SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S4 REVIEW: VALIANT EFFORT  

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Samsung Galaxy Tab s4 | 갤럭시 탭 s4 - 2018.09.19

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Samsung Galaxy Tab s4 | 갤럭시 탭 s4
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What is an Android tablet with a keyboard, mouse, and pen? Well, it’s still an Android tablet. The Galaxy Tab S4 is the new flagship 10.5-inch tablet that Samsung is aiming toward people who want a device that’s lighter than an ultrabook but still has a keyboard and pen.

 

Samsung has done everything it can to transform the Galaxy Tab S4 into a “real” computer, even though it still runs Android 8.1. That strategy revolves around giving the Tab S4 a desktop-style environment with individual windows and improved multitasking called Samsung DeX.

THE TAB S4’S EXECUTION IS LAYERED

But turning an Android tablet into a hybrid doesn’t come cheap — at least not by usual Android tablet standards. Pricing for the Wi-Fi version of the Tab S4 starts at $649, which includes the S Pen. However, the keyboard is an additional $149. That makes a complete setup $800, which is $10 less than a 10.5-inch iPad Pro with Apple’s Smart Keyboard (minus the Apple Pencil).

You can also link a Bluetooth mouse if you already have one to complete the DeX experience. (And, as you’ll see, you kind of need to.)

 

Aesthetically, the Galaxy Tab S4 is a good example of straightforward industrial design for a tablet. It measures 7.1mm thin and weighs 482 grams (1.06 pounds) so it definitely passes as lightweight. It has a glass back and front, comes in white or black, and is well-balanced, no matter how you pick it up.

Since it’s mostly glass, the Tab S4 is a fingerprint magnet of the highest order. Once I wiped it off a few times, I realized Samsung still deserves credit: it’s a unique and good-looking tablet without excessive branding.

 

 

If you take a look around the Tab S4, you’ll notice the gold contacts on the edge of the long side (meant for the keyboard), a volume rocker, power button, microSD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB-C fast charging port.

The one major takeaway I have from using the Galaxy Tab S4 hardware is how beautiful the screen is. It’s a 10.5-inch, 2560 x 1600 sAMOLED display. (Yes, Samsung rebrands the tech its displays use.) Brightness can be cranked up to the max, and it still produces an image with tons of contrast and saturation without blacks looking washed out. The crisp image the Tab S4 produces means that it’s highly suitable for photo retouching, drawing doodles, or watching the new season of Luke Cage.

IF YOU’RE INTO HEAVY SATURATION AND CONTRAST ON SCREENS, THIS IS IT

The Tab S4 definitely has one of the best-looking tablet displays of the year, and it’s not just because of Samsung’s use of display tech and color balancing. The bezels on the sides have shrunk compared to last year’s Galaxy Tab, so it’s more visually striking and immersive to look at. However, if you appreciate more color-accurate screens, there’s a chance you might not like the Tab S4’s oversaturated color profile.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 specs

• 10.5-inch 2560 x 1600 sAMOLED display
• Snapdragon 835 octa-core chipset
• 4GB RAM / 64GB storage / microSD up to 400GB
• 7,300mAh battery
• Android 8.1 with Samsung Dex
• Quad speakers “tuned by AKG”
• 13-megapixel main camera with flash / 8-megapixel front-facing camera
• S Pen

 

On its own, the Tab S4 is a powerful media-consumption device. But Samsung’s real goal for this tablet is to make it a productivity device. The $149 keyboard doubles as a stand and case for the Tab S4, but you can’t adjust the angle, so it only really works in one position.

On the left side of the keyboard, there’s a removable S Pen holder, but it feels chintzy. It sometimes can accidentally snap off before you have to snap it back on again, and it’s an odd place to cut corners.

Another oddity: there’s no trackpad. So if you really want to take advantage of the DeX desktop mode, you’ll need your own Bluetooth mouse, or you can use the S Pen as a mouse replacement, which is awkward.

EVERYTHING BUT A TRACKPAD

If there’s a bright side, it’s that typing feels decent. It doesn’t have a lot of travel, but it isn’t as shallow as the MacBook Pro’s butterfly keyboard. However, the keys are incredibly small, and despite having young, nimble fingers, I often struggled to hit the backspace key quickly or get used to the even smaller number row. If you want to send dozens of emails with the Tab S4 keyboard every day, you should practice a lot to commit the layout to your muscle memory. Also, the keys aren’t backlit, so using the Tab S4 keyboard at night is a crapshoot.

TECHNICALLY, YOU HAVE AN EMOJI BUTTON

One pleasant surprise was Samsung’s decision to include an on-screen keyboard button, which brings up a small version of the native full-screen Android keyboard when you’re in DeX mode. It’s helpful if you want to add emoji, type using your voice, and add GIFs or stickers.

The only included accessory, other than a charger, is the S Pen. This year, it’s been redesigned for the Tab S4. Design-wise, it reminds me of a faux Montblanc pen, but Samsung prefers calling it “refined.” And it is! It’s lightweight, balances in your fingertips like a real pen, and has a soft tip. It tracks very well and reminds me less of the Galaxy Note’s S Pen and more like the Surface Pen, which is often used by artists for professional design work.

Drawing by Dami Lee / The Verge

Our resident talented artist and Circuit Breaker reporter Dami Lee drew a quick doodle and said it “felt better and more natural than an Apple Pencil.” While you can’t flip the pen over to use it as a digital eraser, it does support Samsung’s Air Command features. You can annotate screenshots, write out notes, draw, sign documents, and do pretty much anything else a digital pen is meant for.

THE NEW S PEN IS GREAT FOR ARTISTS

DeX is Samsung’s specialized software for giving Android a desktop interface, with windows, browser tabs, and a taskbar. On the Tab S4, it’s available as just another mode, whereas on Samsung phones, you have to plug into a weird dock to enable it.

Samsung DeX is going to be one of the Tab S4’s biggest selling points and for good reason. It’s amazing what Samsung has accomplished with Android here.

You can have a dozen Android apps open at a time in an environment where you can resize them as windows, move them around, go full-screen with just one, or have the option of projecting the whole thing on an external TV / monitor.

IT’S SNAPPY, AND THAT’S GOOD

There’s still a downside: Android apps optimized for tablets are few and far between, and those that do exist definitely haven’t been designed or optimized to run on the Tab S4 in DeX mode.

Performance-wise, I had some concerns about Samsung using an older Snapdragon 835 chipset with only 4GB of RAM, but I haven’t come across crashes or lag at all. Overall performance doesn’t become an issue until you hit a dozen apps running at the same time. At that point, I noticed resizing windows wasn’t as snappy, but the Tab S4 still persisted and didn’t crash.

