Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7-Inch, 32GB Tablet (Black, SM-T820NZKAXAR)

I waited quite a while before doing a review on my new Samsung tab S3 tablet. I wanted to give it at least a week of use in my office and in daily activities. I have had many tablets, including and using Microsoft tablets, the Samsung tab S2 8 and Samsung tab A 10.1 inch tablets. I am a person who prefaces this review by noting that I am not a gamer. I use if for work, for e-mail correspondence, updating myself on new and current features, and also using Android apps. I need to be able to perform light editing on papers, interact with an online office system that allows access to a data base, and get access to multiple web sites without a problem. Also, I use my tablet to watch movies when I travel. I tend to be a little OCD in my desire to read other reviews. I also am an editor of several publications, so I look at these reviews with an editor’s eye. I always try to figure out if their biased, or if they represent a view point that may not reflect my needs. That does not dismiss the other reviews, it merely points out that some people have different expectations and demands. And, I dismiss outright any review from someone who has neither purchased nor used the item. You cannot evaluate a product on the basis of the specifications. So, here is my opinion and finding; 1.) The screen is much brighter than the Tab S2. I have used it outside with a Phantom 4 drone. The S2 is almost useless in the sun. This one is absolutely more visible. The brightness based on critical reviews finds it one of the brightest screens, brighter than the Apple and second only to the Google Pixel C. 2.) The GPS is very sensitive. One of the reasons I didn’t choose the Google Pixel C is the google tablet has no GPS. 3.) I have not found any lag with any application. I have read the reviews about problems with certain games. I agree, they may not run as well on this processor as with the Apple. However, for me this is a non issue. 4.) Flawless video streaming from all services including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. 5.) I can connect to a office networking system using a Citrix receiver and not have delay or lag issues. With my Tab S2 the processor was inadequate to load the system. I have never had any Android system that would load the Citrix receiver and load the connection to the main system. 6.) Excellent and extremely stable and fast WIFI. 7.) The SD card does not load or hold all programs. The tablet is only 32gb of ram. However, having downloaded all of my prior Android apps, my photos (which do go to the SD card), and with daily use, I have over 19GB of storage. 8.) All downloaded files can be stored on the SD card 9.) I actually like the 8 inch Tab S2 as it fits in my jacket pocket. However, the added size of this tablet offsets the inconvenience. And, as phones get bigger, there isn’t much difference between my 6 inch phone display and my 8 inch tablet. 10.) I got the silver. It matches the cover and only the back is silver, the entire front is black. For those who have noted over and over about the black back being a fingerprint magnet, get the silver. There are no fingerprints to be seen on this color. I also got the Keyboard, purchased separately at Best Buy as it was out of stock on Amazon. I honestly think that there is an expectation by some to have tablet keyboard to be the best most wonderful keyboard in the world. It is functional and does a good job. It is for a tablet that is 9.7 inches and cannot be a full sized keyboard. Having had many tablet keyboards, including ones from Samsung, here is my opinion and update to correct or add previous information. 1.) When detaching the tablet, it turns off the tablet. Someone noted this was a disadvantage, claiming he/she then had to turn the tablet back on. I find this turn off function when taken out of the dock and advantage. I'm done with the task,remove the tablet, and it's off. 2.) The comment that it has no magnetic "off" contact when closing the cover does not happen on my cover. If the tablet is on and I put it in the keyboard cover and close it, it turns the tablet off. When using the keyboard cover, place it in the dock, and it turns on the tablet. Remove the tablet, it turns off. Turn the tablet on while outside the cover, put it in the cover, close the cover, it turns the tablet off. 3.) It runs off the Tablet power. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to have a keyboard need charging independently from the tablet. One less thing to have to charge. .4.) The lack of blue tooth hook up, noted in another review is a plus. The direct connection eliminates the independent power need of the keyboard. And, for anyone who has ever used a tablet blue tooth keyboard, the constant lost bluetooth connection and need to resync is a big problem. 