For high-end Android tablets in 2022, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 established a new benchmark. This is the replacement for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 from 2020, which we rated as the finest iPad Pro competition and one of the best tablets overall. However, it was more over two years ago, and in that time Apple’s incredible 2021 iPad Pros have completely changed our expectations for professional-grade tablets. Samsung has also upgraded its tablet lineup, introducing the Tab S8 along with two bigger, OLED-equipped models: a marginally enhanced Tab S8 Plus and the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, a giant 14.6-inch Android tablet with a screen big enough to dwarf the iPad Pro. What does that mean for the Galaxy Tab S8 then? Its bright and speedy 11-inch LCD screen falls short of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021’s eye-catching mini-LED display. The Tab S8, although no longer a true iPad Pro contender, is nevertheless a classy, powerful, and power-efficient slate that does not overpower Android 12 with Samsung technology. The Galaxy Tab S8 is one of the greatest Android tablets available right now, especially if you are already a fan of Samsung’s ecosystem of mobile devices. It is the epitome of what a high-end Android tablet should be.
Although it is the generation’s entry-level model, the Galaxy Tab S8 does not feel like it. The pink gold color choice on our test device gives the tablet its thin, light body an opulent gloss. Even while playing games for extended periods of time or reading on the couch, the Tab S8 feels comfortable in the hand at about 10 x 6.5 x 0.2 inches and 1.1 pounds. When connected, the Book Cover Keyboard Slim adds some bulk, but not enough that you will feel the extra weight in your bag. The device’s back has a little bump where the rear camera is located, as well as a magnetic strip where the accompanying S Pen pen may be attached to charge. The tablet has a USB-C connector along the bottom edge for powering or connecting devices, and a port for the Book Cover Keyboard Slim is located on the left edge. The power button, which also serves as the fingerprint reader, the volume rocker, and the microSD card slot—which is hidden behind a safe compartment you can access with a tiny, pointed object—are all located along the right edge of the device. You only have USB-C or Bluetooth options if a headphone port was something you were looking for. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 has more than enough power for the majority of tasks thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, and its 8GB of RAM makes running apps and switching between them seem quick and fast. Anecdotally, when testing the Tab S8, we never saw any noticeable lag, crashes, or other performance concerns. While we concurrently streamed music and played 1080p YouTube videos, it had no issue maintaining 20 or more Chrome tabs open.
The Tab S8 Plus feels in the hand just as a high-end tablet should. Despite being extraordinarily thin (5.7mm), the weighted full-aluminum unibody seems solid and comforting. The displays of less expensive tablets may seem hollow and empty when pressed. Samsung is not cutting corners on the internal or exterior components in this instance, though. The Tab S8 Plus’s design will not necessarily turn heads, though, in my opinion. It is only a boring piece of glass and metal that functions as a portable work and entertainment device. There are three hues available: pink gold, graphite, and silver, and each is as understated and unmemorable as the last. It is excellent that the Tab S8 Plus and Ultra are comparable only between base versions. It has a large Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 engine, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage that can be expanded to 1TB with a MicroSD card. The device is powered by a strong 10,090mAh battery that supports 45W rapid charging. The magnificent 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate is without a doubt the Tab S8 Ultra’s standout feature. Due to its size and width, it is ideal for multi-window use when running numerous programs simultaneously. The display’s bezels are extremely thin, and there is a small notch that houses the two front-facing cameras. You are always in view since these cameras allow for dynamic panning during video conversations. If the tablet is set to its default landscape configuration, the power and volume controls are located on the top left side. In the middle of the right side is a USB-C port. The top and bottom of both the left and right sides house the four stereo speakers. On the bottom are the connection pins for the keyboard. The S8 Ultra has an on-screen sensor as opposed to the Tab S8, which has the fingerprint sensor built into the power button. This is similar to what we see on Samsung Galaxy flagship phones, but we do not like it because we can never rely on these sensors to behave consistently and reliably. Instead, we much prefer using the power button for this purpose.
In-Depth Technical Details Of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Body | 326.4×208.6×5.5mm, 726g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5). |
| Display | 14.6″ AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1848x2960px resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 240ppi. |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). |
| Memory | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM. |
| OS | Android 12 (1st Release). |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e. |
| Bluetooth | v5.2. |
| Rear camera | Wide (main): 13MP; Ultra-wide: 6MP. |
| Front camera | Wide (main): 12MP; Ultra-wide: 12MP. |
| Battery | 11200mAh; Fast charging 45W. |
| Others | Fingerprint reader (under display); NFC; stereo speakers (4 speakers). |
In-Depth Technical Details Of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Body | 285x185x5.7mm, 567g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5). |
| Display | 12.4″ AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1752x2800px resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 266ppi. |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). |
| Memory | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM. |
| OS | Android 12 (1st Release). |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e. |
| Bluetooth | v5.2. |
| Rear camera | Wide (main): 13MP; Ultra-wide: 6MP. |
| Front camera | Ultra-wide: 12MP. |
| Battery | 10090mAh; Fast charging 45W. |
| Others | Fingerprint reader (under display); NFC; stereo speakers (4 speakers). |
In-Depth Technical Details Of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Body | 253.8×165.3×6.3mm, 503g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5). |
| Display | 11″ TFT LCD, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1600x2560px resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 274ppi. |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). |
| Memory | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM. |
| OS | Android 12 (1st Release). |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e. |
| Bluetooth | v5.2. |
| Rear camera | Wide (main): 13MP; Ultra-wide: 6MP. |
| Front camera | Ultra-wide: 12MP. |
| Battery | 8000mAh; Fast charging 45W. |
| Others | Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; stereo speakers (4 speakers). |
Conclusion
We were eager to learn more about the S8 Ultra when Samsung originally revealed the new Tab S8 series. But it is become obvious after using this large-screen Android tablet for a month that Google needs to improve its core software for tablets. Samsung has made a lot of effort to make its programs tablet-friendly, but not all developers have embraced tablets’ large screens. People who sketch or draw may benefit from the S Pen and the huge display if they can get beyond the size of the tablet. However, if you place the tablet down on a table without a case, the S Pen will be knocked off and will not be charged, making storage on the rear less than ideal. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a fantastic example of Samsung’s technological innovation, but most people will probably find the S8 and S8 Plus to be far more useful. A full-featured laptop is a better choice than a tablet with an operating system that is not comprehensive and suited for the tablet form factor when you upgrade to a tablet of this size and price.