Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: Which should you buy? The tablet retains its overall svelte look even when connected to the Book Cover Keyboard. This is higher than the Tab S8 and Lenovo Yoga Tab 13, which scored 3,288 and 3,128 (respectively). Price is another factor. Its a clever feature that mostly works as intended. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Vivid turns up the brightness and makes colors pop more, but I found it off-putting. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the biggest of the Galaxy Tab S8 family with its 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate. Tony Polanco
The iPad Pro has the most powerful performance by far, its laptop-quality M1 chip benchmarks far surpassing anything the mobile Snapdragon chip can offer even with 16GB of RAM. 120Hz Refresh rate. You dont want a huge portable screen And it's much better for video calls, thanks to the dual-upgraded selfie cams. This model is restricted to 128GB of storage, but you can always augment it with the 1TB microSD card slot. The Ultra is the only model to offer upgraded RAM options in exchange for a hefty price increase.
In our charging test, the device took that long just to power up by about 33%. Android OS isnt as terrible as some say, but its not topping Windows or macOS anytime soon.
We havent seen a tablet that big before; even laptops dont always hit that size. Of the three Tab S8s, the 11-inch, 1.1lb. At 12.85 x 8.21 x 0.22 inches, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a gargantuan tablet. This accessory is the key to making the Tab S8 Ultra function like a laptop. New York, The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space in my review unit certainly give the slate enough power to run and navigate through apps seamlessly. We should also point out that, while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a USB-C to USB-C charging cable in the bag, it doesnt have a wall plug, so youll have to buy one or rely on USB outlets for powering. Youll find the power and volume buttons along the right side of the slate. Alongside the familiar 11-inch LCD Galaxy Tab S8 and 12.4-inch AMOLED Galaxy Tab S8+, the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a new 14.6-inch behemoth with the highest screen-to-body ratio we've seen in a tablet and a tiny notch that shouldn't affect your browsing experience. All three tablets offer 45W charging, so you'll want a charging block and cable capable of hitting that mark. Its a fairly heavy tablet, weighing in at 726g for the Wi-Fi model or 728g for the 5G model, but thats only fitting for a monster this big. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the priciest tablet weve ever seen from Samsung, which makes sense due to its size and power. The real battle is between the Tab S8 and iPad Air, or the Tab S8 Ultra vs. the iPad Pro. We wouldnt be surprised if people opt for the Galaxy Tab S8 or S8 Plus instead, as their main differences are simply their 11-inch and 12.4-inch displays ( there are other small changes too).
But when everything works as intended, you can use your computer to respond to messages on your phone, making Samsung Flow a useful productivity tool. It's up to you whether you want to fully upgrade to the most powerful Galaxy Tab possible, "downgrade" to a powerful 11-inch tablet that'll check multiple boxes, or choose the comfortable middle ground with the Plus. TechRadar is supported by its audience. And of course, a chunky display means a chunky price tag. Auto-framing technology pans the camera to keep you in the frame and worked very well when I used the Tab S8 Ultra to participate in a work meeting. Instagram, 2000-2022 GSMArena.com
Even the Tab S8 Ultras little sibling, the Tab S8, lasted for 12:59. last updated 19 April 22. CPU:Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 base model is most likely to be comfortable to use for casual use away from a desk while still offering plenty of screen real estate compared to most budget tablets.