5.) The keyboard has a nice feel 6.) The cover has a holder for the pen. 7.) I have not had the problem of the tablet sliding out of the cover. I have tried to reproduce the tablet sliding out, described by the other review. I have to either hard drop it into a knapsack, or smack it on the side. Maybe I'm more careful, or less abusive. In either case, in one week of daily use, the tablet has never slipped out of the case. What the tablet keyboard is not, is a full sized keyboard. It is cramped. But the key detention and feel is good. Remember, this is not a lap top or a full sized keyboard. It is for use with a 9.7 inch tablet. Big enough to be useful, too small for full productivity. What it isn't is a big, comfortable keyboard. However, it functions perfectly without a hitch. No bluetooth delay or need to sync. Someone noted the color. I got the silver Tab S3, the grey cover is perfect. What I don't like is that It is kind of pricey. I'm giving it five stars because honestly think it is about as good as any tablet keyboard I have had and does the job. I have read multiple criticisms on review sites. I do think many reviewers believe that applying an unrealistic standard and expectation to a device elevates the reviewer's standing among those who believe that every device must provide a quantum leap in technology. This is a tablet keyboard. It turns the device on when connect, off when disconnected, and off if the device is placed in the cover. Ok, lots of words. Short and sweet. Bright, light, fast, fully capable Android tablet. It meets my needs better than any other Android on the market. And for the people who point out the slightly brighter and faster Google Pixel C, remember, no GPS and it’s heavier. The keyboard integrates perfectly and works. If you want more processing power and more RAM, you need to go Apple. But, they have no SD card and you are stuck in the Apple system. I give the entire system five stars. For the moment, although pricey, this is one of the best out there. Update on 4/29/17 Many reviewers note that the tablet does not have a pen holder. There is one on the keyboard. I just got the yueton 5pcs Self-adhesive Leather Pen Holder with Elastic Loop for Notebooks, Journals, Planners and Calendars yueton 5pcs Self-adhesive Leather Pen Holder with Elastic Loop for Notebooks, Journals, Planners and Calendars https://www.amazon.com/yueton-Self-adhesive-Notebooks-Journals-Calendars/dp/B01N8X33Y9/ref=cm_rdp_product Here's my review. It works very well. I got the Samsung tab S3 with the pen. The cover has a pen holder, but the tablet does not. What to do? I got this and placed it on the tablet. Now, my tablet has a pen holder. It is the perfect size. What don't i like, it would be nice if there was a color other than black, and the elastic holder for the pen is not totally flush to the leather making it a little "proud." But, as they say, lots of bang for the buck. And easy to put on and use.

I was looking to upgrade from my trusty Nexus 7 (2013) and waited on an update to the Tab S2. When Samsung refreshed the S2, I almost pulled the trigger, but decided to wait on the Tab S3. As someone who had an iPad in the past, I looked and either an iPad or the Tab S3. The price cut and the fact I prefer android over iOS sealed the deal for me. I have only had it for about a week, but so far I love it. I waited until it was 100 dollars off because I think the original price is too high. There are still quite a few apps that only work in portrait mode and the number of apps that are formatted for a phone screen are readily apparent (Hangouts I AM LOOKING AT YOU!). I think both Google and Samsung could do better here. Highlights Screen - Amazing Speed - Fast and smooth. S-Pen - It's nice that its included for free unlike the iPad. Haven't used it much, still trying to find a good note taking app. Using evernote so far. Would like to have a built-in slot for the pen, but I got a ProCase that has a place to store it. Speakers- No complaints here, sounds good. Fingerprint Sensor - Works as good as the one on my S7. Battery life - Can easily get two days worth on a single charge with lots of usage and the fast charger fills it up quick. WIFI - No problems connecting or staying connected to any networks I have tried. Speed is fast and seems reliable. Minor Nitpicks Since this is a Galaxy tablet, I would like to have access to the theme store that I have on my Galaxy S7. I have bought a couple so it would be nice to use them here. The game tuner is also strangely absent, but I was able to side load it from apkmirror. Without game tuner, the screen defaults to a lower resolution. Also, the nifty motion effect for the wallpaper on the home screen is absent from the Tab S3. Since Samsung is not keen on updating tablets very often, I suspect it will take a long time to get the Android O if it ever gets it. Android 7.0 is nice though, just hope that Samsung tries harder with updates but that can be said about their phones too. IMHO This is the best Android tablet out there right now as far as build quality, speed, screen, and features.