Of course, there are some holes in Samsung’s execution of DeX. For example, you have to reopen all the apps you were working from when you switch between the Android and DeX interface, unless you enable the “DeX Labs” feature, which carries them over (but not always).

There’s also the fact that some Android apps, like Netflix or Pokémon Go, don’t seem to work with DeX. It can’t run them full-screen even if you enable a DeX Labs feature that forces non-supported apps to resize. Still, most Android apps should play nice — hopefully.

SAMSUNG DEX DOESN’T PLAY WELL WITH EVERY APP

The most unusual peripheral for an Android tablet is probably a Bluetooth mouse. DeX makes good use of a mouse because you can right click on apps in the taskbar to close them or otherwise access options that would usually be hidden with a long press. What’s unusual is that a mouse is really necessary to make the most of DeX, which makes the whole thing feel a little less portable.

Is using the Tab S4 in default Android tablet mode worth it? Only if you can’t use the app in DeX mode or if you don’t have a keyboard. Otherwise, there’s really no reason to use it like you would most Android tablets. Screen real estate isn’t utilized as efficiently, so DeX is the only point where the Tab S4’s software really shines.

 

For those of you wondering about Bixby, Samsung’s often-delayed virtual assistant: it’s delayed. Samsung says Bixby should launch for the Tab S4 next year.

The Tab S4 has great cameras on the front and back. (I’ll save what I think about taking pictures on a tablet for another time.) The main 13-megapixel camera can shoot 4K up to 30 fps, while the front-facing supports up to 1080p HD.

On the front, the Tab S4 also houses the sensors for its iris and face scanner unlocking feature. These are hit or miss because the Tab S4 doesn’t always “see” my face if I’m using it with the keyboard and the desk I’m at is too low. However, it does sometimes work in pitch black darkness, so that’s kind of nice.

FACE UNLOCKING IS HIT OR MISS

Most of the Tab S4’s weight comes from the massive 7,300mAh battery. Samsung advertises 16 hours of battery life using the Tab S4 for video and productivity. That’s not far off: I got around 15 hours of use before hitting critical battery levels by binge-watching on Netflix and writing out the occasional Slack message or email with the keyboard. If you use the Tab S4 conservatively (no GPS, Bluetooth, and 50 percent brightness) it shouldn’t be difficult to hit the 16-hour mark.

IT’S MISSING THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO BUY

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is a great effort to make the ideal Android tablet. Samsung DeX makes the Tab S4 truly special, but the lack of optimized apps for Android and DeX modes means your software choices are quite limited. Samsung did a remarkable job of making the Tab S4 seem like it’s more than the sum of its parts. I just wish the parts were better.

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​Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 review: A versatile productivity booster that falls just short  

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Samsung Galaxy Tab s4 | 갤럭시 탭 s4 - 2018.09.19

#galaxy tab s4  #samsung 
Samsung Galaxy Tab s4 | 갤럭시 탭 s4
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is a multifaceted device designed to meet any productivity need and delivers a lot, yet it falls just short of reestablishing the tablet as an essential consumer product level with smartphones or notebooks.

 

It took a while for tablets to settle on the 10.5-inch screen size. What companies haven't settled on when it comes to tablets is what they can do that smartphones and notebooks can't. Samsung's answer by way of the Galaxy Tab S4 seems to be that it is more versatile, and therefore, an on-the-go productivity booster more than anything else. After a month of use, I found charm in the Tab S4 -- mainly due to its attachable keyboard and the lush 10.5-inch AMOLED screen that brings out the best for multi-window tasks -- but it fell just short of becoming a must-have.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is the company's latest 2-in-1 premium tablet.

Image: Cho Mu-Hyun

1. Battery

The best part about the Tab S4 is really its battery. At 7,300mAh compared to the Tab S3's 6,000mAh, Samsung delivers the numbers. Both casual use and word-processing-heavy tasks can be done easily throughout the day without having to worry about charging.

As a portable device, I feel this is the best quality, as it allows professionals to focus on their task at hand and start charging once they return home or back to the office. It brings a nice rhythm to daily routines -- important for continuous productivity for workers. I took the Tab S4 with me for couple of business trips that included staying two to three days in hotels and I only had to charge once I returned to the room at night after my long day.

That's not to say it's perfect. Watching YouTube or using the split screen option on tablet mode and opening multiple windows on Samsung DeX mode brought about a noticeably faster battery drain. I would say on-the-go use that's focused on power points or words could handle seven to nine hours easily; once the graphics card starts pitching in work, this falls down to five to six hours fast. Still, with quick charging to boot, it is a considerable improvement compared to its predecessors and on par with or better than the top smartphones out there.

2. Keyboard

The attachable keyboard has some die-hard haters, but the Tab S4's Book Cover Keyboard, sold separately, really brings out the best in the tablet. Long-time tablet users who are more used to the on-screen keyboard set-up may disagree, but newcomers may find the keyboard refreshing.

With the Tab S4, you are basically learning a brand new keyboard layout -- the main reason attachable keyboards have strong detractors -- and initially I was forced to take my eyes away from the screen to look for keys that are't included. But a week or two in, it wasn't as big a bother as I thought it would be. Plus, the keys' tapping sound and their right amount of resistance made me feel like I was doing some real work.

There wasn't an instance when I wanted to resort to the on-screen keyboard, and I returned to the physical keyboard for both play and work no matter where I was. My hands played mouse; the best part was using them with the keyboard when it came to internet searches and split-screen tasks. Plus, for Samsung Dex, the keyboard is a must, but more on that later.

The big downside is that the keyboard is sold separately. Having Samsung DeX, among other things, makes the keyboard an essential tool to tap into the full potential of the Tab S4 and selling it separately at a $149.99 price tag (the Tab S4 itself costs $649.99) feels expensive.

The keyboard-plus-tablet set-up still falls short against other notebooks, and although it is more portable, there is room for improvement. If Samsung wants its tablets established as professional tools, I feel the keyboard should be given for free to foster more fans. Or, if they are demanding that price tag, it should somehow be upgraded to have keys and the overall experience closer to its desktop counterpart.

Split screen used in combination with the keyboard really brings out the full productivity of the Galaxy Tab S4.

Image: Cho Mu-Hyun

3. 10.5-inch AMOLED screen

Samsung is known for its top-of-the-line hardware in its flagships, especially in displays, and the Tab S4's 10.5-inch AMOLED screen is gorgeous. The bezel is narrower compared to its predecessor and the black model I used, coupled with the beautiful screen, really made the tablet seem like a premium device. The contrast ratio is great and bright colours and the real black all stand out without feeling saturated. The cinema mode makes images even more natural for media consumption, though I rarely used it.