Weve previously found iPadOS to bea better tablet operating system than Android, and theres no difference here - it lacks a control center thats separate from the notifications list, split screen is more fiddly to enable, and navigation feels a little slower. My review unit came with the Book Cover Keyboard. Youll need to shell out over $1,500 for the Tab S8 Ultra and the Book Cover Keyboard. While the large OLED screen makes content look amazing, that same size is also a hindrance. Facebook
Plus, obviously, the Tab S7 series didn't have an Ultra model to begin with. You can buy the official Tab S8 Book Cover Keyboard in all three sizes; it's expensive, especially for the Ultra version with backlighting and a trackpad, but it lets you connect or disconnect instantly while bypassing a manual Bluetooth connection. As for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it has extremely thin bezels that maximize the 14.6-inch display to nearly reach the edges of the tablet. This is a huge tablet, theres no way around that fact, and depending on your gadget preferences thats either a major selling point or an insurmountable issue thatll put you off. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra at Samsung for $1,099.99, Samsungs newest SSD is unlike any youve come across before, Microsoft is going to new lengths to get you to switch to Windows 11, You can now play Stray in splitscreen multiplayer, Bad news: Amazon Prime is going up in price, with no new benefits, I came across this unloved browser and now Google Chrome looks even worse, We used an original iPhone in 2022 and its basically useless. The slate lasted for 9:47:44 with the keyboard on and when locked to 60Hz. Ive used Android tablets for years and found the Tab S8 Ultra with its Android 12 operating system as snappy and responsive as Im used to. Theres also Dolby Atmos support, which you can enable in the Settings menu. That suggests youll get a good few hours of streaming TV, writing documents or editing video without the battery dying. But the Tab S8 Ultra is too large to work as a portable device at all, whereas you can use the Tab S8+ in handheld mode without too much discomfort. If you are interested in using our specs commercially, check out our, All versions of Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra are on sale at cool discounts, Rare Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra deal slashes a cool $130 off Samsung's beastly tablet, Instead of the iPad becoming more like a MacBook, its the opposite! The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes pre-installed with Android 12. After all, tablets are supposed to be relatively portable devices. To complement the Tab S8 Ultra, you can purchase the Book Cover Keyboard for $349 (opens in new tab). We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. Versions: Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Wi-Fi SM-X900; Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra 5G SM-X906, Disclaimer. Not official: The information for this phone is preliminary and could be incomplete or inaccurate. Today's best Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra deals, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. Price:from $1,099 The back of the slate is coated in glass. Twitter
Battery life Flaws aside, this is one of the best Android tablets (and one of the best tablets in general) weve reviewed thanks to its performance and elegant design. Coverage
Granted, I only used word processors and watched the occasional YouTube video. In comparison, the Galaxy Tab S8 achieved a peak brightness of 480 nits in the center and 565 nits when we shone a flashlight on it. Tony is a computing writer at Toms Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. Reviews
Galaxy Tab S8+ is not quite portable or comfortable to hold for long periods. However, the Book Cover Keyboard isnt on par with the Apple Magic Keyboard. (Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central), Save up to $200 on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy devices, Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Release date, price, and deals, (Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central), The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra With Keyboard, (Image credit: Android Central / Andrew Myrick), (Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central), How Tab S8 differs from Tab S7 and iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: S Pen and Accessories. Maybe not yet, as the Tab S7 series still has one more OS update remaining to Android 13, and the 865's performance remains respectable by 2022 standards. This placement was a little annoying, as we had to blindly grasp behind the screen to pick up or put down the stick, and it made it impossible to put the slate down flat when we werent using the stylus. If you're in the market for one of the best Android tablets, we've labeled the three Galaxy Tab S8 models as the top three available across all brands. Accessories The Book Cover Keyboard looks great on the Tab S8 and keeps it protected against accidental drops. If youre used to Android then youll know what to expect. All three devices launched with One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. Even the color options are remarkably similar: the S7 series offered Mystic Black, Silver, Bronze, and Blue, while the S8 comes in Graphite (aka black), Silver, and Pink Gold (which looks near-identical to the Bronze S7). The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has a suite of note-taking options.
Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. But which should you choose? After you open one app, simply drag the S Pen to reveal the taskbar, then plop a second (or third) app onto the display to split up the screen space between them. The screen uses AMOLED tech so the colors are bold and contrast is stark, which will prove particularly useful for creatives who need good color accuracy or work with visuals for their job. You'll find magnetic strips on the top and back of the tablet, and some of the keyboard cover accessories should have an S Pen slot. The 12.4-inch, 1.27lb. The Tab S8 Ultra scored 3,380 when we put it through the Geekbench 5 multicore benchmark test. Unfortunately, I wasnt able to connect my smartphone to my PC or to the Tab S8 Ultra perhaps due to it being an ancient Samsung Galaxy S7. New York, NY 10036. I used the front-facing cameras in our well-lit office and was impressed by the quality. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultras giant size will be divisive but beyond that this is a super-powerful, if super-expensive, tablet thats great for work or play. 
Per our charging speed test using the tablets included 45W charger, the Tab S8 Ultra charged up to 15% in 20 minutes and 41% in 30 minutes. It breaks up the screen a tiny amount, at the top, but the display is so big overall that we barely noticed this intrusion. The ginormous 14.6-inch (2960x1848) 120Hz AMOLED display is the Tab S8 Ultras defining feature. 14.6 inches
Home Neither of Samsungs new tablets matches the brightness of the 11-inch (571 nits) or 12.9-inch iPad Pro (562 nits). There are quite a few configurations depending on storage, RAM and connectivity, and you can see the prices for all of them below: Not all variants of the tablet are going on sale in all regions, so if you see a gap in the above graph, that's why.
