Rewind two years and you couldn’t move
for wearables at Mobile World Congress.
This year is a bit di erent, with only the
Huawei Watch 2 launched at the show. LG’s Watch
Sport joined it on the show fl oor following its
announcement earlier this year.
Price
There is still no o cial UK pricing or release
date information for the LG Watch Sport, though
Mobile Fun has it available for pre-order in the
UK for £349 at tinyurl.com/zrf46mj.
MWC: LG Watch Sport
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80 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
Design
There’s no doubt that the LG Watch Sport is a
premium thing. The heft is evident as soon as
you pick it up, housed as the main unit is in a
metal chassis. The attractive circular screen is a
1.38in P-OLED that brings Android Wear 2.0 to
life in colour. More on that in a bit, but it’s good
news. It’s also great to see no ugly fl at tyre at the
bottom of the display.
If the Watch Style is breezy take it easy in terms
of design, then the Watch Sport is the no-nonsense
version. It’s very di erent and these are two
devices for two quite di erent consumers. We do
like the design but it is unquestionably masculine,
the whole thing coloured titanium (though there’s
also a blue version), paired with the mostly black
OS makes for something you might expect to see
on the wrist of someone in a sci-fi epic.
It’s big and heavy though. That’s because it’s got
LTE, NFC, GPS and a heart rate sensor crammed
into its tiny body. You control everything via the
touchscreen and the three buttons on the right
edge; the middle one is an excellently tactile crown
that you can use to scroll through menus (though it
does borrow this idea from the Apple Watch).
The strap is rubberised and sits circular,
following the natural curve of your wrist. The
whole thing might well dwarf that wrist though
– we recommend trying one on in store if
possible before taking the purchase plunge.
Hardware
The Sport’s spec sheet makes for good reading.
It has everything you could possibly cram into a
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smartwatch in 2017. Google worked with LG to
make sure it was the Watch Sport (and Style) that
introduced the world to Android Wear 2.0, so we
have a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
with 4G LTE powering the 1.38in P-OLED display. It
looks great, with a 480x480 resolution and 348ppi.
The unit measures 45.4x51.21x14.2mm and
is watertight to IP68 standards. There’s 4GB of
onboard storage for music on the go without your
phone and a healthy 768MB RAM.
As we only had hands-on time with the watch
we haven’t been able to test the LTE aspect of
the Watch Sport, but the inclusion of it means
you can go out without your phone and still make
and receive calls and messages. LTE is surely the
next logical step in the evolution of smartwatches.
Fingers crossed a UK release will include it though,
as Samsung’s Gear S2 and Gear S3 are Wi-Fi only
on these shores, annoyingly.
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GPS too means you can go o on a run without
your phone and the Watch Sport will track exactly
where you’ve been. Oddly though for a watch
called Sport, it doesn’t feel like a runner’s gadget
such is its uniform design. Also crammed into it is
Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, an accelerometer, barometer,
microphone, speaker, NFC for mobile payments
and an ambient light sensor that’s joyously hidden
in the display, not in a black window at the bottom
of the screen like on the Moto 360 2.
More worryingly is the wirelessly charged
430mAh battery. Not that you can fi t a larger one
in this form factor, but with so much for a small
power pack like that to run, we don’t expect it
to hold out for the day.
Software
Google made Android Wear 2.0 the headline
act when the Watch Sport was released. Google
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Assistant makes its debut on a wearable, but again
we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see what it’s
like in real world use. It also only knows English
and German at the moment, the lazy rotter. Still,
chatting into a watch almost makes more sense
that barking commands at a smartphone, but it
remains an unnatural thing to do. Drastic ds emulator apk Android Wear 2.0 is a visual improvement, with
menus clearer and easier to navigate. The Sport’s
rotating crown is excellent and makes it simple
and intuitive to scroll through menus, though
if you’re used to other smartwatch operating
systems it might be a bit confusing.