The aspect ratio is 16:10, wider than Tab S3's 4:3, and this is better for watching media content. Is this an enormous plus? Not really, since almost every other device, including smartphones, notebooks, and monitors, are going down that route, so it is expected.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review: Big battery and superb S Pen experience

But that wider birth really shines when using multi-window or split screen. The Tab S4 basically incorporates most of the multitask features on the Galaxy Note series and it shines here. The split screen used in combo with the keyboard is when this tablet really deserves the moniker of "productivity booster". And the 10.5-inch really offered enough space for each split screen to lessen the need for scrolling. While I rarely use the split screen on my Galaxy Note 8 because I feel there isn't enough space for two screens, with the Tab S4 it's like having two smartphones side by side. For some tasks I would say it could beat the speed of a desktop.

4. S-Pen

Samsung seems to have intentionally sought out a Montblanc-like design for the Tab S4's S-Pen, which is more rounded and thicker compared to those in the Galaxy Book and Galaxy Note 8 and 9. I am sure this is an intentional design choice to match the productivity theme of the Tab S4 for a more professional or business-oriented look, but it doesn't feel that way once you start using it. It's light, doesn't have heft, and the overall colour comes off as more plastic than premium.

Also: Galaxy Note 9 ongoing review: The good and bad so far CNET

The stylus is very functional and does everything that its cousins can do in other Samsung devices; users can take notes, draw, and use it for search and translate like in the Note series. However, being a Galaxy Note 8 user, I found the sensitivity for Tab S4's pen slightly lacking in comparison. It could be that the ball point is thicker, but I found highlighting and dragging to be more laborious than on the Note, and less accurate. But it does its job. And it's hard to complain too much, since it's included.

It also has a dedicated socket on the left side and the S-Pen doesn't require charging -- a better choice than some of its competitors; Microsoft's Surface Go Pen uses a disposable battery, for example.

Open dozens of windows with Samsung DeX.

Image: Cho Mu-Hyun

5. Samsung DeX

I had high expectations for Samsung DeX on the Tab S4, and after using DeX mode, I am convinced that the desktop-style is more suited to the tablet than the smartphone. The biggest upside is now you can open multiple windows, and the Tab S4 handles them easily, despite having a Snapdragon 835 instead of the newer 845 that's on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9.

I have a habit of just opening new windows endlessly instead of, perhaps more wisely, using a tab on the same window. With the Tab S4, there weren't any noticeable slowdowns after opening over 10 windows. The ability to just do this on a tablet was refreshing in its own way.

Also: Samsung and the Galaxy Note 9's quest for 'meaningful innovation'

That being said, there really isn't much to do on the mode besides surfing the internet since there aren't enough Android-optimised apps; I found myself doing the same things I do in tablet mode. I feel the next iteration should offer users more to do here if this tablet wants to be level with Windows or iOS.

6. No home button, and that's OK I guess

Samsung has rid the home button to match the aesthetics of its recent smartphones. It definitely helps the look of the front of the tablet. However, this has also meant getting rid of the fingerprint sensor, therefore forcing users to use the iris scanner (they can add Intelligence Scan, which scans both eyes and facial features). The company's logic seems to be that the iris scanner is more intuitive, and while it works fine, I feel both options should have been offered on a premium device such as this for more user choice.

The scanner is located near top of the tablet where the 8MP front camera is, and I had to lean sideways to unlock it. What would have been pretty awesome is if I had left my seat and it had the ability to scan me and unlock right away upon my return. If the fingerprint scanner isn't coming back, I would like the facial scanner upgraded so it can read eyes and faces from the side.

Samsung offers a variety of choices to use the Galaxy Tab S4: S-Pen stylus, the keyboard, and your hands.

Image: Cho Mu-Hyun

7. Harman AKG quad speaker

The Tab S4 has a quad audio system that is AKG tuned, which is new to Samsung's tablet line. It also has Dolby ATMOS to help out when you want to watch a movie or two. It's richer than what came before and than what's offered on the company's smartphones, but not as cinematic as I hoped it would be.

Samsung really hasn't gotten audio down, and I think it mostly comes down to hardware design. Hopefully for the next iteration the company can tune the speakers to offer more booming sounds.

8. Mostly work, with a little play

There are other miscellaneous features packed in, like the 13MP back and 8MP front camera. The microSD slot is welcomed and the tablet comes in 64GB and 256GB internal storage. The Galaxy Note 9 comes in a 512GB model so the same premium speed would have been welcomed on the Tab S4, but it seems the company decided against it, either due to cost issues or to avoid stealing the thunder from the Note 9. But more internal storage would have gone well with Samsung DeX; desktop features are there to handle the heavy-duty work that eats more memory.

Having the Qualcomm 835, which launched last year, and 4GB RAM, I feel can handle any productivity or multimedia task. After all, mobile device specs are currently overkill. The Daily Board feature where the tablet acts as a calendar and clock when docked on the charging pad isn't bad, but because my alarm is set on the smartphone it's never really the first screen I look for.

Now a minor problem I have with the Tab S4 is that it's really all about work, not play. As with the Galaxy Note series, Samsung is promoting the productivity aspect of this tablet, and it definitely delivers a lot in that regard. In essence, play usually refers to multimedia consumption or gaming, but the Tab S4 doesn't seem to boast any advantage in that sense. Yes, the 10.5-inch AMOLED display is gorgeous, but so are other Samsung premium products and high-end monitors that most consumers may already own.

Perhaps Samsung can add a dedicated button (since the Tab S4 doesn't have a Bixby button) that switches back and forth between work and play, as well as a more simple, intuitive interface for the "Play Mode", such as having a game launcher, or even another version that would otherwise make jumping into play mode a bit easier.

The Galaxy Tab S4 can double as a daily board when docked for charging. Because, why not?

Image: Cho Mu-Hyun

9. Conclusion: A worthy go-to device that's pricey

The Galaxy Tab S4 tries hard to be a must-have device for the modern day enterprise user, and while it succeeds in many areas, it fails in others. I am sold on the advantages that tablets can bring over smartphones and notebooks when it comes to portability and productivity. There is a role to play for a 10.5-inch screen on a tablet that can't be achieved by that on a six-inch smartphone or 13-inch notebook. I love the Tab S4's adaptability and versatility offered by its wide screen and accessories such as the keyboard and stylus that can be used in combination. But the goal post here is Apple's iPad Pro, and Samsung simply succeeds in offering an equivalent Android product that will be welcomed by Android users.

