Samsung GalaxyTab S3 review

Samsung was the one of the first companies to release an Android tablet, back when the iPad was brand new and exciting. The Korean giant has tried selling a huge variety of models over the years, hitting multiple target audiences, sizes and price points. While excitement about the tablet category as a whole has died down, Samsung continues to push its high-end Galaxy Tab S which competes directly with Apple’s iPad and iPad Pro.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is slim and fashionable, with high-end specs and a bundled stylus. It can also be paired with a keyboard case if what you want is productivity on the go. However, it costs as much as many mainstream laptops, so there are a lot of pros and cons to weigh when deciding whether this is the right device for you.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 look and feel

While not quite on the same level as Galaxy S smartphones usually are, the Galaxy Tab S3 is certainly premium. Its most distinct design features are the all-glass back, and overall thinness of just 6mm. The back isn't slippery at all, and this tablet is easy to hold in one hand, which you'll do a lot if you use the S-Pen. Unfortunately, the body is too thin to accommodate a silo for the stylus, so you'll have to carry it around separately and make sure you don't misplace it.

As good as this tablet looks, it cannot hope to match the slickness of the Galaxy S8 and S8+smartphones (Review). Samsung had to make the borders around the screen thick enough for thumbs to rest without triggering unwanted touch input on the screen. You'll also find Samsung's trademark physical Home button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, flanked by capacitive Android navigation buttons. The silver Samsung logo above the screen is also a little distracting.

The front and rear glass panels are held together by a metal frame. You'll find two speakers on the top and two on the bottom, which means that you get stereo sound no matter which way you hold this tablet, though it isn't directed towards you. The power and volume buttons are on the right, along with a tray that can hold one Nano-SIM and one microSD card. On the bottom, you'll find a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio socket, both awkwardly off-centre in an attempt to make the bottom look symmetrical.

The back is almost completely bare, expect for the primary camera and its flash at the top, another Samsung logo, and a "Tuned by AKG" stamp along with some lighter regulatory text near the bottom. We think a more minimalist approach would have helped make the Galaxy Tab S3 feel like more of a premium product.

Construction quality appears to be excellent, and we weren't worried that we'd have to handle this tablet gently. You can slip it into any bag and you'll hardly notice the additional weight. We'd definitely recommend finding a sleeve or cover of some sort, because fingerprints and smudges are a huge problem on both the front and rear. The Galaxy Tab S3 feels most natural when held in portrait mode, which works well for pretty much everything except videos and games.