UPDATED 13:30 EDT / JULY 31 2019

APPS

New Galaxy Tab S6 is Samsung’s thinner, faster answer to the iPad Pro

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has a new challenger to Apple Inc.’s iPad Pro.

Unveiled today, the Galaxy Tab S6 (pictured) is the handset maker’s newest entry into the high-end tablet category. The device provides a 10.5-inch display in a compact 5.7-millimeter-thick case that is about 20% thinner than its predecessor, the Tab S4.

Embedded inside the display is a new optical fingerprint scanner for quick logins. And above the screen, on the top bezel, is an 8-megapixel camera that offers an alternative means of unlocking the Tab S6 in the form of a facial recognition system. For photography, consumers can use the beefier camera that Samsung has put on the back of the tablet, which uses two separate lenses to capture pictures.

The handset maker has upgraded the tablet’s internals, too. The Tab S6 is powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset from Qualcomm Inc. that, according to Samsung, renders graphics 60% quicker than the Snapdragon 835 in the Tab S4. Moreover, the chipset features a new central processing unit that is described as 80% faster.

A separate machine learning chip helps support the dual-lens camera at the back of the tablet. It can identify what a user is photographing, be it a person, a landscape or something else, and pick the optimal camera settings for the scene.

The Tab S6 will start shipping on Sept. 6 in two models. The base edition, priced at $649, comes with 6 gigabytes of memory and 128 gigabytes of storage. Consumers willing to pay an extra $80 can buy the fully kitted-out model with its 8 gigabytes of memory and 258 of storage. There’s also a $179 keyboard case that includes a trackpad.

The box in which the Tab S6 ships will contain not only the device itself but also an upgraded version of Samsung’s S Pen stylus. It functions as a remote control that provides the ability to activate the tablet’s cameras, scroll through images in Samsung’s image app and perform other related actions. When the stylus’ battery is running low, the user can attach it to a magnetic strip at the back of the Tab S6 that works like a charger.

Samsung is set to follow up the introduction of the tablet with another device unveiling next month. On Aug. 7, the company will hold an event to debut its Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ phablets, which recent leaks suggest will feature a more powerful version of the Snapdragon 855 in the Tab S6.

Image: Samsung

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