None of the buttons act as a back key, so you
have to swipe left to right to go back a step in
the menu and on fi rst try it’s actually di cult to
know how to open any apps. What is good though
is that it can run apps without the support of a
phone thanks to that handy LTE.
There’s a ton of new things stu ed into the
OS though, like handwriting recognition for quick
replies to messages, though it’s pretty tough to
achieve. Presentation is everything on wearables
because of the limited size of display. Google has
been smart to just clean up Android Wear with
vibrant app icons and largely black backgrounds to
save battery life. The update makes the watch feel
like a tiny Android phone, notifi cation tray and all,
even more so than the original version.
Verdict
The LG Watch Sport is a frustrating prospect for
us. It looks good, has refi ned software and every
feature you could ask for in a smartwatch. But
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84 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
it’s not out in the UK yet. And we are still most
worried about the battery life. Turning o features
like GPS and LTE to make sure your watch lasts
the whole day defeats the point, and at £349, the
Watch Sport is at risk of becoming an expensive
paperweight come bedtime. Henry Burrell
Specifi cations
• 1.38in (480x480, 299ppi) P-OLED display
• Android Wear 2.0
• 1.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 CPU
• 768MB RAM
• 4GB storage
• IP68 dust and water resistance
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE
• 430mAh non-removable battery
• 45.4x14.2mm
Wednesday 28 February 2018
MWC: LG Watch Style
The LG Watch Style is one of the fi rst watches
to boast Google’s new Android Wear 2.0,
which brings with it a new design, better
navigation, and Google Assistant, along with a
host of other tweaks.
Price
So far LG hasn’t yet confi rmed that the Watch Style
or its sibling the Watch Sport are coming to the
UK, but we are expecting them to announce a UK
release eventually. You’d expect that they’d want to
manage a release before too many other watches
get Wear 2.0 though, so we don’t think there will
be too long to wait, especially since the Style is
MWC: LG Watch Style
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 75
already out in the US. As for pricing, it costs $249 in
the US right now, so we’d expect a UK price in the
£220 to £250 range – we’ll update this review as
soon as we know more. That would put the Watch
Style up against the Moto 360 2 and Samsung Gear
S2, at which point $249 feels like a steep asking
price given the features on o er here.
Design
In case the name didn’t give it away, the Watch
Style has been designed with aesthetics fi rmly
in mind. The body is slim and understated, with
a matt fi nish on the front and a small crown on
the right-hand side. The 1.2in P-OLED display is
a comfortable size, though is surrounded by a
frustratingly thick bezel, which feels especially
ironic given that LG has made such a point
of reducing the bezels on its new G6 phone.
Meanwhile the back of the body is a simple
plastic cover, which feels slightly cheap.
The watch is available in three colours: silver,
titanium, and rose gold. You get even more
options with the straps, which by default come
in black, camel, or cream leather. There’s also a
range of other straps available to buy separately,
both in leather and rubber, and the good news is
that swapping the straps out is really quick and
easy using the built-in clasps.
Hardware
The Watch Style is powered by the same
Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor as the more
expensive Watch Sport, and backs it up with 4GB
storage and 512MB of DDR3 RAM. Paired with the
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76 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
new Android Wear 2.0 software, it’s more than
enough horsepower to make sure the Style is
snappy and responsive, and in our time with the
device we never noticed any lag or irritating delays.
Where the Style might come unstuck is its
240mAh battery. LG promises the device should
last all day, but we’re a bit sceptical, and some US
reviewers have already reported problems with
keeping the Style charged up. The watch also
features wireless charging, IP67 water and dust
resistance, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Most damning are the features it doesn’t include:
there’s no 4G, no GPS, no NFC, and no heart-rate
monitor. Sure, many smartwatch users won’t need
all of those, but it’s hard to imagine many people
won’t want at least some of those features. It’s
especially troublesome given the Style’s price –
$249 is a lot to pay for a device missing many of
the features people have come to expect from a
smartwatch, and it’s hard to shake the feeling that
the Style is very limited.
