For the most part, the refreshed Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 9.7 remain the same. In other words, they retain the 2,048 x 1,536 resolution Super AMOLED displays that we fell in love with. They also include the same 8-megapixel rear camera, 2.1MP front camera, 3GB of RAM, fingerprint sensor, Micro SD card slot, and 32GB of native storage.
Where the differences present themselves are in the processor and operating system. Previously, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 9.7 were powered by the Exynos 5433 chipset, Samsung’s own in-house processor. However, the refreshed variants are now powered by the 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor. In short, overall performance looks to be improved on the new Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 9.7 when compared to their predecessors, though game performance might take a small hit.
In addition, the refreshed tablets run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box, while the older models still run the quickly aging Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. However, they are slated for an update to Marshmallow sometime in the near future, though Samsung didn’t provide specifics.
Taken altogether, the refreshed Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 9.7 will likely not dissuade anyone with the previous versions to pick them up. However, and most importantly, these refreshed variants show that Samsung is likely close to announcing their true successors in the near future. For now, the refreshed tablets are currently available for purchase in Germany, with prices ranging from $513 to $627, depending on whether you want LTE or not and whether you want the 8-inch or 9.7-inch version.
We’ve reached out to Samsung to see if the tablets will make their way stateside and will update with any new information.
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