Samsung’s New Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Is a Giant iPad Pro Rival

Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy Tab S8 tablets have arrived, and there’s a new “Ultra” member within the household. Much like its smartphone counterpart, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is bigger, extra highly effective, and pricier than the opposite fashions. The premium slate is being positioned as a laptop computer alternative and its lofty worth makes it a direct rival to Apple’s iPad Pro.

Announced alongside the Ultra at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked occasion are the Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8+, two cheaper tablets that, whereas not as attention-grabbing, are premium in their very own proper. The Tab S8+ is in some ways a scaled-down model of the Ultra whereas the Tab S8 is extra of an iPad Air competitor that trades luxurious options for a extra agreeable worth.

With these new releases, significantly the Ultra, Samsung is doubling down on Android tablets, and making a daring guess that cutting-edge {hardware} and its DeX software program platform can offset the constraints of an working system that, not way back, appeared destined to get replaced on large-screen gadgets.

Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: Laptop Replacement, iPad Pro Rival

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is full of new options, and the standout is a 14.6-inch, 2960 x 1848-pixel Super AMOLED show with a 120Hz refresh charge. We’ve seen this panel tech earlier than on the S7+ (and now S8+) however not at this scale. As you possibly can see beneath, the S8+ is significantly bigger than the opposite fashions and offers you extra display actual property than even the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Consequently, the S8 Ultra is fairly unwieldy as a pill, measuring 12.9 x 8.2 x 0.22 inches and weighing 1.6 kilos. But carrying this system round may be value waking up with sore arms; the outsized panel regarded attractive at a quick hands-on session we attended, and will very effectively make this the very best pill for streaming motion pictures. We’re keen to put it side-by-side with the miniLED panel on the iPad Pro to see if it earns that title.

Samsung’s causes for increasing the display are twofold: to make movies extra immersive and to enhance multitasking. The first bit it achieves not solely with a bigger panel however by trimming the bezels to six.3mm, which supplies the Tab S8 Ultra the very best screen-to-body ratio of the bunch. It attracts your eyes towards the mattress of pixels and makes it really feel as if you happen to’re strolling round with your individual miniature TV (which, coincidently, Samsung beforehand tried with the ill-fated Galaxy View). Those slim frames come on the expense of a notch nestled on the high of the display, a design ingredient destined to irk Samsung followers who bought pleasure from choosing on Apple (simply as Samsung did with a certain commercial).

“As we rely more on videos to stay connected and entertained, we know that a tablet’s most compelling feature is its large screen and portability,” TM Roh, the president and head of MX Business at Samsung, stated in an announcement saying the pill lineup. “We built on years of innovation in mobile experiences to refine the Galaxy Tab S8 series, and to push the boundaries of what’s possible on a tablet with the first Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.”

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which is on the market solely in graphite, seems to be and seems like a premium product. It also needs to be moderately sturdy contemplating the outside is clad in “Armor Aluminum,” an alloy Samsung developed. It’s the identical stuff used to make Samsung’s foldable telephones extra strong than they as soon as had been, and it guarantees to spice up the Ultra’s scratch resistance by 30% whereas making it 40% much less liable to bending (we suggest resisting the urge to check these claims).

One of the very best {hardware} options of the collection returns within the magnetic stylus storage. The teardrop-shaped magnet retains the S Pen in place whenever you’re executed sketching so that you don’t lose it between sofa cushions—an inevitable final result for this forgetful reviewer. Speaking of the S Pen, Samsung revamped the digital writing utensil with “prediction algorithms” to drop latency right down to 2.8 milliseconds. I don’t know precisely what meaning however Gizmodo reporter Florence Ion stated the pen felt responsive within the quick time she used it and was impressed by the consolation of its slender form. We’ll do extra testing to see if it stands as much as Samsung’s “gliding a pen across paper” declare.

Digging into the technical specs, the Tab S8 Ultra is powered by an unnamed four-nanometer octa-core processor (presumably the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) and paired with 16GB of RAM and as much as a 512GB SSD. If you want extra space for photographs and movies, storage may be expanded to 1TB by way of a microSD card.

You would possibly want the room, as a result of the Tab S8 Ultra comes with a 13-megapixel commonplace digital camera and a 6MP ultra-wide lens on the rear together with a pair of 12MP (extensive and ultra-wide) cameras on the entrance. What will actually eat up storage is the power to report 4K video utilizing both the rear digital camera or wide-angle selfie lens. This ought to guarantee sharp video calls whereas Samsung’s new “auto-framing technology” takes a web page from Apple’s Center Stage iPad Pro function and retains you targeted inside the body. It’ll even zoom in when a participant leaves and zoom out once they sit down beside you.