I bought this in 2019, and I'm reviewing it in 2019. This tablet was created in 2017 and because of the state of Android and the applications that run on it, it can feel slow at times. If you go into this expecting it to be as snappy as a brand new flagship android phone or iPhone, then I would temper your expectations. That being said, this exceeded my expectations and is fantastic for creating digital art and consuming media. The only time I notice any slowness is in the UI and I find myself using this a lot more than I was expecting for random things like browsing the internet. BUILD QUALITY It's a bit older, but it's still a Samsung flagship device. It is impossibly thin and has a glass front and back on each side. It feels nice to hold, although I do worry about it slipping off a bed or couch or table - I don't have to worry about scratches from wood or plastic or random things because of the hardness of glass. The sides are well crafted as well - I'm not at all worried about this thing looking and feeling great for years to come as long as the hardware stacks up. SCREEN Samsung's screens for mobile devices are best in class. They were best in class two years ago, and they're best in class now. It looks ridiculously good, just all the time. Whatever you're doing. Text is very clear, movies and videos look stunning, art is great - and it even has a basic sRGB mode if you're concerned with color accuracy. PEN The pen is glorious. Tilt support is here, pressure support is here, and there's no jitter to be seen. This rivals the iPad Pro as far as ease of use and just working on things in general, and the pen is included. I bought this primarily as an art sketchpad, and I decided to skimp out a bit and not go too big, what I was not expecting was getting this first class art experience that I thoroughly enjoy. I personally use Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, and the application is fluid and takes all my strokes exactly how I would expect with no issues. This blew me away, honestly, and I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. SOFTWARE Samsung software is bloated, at best. There are some cool features - particularly with taking screenshots, but I do wish there was stock android available. I'll probably eventually wipe it and go with LineageOS, as long as the keyboard cover works with it. It's not bad, it's just a bit overwhelming coming from a stock android experience. SOUND I wasn't really buying this for the sound but the speakers on this are surprisingly good. They unsurprisingly lack bass, but are really awesome for casual content consumption and are loud enough to play music. I got this tablet for $230, and for the price it's phenomenal. Absolutely recommended, particularly for artists.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Model: SM-T820, SM-T820NZKAXAR) Best PDF reader that I've experienced so far, is Adobe Acrobat Reader, with FoxIt PDF reader following closely behind. The default PDF reader is Google's PDF reader. If you desire an extremely light reader, MuPDF is probably the lightest application, although Google's PDF reader probably already mimics MuPDF to an extent. There are some other's out there, but I found them not as easy to work with or had some bugs. NOTE: On the right side of the device near the SDCard pin hole, there are two additional pin holes for the (stereo) microphones! Probably not a good idea to stick the SDCard removal pin tool into the microphone holes! Pros 1) Samsung has dedicated Amazon.com Kindle and Prime Video applications through it's Galaxy Apps. (The Galaxy Amazon.com applications are said to be augmented to perform better on the Samsung devices. All other applications are probably best acquired through Google Play.) 2) Adobe Android applications work extremely well, unlike their PC related software. 3) A Settings > Device Maintenance application does a really good job of maintenance, including removing power wasting applications. Cons 1) If the device is initially connected using a USB ethernet device, the software will become confused and some features such as software update will not work as the features explicitly require wireless connectivity. (@#$@#$@@*#&!) This bug is extremely evident during the initial power on. Also, applications such as the operating system's Software/Firmware updater cannot detect a wired ethernet connection, and will explicitly require a wireless/wi-fi connection! (This seems against the norm, usually requiring a stable connection for upgrading firmware.) 2) Obviously due to Con #1 above, I'm still likely working with an older software firmware version with bugs. So some applications such as searching Google takes over the software, preventing going back or escaping from the Google browser. And/or the applications are causing CPU runs. Also having a difficult time creating a desktop shortcut, and keeping applications from being deleted when removing shortcuts. I'll update this entry later, as I'm not entirely fluent with how this Android desktop should work. 3) Sometimes I cannot use the three bottom buttons using my finger, or the tablet will appear unresponsive. Simply using the included pen resolves this apparent unresponsiveness or hang. Other times, the screen becomes unresponsive as well, but again using the pen/stylus immediately resolves this apparent lack of response. Founding out at a later time now, this is likely due to the touch screen detecting other fingers on the screen, while those fingers are holding the device. Long story short, make sure all your fingers are away from the edges of the front of the screen, then try touching the screen again. (I usually just have to stop holding the device and set the device on a table top, when navigating with finger tips instead of using the pen.) 4) The initial power savings settings and screen saver timeouts are extremely short! I've easily bumped my screen saver or display time-out to five minutes with no obvious signs of power drain. A week into usage, and I've disabled the power saving features entirely when used around the house. 