Samsung Galaxy Tab S arrives with an AMOLED screen that's exploding with colour

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Samsung has revealed its latest flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S, and it’s the world’s first tablet with a Super AMOLED display.

According to Samsung, that means that the Galaxy Tab S has the best screen of any tablet in the world, and its display is the main weapon in its arsenal against rivals such as the iPad Air and Xperia Tablet Z2.

Available in 10.5in and 8.4in variants, if they ape the talents of their smaller-screen brethren (including the Samsung Galaxy S5) the 2560 x 1600 Super AMOLED screens should provide pure, deep blacks, and punchy colours, with improved visibility in brightly lit conditions.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S arrives with a screen that

The Galaxy Tab S borrows the same dimpled plastic rear design as the Samsung Galaxy S5, and it’ll be available in two colours – Titanium Bronze and White.

Specs wise, both tablets will be powered either by Samsung’s own Exynos 5 processor or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 offering, which graces the insides of devices like the LG G2.

Both Galaxy Tab S variants will also pack in 3GB of RAM, along with 16/32GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with microSD cards up to 128GB in size. They’ll also land in both LTE and Wi-Fi-only models, with the former model allowing you to make phone calls with it, if you really want to.

An 8MP camera graces the rear, while a 2.1MP camera on the front should take care of selfies.

On the software side, the Galaxy Tab S is running Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, skinned over Android KitKat 4.4. Some useful software tweaks are thrown in too, including multi-view which lets you interact with two apps simultaneously over a split screen view.

SideSync 3.0 also lets you play games installed on your compatible Galaxy smartphone on the larger tablet screen. It’ll allow you to answer calls on your tablet, even if your phone’s in another room. Sadly, this feature is limited to Galaxy devices only.

The 8.4in Tab S packs in a 4900mAh battery, while the larger 10.5in has a 7900mAh one to keep it chugging along, and both tablets also feature a fingerprint-scanning home button with PayPal and multi-user support – a first for a Samsung tablet.

There’s no word on UK pricing for either model, but the 10.5in and 8.4in Galaxy Tab S models will be on sale in the US for US$400 and and US$500. The Wi-Fi version will go on sale in July, with the LTE model set to hit shelves shortly after.

Update 26/06/14: Samsung has officially revealed that the 10.5in and 8.4in Galaxy Tab S models will be available from 4 July for £400 and £320 respectively, matching the exact price of the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display.

Pricing and and a release date for the LTE versions have yet to be revealed.

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.