Samsung Tab s5e

[iamdata]

Wednesday I bought the S4 and keyboard.
Thursday it arrived, I was very surprised by it.
Friday, the next model s5e was announced, literally on every tech site.
Saturday I messaged Samsung via the members app as I was disappointed. Looks like the s5e has android pie already, but is missing the s pen. Apparently the processor isn't as good, but I think it will make little difference as the price is likely to be half of that which I paid for the s4. It will not have Dex mode, or spend. These are the only differences I can see. Ohh and the s5e offers fingerprint too.

I know Samsung.com offers 28 day returns which in likely to take them up on. Come the 20th Feb we will know more about the new devices which are coming. Yet the tablet, phones and wearables have all been leaked.


But if the foldable phone is actually announced, I may be better off. My S9+ is in the upgrade plan, so maybe I don't need the S4 at all!

As a consumer I'm torn, as a tablet user I'm impressed with the s4's battery life, but that could also be because of my tab S (original) not lasting as long as a day, yet this is pushing for 2days.

My question is, what would you do. What are your feelings on the s5e? Is it just a budget version of the S4? Or a very good deal at something like half the price

 

[mrpops2ko]

Price should be posted for consideration.
Tab s4 $650
Tab s5e $400

Thats a hard one to call, I mean its more than half extra for a better cpu and lack of stylus. Okay this might be a wild ride but lets do it. URL REDACTED seems to suggest that the 670 is about as powerful as an 820. The tab s4 has an 835. We can kinda get a feeling for what to expect, vaguely with this. URL 2 REDACTED


Tab s4
Multi: 6000~
Single: 1841~
Renderscript: 7780~

Tab s5
Multi: 3700~
Single: 1500~
Renderscript: 6800~

Obviously this is widely inaccurate as to how it will really perform, but it will be good to come back to this in 6 months or so to see the real results and how far they deviated. The major difference here seems to be the multi core processing speed. How much and how well the android ecosystem is multithreaded, that I don't know the answer to.

The tab s4 isn't a particularly strong CPU, so an even weaker one might be troublesome. For me I purchased the tab s4 so that I could watch an array of 4k remux videos on it, without stuttering and in HDR. I know the tab s4 tablet is capable of doing that. I don't know from these details whether the tab s5 could do that.

So it largely depends on your purpose for the device, if it is a general purpose device and you don't have one specific task / requirement for it then I would say go with the new tab s5e.

edit: seems im not allowed to post links because of low post count, gizmodochina and androidbenchmark were the sites you'll have to google them if you want the links.

 

[d99x]

I've been very happy with the S4, and don't view the S5e as a replacement. Overall it looks like they simply made a more affordable "essential" version for those who don't need the power of the S4, nor want to pay the price.

The S4 can be great for those who like the S-pen, or like Dex mode for a form of laptop replacement.

I think there's always a problem if you buy too close to a new model coming out. The S4 price is likely to come down as the S5e is announced and starts to be released. But then it can go back up as the S5e is released, S4 supply decreases, but some people still want the power of the S4. On the plus side, since the S4 has been out awhile, you're likely to get better deals on a case, screen protector, etc., and have better selection.

Personally, I don't push the S4 heavily, nor often use the S-pen or a keyboard, such as when I'd need a laptop. But I'm very glad it can do those things when I want it to. And the S4 Pie upgrade is supposed to be here by April.

 

[bill-e]

What would you rather have, buyers remorse because you think you paid too much for the S4 or buyer's remorse because your less expensive Tab S5e is not performing as well as you'd like?
The former is in your head and the latter will be in your hands every day.
I think you're right about the S9+ though, you really don't need any other tablet unless like me, you're tired of looking at a tiny screen.

 

[mrpops2ko]

The used market is also something to consider. You can probably get a used tab s4 for the same price as a new tab s5e.

 

[BarajaVLC]

Do you need 3.5mm headphone jack in your tablet? Then get a Tab S4.

Do you already have some nice bluetooth headphones? Consider the Tab S5e.

 

[canadoc01]

I bought the s4 with keyboard Case for 600 over Christmas. Love it!
There will be a keyboard Case for s5 email but no spen and in end I paid 100 more for better spec device in power and battery and can use it to draw take notes etc.
Pie will be coming to s4 by April.

Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk

 

[N1NJATH3ORY]

Only good thing the Tab S5E has going for it is the Display as it's Amoled.. The Speakers as they are Dolby Atoms that’s it..

it's got no Dex no s-pen it’s an entry level tablet i would go for the Tab S4 plus if you hunt around you will be able to get it for around 400 no way I would pay that for the Tab S5e..

 

[torickray]

Only good thing the Tab S5E has going for it is the Display as it's Amoled.. The Speakers as they are Dolby Atoms that’s it..

it's got no Dex no s-pen it’s an entry level tablet i would go for the Tab S4 plus if you hunt around you will be able to get it for around 400 no way I would pay that for the Tab S5e..