5) Dealing with Microsoft's MTP protocol is extremely troublesome. Although I can create files, trying to create a folder on the MTP (SD Card) device and/or sync the folders under Linux is almost impossible! WORKAROUND: Just remove your additional SDCARD from the device and use a PC with adapter card for writing or syncing files on the SDCARD. Although Microsoft operating systems provide a better MTP experience, as far as I know, MTP protocol does not support syncing and as such require writing whole files again. I use RSync under GNU/Linux, with an USB SDCARD media adapter. 2017.09.06: This device has Android Marshmallow installed, and does not offer USB Mass Storage as an option for connecting, even after enabling the Developer options! Also lacking, RNDIS (usb ethernet tethering) does not apparently properly activate on the device. The only reliable method of transferring files is by manually removing the MicroSD card and using a MicroSD USB adapter on the PC computer. (With my experience, wireless file transfer methods are cumbersome and slow with any device!) 2017.09.10: I just found installing android-tools provides a tool called "adb", which can be used to push and pull files from the Samsung tablet via USB cable after enabling USB debugging! Another adb-sync tool is provided by android-studio SDK/IDE. 6) Very little documentation concerning this tablet. No idea what the apparent brass contacts along the left side of the tablet are for, or whether there is a risk of shorting circuitry. No idea what the remaining holes along the sides of the device are for, except for the one hole for removing the memory card. A strong magnetic field is located on the rear of the device as advised by another Amazon.com review, for which was also not disclosed or documented. The manual only has a few pages, containing very basic information. The warranty manual is far larger. I later did find and download the User Manual PDF, and this PDF should have been included with this device's internal storage upon unwrapping. 7) Difficult, if not impossible, to sort the Home Screen icons. Only method, manually moving the icons. The second home screen can be resorted. 8) Very little control within the Android operating system for ensuring privacy. (eg. No main disable/off/kill switch for microphones or cameras.) 9) Cannot easily find files and settings within the Android operating system. (eg. An image used for the screen saver, is still being used even though apparently disabled. No idea where this image is being cached from, nor is the image(s) listed within the default DCIM or Images folders.) 10) The microphone locations are two pin holes on the right side of the device likely providing stereo recording capability. This is documented deep within the PDF user manual, and the holes can easily be confused with the removal pin hole for the SDCard. Not sure if the brass/gold plated connectors on the left side of the device are defined within the manual, likely a keyboard connector. 11) After two months usage, I am now realizing the Samsung compiled kernel can only mount FAT32 formatted USB drives! This is going to inherently cause buying more USB drives in order to duplicate data onto FAT32 formatted file systems! (2017.09.10) Only work around known, root your device. I'm not a fan of rooting a device under warranty, neglecting support. Nor am I privy of rooting the device due to concerns for security, likely compromising Samsung's security net.

I’ve owned the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 for about two months now, and overall I am very happy with it. When reviewing a tablet it’s important to look at the following things: build quality, the quality of the screen, performance and battery life. Let’s start with the build quality. The metal edges and glass back give the tablet a premium feel in the hand, as well as providing the user with a good grip. The only downside to this is that while the tablet is unlikely to slip out of your hands, fingerprints develop rather quickly on the back. The real star of the S3 is the screen. The colors are vivid and the blacks are pitch black. The high resolution ensures that the image is crisp, even when held up close. At 9.7 inches, the screen is big enough to clearly see everything on the screen without having to zoom in, but is small enough so that the dimensions of the tablet don’t make it awkward to hold or transport. The screen can also get very bright, allowing the user to use the S3 outside in direct sunlight. Performance-wise, the S3 is no slouch. Opening and switching between apps is fast, and I’ve never encountered any lag even with multiple apps open at once. This fast performance doesn’t come at the expense of battery life however. I’ve been able to use the S3 for a little over 4 hours continuously, screen on, without having to charge. The S3 also features Samsung’s Quick-Charge technology, meaning that the battery will go from almost empty to completely full in under an hour. In summary the S3 is fast, has great build quality, and a screen that’s one of the best in its class. All of these add up to a tablet that’s easy to recommend, whether you’re a student looking for a device to take notes on that will last all day, or if you’re some who just wants to lay in bed and watch movies or read books/comics. It’s a great device, and I’m very satisfied with my purchase.