Theres a key accessory that comes with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: the S Pen. The Tab S8 Ultra has two front-facing 12MP cameras capable of shooting regular and ultrawide shots. Read more. Its not better than previous versions, nor is it worse. As a researcher who has to read/annotate articles, this device appeals to me. If you never liked Android, then Android 12 wont convert you. In fact, we had trouble running the thing down in order to conduct our charging tests. With a resolution of 1848 x 2960, images are sharp, though we should point out that the pixel-per-inch count is lower than on the other Tab S8 members, at just 240ppi. (If money is an issue wed look to another Tab S8 or a slate from Lenovo or Amazon.). The rear cameras also do a good job of capturing details. Despite some solid upgrades in performance over the Galaxy Tab S7 series, the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ only cost $50 more than their predecessors: $700 and $900, respectively. If youre a die-hard Samsung enthusiast who needs the most bad-ass tablet the company has produced, then youre going to want the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra if you havent already bought one. Functionally, though, we found the S Pen very convenient to use. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Amazon Drive closes its doors in 2023, company to 'fully focus' on Amazon Photos, Best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals and prices of July 2022. It'll also receive five years of security updates through 2027. Mobile version As with the Galaxy Tab S8, Samsung is only selling Wi-Fi models of the Tab S8 Ultra.
On the plus side, lots of the key selling points of the Galaxy phones are shared between them: theyre super powerful thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset; they come with a useful S Pen stylus, which makes sketching and note-taking convenient; they use good-looking AMOLED screens; and theres 5G connectivity available. Frankly, all of the Tab S8 series are too expensive to buy just for casual streaming. Charging is supposedly done at 45W, and Samsung estimates thatll fill the battery in 82 minutes. DeX mode makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra function like a laptop. The Galaxy Tab S8 series took the stylish design, gorgeous displays, and reliable battery life of the superb Tab S7 series, added a top-class processor and more RAM, and made other improvements that maintained Samsung's Android tablet supremacy in 2022. There are other alternatives I can mention, but suffice it to say that you can buy a number of great laptops for about the same price as a Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. I also have to question Samsungs claim that the Tab S8 Ultra can replace your laptop. Android Central is supported by its audience. Though its difficult holding it in one hand, it's comfortable holding it with two hands. Considering how the tablet costs $1,099 without a trade-in, the added $349 will make your wallet whimper. Get the best of Android Central in in your inbox, every day! The fact that you need to buy an expensive keyboard attachment if you want to use the slate as a laptop is also a detractor. Samsung does tout one design upgrade: it claims the aluminum material used with the S8 is "30% more scratch-resistant and 40% less prone to bending" than the S7 material, so it'll handle scuffs and rough handling better than before. Clearly, the Tab S8 Ultras massive screen sucks up a lot of power. Bigger and better displaysThe Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series sticks to the same specs that made the Galaxy Tab S7 fantastic, but adds in the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8GB of RAM instead of 6, faster Wi-Fi speeds, and better cameras for Zooming. The Tab S8 Ultra is an impressive machine, but its size and price will be a barrier for some people. Particularly with the Galaxy Tab S8+ and S8 Ultra, they're too large to regularly use in handheld form, so you'll want to buy a case with a kickstand and a keyboard for productivity. As we previously wrote, you can buy the Asus Zenbook 13 OLED with an Intel i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD for $1,099 or a decked out Dell XPS OLED with a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $1,800, which is close to what a maxed-out Tab S8 Ultra would cost. Despite sharing a name, its not the same as the pen that comes with Samsung phones - its much bigger and sturdier. However, if you frequently use laptops, youll find DeX mode lacking. Design Thats not fast at all. Yet another award-winning show just got canceled - whats going on? The flagship feature of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is its giant 14.6-inch screen - thats bigger than the largest iPad Pro, at 12.9 inches, and even beats or matches lots of laptops. So which should you pick?