You are wrong. Tab s5e supports Dex. It is not entry level, it is almost identical to s4 except without s pen. The processor is not as bad as you think.

So, it is worth it to buy this device as I did, because I managed to buy the tab with the keyboard cover, and it is still cheaper than s4.

S4 is only meant for people who really need s pen.

---------- Post added at 01:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ----------

Do you need 3.5mm headphone jack in your tablet? Then get a Tab S4.

Do you already have some nice bluetooth headphones? Consider the Tab S5e.

It comes with a wired headset with dongle to connect to USB port

 

[#Teampixel]

You are wrong. Tab s5e supports Dex. It is not entry level, it is almost identical to s4 except without s pen. The processor is not as bad as you think.

So, it is worth it to buy this device as I did, because I managed to buy the tab with the keyboard cover, and it is still cheaper than s4.

S4 is only meant for people who really need s pen.

---------- Post added at 01:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ----------


It comes with a wired headset with dongle to connect to USB port

Well no s pen or not. S4 has bigger battery and the processer even though older is still more powerful. I personally think it's more solid too. The s5e will bend or warp easily

 

[torickray]

Well no s pen or not. S4 has bigger battery and the processer even though older is still more powerful. I personally think it's more solid too. The s5e will bend or warp easily

It is only 260mAh different. But the weight is much lesser ( 400g vs 483g). Has android 9 on board.

I used tab 10.1 2014 before. I don't use s pen that offen. I'm not an artist. For people who just need a tab, s5e is a good option.

The processor is not that much different in performance, especially for daily reading, internet browsing. I'm not sure about gaming as that is not the reason I bought this tablet.

Saving RM1000 or USD250 is a lot. I bought the keyboard cover as well with came with DeX mode.

It is worth to buy this for the price. To buy a slightly better device with extra USD250 is too much for me.

It is really light, not easily bend as you said, but why would you bend it for?

 

[#Teampixel]

It is only 260mAh different. But the weight is much lesser ( 400g vs 483g). Has android 9 on board.

I used tab 10.1 2014 before. I don't use s pen that offen. I'm not an artist. For people who just need a tab, s5e is a good option.

The processor is not that much different in performance, especially for daily reading, internet browsing. I'm not sure about gaming as that is not the reason I bought this tablet.

Saving RM1000 or USD250 is a lot. I bought the keyboard cover as well with came with DeX mode.

It is worth to buy this for the price. To buy a slightly better device with extra USD250 is too much for me.

It is really light, not easily bend as you said, but why would you bend it for?

Yeah the tab s5e is a good option no doubt. I personally don't the tab S4 a bit smoother .

In the UK you can pick up a tab S4 easily for £400.

Both are good tabs just saying overall the tab S4 is better .

I don't mean physically bend. Metal can warp overtime or bend if left in the wrong place.

 

[Too51oll]

I don't mean physically bend. Metal can warp overtime or bend if left in the wrong place.

Like a back pocket for example ??

 

[#Teampixel]

Like a back pocket for example ??

Haha. Like the iPad pro or air 2. And the previous tab S2. There too thin for there own good, they can easily warp
Seen it many times and experienced it.

 

[jrac86]

I was in this exact scenario. Bought s4 and then a week later, the tab s5e was announced. I was just as torn and decided to preorder the tab s5e (6gb model) just to see how it compared. Once I had it in hand, I was sold. The form factor is amazing for watching movies, reading, or browsing. I know some say that they are worried it will bend, and if you are going to be applying pressure on the tablet in that sort of way, then do not get this tablet - I cannot speak for metal warping however. For normal usage, this is a great tablet. I compared it between the s4 and here were my ultimate conclusions:

- The weight and size difference looks small on paper, but damn, this is a nice tablet to hold and the s4 feels like a tank in comparison.
- The S5e (and the s4) both ran very well in everyday tasks - did not experience any noticeable performance issues. The tab s4 did launch apps slightly faster, but nothing that would make you think the s5e was slow or laggy. Without a direct comparison, this would likely not even be noticeable.
- Screen quality was the exact same.
- The speakers on the s5e were surprisingly better, much louder and clearer. Nothing wrong with the s4 speakers, but these were better
- Call and message continuity is such a nice feature for those who don't want to have to carry their samsung phones with them when using the tablet around the house - I was very annoyed that this did not come to the s4 with the android pie update.
- The s5e can handle light gaming great - I do not play intensive games, but I am sure it would have issues with those due to less powerful hardware.
- Personally, I like the s5e's fingerprint scanner much more than the iris scanning on the s4 - but this is a matter of preference.
- So far, battery life seemed to be slightly better on the s4, but the s5e still does a great job lasting through the day.

Those who need an s pen, headphone jack, vibration, camera flash, or heavy gaming usage should not get the s5e and instead look at the s4. I also tried to replicate the wifi antenna issue on the s5e and was unable to see any signal drop - although this might just be an issue with particular models/hardware batches (I have the US wifi model).