That being said, the biggest obstacle is price. It costs $649.99. In South Korea, the tablet is offered with 6GB RAM and costs 792,000 won with 64GB internal storage. With added accessories such as the keyboard or possibly an HDMI cable to link Samsung DeX with a monitor, that price climbs higher than a premium smartphone.

If Samsung is aiming to consolidate hardcore fans, it might succeed, but for it to become a mass device, either $100 should be cut from the price tag or the company should add more premium features to later iterations, such as more play content or free accessories.

Sales of the Tab S4 begin in South Korea on Wednesday, August 29.

 

PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE

Samsung marries new Galaxy Tab S4 with DeX for productivity boost

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its flagship Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S4, with Samsung DeX connectivity for the first time on a tablet, giving consumers multi-screen options and a powered-up S Pen to cater to the enterprise and professionals.

Samsung to launch S Pen SDK in September, eyes third party apps for remote control

The move to make S Pen more useful to enterprise apps could extend the Note 9's reach into business more.

Nine reasons the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is best for business

The Note series has always had an enterprise focus and this year's Note 9 is no exception to that strategy. Improvements have been made to make it the best smartphone for getting work done.

Galaxy Home: Can Samsung make up for lost time in the smart speaker space?

Samsung's smart speaker will have six speakers, eight microphones, a subwoofer, sound by AKG, and comes on the back of a partnership with streaming giant Spotify. But will it be enough?

Samsung launches DeX dongle: Here's how it stacks up to the original (TechRepublic)

Business users can look forward to the portability of Samsung's DeX dongle.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S4  

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Samsung Galaxy Tab s4 | 갤럭시 탭 s4 - 2018.09.19

#samsung  #galaxytabs4  #galaxy tab s4 
Samsung Galaxy Tab s4 | 갤럭시 탭 s4
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Pros

•  Stunning display
•  Dex mode is an improvement to the UI
•  S-Pen included

Cons

•  Would like more RAM
•  Glass back is slippery and delicate
•  Lingering issues with Android on tablets
•  Dex mode has a few annoying bugs

Key Features

• Review Price: £599
• 10.5-inch HDR Super AMOLED display
• Optional keyboard cover
• Snapdragon 835, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage
• Expandable via microSD
• 7300 mAh battery, USB-C, Fast Charge

 

What is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4?

If you’re on the hunt for an Android tablet with specs to match Apple’s iPad Pro 10.5 then options will have been thin on the ground recently. Huawei’s MediaPad M5 8.4 and Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro offer decent specs and features, while Amazon’s Fire HDrange have the mid-range covered. But high-end Android tablets are rare.

That’s where Samsung and its Tab S4 come in. This device is as high-end as you can get: a fast processor, a gorgeous HDR OLED and the S-Pen included. It even manages to swerve the normally quite poor Android interface with some smart software choices.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 price

Pricing starts at £599/$649 for the 64GB model, with an extra £50 netting you the LTE version. If you’re in the US, expect to see the LTE version later in the year. The keyboard ‘Book Cover’ costs an additional £119/$149. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 release date

UK pre-orders for the Tab S4 will begin on August 9. Get in early and you’ll bag the keyboard case for free. In the US, the tablet will be available from August 10.

Related: Best tablet 2018

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Design

There’s a whole lot to like about the Tab S4. However, its design and build aren’t on that list. It’s a design that works exceptionally well for phones, but not so much for tablets.

My biggest concern is the glass rear. Not only do I fear that it will become damaged every time I put the device into my bag uncovered, but it’s super-slippery, even after only a few minutes of holding it. Any oily residue on your hands will instantly transfer onto the glass, leaving the device a smudge-covered mess. The cool feel of metal is far more reassuring on a tablet.

 

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At least the device is thin and light. Slipping it in a bag will result in no noticeable weight gain, and I could hold it in one hand whilst scribbling some notes without feeling any strain.

The rest of the rear is clean, with a camera and flash, Samsung branding and a ‘Tuned by AKG’ logo. My review unit was a glossy black, and there’s a whitey/grey version available too.

Around the metal sides you’ll find a volume rocker, standby switch and a set of POGO pins for connecting up the Book Keyboard Cover, which is sold separately. A USB-C port sits along the bottom edge, flanked by a 3.5mm headphone port.

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/DSCF1371-1024x683.jpg

Easily the biggest omission is the home button, which has been a mainstay of the Tab line. It’s been ditched here in favour of a larger screen with a thinner bezel, and it’s a good move. There’s very little need for a dedicated home key here and in my experience,  I haven’t found fingerprint sensors on tablets all that useful.

 

Those after extra protection will be pleased to learn that the Tab S4 features the same iris scanner as the Samsung Galaxy S9. It works fine, although in landscape orientation it sometimes struggles to accurately find your face.

The stretched-out 10.5-inch display covers the majority of the front of the Galaxy Tab S4. This larger display has resulted in a reduction in the bezel surrounding it compared to the outgoing Tab S3, although it isn’t quite as eye-catching as the Infinity Display on the Samsung Galaxy S9. There’s no curve to the panel – which is probably a good thing for a tablet of this size.

Also available with the Tab S4 is a keyboard folio case. It will come free with pre-orders in the UK, and cost £119/$149 thereafter. I’ve only played with the Book Keyboard briefly, so I’ll save my complete thoughts for an update to this review once I’ve spent more time with it.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Screen and S-Pen

The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is utterly gorgeous, and right up there with the iPad Pro 10.5 for having the finest display on any tablet you can buy right now.

Samsung’s big win over Apple is the use of OLED tech, opposed to IPS LCD. OLED is used in some of the best TVs we’ve reviewed this year, and it allows for perfect blacks and striking colours. The panel is HDR-enabled for apps such as Netflix and Prime Video, and it packs a high resolution of 2560 x 1600. Really, it ticks all the boxes.

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/Screenshot_20180808-113751_Netflix-1024x640.jpg

Netflix supports HDR

For watching movies on-the-go there’s simply nothing better. Colours are punchy and bright, viewing angles are wide enough for a couple of people to watch simultaneously, and there’s a good hit of brightness. I did find myself jacking up the brightness to 100% when in sunnier surroundings or on the train in the morning, but turning things down to about 60% will suffice indoors.

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/DSCF1384-1024x683.jpg

I’ve been switching between the Tab S4 and Apple’s iPad Pro 10.5 over the past few days to try to decide which is better, and it’s a tight call.

The Tab S4 is easily better for binge-watching on Netflix, not only because of the punchier panel, but because the 16:10 aspect ratio is better suited to widescreen video.

 

The iPad Pro, on the other hand, has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes swiping and scrolling a lot smoother. I’d also say the iPad displays colours slightly more accurately – to my eye anyway – and editing the same photos on both devices in Adobe Lightroom CC was a better experience on the iPad as a result.