The back of the Tab S8 Ultra has rear-facing cameras and a magnetic strip to hold the S pen. But if you can stomach the price, youll find the peripheral indispensable. Titles looked good, especially because we could go for the top graphics option when one was available. Even if you're downgraded to an LCD display instead of an AMOLED, you're losing richer colors but gaining a brighter display and longer battery life. This configuration has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and comes in graphite. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a huge tablet. The massive AMOLED display gives you richer colors and more space for using multiple apps at once; it's a perfect fit with a keyboard cover for DeX mode. There was a problem. But even for the Tab S8, you'll want some protection against damage and a way to store your S Pen if you're taking it on the road. Configurations featuring 12GB of RAM / 256GB of storage and 16GB of memory / 512GB of space are currently sold out.
The tablet was unveiled on February 9, 2022 and went on sale on February 25, 2022. If youre invested in Samsungs ecosystem, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is worth considering if you can afford it. A tablet like this absolutely needs a protective shell, and if youre not the type to clad their tech in cases or folios, were not sure the Tab S8 Ultra will last very long for you. While our testing revealed the Tab S8 Ultra's battery life can't match the competition, the tablet lasted long enough to get me through a normal workday. Both have similar resolution and brightness with 120Hz refresh rates, but we've found iPadOS seems to take better advantage of it. Still, we recommended the Galaxy Tab S8+ as the one to buy over the Tab S8 and not because of the display upgrade.
Is that enough of a change to recommend buying the newer model? Per our testing, the Tab S8 Ultra archives an average brightness of 337.7 nits in the center, but when we shined a flashlight on it with adaptive brightness turned on, the brightness kicked all the way up to 583 nits. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a massive, powerful tablet that wants to replace your laptop. You have lots of video calls iPhone 13 price is finally being dropped - but it probably wont save you any money, PS Plus Essential is giving away one of the best JRPGs of recent memory, The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews, Try a single issue or save on a subscription, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Compare I also liked how the back cover has a compartment for the S Pen. Or, you can pin a small pop-up app above another full-screen app, then minimize that app when you're done with it. This size is great for watching movies, sketching, working - everything, really. Accessories:S Pen stylus included When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. However, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is large and unwieldy to carry around, and it feels pretty fragile thanks to its size. You want a huge portable screen Its so big that it felt unsafe to transport, or even put in a bag, without an extra layer of protection - we kept it in a bubble-wrap sleeve when in our backpack to ensure it didnt get bashed about. The Tab S8 Ultra gives you much more screen space, but the iPad Pro has a more manageable size for portable use and more affordable accessories. Samsung also partially constructed the Tab S8 with "plastic components repurposed from discarded fishing nets" as part of a sustainability push. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on Twitter. Its S Pen, powerful chipset and good-looking screen all make it incredibly useful. I use Samsung tablets and phones almost exclusively but have almost never used any of the companys pre-installed software. Samsung has very little competition when it comes to Android tablets, besides the fact that its old hardware still holds its own today. What's more frustrating is that those minuscule bezels make it extremely precarious to hold without accidentally touching the screen or straining your hands. The S Pen magnetically locks to the back of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
We tested the tablet with a few games and found it performed well, although it was admittedly hard to use touch controls on a massive screen. There are certainly reasons why you might like a slate as gigantic as this. If you want more storage, upgrading the Galaxy Tab S8 or S8+ to 256GB costs an additional $80.
Of the two, the Ultra obviously offers more RAM and more space, making it better suited for multitasking. You can pin your favorite apps to a hidden taskbar on the top-right of the display.
Seriously, dont even consider it unless your backpack has space or theres room on your desk for this monster. By On the other hand, anyone looking for a productivity device for their desk has a tougher choice between the Tab S8 Plus and Tab S8 Ultra. Dex mode readjusts and repositions apps and windows to make a tablet or phone display look more like a desktop or proper laptop. When the tablet is landscape, the USB-C port is on the right edge, while the power button, volume rocker and SIM tray are on the top edge at the far left.
If you choose the Tab S8+ or S8 Ultra, you'll get a "new and improved S Pen that uses a prediction algorithm for ultra-low latency." Dimensions:12.85 x 8.21 x 0.22 inches Tab S7 or Tab S7+ owners may be wondering if it's worth upgrading to the Tab S8, given how similar they look and perform to one another. Should I buy the Tab S8 Ultra? Otherwise, you can save a lot of money with a Bluetooth keyboard. Add the 1.6-pound weight, and it's obvious the Ultra is a tablet you'll want to use on a desk with a keyboard cover and kickstand at all times. In most cases, I kept the brightness slider at 50 percent with the display set to Natural. But if you want to snap a couple of photos of yourself, you wont be disappointed. All three Tab S8 models ship with an S Pen. NY 10036. This, combined with DeX mode, effectively converts the tablet into an Android laptop.
