The power of three: how Samsung is unifying productivity and play

We love technology here at T3 and, as tech enthusiasts, we are always looking for better, more connected products to allow us to live our life to the full.

Whether it is to aid us work in reporting on and reviewing hot new tech, or simply enjoying some welcome down time with a session or two of PUBG between press events, we value technology that can adapt to our rollercoaster days, which certainly do not conform to an office-based 9-to-5 where work and play happen independently.

And, as readers of T3, we’re sure you’ll relate to the fact that while many devices today are loaded to the teeth with powerful internal hardware, very few actually are on-trend with this modern way of life, instead producing usage experiences that rarely stray outside of a strict productivity or play scenario.

The consequence for us here at T3? The need to carry round numerous speciality pieces of tech, all with their own separate ecosystem, to handle our high demands. Because, if we don’t, our creativity, productivity and periods of relaxation all suffer.

We can honestly say though that, like never before, Samsung has cottoned on to the fact that for many young professionals today work and play don’t happen independently but at the same time. That switched-on, tech-loving people need a connected and fluid experience not just on one device, but across a series of them every single day.

The new Galaxy range of products from Samsung meets these demands, and then some, with the new Galaxy Note9, Galaxy Tab S4, and Galaxy Watch acting in total synchronicity with that fluid modern lifestyle.

Take the new Samsung Galaxy Note9, the latest device in the maker’s productivity powerhouse range of phones, and its next-generation new S Pen digital stylus.

Aside from being the most accurate, connected S Pen ever, with in-built Bluetooth technology, this powerful stylus acts as a direct extension of ourselves and a productivity-enhancing, everyday time-saving tool, too.

For example, from helping us write and guide our bosses through T3’s presentation to cover IFA 2018, with the S Pen’s sleek slide clicker allowing us to seamlessly run through our day-by-day plan, through to then using Galaxy Note9 and S Pen afterwards to remotely (10 meters!) take a few Instagrammable group selfies on a team lunch at a particularly tasty burrito place, you can seamlessly transition between work and play without switching devices or, thanks to the phone’s powerful new battery, worry about running out of juice.

And when we then want to add to and edit our presentation after lunch, before continuing to catch up on emails, commission some top-draw new content for T3.com, as well as take a video call on the train to our next press briefing, the Galaxy range lets us seamlessly transition to a light computing experience on the new Galaxy Tab S4, with Samsung Flow allowing all our documents and that particularly awesome group selfie to be immediately transmitted from the Galaxy Note9 via a fast Wi-Fi Direct connection.

And while the Galaxy Tab S4 continues the range’s tradition of delivering powerful hardware, with up to 16-hours of battery life, a multiple-window worthy large and crisp 10.5-inch screen, and a powerful Snapdragon 835 processor, the tablet’s real game-changer is its in-built Samsung DeX, which more than anything exemplifies the system’s fluidity of use.

DeX works in sync with the Galaxy Tab S4’s lush new keyboard cover and, when activated with a button press, transforms the tablet’s standard OS into a true desktop-like computing experience.

From watching an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in tablet mode, within a couple of seconds you can be using DeX’s desktop mode along with its taskbar and support for multiple, resizable, drag and drop windows, to work as if you were stationed at a desktop PC, with a full physical keyboard and Bluetooth connected mouse.

Plus, the great thing about the Tab S4 in DeX mode is that by using a HDMI adapter*1 you can connect the system to a large TV or monitor for a two-screen system that is sure to make light work of the chunkiest spreadsheet. DeX keeps you connected with a full working environment no matter where you are, enhancing productivity and saving time. 

And, speaking of staying connected and saving time, Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch rounds out this amazing new range with some truly stunning features.

When you can receive notifications and calls right on your wrist with Galaxy Watch, you’re always connected*2.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch also automatically detects and tracks all of your activity, be that cycling, running or just sleeping, and then syncs seamlessly with Samsung Health across the range of compatible Samsung devices.

Samsung Galaxy Watch can also connect you to all your SmartThings*3 enabled devices, too, allowing you complete control over your home. And you can even use the Galaxy Watch to order an Uber*4 to get back there as well at the end of the day!

Simply put, the new Galaxy range of products from Samsung, available directly from John Lewis with some really tasty pre-order offers (including a deal where if you pre-order the Galaxy Tab S4 you can claim the keyboard case), offers the most connected, flexible tech ecosystems we’ve seen yet here at T3.com. An ecosystem that taps directly into a lifestyle where work and play often take place side-by-side, and one that realises tech should better people’s daily lives.

Chapéu Samsung, chapéu.

The Samsung Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy Tab S4 are available to pre-order from August 10th, with the pair hitting store shelves on August 24th.

The Galaxy Watch, meanwhile, is available to pre-order from August 28th, and will then be available in stores on 7th September.

In terms of colourways, the Galaxy Note9 is available in Ocean Blue, Lavender Purple and Midnight Black, while the Galaxy Tab S4 is available in Ebony Black and Fog Grey.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is available in Rose Gold, Silver, and Midnight Black, as well as with a selection of changeable straps.

To browse the new Galaxy range of devices head on over to John Lewis' online store now.

• Samsung Galaxy Note9 review

*1 - HDMI cable and accessories sold separately.

*2 - Bluetooth connection to a smartphone required.

*3 - Pre-installation of SmartThings app required.

*4 - Pre-installation of Uber app required.