?

Or can you use a duplicate EE SIM and have the same number as your mobile through the tablet?

On a normal Android device, I would agree that the extra 2GB of memory probably isn't needed, but this is Samsung so I would argue you do need it for a smooth experience. There isn't much installed on the tablet out the box but it's already using more than 4GB of RAM.

ebilcake · 28 Sep 2019 at 23:42

Participant said:
Just ordered the 6GB RAM WiFi version with the keyboard book cover for a paltry...£782. 5% cashback expected via Quidco.

I feel an absolute mug for spending this much on an Android tablet, but on the other hand we will definitely use its functionality as a family.

My job, my wife's job, children's homework, kids drawing, Netflix, etc.

Should be fine, a laptop for the same price would be much more capable in terms of performance and software support but wouldn't even come close in terms of the display quality and form factor, and of course battery life. Which I have to say has been amazing, 6 to 8 hours screen on time with some gaming is impressive to me.

ebilcake · 2 Oct 2019 at 13:56

Participant said:
The book cover is dire, especially for the money.

The mouse and keyboard are ok, but the back keeps unsticking itself from the tablet.

It's been fine for me, only seems to unstick if I faff around with it too much.

ebilcake · 17 Oct 2019 at 09:43

Sadly I'm going to have to return mine, when I change over to the dark mode it's apparent the black level is uneven, tried a black saturation test and it's pretty obvious something isn't right. The bottom row is visible when the device is rotated one way and but not the other.

I'll give John Lewis a call later, not something I can ignore once I've seen it.

ebilcake · 22 Oct 2019 at 19:06

Replacement arrived today and the banding is even worse than the first one. instead of one corner it's right down the centre of the display. Greens seem to be a problem, start with a black background and slowly adjust the green level and you'll see some parts of the display become active while the rest remains black. I can't believe how bad Samsung's quality control is.

Another replacement on the way, last chance then I'm getting a refund.

This is all meant to be one colour, that's not acceptable at all, and this is in good lighting.

ebilcake · 26 Nov 2019 at 11:55

Currently on my 4th replacement from Samsung, curious how long it will take before they admit they can't provide a device with a uniform display or just issue me with a refund and politely tell me to go away.

Participant said:
Woke up yesterday and the screen had a hairline crack in it. No idea where it came from. Don't think we have insurance on it.

Goddamnit.

Damn, that sucks.