Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S8 variants offer the best Android tablet experience, but they are still at a disadvantage compared to Apple’s iPad and other high-end Android tablets. We thought that Samsung would contact us after revealing its three new Galaxy Tab S8 variants, but the company offered the Tab S8 Ultra. We decided that it was preferable to be unable to test any device than to have our opinion be influenced by the Tab S8 Ultra. The Tab S8 may be among the greatest tablets for how we work and play after three weeks of use. You can read our article on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 review here. ..
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is a large-screened tablet that is packaged in a thin, rectangular box. It has a slim book cover keyboard that works with the Galaxy Tab S7 and S8 devices. The tab measures 6.3in wide by 2.9in high by 0.9in deep and weighs 500g. Lifting the tab makes one aware of its enormous silhouette, as it stands to reason that the weight of the tab would correspond to its size.
The Galaxy Tab S8 has a big, glossy black display that gives you a good view of your own reflection. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the screen-to-body ratio is 83.6%. ..
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: The Graphite edition is available in three colors, but the rear doesn’t seem to be as resistant to fingerprints as a matte-finished surface ought to be. ..
The Tab S2 is equipped with a slim, glossy black magnetic strip that extends from the camera setup. This strip is used to charge the tablet and connect the S-Pen. The Tab S2’s sleek appearance and exquisite appearance are complete with the Samsung logo engraving in the bottom left corner.
The new iPad has a variety of colors and finishes, as well as a SIM card tray and fingerprint sensor. The bottom portion will also have a Type-C port and two loudspeakers. ..
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 review: Display
The Tab S8 has an LCD display rather than an AMOLED, which is a slight downside but we think it should be a deal-breaker. You will enjoy the same advantages of slick scrolling and animations because the panel still boasts the same 120Hz refresh rate as its competitors.
The second thing to note about the new iPad is that it’s not just an LCD. Yes, it has lower blacks than an OLED screen, but this screen is still really good. The 2560 x 1600 resolution captures a lot of detail, and colors are bold, aggressive, and brilliant. If you’re looking for a tablet to use for professional creative work or general entertainment purposes, this might not quite match your requirements, but for Instagram, Netflix, and gaming it’s more than adequate. ..
The Tab S8 is a great tablet with a lot of features. The S Pen stylus is a nice addition, and the Air Action shortcuts are useful. The Tab S8 also has a magnetically fastens to the tablet’s back so it can be easily charged, and it has a great design.
The Tab S8 is a great device for productivity, but it doesn’t come with a keyboard case. If you want to use the tablet for work, be sure to budget for a Samsung-made case that costs $199/£119/€149. ..
Audio
The tablet has four stereo speakers that project sound out the top and bottom. Although reasonably bright and clear, the bass end is predictably lacking. They’ll work for the occasional bit of music and are unquestionably adequate for streaming TV and games, but they do have limitations. The biggest limitation is that they don’t produce a great deal of sound for larger rooms or when there’s a lot of noise in the room.
External Keyboard
The Tab S8 has a large screen and needs a keyboard to use it for productivity tasks. The Book Cover Keyboard or Book Cover Keyboard Slim are not necessary, but they are worth considering if you want to use the Tab S8 for any productivity tasks.
On a typing test at 10fastfingers.com, we averaged 82 words per minute with 98% accuracy, just a few words slower than our average of 86 wpm. Since our hand location is relatively restricted and the key travel is constrained, we wouldn’t love the idea of typing on the razor-thin keyboard for hours, but it’s fine for short bursts. We didn’t really miss the touchpad with that kind of usage in mind, but if you plan to use it as a laptop on a daily basis, we would recommend investing in the Book Cover Keyboard for a more conventional laptop experience. ..
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 review: Touch and S-Pen
The S-Pen is a great addition to the tablet. It makes it easier to use the tablet and make more creative uses of its features. The S-Pen also allows you to do gesture functions, which are great for running different applications on the tab without having to touch it.
Swipe left and right in the air to choose between the many modes provided in the camera app once the S-Pen is attached to the tab and the tip of the S-Pen is facing the tab. The S-Pen gesture commands might not be supported by all applications, so bear that in mind. Additionally, the gestures differ among the apps that do support it. On the plus side, Galaxy Tab S8 software is there to support you and assist you at all times.
Software
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 comes preloaded with Android 12 and some additional Samsung software, such as a modified user interface, increased compatibility with other Samsung devices, and proprietary software like Samsung Notes. The good thing about Samsung’s software is that you can usually uninstall, disable, or ignore it if you don’t like it. ..
The Tab S8 is a great device that has a lot of potential, but we were not able to test all of its features because we don’t currently own any Samsung devices. However, DeX Mode, which comes pre-installed on the Tab S8, looks good and operates quickly.
Performance
The Tab S8 is a great phone that competes with the rest of the range in terms of performance. It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, which is the company’s flagship from earlier this year. It lags behind Apple’s iPad CPUs, but it still has plenty of power.
The Tab S8 is a powerful device that can handle all your daily activities. It has an 8GB of RAM, which is enough for most tasks. Additionally, the Tab S8 has a 128GB or 256GB of storage, which is plenty for most people. If you want to increase the storage, there is a microSD card slot so you can do so.
The tablet only supports the most recent Wi-Fi 6E standard by default and is not compatible with other networks. To use other networks, you must upgrade to a 5G model.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 review: Cameras
The Galaxy Tab S8 is a great tablet for taking pictures and videos. Although you lose a lot of detail in ultrawide and zoomed-in images, the rear cameras do a terrific job of capturing detail and colour accurately, and the selfie camera helped me seem better in meetings than the 1080p webcam on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio did. ..
Battery Life
The Galaxy Tab S8 is a great tablet that has a fantastic battery life. It lasts 12 hours and 53 minutes during our battery test, which comprises nonstop web browsing over Wi-Fi at a brightness of 150 nits. That’s exactly what you want in a tablet: a battery life that lasts all day for even the heaviest tablet users and is sufficient for several days of lighter use.
In a comparison of the best-performing smartphones, it’s amazing to see a total reversal in battery life between what we observe on Galaxy phones and iPhones. The Galaxy Tab S8 completed the same battery test as the iPad Air 2022, lasting 10 hours and 9 minutes. ..
Configuration Options
The Galaxy Tab S8 is currently offered in a few markets. It only has 8GB of RAM, but it has two storage choices: 256GB for $779/£699/€819, and 128GB for $699/£649/€769. If you’re outside of the US, you can pay more to add 5G – 128GB for £799/€819, and 256GB for $849/€929.
This tablet costs more than most Android tablets, but it offers a bundled stylus and a lower price for other features. There is no real competition in the Android tablet market, so the cost is increased by that.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8 Plus are likely going to be among our favorite tablets of the year, at least unless something unexpected occurs. Along with the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra, these tablets were also unveiled. The two Tab S8 items we’re reviewing are the least expensive ones in the new tablet family, which also includes the Tab S8 Ultra with a bigger screen.
