Sansung Galaxy Tab S8: The wait is over, and it was worth it

Long awaited, and for many reasons, Samsung has already made the Galaxy Tab S8 family official, the long-awaited renewal of the S7, which was presented in the summer of 2020, and which today remains the one of the strongest bets in the entire market in the not very populated segment of high-end Android tablets. A market in which other manufacturers seem to have given up on Apple with its iPad, but which is still very much alive thanks to bold approaches like Samsung’s.

And it is that, before entering to value what Samsung proposes us with the Galaxy Tab S8, I think that it is important to take a moment to assess the work that (few, very few) manufacturers carry out to satisfy a constant demand, and that could be more growing, for Android-based tablets that, let’s remember, is currently the absolute king when it comes to operating systems for mobile devices.

As I mentioned before, we have been waiting for the Galaxy Tab S8 family for some time, and the first thing to say, after checking the work that Samsung has done, is that The wait was worth it. Let’s take a look at what it offers us with the update of its top-of-the-range tablets.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: technical specifications

There is no surprise when it comes to the number of members of the family, we expected and, together with the new Samsung Galaxy S22, we have seen the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and the new queen of the family, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Three models, compared to the two that initially debuted in the previous generation, and which were later joined by the FE editions, usual from Samsung, and which further expand the available options.

In all three cases, you already know, we are talking about large tablets, which range from from 11 inches on the S8 to a whopping 14.6 inches on the S8 Ultra. It is becoming increasingly clear that the playing field located between 10 and 15 inches is currently one of the most interesting, since tablets, two-in-one, convertibles, laptops, etc. are concentrated there. The balance that these sizes offer between portability and usability for tasks that require a screen larger than that of a smartphone attracts more users every day, and with these three sizes of Galaxy Tab S8, Samsung provides a good set of options within it.

As for its nerve center, the SoC on which they are based, Samsung communications speak of an eight-core chip manufactured on the four nanometer scale. So, even if they don’t name it, we can deduce that it is a brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1the latest generation of Qualcomm’s integrated with a 3 gigahertz Cortex-X2 core, three 2.5 gigahertz Cortex-A710 and four 1.8 gigahertz Cortex-A510, accompanied by a fourth generation Adreno GPU.

In terms of memory, Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ will have versions with 8 and 12 gigabytes of RAMwhile in the Ultra model we will find these two configurations, but it adds a third that jumps up to 16 gigabytes of RAM. And something similar happens if we talk about storage, because S8 and S8+ will have versions with 128 and 256 gigabytesbut in the case of the Ultra model we find one more step, which climbs up to 512 gigabytes. In addition, in all models it will be possible to reinforce this point with a memory card of up to one terabyte.

A key factor for mobility is connectivity, and with this in mind, Samsung offers the three tablets of the Galaxy Tab S8 family. in both WiFi and WiFi+5G versions. This is, if memory serves, the first complete family of tablets to offer state-of-the-art cellular connectivity on all models. Additionally, we will also have WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2geolocation through the main networks (GPS, GLONASS, Baidu and Galileo) and this section is complemented by a USB 3.2 type C port for both data and charging.

And when mentioning the load, surely you are wondering what the autonomy of tablets of this size is based on. Well, Samsung has not fallen short in this regard. The Galaxy Tab S8 has a battery of 8,000 milliampsin the Galaxy Tab S8+ we will have 10,900 milliampsand to feed the 14.6 inches of the Ultra model, we will have nothing less than 11,200 milliamps. All models support Super Fast Charging 2.0, which is capable of providing fast charging up to 45 watts.

Unlike what usually happens with low-end tablets, which tend to have a rather short life cycle, Samsung claims that the life of the Galaxy Tab S8 can be extended without problems for years. To this end, since its release on the market it has android 12and the technology company is committed to making all models compatible with up to four generations of Android updates.

As for its design, without a doubt what stands out the most as soon as you see them is how extraordinarily thin they are, especially the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, at 5.5 millimeters thick. And to this we must add its weight, which ranges from 503 grams of the Galaxy Tab S8 Wifi to 728 grams of the S8 Ultra with WiFi + 5G. Without a doubt, and again with an eye on mobility, it is clear that Samsung has focused on the fact that, despite the large size of its screens, the latest generation of Tab was uniquely light.

Security is also important in this new generation. Thus, all models have the security solutions provided by Samsung Knox, including Samsung Knox Vault. In addition, in all models we will find a biometric identification function, with the reader located on the side in the S8, which happens to be located on the screen in the S8+ and S8 Ultra.

Another aspect in which we see an important evolution compared to the previous generation is that in all the components of the Galaxy Tab S8 family the front camera jumps to 12 megapixels, compared to the eight that we found in the Tab S7. But also, in the case of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra we see something unusual and very interestingand it is that it happens to integrate two sensors, both with the same resolution (12 megapixels), a wide angle and an ultra wide angle.

After this review, it is clear that Samsung is completely confident in the market for high-end Android tablets, and its integration into the mobility ecosystem that I was talking about earlier. It seems to me a very smart move, even more so if we take into account the improved integration between devices of the great Galaxy family.

And when can you get one of these new Galaxy Tab S8? Well, the good news is that you won’t have to wait long. Actually, Samsung has already opened its presaleand the first units will begin to be delivered in just over two weeks, on friday 25 february. These are the prices of the models that can be purchased in Spain:

More information: Samsung