Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 vs Google Nexus 7

Introduction

Almost a full year after its release, the 2013 made Google Nexus 7 has proven time after time that it’s a contender in the compact tablet segment. With its $229 starting cost, it has shown us that owning a good performing tablet can be snagged without forking over a huge investment. Sporting newer specs and a larger footprint, the just released Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has propelled Sammy into the limelight of late once again in the tablet space. Knowing that, it’s intriguing to find out exactly how its newest tablet can compare and possibly sway people to choosing it over the Google Nexus 7.

Design

When you're the cheaper of the two, it makes perfect sense to have a conventional design that's straight to the point – without any elaborate or ornate characteristics to up the cost. Indeed, the Nexus 7 lacks the construction improvements and sophistication we see evident in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, but nonetheless, its design is certainly a sufficient one that we regard as a timeless look. It has solid build, but its minimalistic look is rather bland when put next to the flashier Samsung tab.Some folks will appreciate the narrower body of the Nexus 7, as it is more comfortable to hold with one hand over the wider waist of Sammy's toy. The Galaxy Tab S 8.4, however, is much slimmer (6.6 mm vs 8.65 mm) and has identical weight, although packing significantly larger screen.

Display

Quite frankly, the 8.4-inch 1600 x 2560 Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy Tab S is more stunning than the Nexus 7's smaller sized 7-inch 1200 x 1900 IPS-LCD panel. And why's that?

Well, it's partly due to the sheer luminance and polarizing glow of the display. For a Super AMOLED screen, it's one of the best in terms of brightness, viewing angles, and overall wow factor. Don't believe us? Checking the two out in the dark instantly reminds us why the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is superior over the Nexus 7, there’s just no comparison. AMOLED screens are known for the inaccurate color reproduction, but the S 8.4 can deliver very accurate color reproduction if you select the basic color profile. Despite being outmatched, the Nexus 7’s display is still usable for many occasions.

Interface and Functionality

Comparing the two respective Android experiences is always intriguing, especially when the two approach it differently. Between them, the Nexus 7's vanilla Android 4.4.4 KitKat experience is arguably the easier to comprehend and navigate – whereas the TouchWiz experience of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 adheres more to productivity centric individuals. Visually, we prefer the cleaner look of stock Android on the Nexus 7, but functionally, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has more to offer. For example, we have enhanced multi-tasking thanks to Multi Window, and the cool feature of SideSync that allows us to gain phone functions via the help of a Galaxy S5.



Going through their various organizer apps, we can't say one is necessarily superior over the other – more so when the usual set of apps, like the calendar and clock, function identically on both tablets. Furthermore, Google Now is available on the two to give us even more support.

Typing away becomes a natural thing after some practice, especially when they both offer spacious sized keyboards. However, the keyboard of the Nexus 7 proves to be the preferred choice mainly because it boasts a more simplified layout.

Processor and Memory

Oh boy! It shouldn't shock anyone to know that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 blows the Google Nexus 7 out of the water when it comes to the performance benchmarks. Of course, its newer quad-core 1.9GHz Exynos 5 Octa 5420 chipset with 3GB of RAM is undoubtedly more equipped at this point over the Nexus 7's aging quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM. Strangely though, even with the newer hardware, we still sometimes are witness to bouts of sluggishness with Sammy's toy. It’s not terrible per se, but it’s something we’re not really inclined to expect in a high profiled thing.

At the bare minimum, we're given 16GB of internal storage with the two – so it's safe to presume that it's an ample amount for general users. However, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 benefits from having a microSD card slot on hand, which we might add is also easily accessible.

Internet and Connectivity

Surfing the web is an effortless thing with these two tablets, though, we get more of an ideal experience using Samsung's device. To be fair, it's a wonderful and rich experience with the Nexus 7, but that sharper and iridescent Super AMOLED display continues to attract us.



Not surprisingly, they're available in both Wi-Fi only forms, but it's only the Nexus 7 that's currently sporting a variant with LTE connectivity built-in. Nonetheless, it's only a matter of time before we see a version of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 with it on board too. As for the rest of the connectivity goodies, they feature aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Somewhat of a shocker, it's the older Nexus 7 that gets outfitted with NFC – not the Galaxy Tab S 8.4!

Camera

Shutterbugs will no doubt like snapping photos and videos on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 much more than the Google Nexus 7. First and foremost, it lays claim to several cool shooting modes and manual controls that make the experience of shooting on the fly so enjoyable and rewarding. On top of all that, its 8-megapixel camera proves to be more versatile and slightly better in quality than the Nexus 7's 5-megapixel snapper.



In general, the two tablet produce favorable looking results with their respective cameras, but upon closer inspection, we find the Galaxy Tab S 8.4's snapshots to be sharper – allowing it to soak in detail that doesn’t diminish if we’re to crop them afterwards. Moreover, it manages to deliver the more realistic colors and images that are more properly exposed. Well, it's not downright terrible for the Nexus 7 and its 5-megapixel snapper, but its quality is softened by its tendency of under exposing images – not to mention, it tends to have a more saturated color reproduction.



At the same time, we dig the quality of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 when it comes to shooting 1080p videos. Frankly, we can attest that the video from the Nexus 7 is actually pretty good, but it's just better with the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. Out of everything, there’s just more detail with Sammy’s tablet – plus, the Nexus 7 exhibits more artifacting elements in its video. Finally, there's also more fun experienced through the various shooting modes that are made available with Sammy’s prized possession.

Multimedia

Okay, we know that the Google Play Music app is available on the two tablets, so there's not one that's functionally or visually better. However, in terms of audio quality, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 proves to emit the punchier tones that make our ears prop up.



Yet again, the Super AMOLED display is the sole differentiator between the two when it comes to watching high-definition videos. Sure, the Nexus 7 is an inviting device for the occasion as well, but it can't match the stunning glow that's remarkably evident over with the Galaxy Tab S 8.4. Did we also mention that there's a multi-tasking element too with its Pop Up Play feature?

Battery

Interestingly enough, there's not much of a huge difference with their batteries – a 4900 mAh one in the Galaxy Tab S 8.4, and a 3950 mAh battery in the Nexus 7. In our experience, we don't notice one to be greatly more accommodating in terms of longevity, as our own heavy usage permits us at least one single day with both tablets.

Conclusion

After looking at their pricing, they obviously allude to the fact that they're targeting different users. On one hand, we have the Google Nexus 7's easy-to-swallow $230 super affordable price, which makes it a winner in our books for its minimal impact to our wallets. Sweetening the deal even more, it’s one of those tablets that’ll certainly to receive the latest and greatest Android updates as soon as they’re made available. You can’t beat that, right?

In contrast, the $400 priced Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is a tougher sell for some people who are on a tight budget, but its higher price point is justified by its better hardware, sophisticated looks, and added functionality. Even though TouchWiz is lacking in the visuals department, especially in comparison to the clean look of stock Android, it benefits from having meaningful new functions that aren’t present in its rival.

Individuals looking for a fun, compact sized tablet will relish what the Nexus 7 has to offer, but for those who have a productivity side to them, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 proves to be the ideal tablet. To tell you the truth folks, you really can't go wrong with either of them!