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Samsung introduces the Galaxy Tab S (pictures)

Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab S, its new flagship tablet.

Nate Ralph
Associate Editor Nate Ralph is an aspiring wordsmith, covering mobile software and hardware for CNET Reviews. His hobbies include dismantling gadgets, waxing poetic about obscure ASCII games, and wandering through airports.
Nate Ralph
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Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab S, a new flagship tablet aimed at taking on Apple's iPad Air. It boasts an impressive resolution, long battery life, and a Super AMOLED display.

And be sure to check out our hands-on preview.

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The Galaxy Tab S will be available in two sizes, a 10.5-inch $499 variant, and a 8.4-inch device for $399. The specs for both devices are otherwise the same. But the real stars of the show are the Super AMOLED displays.

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Samsung claims that Super AMOLED displays are capable of covering more than 90 percent of the Adobe RBG color spectrum, for vastly improved color accuracy -- LCD screens only cover about 70 percent.

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You also needn't worry about getting a bit of fresh air. The Galaxy Tab S' Super AMOLED display is reportedly 40 percent less reflective than an LCD display, with an adaptive display that will adjust things like white balance and contrast on the fly for improved viewing in direct sunlight.

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Samsung's Papergarden service will offer digital magazines customized expressly for the Galaxy Tab S' colorful display. And plenty of brands have gotten on board, including Vogue, Glamour, Vanity Fair, and GQ.

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Samsung's Milk Music service is also making an appearance, in a revamped form customized for the Galaxy Tab S' Super AMOLED display.

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The tablets are a mere 6.6mm thick -- compare that to the iPad Air, which is just 7.6mm thick.

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With SideSync 3.0, you'll be able to pair your Galaxy Tab S to your Galaxy S5 smartphone. If your phone rings in another room, you can answer that call on your tablet. You can even use Sidesync to access your Windows computer, using Remote PC.

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You can also use SideSync to transfer files between devices, and edit documents collaboratively with a team.

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With the Galaxy Tab S' multiuser mode, up to eight people can create independent profiles, complete with personal home screens and apps. You can use the tablet's fingerprint scanner to log in to your personal profile.

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Samsung has introduced a kid-friendly mode that will give children access to age-appropriate apps, while keeping the rest of the device safe from their wandering eyes.

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Samsung also showed off a snazzy Bluetooth keyboard case for the new tablets.  The case is slim, and offers a locking clasp to keep the tablet secure.

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You can expect about 11 hours of video playback out of the Galaxy Tab S.

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The Galaxy Tab S will also include three display modes: Basic, Photo, and Cinema. Each mode promises to offer improved color accuracy for their appropriate settings.

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Connectivity options include 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LTE. Samsung also offers a feature it's calling "Download Booster," which it claims will ramp up your download speeds -- complete a gigabyte download in as little as 30 seconds, for example.

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