Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 – Battery

The Galaxy Tab S2 is powered by a non-removable 4,000mAh battery, which during my tests proved surprisingly capable.

Streaming
Netflix on Wi-Fi, with the screen in the auto setting, the Galaxy Tab S2
discharged between 10 to 15% of its charge per hour. This is pretty impressive by Android tablet standards.

Other tablets in the same
size-bracket, such as the Asus ZenPad 8.0, discharge as much as 20 to 25% in the same test.

Gaming performance was equally
impressive. Playing a range of games, including Banner Saga, Shadowrun
and Xcom, the Galaxy Tab S2 discharged between 15 to 20% of its battery, providing at least six-ish hours of playtime before dying.
Again, this is superb – most tablets usually struggle to offer
more than five hours.

With regular use I generally achieved
between two to three days use from the Galaxy Tab S2. This
entailed watching TV shows saved on the tablet on my commute,
sporadically browsing the internet, checking my social media feeds
throughout the day and half an hour’s gaming before bed.

Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 – Sound

Sound
quality is a deceptively important area on tablets. After all, who
wants to have to pair their tablet with a Bluetooth speaker when
watching a cheeky episode or two of Brooklyn 9 in bed?

Which is
why I’m fairly disappointed that Samsung has loaded the Galaxy Tab S2 with
two underpowered speakers. The speakers are located at the bottom,
short side of the tablet. As well as being woefully easy to block when
holding the tablet, they also don’t provide terribly good sound quality.

Maximum
volume levels are poor and audio could sound slightly tinny. The
low end is also a little lacking – I’d say that the Galaxy Tab S2’s speakers are its worst feature.

Should I buy the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0?

Despite
debatably being born in the Android ecosystem, 2015 has seen a drop in
the number of decent small-form -actor tablets running Google’s mobile
OS.

While some cheap tablets, such as the Asus ZenPad 7.0 and
ZenPad 8.0 offer decent value for money, their sub-par components result in poor performance and woefully short battery life.

While
it isn’t cheap, with the basic Wi-Fi model costing the same £319 as
Apple’s new iPad Mini 4, the Galaxy Tab S2 is one of a select few
Android tablets to offer top-end performance.

Add to this its
stellar battery life, and the Galaxy Tab S2 justifiably earns its place
as one of 2015’s best tablets – and for now, I’d recommend it to those who can afford it.

However, its use of Samsung’s TouchWiz skin
tarnishes its long-term appeal, leaving a question mark over whether or not it will be updated to Google’s fast-approaching Android Marshmallow
operating system.

RELATED: Best Android Tablets

Verdict

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is one of the best small-form-factor tablets currently available, but it’s TouchWiz skin remains an issue.

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