Main Difference – Google Pixel C vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
The main difference between Google Pixel C and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is that the Google Pixel C runs the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and has better battery capacity and keyboard support while Galaxy Tab S2 is a smaller and more portable device with expandable storage support and better display technology.
Both Google Pixel C and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 come with exceptional hardware features. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 was considered as the best tablet produced in 2015. Let’s take a closer look at how it stacks up with the latest hybrid device of Google, the Google Pixel C.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 – Features and Specifications
The tablets that are produced these days often play the second fiddle to the iPad. When compared with the iPad these tablets are cheaper, weaker and unattractive at the same time. However, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, which runs the Android operating system, is a device that has the capacity to challenge the iPad. The Samsung Galaxy Tab series entered the market in the year 2014. The first Galaxy Tab was followed by the Galaxy Tab S and then the Galaxy Tab S2, which is more powerful, elegant, and appealing. When compared to the iPad Air 2, it is thinner and lighter.
Pros
- Device is thin and light
- Sleek
- Display is bright and colorful
- Extended battery life
Cons
- Expensive
- Does not come with a metal body
Design
The specialty of this device is its lightness in the hand, which is effortless to hold. The reason behind the light weight of the device is that it is made out of plastic rather than metal like the Apple’s iPad Air 2. The plastic finish is smooth and sturdy and is a comfort in the hand. As with many plastic tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 does not come with a flex, which is a problem. The metal frame on the edge of the device adds more flair to the design. Overall the device has a premium look although it is made up of plastic and feels great in the hand as well.
Colors
The colors available with the device are black, white, and Gold. The gold color is gorgeous and is the highlight of all the colors. Gold can be chosen over the white as it gives an elegant appearance to the phone.
Dimensions
The thickness of the device is 5.6 mm. This thickness is better than the iPad Air 2 at 6.1 mm. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes in two sizes; one at 9.7 inches and the other at 8 inches. Both devices have a smaller thickness than the iPad Air 2, which is noteworthy.
Weight
The device is very light in the hand, and it will feel like holding a plastic board. The iPad Air 2 (437g) weighs more than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 inch version which weighs (392g).
It also feels really delicate and thin in the hand.
Display
The display comes in two sizes; 9.7 inch and the 8-inch versions. Here, we are focusing on the 9.7 inch display screen. The resolution presented by the screen is 2048×1536 pixels. The display uses Super AMOLED technology which is great for producing deep blacks. The images on the screen are great, and the display is also great to watch movies. The display is also perfect to view rich online content as well as read magazines. Due to the light nature of the device, it is portable and the ideal device to watch movies on. This display can be considered to be the closest one out there to compete with the iPad Air 2 display. The display is colorful, sharp, vibrant and crisp as well.
Camera
From a photographic point of view, tablets may not be the ideal device. But the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is not bad at it either. The rear camera comes with an 8MP sensor and can support an aperture of f/1.9. Videos can be captured at 1440p, and the camera is also supported by autofocus. The images captured by the device are good, but not as good as photos taken from a Smartphone with a good camera.
Processor
The power under the hood comes in the form of an octa-core Exynos processor which is capable of clocking a speed of 1.9 GHz.
Storage
The internal storage available on this device is 32GB. The storage can be expanded up to 128 GB with the use of a microSD card. The expandable storage is especially useful for users who download large quantities of data.
Memory
The memory available with the device is 3GB, which is ample for multi-tasking and running gaming applications.
Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes with the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. The user interface that covers the OS is the TouchWiz UI. The UI and the OS are fast and responsive in executing tasks. Microsoft one drive and office app suite are also available with the package. Multitasking and app pop outs are also supported by the TouchWiz UI.
Connectivity
Wifi and LTE are available with this device.
