Samsung Debuts First Tablet With Bixby Voice Control; Bowing New Experience Centers

Samsung bowed its next-generation tablet Friday, first to incorporate Bixby voice control, as an “ideal hub” to control smart home devices. Samsung highlighted the tablet's smart home functionality, including scene creation through Quick Command, which enables a user to flip on lights and a TV simultaneously with one voice command. The Tab S5e has a 10.5-inch edge-to-edge display, is 0.2-inch thick and weighs 14 ounces. Battery life is given as 14.5 hours. An accessory keyboard is an option. The four speakers have auto-rotate stereo technology that adjusts to portrait or landscape orientation. Sound is by Harman brand AKG and the mobile device integrates Dolby Atmos sound. Spotify is preloaded and users get a free premium subscription to the streaming music service for three months. The Wi-Fi version will be available in Q2 at $399 with a cellular model due later in the year. Samsung also announced it’s expanding its experience stores, opening locations Wednesday in Los Angeles; Garden City, New York; and Houston. Like the company’s first experience center in New York City, the stores won't be shopping destinations. They're designed to educate visitors about Samsung TVs, SmartThings products, wearables, smartphones and tablets; offer support and walk-in repair service for mobile devices; and provide hands-on experiences. The centers feature virtual reality and 8K demos, 4K gaming lounges and stations for visitors to create AR emojis, it said.