Korean tech giant Samsung has revealed the prices of its new tablets, which are obvious rivals of Apple's iPad. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 boasts a thinner width and lighter weight, all while sporting the same size as the popular Apple tablet. The availability of the Galaxy Tab S2 has also been announced by the company.

According to IBN Live, the device, which has two variations, will be priced at $499.99 for the larger version, which sports a 9.7-inch size. The smaller version is an 8-inch tablet that will retail for $399.99. The new Samsung tablet has been noted as the biggest competition for Apple's iPad market. The U.S. company has recently been reported to suffer a decline in sales. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 weighs barely one pound, at 0.87 pound. It is much lighter than the 0.96-pound iPad. The 5.6mm thinness is also a notable change from its predecessor. The new device allows users to drag media and text between apps and features the multi-window function which already works in the Samsung Galaxy Note phablets. The iPad Mini 4 has been speculated to have a split-screen feature as well, which enables users to open multiple apps simultaneously.

The new device will be released to selected carriers on Sept. 3. Pre-order starts on Wednesday next week. The tablet will be available in Samsung's frequent choice of colours: black, gold and white. The tablets run the Android 5.0 operating system, and it has not been indicated if the devices will automatically be updated to the newer Android 6.0 version upon its release to the market.

The tablet market has reportedly been declining steadily over the past few years. The low sales are said to be due to users still feeling satisfied with their old models even after new tablets have been released to the market. Tech companies still launch new models despite the situation. LG just released a 10-inch tablet, while Xiaomi is said to be coming up with a Windows 10-powered device.