Software
If the hardware is a bit of a mixed bag, at least the
Watch Style gets to show o Android Wear 2.0. As
mentioned above, the OS is quick and responsive,
with none of the sluggishness found on some early
Wear devices.
There’s been a redesign and simplifi cation of
the visuals and interface, and one of the biggest
improvements is in navigation. Swiping is no
longer the only way to navigate around the OS:
you can now scroll using either the touchscreen or
the rotating crown on the side of the face, which
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 77
also doubles as a home button. This feels really
smooth and intuitive, though we imagine it could
be awkward at times if your other hand gets in the
way of the crown.
You also get Google Assistant built in, which
should mean more and better ways to control the
Watch Style using your voice and better integration
with other Google services. What you won’t get is
Android Pay, because the Style doesn’t have NFC,
so you won’t be using it to make any payments.
Wear 2.0 seems like a major update for the
operating system, and the Watch Style makes the
most of it, but it’s worth remembering that plenty of
current models will be getting updated to the new
software over the coming months anyway. They
may not have the crown scrolling functionality of
the Style, but otherwise they should still o er the
full Wear 2.0 experience.
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Verdict
The LG Watch Style looks and feels great, and we
love Wear 2.0 and the new crown scrolling, but
beyond that it’s just too limited given the price.
Without NFC, GPS, 4G, or a heart-rate monitor
the Style feels overpriced, and you can get more
for less from some of the other wearables on the
market. Dominic Preston
Specifi cations
• 1.2in (360x360, 299ppi) P-OLED display
• Android Wear 2.0
• 1.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 CPU
• 512MB DDR3 RAM
• 4GB storage
• IP67 dust and water resistance
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE
• 240mAh non-removable battery
• 42.3x45.7x10.79mm
to boast Google’s new Android Wear 2.0,
which brings with it a new design, better
navigation, and Google Assistant, along with a
host of other tweaks.
Price
So far LG hasn’t yet confi rmed that the Watch Style
or its sibling the Watch Sport are coming to the
UK, but we are expecting them to announce a UK
release eventually. You’d expect that they’d want to
manage a release before too many other watches
get Wear 2.0 though, so we don’t think there will
be too long to wait, especially since the Style is
MWC: LG Watch Style
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 75
already out in the US. As for pricing, it costs $249 in
the US right now, so we’d expect a UK price in the
£220 to £250 range – we’ll update this review as
soon as we know more. That would put the Watch
Style up against the Moto 360 2 and Samsung Gear
S2, at which point $249 feels like a steep asking
price given the features on o er here.
Design
In case the name didn’t give it away, the Watch
Style has been designed with aesthetics fi rmly
in mind. The body is slim and understated, with
a matt fi nish on the front and a small crown on
the right-hand side. The 1.2in P-OLED display is
a comfortable size, though is surrounded by a
frustratingly thick bezel, which feels especially
ironic given that LG has made such a point
of reducing the bezels on its new G6 phone.
Meanwhile the back of the body is a simple
plastic cover, which feels slightly cheap.
The watch is available in three colours: silver,
titanium, and rose gold. You get even more
options with the straps, which by default come
in black, camel, or cream leather. There’s also a
range of other straps available to buy separately,
both in leather and rubber, and the good news is
that swapping the straps out is really quick and
easy using the built-in clasps.
Hardware
The Watch Style is powered by the same
Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor as the more
expensive Watch Sport, and backs it up with 4GB
storage and 512MB of DDR3 RAM. Paired with the
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76 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
new Android Wear 2.0 software, it’s more than
enough horsepower to make sure the Style is
snappy and responsive, and in our time with the
device we never noticed any lag or irritating delays.