At the end of the day, no one can tell you what is the right device for YOU. You need to decide what is important to you in a device and pick the one that best fits your needs. If you decide to go with the bigger, more powerful tab s4, it will perform great. If you are willing to trade off some power and hardware features for increased mobility, the tab s5e is still a great tablet. I was initially intimidated by the benchmarks and people saying that the tab s4 was better... but in the end, I am extremely happy with the tab s5e and will be selling my tab s4.

 

[truc113]

Hi guys,

currently hesitating between s4 and s5e, what most preoccupy me is video decoding capabilities regarding hevc (aka h265) 10bits videos.
From spec it's clear s4 can hardware decode 10bit hevc, I have a phone with same snapdragon 835 chipset and such videos are indeed smooth to play on it.
For s5e I'm not sure as chipset spec seem to imply 10bits videos are not hardware decoded and I haven't been able to test it in any outlet yet.

Has anyone here with a s5e already tried to play hevc 10-bits videos like some found on http://jell.yfish.us/ for example?
For those who know mxplayer, are 10bit hevc videos read using HW+ mode or HW or SW?
do "codec infos" apps show Main10 support for hevc?

 

[timos]

It must be remembered that Tab s5e has EMMC memories, which over time tend to slow down the device quite a lot while Tab S4 has UFS 2.1 memories, much more performance.

 

[nsx2brz]

Tried "jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit", it will play it if copied locally in MX Player Pro, I cannot get it to stream as it is challenging for my Wifi. It uses HW+ decoder when playing and plays smoothly. MX Player does not seem to handle HDR yet though.

Hi guys,

currently hesitating between s4 and s5e, what most preoccupy me is video decoding capabilities regarding hevc (aka h265) 10bits videos.
From spec it's clear s4 can hardware decode 10bit hevc, I have a phone with same snapdragon 835 chipset and such videos are indeed smooth to play on it.
For s5e I'm not sure as chipset spec seem to imply 10bits videos are not hardware decoded and I haven't been able to test it in any outlet yet.

Has anyone here with a s5e already tried to play hevc 10-bits videos like some found on http://jell.yfish.us/ for example?
For those who know mxplayer, are 10bit hevc videos read using HW+ mode or HW or SW?
do "codec infos" apps show Main10 support for hevc?

 

[truc113]

Tried "jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit", it will play it if copied locally in MX Player Pro, I cannot get it to stream as it is challenging for my Wifi. It uses HW+ decoder when playing and plays smoothly. MX Player does not seem to handle HDR yet though.

well that's great news! :good:
not surprised about HDR, even devices supposed to support it lack support from content provider (netflix, amazon, etc) anyway

 

[g1dtf]

I was in this exact scenario. Bought s4 and then a week later, the tab s5e was announced. I was just as torn and decided to preorder the tab s5e (6gb model) just to see how it compared. Once I had it in hand, I was sold. The form factor is amazing for watching movies, reading, or browsing. I know some say that they are worried it will bend, and if you are going to be applying pressure on the tablet in that sort of way, then do not get this tablet - I cannot speak for metal warping however. For normal usage, this is a great tablet. I compared it between the s4 and here were my ultimate conclusions:

- The weight and size difference looks small on paper, but damn, this is a nice tablet to hold and the s4 feels like a tank in comparison.
- The S5e (and the s4) both ran very well in everyday tasks - did not experience any noticeable performance issues. The tab s4 did launch apps slightly faster, but nothing that would make you think the s5e was slow or laggy. Without a direct comparison, this would likely not even be noticeable.
- Screen quality was the exact same.
- The speakers on the s5e were surprisingly better, much louder and clearer. Nothing wrong with the s4 speakers, but these were better
- Call and message continuity is such a nice feature for those who don't want to have to carry their samsung phones with them when using the tablet around the house - I was very annoyed that this did not come to the s4 with the android pie update.
- The s5e can handle light gaming great - I do not play intensive games, but I am sure it would have issues with those due to less powerful hardware.
- Personally, I like the s5e's fingerprint scanner much more than the iris scanning on the s4 - but this is a matter of preference.
- So far, battery life seemed to be slightly better on the s4, but the s5e still does a great job lasting through the day.

Those who need an s pen, headphone jack, vibration, camera flash, or heavy gaming usage should not get the s5e and instead look at the s4. I also tried to replicate the wifi antenna issue on the s5e and was unable to see any signal drop - although this might just be an issue with particular models/hardware batches (I have the US wifi model).

At the end of the day, no one can tell you what is the right device for YOU. You need to decide what is important to you in a device and pick the one that best fits your needs. If you decide to go with the bigger, more powerful tab s4, it will perform great. If you are willing to trade off some power and hardware features for increased mobility, the tab s5e is still a great tablet. I was initially intimidated by the benchmarks and people saying that the tab s4 was better... but in the end, I am extremely happy with the tab s5e and will be selling my tab s4.

How does the screen brightness of the 2 tablets compare as according to online specs I've seen, the S4 has 463 nits and the S5e 600 so in theory the S5e screen should be slightly brighter.