As some of you will know, I have long waited for a tablet with a high-resolution screen, plenty of CPU and GPU, to replace my aging but utterly brilliant Kindle Fire 8.9 HDX Second Gen device.

I have tried a few tablets over the past couple of years, but ultimately found that nothing I've seen or touched as been close to what I needed. The Galaxy Tab S was a disappointment in how it handled games, lagging and generally feeling slow. Nice form factor, good screen, but not good enough. I tried a Nvidia Shield K1 Tablet, and my evaluation lasted all of 10 minutes before the low-resolution screen drove me insane. 

Recently Samsung announced it's Galaxy Tab S3, which comes with the Samsung S Pen and has a 9.7" HDR Compatible screen, Snapdragon 820 Processor, weighs 429 Grams. I was hooked immediately based on specifications, but was floored when the NZ RRP was said to be $1200 for the 32GB Wifi Model. I decided I'd either skip it and resign myself to an iPad (eww) despite being very heavily invested in the Android eco System, including Amazons stuff. 

I considered importing myself one from the USA, but in the end there was a 15% difference in price, which is what I consider to be about the maximum I'd pay premium for local support and warranty. I ordered one and had it shipped, still trying to come to grips with the cost. 

My reservations didn't last long, once I got my package and pulled it apart. 

WOW, it's seriously, seriously beautiful. Apple don't have anything on this. It's all glass, and glossy (finger print magnet) and SO fast. The high resolution screen is breathtaking, and I have yet to find a game it doesn't cope with easily. It's a pleasure to surf with and I find myself using it a lot at home, even though I have a really fantastic Galaxy S8+ as well. 

It has great sound and takes reasonable photos and videos, and the pen is very useful, though, I note disappointedly, that it doesn't have an inbuilt pen holder place.

It's stupid expensive, and even me, who generally can find a way to justify such expense given my strong proposensity for gadgets, still feel a little bad about it's cost, but honestly, you couldn't pry it from my cold dead hands, and I would do it again, if I had to.

Now I just need to find a case because I am pretty sure, the first time it gets knocked, it's gone burger!