Samsung didn’t present particular battery life scores but it surely claims the Tab S8 collection tablets have an “all-day battery” that helps hours of video playback (let’s hope so). When they’re operating low on a cost, the 11,200 mAh cell within the Ultra can go from 0% to 100% in 90 minutes. The 10,090 mAh and eight,000 mAh batteries within the Tab S8+ and Tab S8, respectively, cost in simply 80 minutes due to 45W quick charging. And when related by way of USB-C, the tablets can act as a conveyable charger on your Galaxy cellphone.

The Tab S8 Ultra is meant for use for work and play, which may solely occur with a keyboard. The one Samsung constructed particularly for the Ultra is engaging. It’s referred to as the Book Cover Keyboard and comes with extensive keys, backlighting, customizable shortcut settings, a glass touchpad, and adjustable stand angles—all the things you want from a {hardware} perspective to rework a pill right into a laptop computer.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8+: Standard Tablets

The Tab S8+ is a real middle-ground possibility that adopts options from the Ultra and entry-level mannequin. For occasion, the Tab S8+ has a smaller 12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752-resolution show however makes use of the identical Super AMOLED expertise because the Ultra. The commonplace Tab S8, however, is the smallest of the group at 11 inches (2560 x 1600) and has an ordinary LTPS TFT panel with decrease distinction and weaker black ranges. And the place the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and S8+ have under-display fingerprint sensors, the usual mannequin has a bodily one on the facet.

What makes the biggest pill “Ultra” are its beefier specs. Where the high-end mannequin reaches 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy Tab S8+ are restricted to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. However, they can match the Ultra with a 1TB SD card. Another distinction is the cameras: All three tablets have the identical dual-camera rear setup however solely the Tab S8 Ultra will get a 12MP ultra-wide selfie cam.

I’m wanting to get my arms on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s backlit keyboard accent, and simply as intrigued by the Tab S8+’s Note View Cover, a clear cowl that allows you to write with an S Pen whereas the pill is protected. The smallest of the tablets will get its personal customized accent: a Strap Cover that allows you to maintain it in your most popular orientation.

One benefit of going with the usual choices is the selection between three colours: graphite, silver, and pink gprevious. They definitely aren’t essentially the most attention-grabbing hues we’ve seen from Samsung, however a minimum of you get some choices.

Since they’re a part of the identical premium flagship collection, it’s no shock that a number of options are shared throughout all three tablets, together with quad audio system tuned by AKG, quick charging, Wi-Fi 6E and 5G connectivity (in sure markets), three noise-canceling microphones, S Pen help (the stylus is included!), facial recognition, and a metallic chassis.

Software: DeX and the Galaxy Ecosystem

There isn’t any doubting Samsung’s capacity to supply first-rate {hardware}. My concern is Android, and whether or not an working constructed for smartphones and lengthy criticized as, effectively, “not great for tablets” is the correct platform for premium gadgets. Potential saving graces come within the type of DeX and Android 12L in addition to Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem.

Starting with Samsung’s effort: DeX, when enabled, transforms Android right into a extra conventional desktop interface akin to Chrome OS or Windows. Multi-tasking has been enhanced to permit for 3 home windows in 4 format choices and DeX mode now capabilities when the pill is positioned vertically. I’m typically a fan of DeX however we’ll see the way it holds up once I try to make use of the Galaxy Tab Ultra as my work laptop computer, erm, pill. One function I’m significantly enthusiastic about is the power to show these tablets into exterior touchscreen displays, although the performance is restricted to Samsung’s hit-or-miss Galaxy Book PCs.

The Galaxy Tab S8 collection will ship with Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI Tab 4 pores and skin however Android 12L is on the horizon to repair some lingering points with Android tablets. Optimized for giant shows, the replace guarantees to revamp consumer interfaces and debut new options to boost multitasking and repair app compatibility points. Google is presently mid-way by its check and improvement cycle and Android 12L is anticipated to reach by the tip of Q1 this 12 months. Samsung guarantees 4 generations of Android OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates, a dedication that goes additional than even Google does with its Pixel 6 telephones.

Of course, these tablets will play properly with Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and laptops. You can jot notes down in your pill then pull them up in your cellphone or use Quick Share to switch photographs, movies, and information from one system to a different. The tablets additionally help Auto Switch so your Galaxy Buds will mechanically pair to your Galaxy S22 cellphone when related to your Tab S8. Samsung Health additionally makes its pill debut, and the corporate is touting partnerships with numerous packages, together with LumaFusion for video enhancing, Clip Studio Paint for drawing, and Google Duo for video calls.

Pricing and Preorders

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra might be out there for preorder Feb. 9 with a beginning worth of—you would possibly need to sit down for this—$1,099. The Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8+ might be out there to preorder on the identical date and begin at $699 and $899, respectively.

Those who preorder the usual choices from Samsung’s web site get a free Slim Book Cover Keyboard, whereas of us keen to shell out for the Ultra get a free Backlit Book Cover Keyboard.