Specs comparison: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs. Galaxy Tab S2
Samsung has unveiled its new high-end tablet offering, the Galaxy Tab S3, at its MWC 2017 event today. Compared to last year’s Galaxy Tab S2, the newer tablet from Samsung brings a brighter display (with HDR) and quad-stereo speakers custom tuned by AKG (Harman), offering an even richer multimedia experience. There’s also an S Pen stylus bundled with the tablet so you jot down notes, draw, or sketch.
Its newer, Android 7.0-powered Grace UX offers a new user interface along with dozens of new software features. To support all these new features, the Galaxy Tab S3 uses a more powerful Snapdragon 820 processor as well as additional memory compared to its predecessor. Even the cameras have received an upgrade. It also comes with a faster USB Type-C port and a slightly larger capacity battery.
Let’s compare the specifications and features of the Galaxy Tab S3 with those of the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7. Detailed specifications can be found in our devices page.
| Galaxy Tab S3 | Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 | |
| Display | 9.7-inch Super AMOLED, 2048 x 1536, 4:3 Aspect Ratio | 9.7-inch Super AMOLED, 2048 x 1536, 4:3 Aspect Ratio |
| HDR | Yes | No |
| S Pen | Yes | No |
| Operating System | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Processor | Snapdragon 820 | Exynos 5433 / Snapdragon 652 |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB |
| Storage | 32GB | 32GB/64GB |
| MicroSD Card Slot | up to 256GB | up to 256GB |
| Rear-Facing Camera | 13MP, Autofocus, F1.9, LED flash, HDR, 4K Video Recording | 8MP, Autofocus, F1.9, HDR, QHD Video Recording |
| Front-Facing Camera | 5MP | 2.1MP |
| Loudspeakers | Quad Stereo, Tuned by AKG (Harman) | Dual Stereo |
| Wireless Connectivity | LTE Cat. 6 (600Mbps), Dual-Band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.2 with LE | LTE Cat. 6 (300Mbps), Dual-Band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1 with LE |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS |
| USB | USB 3.1 Type-C | microUSB 2.0 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Fingerprint, Gyroscope, Hall, Magnetic, Proximity, RGB | Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Fingerprint, Gyroscope, Hall, Magnetic, Proximity, RGB |
| Keyboard Case | Pogo Pins | Bluetooth |
| Dimensions | 169.0 x 237.3 x 6.0mm | 169.0 x 237.3 x 5.6mm |
| Weight | 429g (Wi-Fi) / 434g (LTE) | 389g (Wi-Fi) / 392g (LTE) |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh | 5,870 mAh |
