Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 vs Galaxy Tab S3
Our Verdict
If you want the best Android tablet on the market, the Galaxy Tab S4 looks like it will be it. But the Tab S3 is still a fine choice 18 months after its launch. If you want the larger screen, bigger battery and DeX built in then the Tab S4 is the better choice. Just remember you’ll need to also buy the keyboard separately. If you want an Android tablet but don’t need the keyboard and don’t want to use it like a laptop, the Tab S3 is the more affordable option.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S4 is its 2018 take on an Android Oreo tablet. There aren’t that many out there, but with keyboard, mouse support and iPad-esque looks you might prefer it.
But you can still buy the Galaxy Tab S3, most likely at a discounted price. How different are the two products, and is the Tab S4 worth the upgrade and extra spend?
Here’s a comparison of the Tab S4 and Tab S3.
Galaxy Tab S4 vs Galaxy Tab S3: Price and availability
The Galaxy Tab S4 costs from £599/$649for Wi-Fi only models and 64GB storage. This jumps up to £699/$749 for 256GB, while an LTE version in the UK will cost £649.
None of these prices include the £119/$150 keyboard, which is free if you pre-order.
You can’t pre-order in the UK yet but you canregister interest here.
It’s out in the US on 10 August 2018.
The £599 UK price is the same that the Tab S3 cost at launch in March 2017. You can now buy it for less in the UK fromSamsungandCurrys PC Worldand in the US fromBest Buy.
Galaxy Tab S4 vs Galaxy Tab S3: Design and build
The Tab S4 slims down the bezels to fit in a 10.5in display in what is still a compact form factor. This actually means it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner, replacing it with iris scanning only. The Tab S3 has a fingerprint sensor, but larger bezels and a smaller 9.7in display.
The Tab S4 is also narrower than the S3, meaning in landscape mode with the keyboard attached more text can fit across the display. The S4 is a little thicker than the 6mm S3, but still a ridiculous 7.1mm considering the power inside.
At 482g the S4 is slightly heavier than the 429g S3, but that’s not a difference you’ll notice in a bag. The keyboard attachment for both will add more weight to take the package over half a kilo.
The slimmer bezels make the S4 more svelte and modern looking but the S3 is by no means an aged device in comparison.
Galaxy Tab S4 vs Galaxy Tab S3: Features and specs
The 10.5in AMOLED on the Galaxy Tab S4 is gorgeous with a 2560×1600 resolution, up from the 2048×1536 resolution of the 9.7in AMOLED on the S3. Saying one is better is nit picking; the Tab S4’s is simply larger, but it does have a better 287ppi to the S3’s 264.
Both the S4 and S3 come bundled with the S Pen.
A more substantial upgrade is the S4’s Snapdragon 835 processor compared to the S3’s 820. In 2018, you will notice the difference in performance, though we are a little wary that Samsung has kept the RAM at 4GB on the S4 – we thought it’d add more to improve multi-tasking, but we will have to assess that in our full review.
But Samsung claims the Tab S4 can comfortably run at least 20 apps simultaneously. We’ll see in our review.
The S4 also improves on Bluetooth (5.0 instead of 4.2), battery (7300mAh instead of 6000mAH) and graphics (Adreno 540 instead of 530) and also retains the S3’s excellent AKG/HARMAN four speaker audio setup.
So yes – the Tab S4 is a significant upgrade on the internal specs, but the S3 still provides a similar experience if you’re looking for an Android tablet with a good screen and decent audio.
Check out a side by side comparison of the specs here:
Galaxy Tab S4 vs Galaxy Tab S3: Software
There are more differences in the software, which is now Android Oreo 8.1 on the Tab S4. But the S3 is upgradable to Oreo 8.0, so you won’t miss out too much with the older model.
The main new software feature of the S4 is DeX built in. This is Samsung’s way of allowing the device to run Android in Windows style desktop mode.
This has been limited to the Galaxy S line of phones, and even then you needed a separate dock. Now, it’s all built in to the Tab S4.
No such luck on the Tab S3. It could be a reason to plump for the S4, which also has mouse input support.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4: Specs
Author: Henry Burrell, Contributor
Previously Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, Henry covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.
