There are two sorts of Android tablets: Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S line and every part else. That’s as a result of whereas most Android slates do not rise above being easy media shopping and informal gaming machines, Samsung is doing greater than some other firm to remodel Android into a real multitasking platform. And though Samsung is approaching the boundaries of what Google’s cellular OS can do, the mix of Dex mode and high-end {hardware} makes for a premium pill that sits in a category of its personal.
Hardware and design
Featuring a 12.4-inch OLED show, the $900 Tab S8+ is the center little one of Samsung’s new Tab S8 lineup, sitting in between the $700 11-inch Tab S8 and the $1,110 Tab S8 Ultra, which boasts a large 14.6-inch display.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S8+
85SCOREEngadget85Critics – Not but scoredN/AUsers – Not but scoredN/A
Pros
Gorgeous show microSD card slot Super skinny design S Pen is included Good battery life Enhanced multitasking in Dex mode
Cons
A 4:3 or 3:2 facet ratio could be higher for productiveness No headphone jack Keyboard cowl prices further Kinda expensiveSam Rutherford/Engadget
Without deviating an excessive amount of from earlier entries, Samsung has trimmed down its newest high-end pill but once more, leaving the Tab S8+ with the slimmest of bezels. And measuring simply 0.22 inches thick and weighing 1.24 kilos, the entire thing may be very modern. Meanwhile, there is a new Armor Aluminum body that Samsung claims is 33 p.c more durable than what it used on the Tab S7 line. The Tab S8+ additionally has quad audio system with Dolby Atmos situated on every nook of its chassis, so regardless of which manner you maintain it, audio sounds wealthy and full.
The Tab S8+’s spotlight characteristic is absolutely its 2,800 x 1,752 display, which delivers wealthy, punchy colours and a 120Hz refresh charge that makes scrolling via web sites and flipping between apps really feel easy. My one grievance is that I actually want Samsung had opted for a wider 3:2 facet ratio show as a substitute of sticking with 16:10.
If all you do is watch films or play video games, 16:10 makes plenty of sense. But on the subject of productiveness, the additional vertical display house you get from a 4:3 or 3:2 show makes multitasking or having two home windows open side-by-side much more usable. With Apple and Microsoft already having lengthy since moved to 4:3 and three:2 screens on iPads and Surfaces, I query why Samsung hasn’t accomplished the identical.
The Tab S8+ additionally options good efficiency because of the inclusion of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, together with 8GB of RAM and both 128GB or 256GB of storage. And, in contrast to Samsung’s flagship Galaxy telephones, you even get a microSD tray for extra storage. The draw back is that there is no headphone jack, which is somewhat irritating as a result of it is exhausting to imagine that Samsung actually could not discover room for a 3.5mm port on a tool this massive.
Finally, Samsung rounded out the Tab S8+’s design with a magnetic strip round again for charging the stylus; a strip of pogo pins on one aspect for attaching keyboard covers; and a speedy in-screen fingerprint sensor that outperforms side-mounted choices.
Dex mode
While Android tablets at giant are nonetheless ready for Android 12L to obtain quite a lot of much-requested multitasking options, the Galaxy Tab S8 line has a customized resolution in Dex. By touching the Dex button within the Tab S8’s Quick Settings (or utilizing a CMD + W keyboard shortcut), you’ll be able to change from the usual Android UI to a extra highly effective desktop-like view full with a taskbar and multi-window assist. There’s additionally a system tray for simply accessing options like WiFi and Bluetooth connections, whereas the Android App Drawer is situated behind a useful icon within the backside left.
I used the Tab S8+ to put in writing giant elements of this evaluate, and after booting into Dex mode, I discovered myself feeling virtually instantly at dwelling. I used to be in a position to snap home windows to every aspect of the display similar to on a Windows PC, with the Tab S8+ additionally supporting quite a lot of acquainted keyboard shortcuts. You do not get the total vary of instructions that you’d in Windows or macOS, however quite a lot of the fundamentals like Alt-Tab and Alt-F4 are there.
Now, I want I did not have to toggle between Dex and the usual Android layouts. And in much less standard apps that have not been optimized for the Tab S8’s massive display, you’ll be able to run into some clunky and awkward experiences, with apps that may’t be maximized or video games that don’t run correctly within the background.