Additional/ Special Features
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes with two speakers. The bottom of the device is home to the Micro USB Port and the headphone jack slot. The right edge of the device comes with the power button and the volume control button. The Micro SD card slot is also situated on the right edge of the device. The Home button also acts as a fingerprint scanner for additional security. The sensor needs to recognize the fingerprint clearly. This is done by placing the finger in the sensor repeatedly so that it gets a good look of the fingerprint involved. The fingerprint locking feature is very useful and adds a bit of security.
Battery Life
The battery capacity of the 9.7 inch model stands at 5870mAh which is great capacity for a slim device. The battery can last more than eight hours when in moderate use.
Price
Due to the overall quality of the tablet, it comes with a hefty price tag of $350 to $400. Its rivals like the Apple iPad Air 2 and Dell’s Venue 8 which are made up of metal almost cost the same price. The advantage of using metal over plastic is, it increases the durability of the device.
Warranty
Samsung Electronics offers a one year warranty on the Galaxy Tab S2 which will repair or replace it if any problems occur. But there are some exceptions where the warranty may not be valid.
Google Pixel C – Features and Specifications
The Google pixels C is an impressive device which comes with great hardware and a hybrid design. The Google Pixel C seems to confuse its new users at first. The tablet and the keyboard are separate devices. When these two devices are brought close enough, they snap together magnetically, and the attachment is surprisingly strong.
Pros
- Exquisite performance
- Great graphics support
- Extended battery life
- Great display
Cons
- Not a great keyboard
- No split screen support
- Design is complicated
- Not able to replace a laptop although it is a hybrid design
Design
As mentioned earlier, the device is a hybrid one where the keyboard can be attached to the tablet to be used as a keyboard; otherwise, it can be used as an individual tablet. The magnets that come with the Google Pixel C are very strong, strong enough to hold on to any metal. The downside of the magnetic hinge is it cannot be opened up like a normal laptop but needs two hands. The other one being the overall device has an issue with the balance it possesses.
Display
The Google Pixel C display has a size of 10.2 inches and can produce a resolution of 2560×1800 pixels. The pixel density of the screen is 308 ppi. And native content can be shot at 1440p. The display is also able to produce deep blacks and great contrast levels; the color accuracy of the screen is also great.
Processor
Multitasking and handling heavy duty apps are done in an impressive manner by the quad-core Nvidia Tegra X1 processor. This is the fastest processor that is available with any Android device up-to-date. The Nvidia chip is renowned for its graphics and the chip found in this device is no exception. The graphics on the Google pixel C are exquisite, smooth, sharp and high definition.
Storage
The built-in storage comes in two versions; one being the 32 GB model and the other being the 64GB.
Memory
The memory that comes with the device is 3GB, which is an ample amount for multitasking and running heavy and graphic intensive applications.
Camera
The rear camera that comes with the device has a resolution of 8 MP, which is also accompanied with autofocus and geo-tagging. Videos can be captured at HD resolution, and the front has a camera with a resolution of 2.1 MP, which is ideal for video conference calling.
Operating System
The Android operating system is great in the performance point of view. Unlike the iOS, the Android OS does not support split screen support. Only one app can be operational at a time. Although the hardware support is great, the software does not seem to make the most of it. But unlike the Apple OS, individual apps have the options to be tweaked and take advantage of hardware settings on the Android OS.
Connectivity
High-speed data rates can be achieved with the use of Wi-fi and Bluetooth device. Wireless is also well supported with 2×2 MiMo 802.11ac, which provides high speeds as well. The only wired connections that are available with the device are he USB-C type connector and the 3.5mm audio jack.
The power unit is integrated into the device which will lead users to purchase a separate USB-C cable in order to transfer data. This is becoming a norm as iPad Pro is moving towards a similar trend. On the other hand, the Microsoft surface Pro support the USB 3.0, 3.5 mm port and the SD card reader.
Battery Life
The battery on the Google Pixel C is impressive as high-intensity applications can be supported for long periods of time. It is even able to outperform its major competitors like Microsoft Surface Pro 4 by quite some distance.