Where the Style might come unstuck is its
240mAh battery. LG promises the device should
last all day, but we’re a bit sceptical, and some US
reviewers have already reported problems with
keeping the Style charged up. The watch also
features wireless charging, IP67 water and dust
resistance, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Most damning are the features it doesn’t include:
there’s no 4G, no GPS, no NFC, and no heart-rate
monitor. Sure, many smartwatch users won’t need
all of those, but it’s hard to imagine many people
won’t want at least some of those features. It’s
especially troublesome given the Style’s price –
$249 is a lot to pay for a device missing many of
the features people have come to expect from a
smartwatch, and it’s hard to shake the feeling that
the Style is very limited.
Software
If the hardware is a bit of a mixed bag, at least the
Watch Style gets to show o Android Wear 2.0. As
mentioned above, the OS is quick and responsive,
with none of the sluggishness found on some early
Wear devices.
There’s been a redesign and simplifi cation of
the visuals and interface, and one of the biggest
improvements is in navigation. Swiping is no
longer the only way to navigate around the OS:
you can now scroll using either the touchscreen or
the rotating crown on the side of the face, which
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 77
also doubles as a home button. This feels really
smooth and intuitive, though we imagine it could
be awkward at times if your other hand gets in the
way of the crown.
You also get Google Assistant built in, which
should mean more and better ways to control the
Watch Style using your voice and better integration
with other Google services. What you won’t get is
Android Pay, because the Style doesn’t have NFC,
so you won’t be using it to make any payments.
Wear 2.0 seems like a major update for the
operating system, and the Watch Style makes the
most of it, but it’s worth remembering that plenty of
current models will be getting updated to the new
software over the coming months anyway. They
may not have the crown scrolling functionality of
the Style, but otherwise they should still o er the
full Wear 2.0 experience.
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78 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
Verdict
The LG Watch Style looks and feels great, and we
love Wear 2.0 and the new crown scrolling, but
beyond that it’s just too limited given the price.
Without NFC, GPS, 4G, or a heart-rate monitor
the Style feels overpriced, and you can get more
for less from some of the other wearables on the
market. Dominic Preston
Specifi cations
• 1.2in (360x360, 299ppi) P-OLED display
• Android Wear 2.0
• 1.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 CPU
• 512MB DDR3 RAM
• 4GB storage
• IP67 dust and water resistance
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE
• 240mAh non-removable battery
• 42.3x45.7x10.79mm
MWC: Huawei Watch 2
Huawei took to the stage at MWC to
announce its second generation
smartwatch, the Watch 2. However, while
the original model was for the fashion conscious
this has more of a focus on exercise and fi tness.
Price
While Huawei announced the €329 (or €379 if
you opt for 4G) Huawei Watch 2 during its event
at MWC 2017, we’re still awaiting confi rmation on
a specifi c UK launch. While it has been confi rmed
that the Watch 2 will be headed to the UK, Huawei
MWC: Huawei Watch 2
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70 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
doesn’t have the greatest track record when it
comes to release dates – when it announced the
Mate S in September 2015 with an October 2015
release date, the phone didn’t appear until many
months later.
It’s a similar story with a UK price, as that is also
yet to be announced by Huawei. We expect it to
fall in line with the £289 fi rst generation Watch.
Design
In terms of design, the Sport variant of the Huawei
Watch 2 is quite a step away from the fashion
focused fi rst-generation Huawei Watch. Gone
is the thick metal body of a traditional watch, Drastic ds emulator apk as the Huawei Watch 2 boasts a rather generic
sporty smartwatch design, complete with vibrant
interchangeable wrist straps and an aluminium
body featuring a double chrome design.
Those that yearn after the classic watch look
can opt for the Huawei Watch 2 Classic, although it
doesn’t boast the connectivity that the Sport variant
does – we’ll come to that in more detail below.
In terms of dimensions, the circular display of
the Watch 2 is fairly large at 45mm with only one
size available, meaning it may look a little bulky and
awkward on smaller wrists. In fact, the display was
fairly disappointing, lacking any real brightness or
vibrancy, and we don’t think it could stand up to
the display of the Apple Watch Series 2.
Overall though, the build quality of the Huawei
Watch 2 was great and the metal body of the Watch
gives it a more premium feel than other fi tnessfocused
smartwatches, although we’ll have to see
whether this has an irritating e ect on sweaty skin.