The largest factor that stops the Tab S8+ from feeling like a laptop computer is Samsung’s $160 guide cowl keyboard, which does not have a built-in touchpad. Touching icons to open apps is ok briefly bursts, however for those who’re contemplating severe productiveness, you may wish to get the dearer $230 guide cowl keyboard, which does have an onboard trackpad.
But for essentially the most half, whereas it’d take a little bit getting used to, Dex mode on the Tab S8+ does an admirable job of turning a conventional pill into a way more highly effective 2-in-1.
S Pen
The different massive promoting level for the Tab S8 line is Samsung’s included S Pen, which incorporates an expansive vary of first-party drawing and annotation apps. By lowering the Tab S8’s enter latency from 9ms down to simply 2.8ms, Samsung has basically eradicated any kind of lag, and admittedly, it feels unbelievable.
Samsung Notes is your default selection for jotting down fast ideas, whereas its handwriting-to-text conversion options assist you to save extra legible copy for simpler viewing later. And for those who want extra assist for translating textual content, annotating slideshows or PDFs, or just making humorous doodles to ship to associates, there are devoted apps for that too. Samsung has all of the fundamentals lined out of the field, although for those who’re a hardcore artist, you may discover extra refined drawing and sketching apps on Apple’s App Store.
Cameras
The pictures expertise on tablets is usually an afterthought as a result of let’s be trustworthy, who desires to be the particular person pulling out a 12-inch machine to snap pics at a live performance or ballgame? So though the Tab S8’s cameras aren’t wherever close to nearly as good as what you’d get on a Galaxy S cellphone, Samsung threw in not one however two rear cameras which can be greater than serviceable. That features a 12-megapixel wide-angle digital camera and a 6MP ultra-wide cam in again, in addition to a 12MP selfie shooter up entrance. In vivid mild, pictures are sufficiently sharp and colourful, although you’ll begin to discover noise creep in fairly shortly because the circumstances get dimmer.
Battery life
It’s exhausting for a display this massive to not suck up plenty of juice, particularly if in case you have the brightness turned up. But even so, the Tab S8+ posted a good time on our native video rundown take a look at of 9:21, which is not a far cry from the ten hours we received from the iPad Pro. However, for those who’re enjoying video games or multitasking, simply remember that you may drain the Tab S8+’s battery so much quicker than that. In extra combined use circumstances, I usually received nearer to 6 or six and a half hours on a cost. Oh, and whereas the Tab S8+ does assist 45-watt quick charging, you may want to purchase an influence brick that helps these speeds by yourself, as a result of Samsung would not embody a charger within the field.
Wrap-up
The massive query I’ve been asking myself is, in comparison with one thing like Lenovo’s $630 P12 Pro, is the Galaxy Tab S8+ value 50 p.c extra? And you understand what, truly sure. That’s as a result of whereas they may have related designs and display sizes, the Tab S8+’s show is brighter, it has noticeably quicker efficiency and its quad audio system sound richer and fuller. Little luxuries like its in-screen fingerprint reader make it simpler to make use of every day. And Samsung’s S Pen and stylus apps are extra refined than something you may discover on a rival Android slate. It’s simply an all-around extra premium machine.
But what elevates the Tab S8+ above rival Android tablets is Dex mode. With the contact of a button, the Tab S8+ switches to a extra desktop-like UI that makes multitasking and doing work truly a possible thought, as a substitute of scuffling with productiveness such as you do on so many conventional Android tablets. In truth, the patron model of the P12 Pro is not even scheduled to get Android 12 till the tip of March, not to mention no matter occurs to Android 12L.
Even so, regardless of all of the work Samsung has accomplished, the Tab S8 nonetheless is not fairly as highly effective or accommodating as an iPad Pro or perhaps a Windows-powered removable like a Surface Pro 8. And with a complete worth of no less than $1,000 when you consider Samsung’s keyboard cowl, the Tab S8+ would not provide a lot in the way in which of financial savings versus Apple or Microsoft. But each of these units run on totally different OSes, and relying in your scenario, switching is perhaps a nonstarter. That stated, for those who want assist for Android apps however nonetheless need one thing fitted to productiveness, a Chromebook can also be value contemplating. But for those who’re lifeless set on a high-end multi-purpose Android pill, the Tab S8 line needs to be on the high of your checklist.