Really, it comes down to what you value more in a display.

Related: Best phone 2018

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/DSCF1375-1024x683.jpg

Included with the Tab S4 is an S-Pen: a Wacom-powered stylus for doodling and note-taking. Unlike the S-Pen that slides into the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, the version here is chunkier and made completely from plastic – it feels a lot like a felt-tip pen.

Considering how thin this tablet is, there’s nowhere for the S-Pen to live. It would have been nice to see Samsung follow Microsoft’s lead and add in some magnets for sticking the S-Pen to the side. I love this feature on the Surface Pro, and it stops the pen getting lost in your bag.

Not being a particularly great artist myself, I gave the device and stylus to a team member who used to work as an artist to give it a whirl. They found that as a creative tool the Tab S4 is a significant step up on competing Android tablets, such as the 10-inch Huawei MateBook. The S Pen is one of the best tablet styluses around, offering a solid 4096 pressure sensitivity levels and pleasing 0.7 mm rubber tip. The tip gives the pen a degree of resistance when writing on the screen – something that is missing on competing styluses, including the Apple Pencil.

Scribbling in Samsung Notes, the pen was reactive and didn’t suffer any latency. Samsung hasn’t pre-installed any third-party apps for doodling, photo editing or vector work. Testing the pen in Autodesk Sketchbook, Adobe Sketch and Adobe Draw, the pen performed well. Pressure sensitivity levels were accurately read and good enough to comfortably sketch and ink pencils.

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/Screenshot_20180808-113721_Autodesk-SketchBook-1024x640.jpg

Multiple apps support S-Pen input

The only minor annoyance was that S Pen’s quick menu can easily be launched accidentally using the side shortcut button. It would better if you could customise the button’s function on an app-by-app basis. All in all, the combo works well enough to make up for the lack of customisability, however.

If you’re a creative after a mobile touch-up station or sketchpad that isn’t an iPad or Surface, then the Galaxy Tab S4 is a solid choice.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Performance, audio and camera

There are four speakers on the Galaxy Tab S4: two along the bottom and two on the top. Each has been ‘tuned’ by AKG – a brand owned by Samsung – and they’re capable of pushing out Dolby Atmos audio.

Enabling the Atmos setting does result in a fairly decent faux-surround feel. However, it sounds a little fake and processed at loud volumes, tending to feel a bit tinny. At least a headphone jack is included.

Related: What is Dolby Atmos?

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/DSCF1351-1024x683.jpg

Inside the Galaxy Tab S4 there’s a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and, in the UK, 64GB of storage (some regions will get a 256GB option too). A microSD slot is included, so you can expand that further.

In 2017, this would have been a flagship setup. In 2018 it feels slightly limited, though. Especially for the £599 price. 4GB of RAM is tight, and leaves multi-tasking in Dex mode feeling unreliable. I’m less disappointed about the inclusion of the Snapdragon 835, however. Apps run fine, and even games such as Asphalt 9 are fast and smooth.

See below for a look at how the Tab S4 performs in Geekbench 4 tests, when compared to the Tab S4 and the two current iPads.

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/Single-core-and-Multi-core.png

Related: Best Android phone

Cameras are far from the most important part of a tablet, and Samsung hasn’t done much here to show it has focused any time or effort on them. There’s a single 13-megapixel f/1.9 camera on the back, and an 8-megapixel version on the front.

Pictures remind me of those taken with a mid-to-low-end phone, maybe the Galaxy A6 (2018). They’re colourful, with decent detail; they get the job done if the environment is bright. Low-light performance is poor and you’ll likely get better results from your phone. The front 8-megapixel sensor is good for video calls – I was using Google’s Duo app for this – with nice facial details and sufficient brightness.

My review unit came with LTE/4G support, which worked perfectly once I’d added a Three SIM-card inside. It works for phone calls and messages, too. For LTE connectivity you’ll have to pay an extra £50 (£649 as opposed to £599). That seems a fair price and I’d likely choose that option just for the extra freedom you get with 4G.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Software

Android tablets have always felt hamstrung because of the software. Android is great on phones, but poor on anything larger. The lack of updates and support from Google has meant that it’s been up to third-party developers to try to get the job done. Considering there don’t appear to be any tablet-specific features in Android Pie, things look set to continue in this vein.

In an attempt to get around this, Samsung has plucked its Dex interface from the Galaxy S9. Dex is a completely separate UI, which was previously only available when you connected a compatible Samsung phone into a Dex dock and a monitor. It would then let you attach a mouse and keyboard and use the phone like a more traditional desktop PC.

The Dex UI’s strength lies in its windowed interface, which means you can have a few apps open at once. Being able to open Spotify and YouTube, along with Docs, Sheets and a calendar at once, with them all visible, is truly great for productivity.

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/Screenshot_20180806-164620_YouTube-1024x640.jpg

Apps can be windowed in Dex

Dex is enabled by a toggle in the quick-settings menu. Tap it and, after a couple of seconds, the Windows-esque desktop will appear. Along the bottom you’ll find the usual Android soft-keys plus a selection of running apps and a taskbar incorporating the date, time and other settings. Apps can be dragged anywhere on the desktop, but there’s no support for widgets.

When you open up an Android app in Dex, it appears as a phone-sized window. You can drag this around and open multiple windows at once, or switch to a full-screen view.

While all of Samsung’s own apps work perfectly well in either mode, I’ve come across others that struggle. Netflix, for example, refuses to fill the entire display and remains in a small window, which forces you to return to the standard Android view. I’d guess this is a problem with the app itself, rather than Dex, since other video-streaming apps – YouTube and Prime Video, for example – work fine.

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/Screenshot_20180806-164626_Samsung-DeX-home-1024x640.jpg

Main Dex launcher featuring apps

There are other bugs, too. I’ve found that having four or more apps on-screen at once causes slow-down, and if you add a playing video to that it can grind to halt.

There are issues with the keyboard forgetting which apps you want to input text into, and refusing to do anything. You also can’t use Screen-off Memo in Dex or any of the handy S-Pen tools that are normally available. The iris scanner, too, is less reliable in Dex.

Nevertheless, Dex is far better than the standard Android tablet view. Switching back to the regular homescreen shows how unproductive tablets are in general. Putting apps side-by-side is clunky, and having Android fill the whole display just feels a waste of space. Dex is far from perfect (yet), but it solves many of these issues.

I won’t bang on too much about app support on Android tablets, but it could be better. Even Google’s own apps, such as News, are blown-up phone versions with far too much wasted space. It’s a real shame.

