8 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 66
NEWS
The biggest changes other than the speed is with
the S Pen. The Galaxy Tab S6 gains the Bluetooth
stylus that was introduced with the Galaxy Note9 that
lets you remotely control apps and actions, as well
as some new tricks. S Pen Air Action will allow you to
control your tablet with hand gestures, a feature that
has also been rumoured for the Note10. Samsung
says you’ll be able to “take selfies and videos, or scroll
through multimedia content, even when the tablet is
out of reach”. It’s also magnetic, so you’ll be able to
keep it attached to the back of your Tab S6.
There’salsoa newversionofSamsung’sDeX
PC‑like desktop experience. You can eitherconnect
yourTabS6toanotherdisplayviaanHDMI‑to‑
USB‑C cable or pop it into the BookCover keyboard
toentertheDeXinterface,whichfeaturesresizable
windowsanda ChromeOS‑like dock. Speaking
of the keyboard, the £159 accessory has had a
completeoverhaul,bringinga trackpad,extra
functionkeys,anda less‑compact design.
The 7,040mAh battery is actually smaller than
the 7,300mAh one in the S4, but Samsung still
promises 15 hoursoffbatterylife,justanhour
lessthanthe 16 ‑hour Tab S4.
One thing you won’t find on the Galaxy Tab S
is a physical fingerprint scanner. Nor does it have
anirisscannerliketheS4.Instead,Samsunghas
addedanon‑screen optical fingerprint scanner at
thebottomofthedisplayforunlocking.It’sthefirst
in‑display scanner in a tablet, but if it’s anything like
the ones in our phones, it won’t be nearly as instant
or convenient as Samsung promises.