Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7" review: extremely light, phenomenal display, but performance lags behind Nexus 9 and iPad Air 2
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Review — The first Android tablet I ever used was the original Galaxy Tab. It was a 7" Android tablet running Android Froyo …
Context & Ripple Effects
Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S2 in August after announcing its new form factor — 8-inch and 9.7-inch bodies built around 4:3 2048x1536 panels rather than the widescreen ratio previous Galaxy Tabs used, a clear move toward the iPad Air 2's shape. AnandTech's review now fills in the performance half of that picture: the hardware wins on weight and display quality but loses on raw speed to both the Nexus 9 and the iPad Air 2.
The verdict matters because it frames the trade-off Samsung chose: a thinner, lighter, better-proportioned slate at the cost of benchmark leadership, betting that design and screen quality can carry the Tab line where its silicon cannot.
First-order effects
- Buyers choosing between the Tab S2, Nexus 9, and iPad Air 2 now face a clean split: Samsung's slate takes the lightness and display crown, while shoppers prioritizing performance are pointed at Google's and Apple's devices.
Second-order effects
- With performance ceded, Samsung's differentiation narrows to industrial design and panel quality — pressure that shows up in later generations like the OLED-equipped Tab S6 and the display-first Tab S7/S7+, where screens remain the headline strength.
Third-order effects
- The pattern across this coverage is durable hardware versus lagging software: by the Tab S8 generation, reviewers still flag that the Android tablet app ecosystem remains rough even as displays and device integrations improve — meaning Samsung's tablet strategy keeps absorbing the cost of Android's software gap, not just chip deficits.
The trend: Samsung's Galaxy Tab line has spent seven years iterating toward best-in-class displays while Android's tablet app and performance gaps persist, making hardware excellence the constant and software the recurring caveat.