MANILA, PHILIPPINES — After Samsung Electronics introduced the Galaxy Tab in 2010, it revolutionized the way we work and play, especially in a world that is increasingly on the go. 13 years since the launch of the first Android tablet, Samsung is continuously taking productivity, creativity, and entertainment to new heights as the premium standard for tablets with each new Galaxy Tab S series.
Here’s how the Galaxy Tab has evolved in eight generations:
It all started when Samsung introduced the world’s first true Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab (7.0), in 2010. It has a compact and excellent build, first available in seven-inch, followed by 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch versions.
Coming off the success of its first tablet, Samsung slimmed down its Galaxy Note 10.1 in 2012. The S Pen was introduced as every Galaxy Tab’s partner in bringing forward multitasking and entertainment features. When removed from its slot, the tablet activates a taskbar with quick access to optimized S Pen apps, a precursor to Air Command, which has features such as setting icons, adding shortcuts and screen write.
It was in 2013 when Samsung unlocked another innovation: the easy-to-hold Galaxy Note eight-inch tablet with Smart Remote features, which allows users to control TVs and Blu-ray/DVD players. The following year, the Galaxy Tab Active came with a fresh design built for tough work, including a waterproof feature and the C Pen, the more durable version of the S Pen which can withstand a 1.2-meter drop with just its protective shell.
It was also in 2014 when Samsung unveiled its first premium line: Galaxy Tab S, available in 10.5-inch and 8.4-inch. It includes a high-end tablet with a Super AMOLED display and Galaxy Gifts, a partnership with 30 top mobile content service providers. Its successor, the Galaxy Tab S2, was released in 2015 to offer people premium and all-new displays with a 4:3 aspect ratio designed for reading articles, e-books, and surfing online content. Plus, it was pre-loaded with Microsoft Office to enhance users’ productivity further.
2017 was likewise a worth-noting year with the Galaxy Tab S3 that has a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display. Samsung included its renowned S Pen in its top-of-the-line tablet range, enabling special functions like PDF Annotation and professional-level drawing. It delivered superior video and gaming experiences, alongside its use as a productivity tool. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Book with its 10.6-inch TFT LCD version and 12-inch Super AMOLED version, delivered professionals enhanced computing power for work and play.
Come 2018, Samsung further powered its premium line with the availability of Samsung DeX on its Galaxy Tab S4, where users could have a PC-like productivity and mobility of a tablet at once. It was also equipped with the 07mm S Pen which provided ease of writing. For an immersive entertainment experience, the tablet boasted a 10.5 Super AMOLED Display, four 1.2W speakers powered by AKG and Dolby Atmos sound technology.
Forwarding its ultra-light specs, Samsung launched its Tab S5e with the thinnest frame in 2019, weighing less than a pound with added features that could control connected devices with SmartThings, from lights and door locks to thermostats. The Galaxy Tab S6 was also released the same year, which sported another huge upgrade with 5G connectivity in early 2020, making it the world’s first 5G tablet.
Samsung redesigned as well the S Pen for more power and control, including a gesture function called S Pen Air actions to take selfies and videos quicker and command multimedia content. Meanwhile, the slim and lightweight modern-style Galaxy Tab S6 Lite launched in May 2020 has a crystal-clear screen that can turn into an expanded desktop workstation and send multiple windows to a Galaxy device of choice.
In 2021, the Galaxy Tab S7, S7+, and the Galaxy Tab S7 FE entered the lineup with more extensive upgrades. Users can easily sync across Galaxy devices with Samsung Notes for seamless productivity, helping users master multitasking with wireless connectivity on the go. It also has a new “center stage” placement of its camera on a landscape view.
For its latest and most versatile innovation yet, Samsung created the biggest and boldest Galaxy tablets with a whopping 14.6-inch for its Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, 12.4-inch for S8+ and 11-inch for the Galaxy S8 atop the fastest 4nm processor, and Armor Aluminum built for a more elegant and lightweight device experiences. And that’s not all! The newest S Pen has the most precise and lowest latency of 2.8ms, down from 5.6ms on the S7+, working seamlessly with the Galaxy device ecosystem and partners.
Find out what Galaxy innovation is next by joining Samsung Electronics on July 26 as it hosts the very first Unpacked in Seoul, Korea, a place where traditional culture and futuristic visions intersect to inspire global trends and game-changing innovation. The event will be streamed live on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom, and Samsung’s YouTube channel beginning at 7:00 pm Philippine Time, 8:00 pm KST, 7:00 am ET, 4:00 am PT, and 12:00 pm BST.
Be the first to know about what’s in store for the next Galaxy, plus get an exclusive voucher. Sign up now at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 until July 26.
