Samsung's new high-end tablet is the first to support HDR10+

On the last day of last month, Samsung introduced its new premium Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6. Powered by Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform, the slate is equipped with a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display carrying a resolution of 1600 x 2560. The tablet has two different configurations to choose from. There is a model with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage and a second variant with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. On the back is a dual-camera setup (13MP + 5MP Ultra-wide with a 123-degree field-of-vision) while an 8MP front-facing selfie snapper is on board. Those seeking additional storage can access the 512GB microSD slot, and a 7040mAh battery keeps the lights on. The tablet does come with the "all-new" S Pen that magnetically attaches to the tablet for storage and charging.

Today, Samsung let it be known that the Galaxy Tab S6 is the first tablet ever on this planet to receive HDR10+ certification (we can't vouch for other planets though). As Samsung points out, HDR10+ "optimizes brightness levels to deliver a truly immersive viewing experience, letting users enjoy content exactly as a creator intended it to be seen." While HDR10 produces peak brightness of 1000 nits, HDR10+ provides peak brightness of up to 4000 nits. Created by Samsung, HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata that changes scene-by-scene as opposed to the static metadata used on HDR 10. Currently, the format is supported by Amazon Prime Video only.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Tab S6 begin on August 23rd and if you make a reservation for the device, you can get the optional keyboard attachment for 50% off along with four free months of ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music. Color options are Cloud Blue, Mountain Gray, and Rose Blush. Pricing has yet to be announced.

The tablet market has been struggling, but Apple could be leading a resurgence; after releasing new Apple iPad Pro models late last year and new iPad Air and iPad mini models earlier this year, Apple reported the strongest year-over-year iPad revenue growth in six years during its fiscal second quarter. And for the just-announced fiscal third quarter, iPad revenue rose again on an annual basis.

The latest data released by IDC earlier this week shows that Samsung remains a distant second place in the global tablet market after shipping 4.9 million units from April through June. That was down 3.1% from the 5 million it shipped during the same period last year. But to show you how weak the tablet industry is overall, Samsung actually picked up market share (from 14.9% to 15.2%) despite the drop in deliveries. Apple shipped 12.3 million iPads during the quarter. Only Apple and Amazon among the top five manufacturers showed growth in shipments from the second quarter of 2018.

Will the new Galaxy Tab S6 help Samsung close the gap with Apple? It's not likely as Android tablets historically have not been big sellers. Apple itself appears to be prepping some new iPads as the Eurasian Economic Commission recently certified seven new iPad model numbers. Keep in mind that each new iPad usually has different storage configurations, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + cellular options. The new iPads could be introduced as soon as next month to coincide with the launch of Apple's new iPadOS operating system.