Leaks suggest that the Tab S8s will take all the goodies of the S7 series and add the fastest performance available.
Since mid-2020, if you’re looking to buy the best Android tablet, your only real choice is between the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus. Now, finally, the Galaxy Tab S8 series will launch in early February, and the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will compete with the iPad Pro in screen size and productivity.
Samsung is reportedly planning to unveil the new tablet alongside the Galaxy S22 at its next Unpacked event. You can currently reserve a pre-order slot for Samsung’s new tablet and phone, and if you buy both, you’ll get a $50 credit.But leakers suggest that both devices will cost an arm and a leg, so be prepared to spend a lot of to “save” the credit.
The biggest upgrade to the Galaxy Tab S8 will purportedly be its processor: leakers claim the new tablet will use either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the Exynos 2200, both of which are at the cutting edge of computing in 2022. The S7 series used the 865+, which is a commendable chip that still works well, but is nowhere near the speed of today.
With the price of the Galaxy Tab S8 expected to be so high, and the Tab S7 lineup being discounted right now, you might be wondering if it’s worth the wait or buy the current tablet right now. To help you decide, here’s everything we know or doubt about Samsung’s powerful new tablet.
The best Android tablets right now
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
- From $499 on Amazon
- Samsung from $510
- Best Buy from $650
High quality at a reasonable price
While the Galaxy Tab S8 will give you a next-gen CPU upgrade, the S7 still holds its own in other areas. With the same resolution, 120Hz display, expandable storage, quad speakers, and battery size as the S8, the S7 is a great backup option if you want to save hundreds of dollars.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: Release and release date
Samsung has finally announced that it will showcase its next-generation flagship smartphone and tablet lineup at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 9 at 7AM PT / 10AM ET. You can certainly expect to see the full live demonstration of the Galaxy Tab S8, S8 Plus and S8 Ultra then.
We don’t know when the tablet will actually ship. But the leaker says the Galaxy S22 will ship around February 18, and considering the tablet will be released at the same time, it’s also likely to be released in mid-to-late February.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: price
Galaxy Tab S7
A recent Samsung Galaxy price leak suggests that the Galaxy Tab S8 will start at “under $850,” while the S8 Plus could start at “$900-$1,000,” and the S8 Ultra will start at “$1,100 and up.” Assuming @chunvn8888’s leak is accurate, the base Galaxy Tab S8 will cost nearly $200 more than the Galaxy Tab S7 at launch, a luxury cost to some buyers.
Earlier leaks also claimed that the Galaxy Tab S8 series will start at around $840. Recent spec leaks suggest that the prices of the Galaxy Tab S8 in Europe are as follows: 680-900 euros for the S8, 880-1,110 euros for the Plus, and 1,040-1,220 euros for the Ultra.
Also keep in mind that you can choose to upgrade these tablets for more cellular connectivity or more storage in exchange for a higher price.
Compared to the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+, which are priced at $649 and $849, respectively, the Galaxy Tab S8 is priced more “high-end.”
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: design
The latest Tab S8 render leak has given us the clearest look yet at the upcoming tablet’s design. Apart from a few minor changes, it looks a lot like its predecessor.
As you can see in the leaked renders above and below, the Galaxy Tab S8 even has bezels around the display, an S Pen magnetic stripe between the Samsung logo and the rear camera module, and it’s a bit more compact on the device’s larger side. There are similar etchings on the short sides. The only noticeable difference is that the magnetic strip on the S8 is parked near the module the S7 is connected to.
Like the S7, the S8 reportedly features an 11-inch LCD display and an 8,000mAh battery. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S8+ is expected to bring back the same 12.4-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display with thinner bezels and a 10,090mAh battery. As before, the Tab S8 will have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, an upgrade to the S8+’s in-screen sensor.
With the S7 and S7+ proving so popular with consumers, Samsung may decide not to waver for its upcoming designs. Disappointingly, the S8 will continue to use LCD instead of AMOLED, forcing you to buy a large tablet for the best display quality. But its 2560 x 1600 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate will surely please most buyers.
The only major difference from last year is that the glass protection has been upgraded from Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to 5.
The so-called Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may have an interesting design: a 14.6-inch frame that’s only 5.4 inches thick and weighs 650 grams. Renders from @OnLeaks and @91Mobiles show its 92% screen-to-body ratio and really small bezels that you usually only see on much smaller smartphones.
Leaked photos of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Samsung seems to be following Apple’s lead in its design, as the front-facing camera creates a noticeable notch.Let’s see if we can United NationsSee the notch when streaming content on its large display. At least unlike the Macbook Pro’s front-facing camera, this module actually supports Face ID.
It’s also a question of whether the 1.4-pound ultrawide Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will be comfortable to hold for long periods of time, no matter how thin it is. Buyers are more likely to see it as a portable laptop replacement designed to sit at your desk with an attachable keyboard.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: glasses
As mentioned, all three tablets should have QHD 120Hz displays, but that’s not the only feature the S7 lineup returns. The recently leaked Galaxy Tab S8 offers full spec sheets for all three tablets, suggesting they’ll bring back quad Dolby Atmos speakers, a microSD slot for expandable storage, 13MP and 8MP camera sensors, 45W fast charging and S Pen support. The S8 and S8+ will even have the same battery life as before: 8,000mAh and 10,090mAh, respectively.
What you can expect is the addition of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, at least in North America. According to Samsung, it is 20% higher than the 2021 Snapdragon 888 in CPU performance, 30% more efficient on the CPU, 30% more efficient on the GPU, and 25% more efficient on the GPU. And the 865+ is much lower than the 888 in the same category.
Additionally, all Galaxy Tab S8s are said to get 8GB of RAM by default, while the S7 series lets you upgrade from 6GB. All in all, if all goes well, this should give your new tablet a major speed boost. The percentage increases above refer specifically to phone performance, and we haven’t changed the pace of getting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to do it.
However, we’ll notice some leakers claiming that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will feature the Exynos 2200 exclusively. It uses many of the same Arm Cortex components as the Snapdragon, while adding AMD’s RDNA 2-based GPU for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, variable-rate shading, and “console-quality” immersive visuals, according to Samsung.
Regardless of which SoC the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra uses, leaks suggest it will feature an 11,200mAh battery, 5.5mm thickness, and a weight of 728g/1.6 lbs. It’s not something you’d want to keep on your head for long periods of time and looks better on desks and stands. Also, if the leak is to be believed, you can upgrade the Tab S8 Ultra to a 16GB/512GB configuration, making it perfect for multitasking in DeX mode.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: software
The Galaxy Tab S8 can get software tips from the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
All three Galaxy Tab S8s will ship with either Android 12 or One UI 4.1 out of the box, with a promise of three years of OS updates. That means it will receive One UI 7 (or Android 15) in spring 2025.
Given Samsung’s recent success with software on its foldable phones, we can hope it will employ some of the same tricks on the Galaxy Tab S8 to make the most of the extra screen real estate. Galaxy Z Fold 3 software lets you change the aspect ratio of any app, adjust app split view, pin apps to the taskbar, manage multiple windows, and more. We wondered if these tools could also appear on the Tab S8.
Best Premium Android Tablet
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
- Samsung from $710
- From $800 on Amazon
- Best Buy from $850
Amazing screen, sound and speed
At full price, the Galaxy Tab S7+ is about the same price as the upcoming S8. If an AMOLED display with more screen real estate is more important to you than a performance boost, you might want to grab this plus-sized model instead of the new tab on the block.
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