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Hardware
So, what can the Huawei Watch 2 o er that the
original didn’t? It of course has a heavy focus on
fi tness, and aims to be your fi tness companion,
o ering helpful stats and professional fi tness
advice. While the Watch 2 features preset exercises
(cardio, fat burn, and so on) that you can select
on-the-fl y, you can also use the Huawei Wear app
to create your own custom workout plans based
on your goals. It’ll coach you during your exercise,
giving you stage guidance (warm up, high intensity,
and so on), speed guidance, lap reminders and of
course, goal process reminders and more.
The Watch 2 has a heart-rate monitor that
provides a real-time heart rate zone to keep your
heart rate in check while exercising, as, contrary to
popular belief, having a high heart rate can have
a negative e ect on your workout. If it is too high
during your workout, the Watch 2 will let you know.
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72 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
It doesn’t stop there though, as it also o ers
in-depth stats following your workout, available
on your smartphone. It’ll break your workout into
di erent areas, o er post-workout reports for
VO2Max, training e ect evaluations (for long-term
comparison) and recovery time advice depending
on how hard you’ve pushed yourself.
The best part? The Huawei Watch 2 features
not only a built-in heart rate monitor, but also GPS,
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G connectivity, allowing for
standalone use. This means that you can use the
Watch for exercise and even to make and receive
calls without your smartphone being in range.
It’s worth mentioning that the 4G connectivity is
exclusive to the Sport variant, and isn’t available
as part of the Classic range.
As part of the standalone nature, the Watch
2 features 2GB of storage that can be used to
store music. Alternatively, the Watch 2 comes with
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 73
Google Play Music support, and even o ers users
a two-month free trial to the service when they buy
the Watch, allowing users to browse and download
music to the Watch on the go.
In terms of battery life, Huawei claims that the
4G-connected Watch 2 will last for two days on a
single charge, while the non-4G variant will last
an extra day with a three-day battery life with
average use. If everything is in use constantly
(GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G connectivity) like
when using it to track workouts, the Watch 2
will reportedly last 11 hours.
Software
In terms of software, the Huawei Watch 2 comes
with the latest version of Android Wear, 2.0. Due
to the standalone capabilities o ered by the
new version of Android Wear, it also features its
own built-in app store for users to browse and
download apps directly to the Watch without the
need for a paired smartphone.
Of course, it also includes Google Assistant
support, with users able to long press one of
the two buttons on the Watch 2 to activate it.
Interestingly, there’s also talk of o ering Amazon
Alexa support like the US variant of the Mate 9,
although this is yet to be confi rmed for Europe.
Verdict
While the Huawei Watch 2 seems to be a huge
improvement over the fi rst-generation smartwatch,
we’re withholding our verdict until we get one
back to the o ce to properly put it through its
paces. Chris Martin
MWC: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
The tablet market may have petered out
but Samsung hasn’t give up on it, even if it
seems the likes of Sony, HTC and Google
have. At MWC 2017 it exclusively launched tablets,
one of which is an iPad Pro rival. While we wait
for the Galaxy S8 launch, Samsung has some new
tablets to keep us entertained. We fi nally have the
Tab S3 alongside two new Galaxy Books running
Windows 10 – these seem to be a follow up to the
Tab Pro S but with a di erent naming system.
MWC: Samsung
Galaxy Tab S3
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65
Price
There’s not too long to wait until the Galaxy Tab
S3 is available with pre-orders starting on 17 March
ahead of its 31 March release date. At the time of
writing Samsung hadn’t announced the price, but
we predict the tablet will sell for at least £399, if not
closer to the iPad Pro price of £549.
Design
The Korean tech giant has become a master of
design and build with its Galaxy products (and
others), forming a distinct style emerging since
the Galaxy S6. This design language has now
made its way across a number of products and
the Galaxy Tab S3 is no exception.
For starters it’s astonishingly thin at just 6mm.