 

image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/Screenshot_20180806-164448_Samsung-DeX-home-1024x640.jpg

While Dex is the star of the show, there are a few other software additions here, too. Daily Board turns the Tab S4 into something akin to the Echo Show: a display that will display calendar appointments, weather and the time. This pops into life when the tablet is attached to a dock (£49.99), or when it’s charging. Bixby is here, too; we’re hoping the slightly dodgy voice assistant receives a substantial update soon.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 – Battery life

Inside the Galaxy Tab S4 you’ll find a 7300mAh battery, which is a decent increase over the 6000mAh cell from the Tab S3. A fast charger is included in the box, via which you’ll be able to get from 0% to 100% in a couple of hours.

In our standard array of battery tests, the Tab S4 did well. Starting from a fully charged cell, it went from 100% to 91% after an hour of HDR streaming video from Netflix. It lost a further 8% after an hour of standard HD Netflix video, and then 5% playing a video stored on the device. These results are just about on a par with those achieved by the iPad Pro 10.5 running the same tests.

Where the Tab S4, and most Android tablets, fall down is in standby time. Leaving the Tab S4 unplugged overnight saw a 9% drop. The iPad Pro dropped just 3% in the same time. This means you’ll need to keep more of an eye on the battery if you tend to leave a tablet in your bag all the time.

Why buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is the best Android tablet you can buy. It’s pricey, but for the money you get a stunning screen, and as someone who watches a lot of videos on a tablet, I’d happily spend extra for a panel this colourful and sharp. I’m not sure this is a great buy for those wanting a tablet just for web-browsing, a bit of gaming and the odd Netflix watch on a train, however.

The S-Pen is good, Dex makes Android workable on a tablet, and battery life is on a par with the competition. I’d like more RAM and maybe a metal rear rather than glass – but those are my biggest issues.

The Tab S4’s most significant rival is the iPad Pro 10.5 (£619/$619), but you’ll have to buy the Apple Pencil (£89/$99) separately. It might also be worth waiting to see what the iPad Pro 3 has to offer.

Still, if you want a high-end Android tablet then the Tab S4 is the device to get.

 

 

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Solid updates to a winning formula

 

Last year, Apple did something out of character: it introduced the usual update to the iPhone, the iPhone 8, while simultaneously introducing the iPhone X with a flurry of hype. The iPhone X was a total rethinking of the iPhone, with a new gesture system, Face ID unlocking, and an edge-to-edge screen that prompted a wave of app redesigns.

The iPhone X was meant to usher in the future of phones, and it succeeded; its influence (and its notch) are all over the industry now. Apple has gone from being an iPhone company to being an iPhone X company. This year, the iPhone X comes in one of two flavors: the updated, high-end iPhone XS and the midrange iPhone XR, which won’t arrive until next month.

APPLE HAS GONE FROM BEING AN IPHONE COMPANY TO BEING AN IPHONE X COMPANY

There are two iPhone XS models: the 5.8-inch XS and the new iPhone XS Max, which has a much larger 6.5-inch display and a frankly ridiculous name.

Really, both iPhone XS models are fundamentally just spec-bumped updates to the iPhone X. They have a new main camera sensor, a new processor, and a bunch of small updates that add up to a much nicer device than the X. One year after the notch, the arrival of the iPhone XS means we can look back at all the changes introduced by the iPhone X and see how they’ve gone, while looking at where Apple’s pushing the high end of phones next.

8.5VERGE SCORE

APPLE IPHONE XS

GOOD STUFF

• Terrific display
• Great speakers
• Long battery life

BAD STUFF

• Very good but not great camera
• Portrait Mode is extremely hit or miss
• Expensive

Buy for $999.00 from Apple

8.5VERGE SCORE

APPLE IPHONE XS MAX

GOOD STUFF

• Terrific display
• Great speakers
• Long battery life

 

BAD STUFF

• Very good but not great camera
• Portrait Mode is extremely hit or miss
• Expensive
• If you buy a XS Max, you might have to say “iPhone XS Max” out loud

 

 

Buy for $1,099.00 from Apple

XS MAXIMUM

Let’s start with the XS Max. Apart from the size, the XS and the XS Max are identical. They have the same A12 Bionic processor, same cameras, and the same OLED display tech with 458 pixels per inch. The XS Max also has a larger battery, which is nice. After a week of using it as my primary phone, the XS Max feels both bigger and smaller than I expected. Physically, it’s the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus and the Pixel 2 XL, and it definitely shares the same surfboard quality as Apple’s previous Plus-sized phones — at least when you look at it from the back.

 

But the edge-to-edge screen makes it seem much more reasonable from the front. The XS has the same OLED display as last year’s X, and the XS Max looks exactly like that display, just bigger. Because the screen fills the entire front of the phone, the XS Max doesn’t seem as huge as the Plus phones. It’s absolutely killer for watching videos or playing games on its huge, gorgeous display. I love it.

At the same time, the XS Max’s size gets away from it. The large bezels on the older Plus phones mean the top of the display is actually lower on the phone, making it easier to reach. To pull down notifications or Control Center on the XS Max, you have to reach the very top of the device. I have big hands, and I basically can’t do it without tipping the phone over in my hand; I ended up having to use two hands most of the time. You can use Apple’s reachability feature to pull down the UI and then swipe, but that’s two swipes for one thing, and it just makes me a little sad.

The XS Max also doesn’t really do a ton in software to take advantage of that big display: there’s no extra row of home screen icons or picture-in-picture for video. Some apps that haven’t been updated look a little broken right now, particularly Instagram. Everything else is mostly just bigger; apps like Slack, Gmail, and Twitter show you the exact same amount of information as the smaller XS. If you think big things are funny (they are) check out the size of the status bar when you pull Control Center down. AT&T WIFI, it bellows at you. THE TIME IS 4:12PM, AND YOU HAVE 68 PERCENT BATTERY. I giggle every time, just as I did with the original Plus phones.

EVERYTHING IS MOSTLY JUST BIGGER ON THE XS MAX

There are some software changes for the bigger display that are familiar from the Plus: in landscape mode, certain apps can switch to a sidebar view, and you’ll see tabs (with favicons if you turn them on) in Safari. But that’s really it. Apple told me that it doesn’t want to overstuff the display because it doesn’t want the interface elements to be too small to tap on, and most people really do just want a bigger interface on a large phone, which makes sense. I just wish I had the option to up the information density on the XS Max just a little.

 

So yes, if you want a huge screen, get a XS Max. It’s a gigantic, beautiful screen, and I have enjoyed looking at it a lot. But nothing about it is easier to handle than the old Plus phones, and in some cases, it’s harder.