This is a stylus that works a lot like the Apple Pencil (and you dont need to buy it separately). The S Pen clips to the back of the tablet magnetically, and charges this way too. If you're buying one, you'll want to use its productivity features and multitasking software; and for that, 11 inches is too small. Find him on Twitter at @Michael_L_Hicks. Still, those issues might not be noticeable to people who havent used Apples tablets. For stylus fans, this could be the best tablet on the market, because its massive display makes sketching and note-taking a treat. However, the iPad Pro price goes much higher because you can get storage up to 2TB, which Samsung doesnt offer. Apple's iPadOS has remained the most popular tablet ecosystem for both consumers and app developers for years, and it has very similar perks to the Tab S8 series like the DeX-competing Stage Manager mode. Storage:128GB/256GB/512GB We'll compare the specs and designs to help you decide which to buy. Please refresh the page and try again. Check out the review images of the menu to see if its something you like. However, it couldnt match the iPad Air 4s impressive 4,262 score. The Tab S8 Ultra has good, but not great battery life. Android app It's certainly a device we enjoy using. If you see any wrong or incomplete data, please, Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review: Notch your average tablet, Under-Display Face ID set to debut on the iPad Pro, Amazon has the 2021 Motorola Edge on sale at a lower than Prime Day price, Excellent new deal knocks Samsung's old Galaxy S20 FE 5G down to an irresistible price, Chromecast with Google TV finally streams live Nest Doorbell camera video feed, Prediction: the iPhone mini is not dead, it will rise from the ashes, T-Mobile is cooking up yet another fee increase (that's totally not a price hike), China's largest foundry raises alarm with production of basic 7nm SoCs, US carriers turn their backs on one of Samsung's most popular and fairly recent phone, T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T: first-ever '5G Enhanced' speed tests yield surprising results, Study compares Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to medical-grade equipment, Pixel 6A: Another missed opportunity for Google sets the stage for Nothing Phone to shine bright, FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SM8450 (4 nm), Octa-core, 1x 3.00GHz Cortex-X2 + 3x 2.50GHz Cortex-A710 + 4x 1.80GHz Cortex-A510, 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 12.85 x 8.21 x 0.22 inches (326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5 mm), 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax (Wi-Fi 6); Wi-Fi Direct. Storage tops out at 512GB but a microSD card slot lets you get an additional 1TB space if you want it. Otherwise, none of the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets ship with a charger, keyboard, or case in the box. Specifically, you'll get a latency speed of 2.8ms, whereas the Tab S8 offers 6.2ms and the Tab S7 series offered 9ms. You like using a stylus
Because the kickstand on the Book Cover Keyboard is so thin, it can sometimes be difficult to prop the tablet up without it falling over due to its size. If youre going to listen to music, youre better off using wireless headphones. But if youre looking for a more affordable, portable Android tablet that isnt trying to be a laptop, then the regular Galaxy Tab S8 is a better fit. FAQ While I appreciate its size and power, its made me question whether bigger is always better.
As for the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it clocks in at $1,100. The refresh rate is 120Hz, which makes motion seem smooth, and this will be particularly useful for gamers as lots of popular titles offer 120Hz modes. If you want something for streaming content in bed, the smallest tablet may be your best bet. There are four cameras on the Galaxy Tba S8 Ultra - two are front-facers are two are on the rear. We enjoyed our time with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, even with the comments of what is that? and why is that tablet so big? coming from people who saw us use the thing - opinions were divided on whether it was the coolest thing ever or a little ridiculous. With the cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a gorgeous 120Hz display, 45W charging, 4K video capture, Wi-Fi 6E, quad speakers, and miniscule S Pen latency, the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus fits the bill for whatever hardcore work you need to get done, but isn't too large for handheld use. Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Its hard to contextualize this compared to previous Galaxy tablets, because this is the first Ultra one, but perhaps the iPad Pro (2021) 12.9-inch is the best comparison - for a Wi-Fi-only 128GB storage model, it starts at $1,099 / 999 / AU$1,799 (so the same cost, except in Australia).