Samsung is one of the few high-end Android tablet manufacturers. The Tab S8 and S8 Plus are their newest offering, but this time there is also an Ultra Variant, which the probably the biggest tablet ever made. The S8 and S8 Plus are targeted toward everyday users, while the Ultra variant focuses on professionals who want an uncompromising tablet experience. While there is a lot in common, some subtle differences give each tablet their distinctive character. So, which one should you go for?
The Galaxy Tab S8 trio come in three screen sizes. The regular Tab S8 has an 11-inch LCD screen, and is the most accessible one. It offers a 2.5K (2,560 x 1,600) display, which is more than enough for casual content binging and gaming. It is still a higher resolution than what you get with most tablets around. The Tab S8 Plus has a slightly bigger 12.9-inch screen, while the S8 Ultra is the largest of the three with its 14-6-inch display. These models come with a Super AMOLED screen with support for HDR10+. All three models run a 120 Hz refresh rate resulting in smother scrolling in apps, visuals and games. They use Gorilla Glass 5 at the front which should make the screens resistant to scratches.
The Tab S8 is the lightest and most bag-friendly among the trios. Its light and compact design means you can easily hold the tablet in your hands during your everyday use. The Plus model hits a sweet spot between the Tab S8 and Tab S8 Ultra. It is perfect if you want a slightly bigger screen for content consumption, but without the device being too unwieldy in the hands. The Ultra is the giant among the trio, making it suitable for artists and content creators. Its extra screen-space should be handy, while juggling between apps side-by-side. Despite being the largest, the Tab S8 Ultra is just 5.5 mm thick, making it thinner than even some of the latest flagship phones. All models come with quad-speaker setup by AKG, and support Dolby Atmos to make you content watching experience more immersive.
The Tab S8 series use an Armor Aluminium chassis for offering solid durability. Their rear panel houses a charging pad for the S Pen, just like the last year’s Tab S7 lineup. The S8 and S8 Ultra come with in-display fingerprint scanners, while the standard Tab S8’s fingerprint scanner is embedded in its power button. All three tablets come with the S Pen stylus in the box, which is surely a plus point over its rivals. Samsung says the new S Pen has 30 per cent lower latency than previous models. This should make the writing and sketching experience more natural. You can also buy an optional Book Cover case to keep the tablet protected. The S8+ and the S8 Ultra can also be paired with a Book Cover Keyboard case that makes it closer to a laptop-like experience, allowing you to use its physical keys like you would on the real thing.
The Tab S8 line-up is jam-packed with all the high-tier hardware. All models are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, the latest and greatest chip from Qualcomm for high-end performance. Samsung says the CPU is 24 per cent faster, and its GPU performance is also 52 per cent more than the Tab S7 line-up. This means you can smoothly run creativity apps like Canva Pro, Adobe Spark, and Shapr3D. The standard Galaxy Tab S8 and S8 Plus come with 8 GB of RAM, and their higher-end variants are available with 12 GB of RAM.
The Ultra has 12GB of RAM, but a variant with 16 GB of RAM is also an option. All models come with 128 GB or 256 GB as standard, with only the Ultra offering a 512 GB option. Luckily, these tablets come with a microSD expansion, a feature that the rival lacks. All devices support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. You can also choose the higher-end variants if you desire 5G connectivity.
All three tablets come with 13 MP primary and 6 MP ultra-wide cameras. While most of us use tablet cameras for scanning documents, Samsung says these cameras have been tweaked for casual photography and using augmented reality apps. The Tab S8 and S8 Plus come with a single 12 MP selfie camera, while the Ultra has dual 12 MP cameras offering a wide 120 field of view. They support Samsung’s new Auto Framing technology that keeps you in focus during video calls even if you move about a bit. The Ultra also has three noise cancellation microphones for suppressing background noise reduction.
Both front and rear cameras on Tab S8 line-up support 4K video recording. Samsung has introduced a customisable Selfie Video feature that let gamers record their gameplay and themselves with ease. If you are an aspiring mobile gamer, this feature can be handy. These tablets are soon going to support LumaFusion, a tool that lets you use the S Pen to precisely edit photos and videos.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series run on OneUI 4.1 layered on top of Android 12. The UI aims to offer a clean and simple-to-use interface. These tablets also support Samsung’s DeX mode that lets you use the Galaxy tablets like a computer. You can also use this feature to also use your tablet as a secondary screen to your computer.
The Samsung Tab S8 line-up share a lot in common, including the chipset, design, rear cameras and the OneUI software experience. They all ship with the S Pen, which makes them perfect for note-taking and sketching. However, if you are a professional, the Ultra variant’s massive screen will be handier. With a large screen, you also get a bigger battery and dual front cameras that are designed to offer a solid video conferencing experience. If you prefer something compact, but without losing premium aesthetics, then the Tab S8 is your best bet. It is a perfect tab for everyday content bingers and gamers. For something in between these two, go for the Tab S8 Plus. Want to know more? Keep your eyes on reliancedigital.in, or check in at your nearest Reliance Digital.
