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The camera also works well for video conferencing. In addition, the attached kickstand only works well when used on a desk or other completely flat surface. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag.

Microsoft Surface Go vs. Apple iPad: Inexpensive Tablets Compared, iPad Air 4 Benchmarks Reveal Bolstered Performance From A14 Bionic Processor, Samsung Announces Galaxy Tab Active3 Ruggedized Tablet, Microsoft: Our 85-Inch Surface Hub 2S Is Great for Social Distancing, 2020 iPad: Faster Than Last Year's iPad Air. That said, t's worth noting that benchmarks provide a way for us to objectively measure performance on similar products, but do not necessarily reflect how a product performs in real life. Long battery life. The Tab S6 ships with Android 9 Pie along with Samsung's custom One UI. And with peak volume coming in at 93dB, the Tab S6 can easily fill a room with audio. Samsung is pushing the Tab S6 as a laptop replacement for creative professionals. Solid cameras. It seems to only be able to detect your finger in one position, making it useless when holding the tablet in landscape mode. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. In low-light photos, distortion was traded for some muddiness and noise.

The keyboard case is small, it isn't backlit, and it takes a little practice to get comfortable with its chiclet keys.

The back half of the keyboard attaches via a reusable adhesive, which started to fail after removing it only a few times. Buggy software and unreliable fingerprint sensor in testing. Content creators will want to consider spending more on an iPad Pro (starting at $799), which works with many creative apps like Adobe Creative Cloud that you won't find in Google Play. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

We didn't find it reliable for triggering Air Gestures, however, which only worked some of the time in testing. In bright light, the 13MP camera is solid. For the most part, the S Pen is accurate and has good pressure sensitivity. The Galaxy Tab S6 ships with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. The Tab S6 is an undeniably powerful tablet, with top-notch build quality and hardware. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. That said, the keys are deep and have nice travel. Low-light performance is acceptable, though we noticed background blurring in several shots, as well as noise around the edges of images. When it comes to connectivity, the Tab S6 comes in Wi-Fi-only and LTE models. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. The keyboard magnetically … In doing some research, we found numerous customer complaints about this. Color accuracy is excellent, and the screen is bright enough to use in any scenario. Excellent build quality, display, and performance. Overall, sound is rich at any volume, with a surprising level of bass. Latency isn't quite as low as using the, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, Read Apple iPad Pro (12.9-Inch, 2018) Review, Read Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 (LTE) Review. Benchmarks are in line with other devices with similar hardware. PCMag Digital Group. Engadget is part of Verizon Media. If you're looking for a tablet to get work done, Apple's iPad Pro line or any number of 2-in-1s probably come to mind.

We also encountered numerous bugs and quirks outside of Dex Mode.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 and the case go hand in hand. We played PUBG for over an hour and didn't encounter any lag or skipped frames. The AMOLED display is gorgeous, with deep, inky blacks and rich colors.

DeX Mode is Samsung's custom interface that emulates a laptop, like ChromeOS but not as polished. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. When you do find your battery running low, the Tab S6 supports fast charging with the included 15W adapter. We tried using it for a week as our home computer and found it was fine for basic tasks like sending emails, typing short documents, and updating social media. Can the Tab S6 replace your laptop? With more conservative use, you should easily be able to get 10 hours between charges on the Wi-Fi model. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. It not only protects the Tab S6 from scratches it also is a fully functional keyboard. In daylight, all of our images were crisp, with excellent color accuracy and depth of field. Before joining PCMag as a mobile analyst, he covered mobile and wearable tech at Digital Trends. By comparison, Apple's newly released iPadOS really makes the iPad Pro a viable alternative to a laptop for many people, and ChromeOS has evolved exponentially over the last several years to become an excellent cloud computing option. The S Pen is excellent for taking notes, marking up documents, or making a sketch. But if you're a creative professional or power user, the keyboard cover simply isn't good enough for daily use and the software catalog leaves a lot to be desired. While test shots had excellent color accuracy and captured fine detail, several were noticeably distorted around the edges.

