Samsung updated its high-spec tablet line with the launch of its Galaxy Tab S2, the company’s closest rival to Apple’s iPad line, which was described as “the most immersive Samsung tablet to-date”.

The launch comes at a time when growth in the tablet sector looks to have slowed substantially, with the high-end seeing a particularly tough time due to the relative saturation of the market and slow pace of device replacement.

But the company will have several months head-start ahead of Apple’s new iPad – this product line is traditionally updated later in the year.

Available in two sizes (9.7-inch screen and 8-inch screen), Galaxy Tab S2 has a 2048×1536 pixel display, and is powered by an octacore (quad 1.9GHz and quad 1.3GHz) processor with 3GB of RAM.

Versions will be available with Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and LTE, and 32GB or 64GB of storage (with MicroSD expansion slot). Global availability starts from August 2015.

The display is said to have a “reading-optimised ratio [which] allows the user to enjoy a seamless reading experience without unnecessary scrolling”.

Jong-Kyun Shin, CEO and president of the IT & Mobile division at Samsung, said: “Galaxy Tab S2 is not only our thinnest and lightest tablet of its size ever, it also gives users quick, easy access to a wealth of superior viewing and productivity features”.

Galaxy Tab S2 also has a fingerprint scanner.