Inspect our gadgets // Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 review

With a long battery life, stunning screen and an especially thin and light design, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.5 is a near-perfect product – it ain’t called the iPad Killer for nothing!

The gadget:
Galaxy Tab S 10.5.

The damage:
The Tab S 8.4in Wi-Fi-only version costs £319 and the 10.5in version £399 (incidentally matching Apple’s pricing exactly).

The colour:
Coming in White and Titanium Bronze, the Galaxy Tab S is basically a bigger version of the Galaxy S5 smartphone, featuring a similar dimpled rear cover and metal-edging.

Though the plastic might not be as premium-looking as metal, it does mean it’s essentially immune to scratches and fingerprints, meaning it stays looking all shiny and new for longer. Result.

The launch:
For one day only, Samsung changed the London skyline through a rainbow installation built entirely out of 150 Galaxy Tab S devices. Unveiled at midnight at Observation Point on London’s Southbank, Samsung’s Midnight Rainbow stood at 14 feet high by 26 feet wide, used the super screens of the Galaxy Tab S to showcase the colours of the rainbow in a way never seen before.

Handbag test:
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is one of the thinnest and lightest tablets on the market, with vital stats of 247 x 177 x 6.6mm – skinnier than the 7.5mm thick iPad Air – and it tips the scales at a measly 465g. So it should tuck into Alexander McQueen’s The Heroine studded handbag splendidly.

Bits to brag to your friends about

The best screen we’ve ever seen.
Thanks to the amazing AMOLED screen technology, the black colours on the screen are inky, the whites are vivid, the colours all have kapow and more true to life than most LCDs. The screen is bright enough to read even in direct sunlight #FirstWorldProblems

Open more than one window at a time!
Multi Window lets you easily perform multiple tasks on one screen. You can browse the web, watch videos and check your email simultaneously. This obviously only works for women, as we all know men can’t multitask… *cough*

Control your smartphone from your tablet!
Connect with the S5 using the SideSync app to view your smartphone screen and control it, as well as make and receive calls on your tablet, which comes in handy when your phone is in the other room, and er… we’re not sure when else you’d need this function, really.

And control your PC!
Sync your PC at home or work with your Galaxy Tab S and control it from anywhere to edit, save, drag or drop your documents.

James Bond style finger scanner.
Just like the S5, don’t dick about typing in fiddly passwords, just unlock your tablet with the swipe (maybe several; it’s a bit sensitive) of your finger. Nifty!

Software and processor sound good (enough to eat)…
It’s running the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat overlaid with Samsung’s latest TouchWiz interface. Nope, no idea what that means either. But mmm, KitKats!

Presents for everyone!
A nice touch on the Tab S is the inclusion of Galaxy Gifts, meaning you get your mitts on a load of freebies, like access to the Marvel Unlimited app, Papergarden and Kindle for Samsung, which includes a free book-of-the-month from Samsung. Please, and thank you.

The camera…
We haven’t mentioned this, because anyone who takes photos with a tablet just looks like a dick (#sorrynotsorry). But in any case, those kind folk at Samsung have humoured such idiotic behaviour via the 8-megapixel camera with LED flash. A 2.1-megapixel front-facer gives you full HD video chatting capabilities. STOP! It’s Face Time.

The verdict:
This has gotta be the best Android tablet out there, surely? Being super sleek and light as a feather, it’s certainly our new turn-to tablet while on the go. It made the perfect holiday travelling companion for watching films on the plane and tweeting while sunbathing. WHAT?

And essentially that’s what this tablet’s been made for. Nope, not sunbathing, but consuming – and enjoying – content. It provides an entertainment experience that brings colours to life in an ultra portable device. With the Galaxy Tab S, Samsung is setting the industry bar higher for the entire mobile industry – we think Apple better watch their back…

For further information visit samsung.com.