DISPLAY AND FACE ID

The iPhone XS has the same OLED display as the X, with curved corners and the notch. After a year of looking at this display, I’m confident in saying that it’s one of the best displays available, with excellent color reproduction and brightness. And Apple’s TrueTone and Night Shift features are terrific; it’s easy to look at this screen all the time. (I also think Apple’s claim that this display supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision is a little silly. Sure, it gets brighter, but it’s nothing like HDR on a real TV.)

ONE OF THE BEST DISPLAYS AVAILABLE

Last year, we were wondering how Apple would handle burn-in on this new OLED display, and this year we know:there are basically no problems with burn-in on the iPhone X display. I would expect the XS to keep that up.

We’ve also learned that the iPhone X scratches way more easily than you’d expect. The glass on the front and back of the XS is supposed to be more durable, so we’ll see. My review units look pretty good so far, but that’s only after a week of use.

It’s also been a full year since Apple introduced Face ID, and we know that it works pretty well most of the time. Face ID on the XS is ever-so-slightly faster than the X. It’s noticeable side by side, but it’s not so much faster that you won’t find yourself pointedly staring at the phone to unlock it from time to time. iOS 12 lets you add a “secondary appearance,” which allows you to set up a second person if you want, which is nice.

A YEAR LATER, AND FACE ID SEEMS EASIER TO SET AND FORGET THAN TOUCH ID

Other than the minor speed increase and secondary appearance support, Face ID is still Face ID: it doesn’t work in landscape or upside down or anything like that. If you wear glasses like me, you’ll still have to enter your passcode every morning when you wake up because you’re holding the phone too close to your face for it to work. And sunglasses that block IR light will still prevent it from working. Apple says it’s working with sunglass makers to ship new kinds of sunglasses that support Face ID. (Only Apple can get another entirely different industry to adapt to its phone, instead of the other way around.)

A year later, and it’s pretty clear that Face ID is easier for people to set up and forget about than Touch ID, which means more people are securing their phones. That’s a good thing.

CAMERAS

The camera upgrades on the XS over the X are significant. The XS makes the X camera look terrible most of the time. But we’ve been saying the best smartphone camera on the market is Google’s Pixel 2 for a year now, so that’s the standard to beat. And… I think the Pixel 2 still has a better camera than the iPhone XS. Don’t get me wrong: most people are going to like the photos they get from the iPhone XS. It has a solid camera, and I prefer it to the Galaxy S9. But compared to the Pixel 2, the XS doesn’t really do it for me.

I THINK THE PIXEL 2 STILL HAS A BETTER CAMERA THAN THE IPHONE XS

The front camera on the iPhone XS is the same as the iPhone X: a 7-megapixel sensor with a f/2.2 lens that takes depth information from the TrueDepth system to support Portrait Mode. The rear telephoto camera is also the same as the iPhone X: an optically stabilized f/2.4 lens with the same 12-megapixel sensor.

But the rear wide angle camera (that you’ll use most often) has been updated: it’s still an optically stabilized f/1.8 lens with a 12-megapixel sensor, but each of those 12 megapixels is physically bigger now, which means they can collect more light. They are bigger, at 1.4µm pixels instead of 1.22µm, and deeper, at 3.5µm instead of 3.1µm. There’s also twice as many “focus pixels,” which is what Apple calls its phase-detect autofocus system.

Apple’s also revamped its image processing in a new system it’s calling Smart HDR, which runs photos through the A12 Bionic’s new integrated image signal processing subsystem and the Neural Engine. The basic idea is very similar to what Google’s doing on the Pixel 2: the iPhone XS takes a series of images at different exposures and combines them into a final photo. Like the Pixel 2, the iPhone XS starts a rolling buffer of four images the second you open the camera app, which allows for zero shutter lag. The image has already been captured the instant you push the shutter button.

THE IPHONE XS GENERALLY TAKES FAR BETTER PHOTOS THAN THE IPHONE X, BUT IT LOOKS MORE LIKE SAMSUNG’S CAMERAS THAN EVER

But while the Pixel 2 combines several underexposed frames, the iPhone XS also captures an additional overexposed image for each shot in the buffer, which picks up additional detail in the shadows of your image. Then, it looks at the other frames in the buffer to see if they can add additional detail, before merging several images together to create the final photo. It also detects faces and motion, so it knows what it’s looking at and adjusts the processing accordingly.

This whole concept is called “computational photography,” and it takes a lot of computing power. No DSLR or mirrorless camera to date can pull stuff like this off, especially not in real-time. That A12 Bionic does all of this capture and layering work in the instant it takes you to snap a photo.

The new Smart HDR feature lets the iPhone XS generally take far better photos than the iPhone X. They’re brighter, they’re better in low light, they have more detail, you name it. Over the past year, I’ve become less and less impressed with the iPhone X camera, and the iPhone XS is a solid improvement.

iPhone XS.

 

iPhone X.

But Smart HDR is extremely aggressive — overly so, to my eye. It flattens out contrast in images and consistently smooths detail out of photos. You can see it clearly when you zoom in to a 100 percent crop of the same photo taken on the Pixel 2 and the iPhone XS: the Pixel captures more detail, while the iPhone tends to smooth it out. This loss of detail is the thing that bothered me the most about the iPhone X camera, and while the iPhone XS is better, the smoothing still disappoints me every time I see it.

iPhone XS.

 

Pixel 2XL.

iPhone XS at 150% (left) | Pixel 2XL at 150% (right)

Apple used to talk a big game about having a more accurate camera than Samsung, which has done aggressive smoothing and saturation tricks for years, but images from the iPhone XS camera look more like Samsung’s cameras than ever. And that might be fine for most people — most of these photos will only ever be viewed on mobile displays, and XS photos look fine to great on smartphone screens — but I don’t think they hold up to scrutiny the way Pixel 2 photos do.

iPhone XS (left) | Samsung S9+ (right)

Loss of detail is one thing, but there are some subjective things I prefer about the Pixel 2 as well: the XS shoots extremely warm photos, while the Pixel is more true to life, if a little muddier in the reds. Pixel 2 photos are extremely contrasty and somewhat desaturated, which I like but some people find harsh. This is all part of an age-old battle between what’s accurate and what people like to look at, and there’s really no right answer.

I would never try to tell you what photos you should like better, but it seems obvious that Apple and Samsung are chasing a different overall look than Google. And I can definitely tell you that more detail in photos is better than less.

iPhone XS (left) | Pixel 2XL

Apple’s also updated Portrait Mode on the XS, which blurs out the background and adjusts the lighting on your face to make your phone photos look more like photos taken with big cameras and lenses. The iPhone XS has a big new trick: it lets you adjust the blur after you take the shot. Samsung’s phones have allowed you to change the blur like this for a while, but Apple’s portrait photos look a lot better to me because the phone is doing a lot more work. But that doesn’t mean they always look good.