Although this is actually a tiny bit thicker than
the Tab S2 (and it’s also heavier at 429g) it’s still
impressive (better than the iPad Pro on both
counts) and can be, we think, attributed to some
of the innovations found in the device.
It feels more premium than its predecessor but it
does look a little odd with the USB port o -centre.
This is made slightly better by the headphone port
being the other side of the home button.
It’s not waterproof like the Galaxy S7 which is
a shame so you’ll have to look to Sony for that on
a tablet (not that the fi rm has anything new so far
this year on that front).
As you’d expect the Galaxy Tab S3 has USB-C
and also four speakers much like the iPad Pro.
We’re not totally convinced by the shiny glass rear
cover, though. You’ll probably keep it in a cover
most of the time, though, as the tablet has Pogo
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66 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
metal contacts to easily connect to the keyboard
case. The tablet has a home button once again,
as per the launch event invitation hint, and
this contains a fi ngerprint scanner. The usual
navigation buttons sit either side.
Hardware
Moving on from a similar design, the Galaxy Tab
S3 cements itself as an iPad Pro rival with its 9.7in
screen that has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It’s still got a
2048x1536 resolution and Super AMOLED display
technology but now supports high dynamic range
(HDR). We’re really impressed with the superbly
detailed screen which has bags of colour and
brightness. The HDR support means better colours
and contrast, in theory, but it’s worth pointing out
that you’ll only be able to take advantage of it via
selected titles on Amazon Prime Video.
Core specifi cations are decent with a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB
of storage. You can always add more if needed via
the microSD card slot. It’s also got features likes
Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO and
optional LTE Cat 6. Performance during our handson
time was extremely smooth but we’ll test further.
Inside is a 6000mAh battery that’s about twice
the size of a typical smartphone. It’s also got fast
charging via the USB-C port and we’ll test the
battery life when we get a fi nal sample.
Not that cameras are especially important on
tablets but the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 13Mp
rear camera and a 5Mp front camera.
Samsung is touting a couple of key features
for the Tab S3 starting with the four-speaker
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67
system that’s tuned by audio company AKG.
It’s similar to the iPad Pro’s, although we can’t
comment on whether it’s better yet due to the
noisy show fl oor at MWC.
Another key feature is the inclusion of an S
Pen, although this doesn’t slide into the tablet,
so that’s why it’s not called a ‘Note’ device.
The refi ned stylus has a smaller 0.7mm tip and
improved pressure sensitivity. This reviewer is
no artist but it seems decent, although we did
accidentally push the button on the side a few
times. The S Pen is included in the box.
While the Galaxy Book tablets run on Windows
10, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with Android 7.0
Nougat. The device features Samsung Flow which
allows you to wirelessly tether compatible devices
to transfer documents and sync messages. You log
in with biometrics using the fi ngerprint scanner.
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68 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 36
Verdict
There’s still a lot to test on the Galaxy Tab S3
including the audio, battery life and performance
but we’re impressed so far and looking forward to
getting our hands on it properly. Chris Martin
Specifi cations
• 9.7in (2048x1536) Super AMOLED screen
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 4GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• MicroSD card slot
• Bluetooth 4.2
• GPS
• 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO
• LTE Cat 6
• USB-C
• 6000mAh battery
• Fast Charging
• 13Mp rear camera
• 5Mp front camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• Four speakers
• 237x169x6mm
• 429g (Wi-Fi), 434g (LTE)
but Samsung hasn’t give up on it, even if it
seems the likes of Sony, HTC and Google
have. At MWC 2017 it exclusively launched tablets,
one of which is an iPad Pro rival. While we wait
for the Galaxy S8 launch, Samsung has some new
tablets to keep us entertained. We fi nally have the
Tab S3 alongside two new Galaxy Books running
Windows 10 – these seem to be a follow up to the
Tab Pro S but with a di erent naming system.
