The Samsung Galaxy Tab S series is known as one of the best Android tablets. The entry-level model of the most recent Galaxy Tab S8 series, referred to simply as the Galaxy Tab S8, was released in February. It has an upgraded S-Pen and the most recent Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor in comparison to its predecessor. Continue reading for my Galaxy Tab S8 review.
Display and Design:
The design of the Tab S8 is very similar to that of its predecessor, the Tab S7. which is generally beneficial. There are thin, even bezels on all four sides. There are cutouts for the antennae all around the metal side and back.
There is a glass cutout on one side of the back where the S-Pen can be charged wirelessly and attached magnetically. It’s nice that the S-Pen can also be attached to one of the device’s edges by magnets. The tab is smooth, estimating in at 6.3mm, and it weighs 503gms with great weight conveyance.
The power button, volume rocker, and SD card slot are all located on the top edge (when holding the tablet horizontally). There are four speaker grills in all, with two on each side. There is a USB Type-C port on one edge, yet there is no earphone jack.
Regarding the display, the Tab S8 has an 11-inch WQXGA LTPS TFT panel with a maximum brightness of 500 nits and a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. It is one of a handful of the superior gadgets from Samsung to not highlight an AMOLED show, in spite of the fact that I wouldn’t actually whine about utilizing a LCD board all things considered. The contrast levels and viewing angles are excellent, and the colors are vibrant. YouTube is a great place to watch HDR content now that it supports HDR10+. The readability in sunlight is also satisfactory.
Performance:
With 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset powers the Galaxy Tab S8. It has an Adreno GPU of the next generation and an octa-core CPU that can go up to 2.99 GHz. Any task requiring a tablet achieves excellent performance thanks to all of this power. watching videos on YouTube and Netflix, surfing the web, editing photos, etc. Everything works flawlessly on the Tab S8, and I had very few issues.
The LCD panel that serves as the display has a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. Because of Samsung’s excellent optimization in OneUI 4.1, this results in buttery smooth animations throughout the UI. Additionally, the tablet performs admirably in Samsung’s Dex mode, which is their Android desktop environment. It is possible to open multiple apps, and they all work fairly well.
The tablet also performs admirably when it comes to gaming. The performance of casual games like Alto’s Adventure and Subway Surfers is excellent, and the frame rates in first-person shooter games like COD and PUBG are extremely high. The tablet only shows its limits in the most difficult games, like Genshin Impact, where the frame rate is between 40 and 50.
The Tab S8 does a decent job of thermals. When using the tablet occasionally, you can tell that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is pretty hot. The thermal solution is adequate for light tasks. However, when you hold the tablet without the case, you may notice hotspots during strenuous activities like gaming. I could clearly see that the SoC was throttling the performance of Genshin Impact after playing it for more than ten minutes.
Camera:
The Tab S8 has three cameras, two of which are on the back and one on the front. A 13MP main camera with an f/2.0 aperture and a 6MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture make up the rear camera. The 12MP front camera has an f/2.4 aperture. Both the front camera and the rear camera can record video at up to 30 frames per second in 4K.
Regarding the quality, I would say that the rear camera takes pretty good pictures. The colors appear typical of Samsung and there is a lot of detail in the photos when there is good lighting. The Tab S8 performs adequately for a tablet. Also good is the front camera, which is probably more important on a tablet. The skin tones look good and the white balance is good, but the photos have a lot of grain in bad lighting.
Software:
Samsung’s most recent software, OneUI 4.1, based on Android 12, is running on the Tab S8. Samsung has provided a significant number of additional software features for their tablets for a considerable amount of time, and the same is true here.
The Multi-Window function works very well and can be set up in a few clicks. There is a second button to rotate the layout of opened apps, and you can save any configuration of apps so that they can all be opened with a single click. Applications can even be opened in a floating window, and it works well.
The Samsung Dex desktop Android user interface is the second major feature in OneUI 4.1. Over the years, Samsung has quietly improved and optimized Dex, which is quite impressive. With the keyboard accessory attached, you can be quite productive. Like a desktop, you can open multiple apps at once. One of these features, Samsung Dex, makes the Galaxy Tab S products stand out from the competition.
With the S-Pen, Samsung also has some of the best stylus implementations. It has elements, for example, Air Activities, S Pen to Text, Air View, Screen Off Update, Brilliant Select and Screen Compose.
Coming to the pre-introduced applications, it accompanies the standard arrangement of Samsung first party applications, Google applications, Netflix, Spotify and YT Music. At the time of this review, the tablet was running the May Android Security patch because Samsung does a good job with software updates.
Battery:
A 8000mAh battery that performed well during my review powers the Tab S8. While streaming on Twitch and watching movies on Netflix, I was able to easily complete 9 to 10 hours of screen time, which pleased me. Keep in mind that playing games can make the battery drain much more quickly.
The Tab S8 can charge at a maximum rate of 45W and can charge from 0% to 100% in about one hour and twenty minutes when connected to a charger that is supported. The tablet does not support wireless charging, but it can be used as a power bank to charge up to 15W of a connected device.
S Pen:
Samsung’s most recent S-Pen, which enhances the Tab S8 experience, is included in the box. It can be attached magnetically to either the top edge or the back, where it wirelessly charges. It has a decent thickness and a button on one side that lets you turn on various software features. The time it takes for the pen tip to react to the pixels on the screen is almost nonexistent. It is comparable to the Apple Pencil, in my opinion.
We also looked at the Book Cover Keyboard Slim, which is a separate item that needs to be purchased. It is made of high-quality materials and offers the Tab S8 sufficient protection. Additionally, there is a second cutout in the middle for secure attachment of the S-Pen when carrying the Tab. Regarding the keyboard, the keys themselves have a satisfying click, but it is somewhat congested. Therefore, it is difficult to write large documents or edit a lot of text, but it will be fine to respond to a few brief emails here and there.
Conclusion:
From the Galaxy Tab S7, the Galaxy Tab S8 offers incremental upgrades. The performance, the display, and the speakers are all top-notch. The S-Pen has powerful features, the multimedia experience is enjoyable, and the battery life is excellent. Additionally, you can be quite productive while in Dex mode. Except for the fact that it runs Android rather than iPadOS, the Tab S8 has no real disadvantages. Even when you compare all of the additional features provided by Samsung’s One UI 4.1, iPadOS provides a significantly superior tablet experience overall. The Tab S8’s price could be another disadvantage. With a starting cost of Rs. You could buy an iPad Air with M1 processor for 58,999, which is significantly more powerful and runs iPadOS. Notwithstanding, the Samsung Universe Tab S8 accompanies a phenomenal S-Pen in the container.