The XS does a lot of things very quickly when you shoot a Portrait Mode photo: it identifies the faces in the scene and splits apart the background and foreground. Then it creates a depth map of the entire scene, particularly the subject in the foreground. Then it applies blur progressively to that depth map to model how a real lens on a real full-frame camera would smoothly transition the blur from foreground to background.

It’s pretty neat to adjust the blur after the fact and watch different parts of the image get blurrier at different rates. It’s definitely doing more than just cutting the background out and making it all blurry. It’s nicer than what phones like the Pixel 2 and S9 can do, although it still struggles around the edges and it has a tendency to cut off glasses.

Apple says it modeled the Portrait Mode blur against prime lenses on full-frame cameras, so we tested it against a 50mm lens on a Canon 5D Mark IV. As you’d expect, the Canon won running away. Apple’s software blur just isn’t there yet. But most people don’t have big cameras and expensive lenses, and Portrait Mode will do a lot for them. But it’s still a little gimmicky: I took close to 5,000 photos with my iPhone X over the past year, and just 207 of them were in Portrait Mode. I don’t think the new Portrait Mode on the XS is going to make me use it much more.

iPhone XS f2.2 (left) | Canon 5D Mark IV f2.2 (right)

On the video front, there are some new software stabilization algorithms on the rear cameras and entirely new stabilization for the front camera as well as the ability to record stereo audio. I didn’t take too many videos with the XS in my testing, but to me, it looks just as good as the X, which has been great over the past year.

Apple’s not wrong when it says the iPhone is the most popular camera in the world, and every improvement the company makes is welcome. It means more people are taking better photos. But I don’t think it’s the best smartphone camera out there anymore, and that’s even before the Pixel 3 comes out in just a few weeks.

PROCESSOR AND BATTERY LIFE

Last year’s iPhone X had an A11 Bionic chip, and this year’s iPhone XS has an A12 Bionic. In terms of CPU performance, the A12 really isn’t that much faster: Apple only quotes a 15 percent performance improvement, and I didn’t really see a noticeable speedup over my iPhone X.

The A12’s GPU is 50 percent faster, but, as usual, that feels like headroom for the future since these devices tend to stick around for so long. Last year’s A11 GPU was 30 percent faster than the A10, and it’s not like developers are maxing that out after a year. Apple has a huge performance lead over the entire smartphone industry, and I think it’s great that it’s using that lead to make its devices last as long as possible, instead of running them at the bleeding edge of power and performance all the time.

I GOT A FULL 12 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE OUT OF THE XS MAX WITHOUT USING LOW POWER MODE

The big change to the A12 is the new Neural Engine, which accelerates machine learning. Apple claims the Neural Engine on the A11 could perform 600 billion operations per second, while the A12 can do 5 trillion. That’s a huge increase — especially since the system also uses much less power — but in real-world use, the apps just aren’t really there yet. You’re basically just looking at a bunch of AR demos and the new camera features.

The A12 is also the industry’s first 7nm chip to ship at scale, which is a big deal for a variety of reasons, particularly battery life. I mostly tested the XS Max, and it did great — better than even Apple’s claim of 90 minutes more than the X. In fact, I got a full 12 hours of battery life out of the XS Max without low power mode, and that’s even under my heavy daily use of constant Slack and email, video watching, photo taking, and browsing. The smaller XS is rated to get 30 minutes more than the X, which has run for about eight hours for me this past year. It’s solid.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Apple made a big deal out of the “wide stereo” speakers on the XS during the keynote, which felt a little silly, but the speakers on the iPhone XS are definitely louder and clearer than the speakers on the X. Like the X, the XS boosts the volume of the earpiece speaker to serve as the other stereo channel. But this year, both the earpiece speaker and the bottom speaker are closely matched, which lets Apple do some processing on the audio for greater stereo separation. I don’t think it’s super noticeable, but any improvement to phone speakers is a good one, and this is a good one.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

IOS 12

I didn’t spend a lot of time on iOS 12 in this review since my colleague Chaim Gartenberg just published a detailed iOS 12 review. But here’s his bullet point version:

• Improved performance, especially on older devices (it’s worth updating for this alone)
• Screen Time is Apple’s attempt at time well spent — it’s a lot of information, but you’re mostly on your own to set it up and use it
• Notifications group by app (finally!) and are easier to mute
• Siri Shortcuts might make Siri way more useful, if developers get on board
• Memoji is a fun thing you’ll use once and forget about forever

The internal wireless charging coil of the iPhone XS has also been improved, so it’s more forgiving of placement, and Apple says it’ll get to a full charge 30 minutes faster using the same charging pads as before. AirPower, the wireless charging system Apple announced last year, seems to be dead for now; Apple wouldn’t say anything about it when I asked.

Yes, the iPhone XS still has 3D Touch; press on that screen while you still can. And not having a headphone jack or USB-C is still very sad, especially because the entirely Apple-controlled Lightning ecosystem is extremely weak: there are very few Lightning headphones, zero third-party headphone dongles, and exactly one certified iPhone X battery case… that isn’t yet certified for the XS. Apple wants you to buy AirPods, so AirPods you will buy.

Dust and water resistance has been improved to IP68 from IP67 on the X and the XR. That means you can keep the XS at a depth of two meters of water for 30 minutes at a time, which seems like a lot. When you’re done splashing around, Apple recommends letting it dry for five hours before plugging it in to charge. (There’s still no warranty against water damage, though.)

The XS also has dual-SIM support, but we weren’t able to test it yet. It arrives with a software update this fall. We’ll report back when it gets here.

So that’s the iPhone XS. Should you get one?

Well, these are still expensive phones: the iPhone XS starts at $999, and the top-of-the-line iPhone XS Max with 512GB of storage will cost you $1,449. That’s a lot of money. I am sure some people will find it ridiculous, while others will have already happily preordered.

IT’S WORTH WAITING TO CHECK OUT THE IPHONE XR BEFORE RUSHING INTO THE IPHONE XS

I would not rush out to spend another $999 on the XS if you have a X, but if you’re already deep into a preorder, don’t worry: you will love the iPhone XS. It is, indeed, more iPhone, and it will probably hold up for years to come. I definitely prefer the Pixel 2’s camera, but the iPhone XS isn’t that far behind, and it’s still a significant improvement over previous iPhones.

For everyone else, I think it’s worth waiting to see how the iPhone XR turns out before rushing in. It has the same processor and the same main camera for $750. The only major question is how good its 6.1-inch LCD will look in comparison to the OLED on the XS. But for that, we’ll just have to wait and see next month.

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