DON'T RE-PUB
Samsung made such a big deal out of the SideSync feature on its Galaxy Tab S tablet, you'd think it was a brand-new feature. It may not be new, but it is expanded, and potentially quite useful.
When Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Tab S tablet in New York on Thursday, it prominently highlighted a feature that shares files and even phone calls between the Tab S and your phone. With all the fanfare surrounding SideSync on stage, you'd think it was brand new.
However, the feature also cropped up on the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro series of tablets, and also exists as a tool to share data between select Samsung Ativ PCs and Samsung Galaxy phones. In fact, Samsung is already up to version 3.
Let's start with what is new, which is fielding phone calls. SideSync will work with both Wi-Fi and LTE versions of the tablet to mirror a device, a Galaxy S5 phone in the on-stage demo. A call forwarding feature means that you can answer phone calls on the tablet if you're already using that device, rather than breaking focus to reach for your phone. (This is similar to Apple's new handoff feature for its latest operating system.) This will work with the Galaxy S5 only for now, but Samsung will expand phone support down the line.
In addition to calling, SideSync also transfers files over-the-air between the phone and Galaxy Tab S, and between the Tab S and a PC -- this isn't new. If you've got a gaggle of Tab S slates together in the same room, connecting them in the same cozy network lets users edit documents at the same time, in real time.
All of this productivity is nice, but Samsung's main point of pride is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S' Super AMOLED display, a first for its tablet line. Check it out, and all other Tab S features in CNET's hands-on First Take.