Additional/ Special Features
The speakers are able to produce a sound that is clean and crisp. The speaker is not equipped to produce bass which is a downside. The speakers are also not able to produce stereo sound. However, the speaker produces sound that is better than the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 but lag behind when compared with the Apple’s iPad Pro.
Keyboard
The keyboard compatibility of the device is great due to the continuous developments that have been made by the Android OS. The keyboard does not come with function keys or media buttons. But these features cannot be expected on a hybrid device which has to accompany small space. The enter key and the backspace key are also narrow. These are frequently used and could be an inconvenience. The keyboard does not come with backlighting either. The comfort and the intuitiveness of the keyboard are not great and may not be suitable for using for long periods of time. The keyboard does not come with a touchpad either. The keyboard is also expensive in addition to the expensive device itself.
Price
The device is expensive; the 32 GB model comes at $500 while the 64 GB version has a price tag of $600. There are many inexpensive alternatives to the Google Pixel C which can perform better than a smartphone. So the price of the Google Pixel C has to be justified. While the prices are high, the price tag seems to be close to the Apple’s iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4. So there will be stiff competition between these high-end devices.
Difference Between Google Pixel C and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Design
Google Pixel C: The dimensions of the device are 242 x 179 x 7 mm and the weight of the device is 499g. The body is made up of aluminum.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: The dimensions are 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm and the weight of the device is 392g. The body is made up of metal.
The Google Pixel C is a larger device when compared with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. The latter is thinner and lighter making it the most portable device of the two. The thickness of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is also smaller comparatively.
OS
Google Pixel C: This device comes with the latest Android Marshmallow 6.0 OS.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: This device comes with the Android Lollipop 5.0 OS
Display
Google Pixel C: This has a display of 10.2 inches, resolution of 2560 × 1800 and a pixel density of 308ppi. The screen uses LCD technology.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: This has a display of 9.7 inches, a resolution of 1536 × 2048 and a pixel density of 264ppi. The screen uses Super AMOLED technology.
The Google pixel C comes with a larger display, higher resolution and a sharper display due to the pixel density it possesses. The two displays will be distinctively different due to the different technologies used in the displays.
Hardware
Google Pixel C: The device is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor, comes with an octa-core processor, and the graphics are powered by the NVIDIA Maxwell GPU. The built-in storage of the device is 32 & 64 GB.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: The device is powered by the Exynos 7 Octa 5433processor, comes with an octa-core processor which is capable of clocking a speed of 1.9 GHz and the graphics are powered by the NVIDIA Maxwell GPU. The built-in storage of the device is 32GB & 64 GB, and the storage can be expanded with the help of a micro SD card up to 128GB.
The NVIDIA Tegra X1 is known to the world as the first chipset to be able to offer console level performance for handheld devices. The graphics supported by the Google Pixel C is also exceptional. Although Google Pixel C does not support expandable storage but comes with the latest USB Type-C port.
Battery
Google Pixel C: The Google Pixel C offers a battery capacity of 9243 mAh.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 offers a battery capacity of 5870 mAh.
The Google pixel C is the clear winner here, with a very high battery capacity which is capable of lasting for more than 12 hours.
Google Pixel C vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 – Summary
If someone is looking for an alternative for the Apple’s iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 will be a perfect choice. The line of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S has always produced excellent devices and with every addition to the family, the devices get even better. The screen of the device is bright, sharp, the device is thin and light, it comes with a powerful processor and ample memory, it is portable, premium and attractive.
The Google Pixel C, on the other hand, is an impressive device which comprises of high-end hardware. The only problem is both Google Pixel C and its keyboard are very expensive. After additional software support and features are included, the device can become a very able hybrid.The keyboard needs to be improved to be able to compete with devices like the Microsoft surface Pro. Although it is still not able to replace a laptop, we expect it will in the near future with improvements to take place.