MWC: Samsung
Galaxy Tab S3
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ISSUE 36 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65
Price
There’s not too long to wait until the Galaxy Tab
S3 is available with pre-orders starting on 17 March
ahead of its 31 March release date. At the time of
writing Samsung hadn’t announced the price, but
we predict the tablet will sell for at least £399, if not
closer to the iPad Pro price of £549.
Design
The Korean tech giant has become a master of
design and build with its Galaxy products (and
others), forming a distinct style emerging since
the Galaxy S6. This design language has now
made its way across a number of products and
the Galaxy Tab S3 is no exception.
For starters it’s astonishingly thin at just 6mm.
Although this is actually a tiny bit thicker than
the Tab S2 (and it’s also heavier at 429g) it’s still
impressive (better than the iPad Pro on both
counts) and can be, we think, attributed to some
of the innovations found in the device.
It feels more premium than its predecessor but it
does look a little odd with the USB port o -centre.
This is made slightly better by the headphone port
being the other side of the home button.
It’s not waterproof like the Galaxy S7 which is
a shame so you’ll have to look to Sony for that on
a tablet (not that the fi rm has anything new so far
this year on that front).
As you’d expect the Galaxy Tab S3 has USB-C
and also four speakers much like the iPad Pro.
We’re not totally convinced by the shiny glass rear
cover, though. You’ll probably keep it in a cover
most of the time, though, as the tablet has Pogo
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metal contacts to easily connect to the keyboard
case. The tablet has a home button once again,
as per the launch event invitation hint, and
this contains a fi ngerprint scanner. The usual
navigation buttons sit either side.
Hardware
Moving on from a similar design, the Galaxy Tab
S3 cements itself as an iPad Pro rival with its 9.7in
screen that has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It’s still got a
2048x1536 resolution and Super AMOLED display
technology but now supports high dynamic range
(HDR). We’re really impressed with the superbly
detailed screen which has bags of colour and
brightness. The HDR support means better colours
and contrast, in theory, but it’s worth pointing out
that you’ll only be able to take advantage of it via
selected titles on Amazon Prime Video.
Core specifi cations are decent with a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB
of storage. You can always add more if needed via
the microSD card slot. It’s also got features likes
Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO and
optional LTE Cat 6. Performance during our handson
time was extremely smooth but we’ll test further.
Inside is a 6000mAh battery that’s about twice
the size of a typical smartphone. It’s also got fast
charging via the USB-C port and we’ll test the
battery life when we get a fi nal sample.
Not that cameras are especially important on
tablets but the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 13Mp
rear camera and a 5Mp front camera.
Samsung is touting a couple of key features
for the Tab S3 starting with the four-speaker
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system that’s tuned by audio company AKG.
It’s similar to the iPad Pro’s, although we can’t
comment on whether it’s better yet due to the
noisy show fl oor at MWC.
Another key feature is the inclusion of an S
Pen, although this doesn’t slide into the tablet,
so that’s why it’s not called a ‘Note’ device.
The refi ned stylus has a smaller 0.7mm tip and
improved pressure sensitivity. This reviewer is
no artist but it seems decent, although we did
accidentally push the button on the side a few
times. The S Pen is included in the box.
While the Galaxy Book tablets run on Windows
10, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with Android 7.0
Nougat. The device features Samsung Flow which
allows you to wirelessly tether compatible devices
to transfer documents and sync messages. You log
in with biometrics using the fi ngerprint scanner.
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Verdict
There’s still a lot to test on the Galaxy Tab S3
including the audio, battery life and performance
but we’re impressed so far and looking forward to
getting our hands on it properly. Chris Martin
Specifi cations
• 9.7in (2048x1536) Super AMOLED screen
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 4GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• MicroSD card slot
• Bluetooth 4.2
• GPS
• 11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO
• LTE Cat 6
• USB-C
• 6000mAh battery
• Fast Charging
• 13Mp rear camera
• 5Mp front camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• Four speakers
• 237x169x6mm
• 429g (Wi-Fi), 434g (LTE)
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