Loved the tablet works great! Really recomend!

I needed to replace my 10-year old Dell laptop and I was torn over what to replace it with. I no longer need a laptop and secondary external display (I’m a retired IT project manager and no longer need multiple windows and extensive screen real estate to run PM software) so the choice was between a small desktop or a tablet. I opted for a tablet. Since receiving my Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 a month ago it seems like every day I find something new to like about it. Today, I connected a Dell Bluetooth mouse. It paired within seconds and voila, a mouse pointer appeared on the screen. Wicked cool! With a mouse and full-sized Dell Bluetooth keyboard, It now serves as my only computer. So what else can I do on the S3? I typed this review in MS Word. I browse the web with Chrome. My Gmail account works flawlessly, not to mention all the Google apps including Calendar, Maps, Earth, Drive, Photos, etc. My two banking apps work just fine. There’s a version of my Password manager software (which I can’t live without) for Android. Additionally, free news apps from all the major news sources (some might call them “Fake News” but we won't go there!) are available for download in the Apps store. The Weather.GOV app, the National Weather Service’s app for Android, is even better than the Web version. And get this -- there’s even an app that lets me monitor the performance of my solar panels! The S3 display is, in a word, stunning. Photos and videos seem to jump off the screen. One of these days I’ll transfer my music collection over to see how my PowerAmp app with graphic equalizer sounds on the built-in four speaker sound system. I think I already know because the audio from NetFlix and Hulu sounds clear and balanced. I also understand that there’s a way to connect the S3 to a network drive. That’s next as it will make transferring my music library quick and easy. The S3 comes with a stylus and a couple of apps that use stylus input. I’m not an artist nor am I into graphics so I have yet to find a good use for it. I may at some point. One of the purchase options includes an integrated keyboard/cover. The keyboard looked too small for me so I took the chance that the S3 would pair with one of two BlueTooth keyboards I already own. It paired readily with a full-sized Dell BlueTooth keyboard but failed to connect to a Microsoft compact keyboard. The S3 is quite thin and has a very smooth finish. Using the bare tablet somehow felt awkward for me so I purchased a Fintie cover from Amazon that also acts as a stand. Bottom line – Without the need for extensive screen real estate or multiple open applcation windows, I’m extremely pleased with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 as my laptop replacement. I recommend it highly.

I've been a long-time user and fan of Samsung tablets and phones. I have been using a Samsung Tab S2 since 2015. It has been perfect in every aspect. Great display, great performance, great battery. Recently though I broke the LCD so that's dead now. I was just going to get the same S2, but comparing specs, I figured I would go for the upgraded and newer model, the S3. I don't know what Samsung did to this thing, but I don't understand how they can make so many improvements to a device, and it performs worse. I will say, the display is amazing. That's something they did well. Unfortunately that's where the pros end. First the battery. What a fiasco. It's a larger battery, how can it be so awful. When I first got it it would barely last a day with minimal usage and just sitting there. It would easily drain 30% without even touching it or turning the screen on. I did a factory reset on it after it finished installing system and app updates, that seemed to help a bit. Also, there is a KNOWN bug for a while now where the Wi-Fi drains the battery while in standby. You have to either turn the wifi off, or change a setting in the advanced wifi menu that keeps the wifi off when in standby. Then, when you wake it up, the Wi-Fi reconnects and you get all your notifications at once and it also takes a minute to settle down and catch up once re-connected. Not a huge issue, just annoying when the previous model seemed to work perfect. While using the tablet, the battery just drains very fast. Just doing basic email, light web surfing, instagram. No games, youtube etc. Definitely would NOT last the advertised 5 or so hours of screen time while watching a movie. That's a pipe dream. User interface and software is just generally buggy and choppy. Slow responses to buttons, screen drawing is just slow and unbelievably choppy for a tablet with these specs. I just can't understand how they could release this "high end" tablet in this condition. With these specs this thing should be totally smooth and extremely fast with much better power management. It has to be software related and the lack of fixes by Samsung through simple software updates is extremely disappointing.