Samsung has announced the launch of Galaxy Tab S2, a stylish, thin metal tablet that comes in two screen sizes: 8-inch and 9.7-inches.
Both devices have very similar specifications, with an octa-core, 1.9GHz/1.3GHz processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel selfie cam, 3GB of RAM, 32 or 64GB of internal memory (expandable via microSD cards) and a fingerprint scanner. The largest difference is the battery: The 9.7-inch model has a 5,870mAh one, while the smaller, 8-incher sports a 4,000mAh battery.
And while both devices are super thin -- 0.22 inches -- there's a considerable difference in weight: 389g for the 9.7-inch model vs 265g for the 8-inch one.
While those specs sound exactly like what you'd expect from the next iteration of Samsung's flagship tablets, there is a subtle but important difference if you compare them to the last year's Galaxy Tab S models. Those tablets were a little bigger (10.5 and 8.4 inches, respectively), but with a 2,560x1,600 pixel resolution, their screens had a 16:9 screen aspect ratio.
The new Galaxy Tab S2 tablets both have a lower, 2,048x1,536 pixel resolution which is a 4:3 aspect ratio (yes, just like the iPad and the iPad mini), meaning they're better suited for reading than viewing video content.
Both devices will be available globally in August 2015; pricing has not been announced.