The wide-angle lens is acceptable, but won't replace your smartphone's camera. Keep an eye on your inbox! It measures 9.63 by 6.28 by 0.22 inches (HWD) and weighs 14.72 ounces.

As mentioned above, there is a dual camera stack on the back of the tablet with a 13MP primary sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture. Palm rejection is poor, however, and an accidental swipe of your palm can move the cursor to a completely different location in a document. And while we expect to see Samsung update the Tab S6 to Android 10 in the future, there's no guarantee after that. We tested a Wi-Fi model. When held vertically, there's a dual camera stack in the top left corner of the back of the tablet, above a depression that holds the S Pen stylus.

And if you simply want a tablet for multimedia consumption and gaming, the $329 base model iPad is an excellent choice. The Galaxy Tab S6 features a lustrous, high-quality design. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-tab-s6. We found it to be fine for moving the cursor and opening apps, but if you want to select text, it's easier to do so with your finger or the S Pen. If you're looking for an alternative that has access to the Google Play store, check out the 2-in-1 Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 (starting at $599), which features a stylus, some of the best hardware you'll find in a Chromebook, and excellent service and support from Google.

While the S Pen is included with the tablet, you'll need to shell out $179 for the keyboard case, which you'll really need if you're planning to use it in lieu of a computer. Microsoft Surface Go 2 vs. Apple iPad: Which Tablet Is a Better Laptop Replacement? Unfortunately, that same care doesn't transfer over to the software experience, which proved quite buggy in testing. In addition, all Tab S6 variants have Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and an accelerometer. Surface Pro: What's the Difference? The front-facing camera sports an 8MP lens with an f/2.0 aperture. And Google Play simply can't keep up with Apple's App Store when it comes to creative apps for professionals, making the promise of productivity here a relatively empty one. In our battery drain test, which streams HD video over Wi-Fi at full brightness, the tablet's 7,040mAh battery managed to last 8 hours and 19 minutes. In day to day operation, the Tab S6 easily handled about a dozen apps open as well the Chrome browser without issue. Microsoft Surface Go vs.

Although the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a gorgeous tablet with stellar specs, its software keeps it from being a true competitor to other pro-minded tablets and 2-in-1 devices. The front of the tablet is dominated by a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display. On Geekbench 5, a series of tests that measures processor performance, the Tab S6 earned a multi-core score of 2,652, which is just shy of the Snapdragon 855-powered Galaxy Note 10 at 2,745.

Both support up to 512GB of external storage via microSD card, and the tablet's USB-C charging port also supports a handful of flash drives. Our test shots were crisp, with excellent color accuracy. When he’s not poring over the latest mobile hardware, you’ll find him voraciously reading or exploring Brooklyn’s amazing independent bookstores. Latency isn't quite as low as using the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro, but lag is minimal. The base model we tested has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and a step-up model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. In low light, the camera is still good, but we noticed some noise and blurring in the background of some images. But when compared with the iPad Pro, which is powered by Apple's A12X Bionic processor and turned in a score of 4,500, there's simply no contest. A pogo pin port and two notches to hold the optional keyboard case are on the left. On the right, you'll find a micro SD slot, a volume rocker, and a Bixby button. A trackpad sits below the keys. On several occasions, the tablet got stuck in DeX Mode and the only way to disable it was by turning the power off. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission.

The frame is powder coated in black, blue, or gray, with antenna lines at the top and bottom. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Both support dual-band Wi-Fi, and the LTE model works on all of major US carriers except AT&T. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is the best Android tablet on the market for power users but lacks the same polish you'll find on the iPad Pro or ChomeOS 2-in-1 devices. For the most part, the S Pen is accurate and has good pressure sensitivity. © 1996-2020 Ziff Davis, LLC. The Galaxy Tab S6 is a powerful, long-lasting Android tablet that is excellent until you try to use it as a laptop replacement. On the right, you'll find a micro SD slot, a volume rocker, and a Bixby button.

Excellent build quality, display, and performance.

A few images showed some background blur, though we only noticed it when closely examining them at full size.