Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Review – Cool for work and play mobilenet.cz | TechBuzz

Buying a quality and well-equipped tablet does not have to direct you only to Apple’s arms in all circumstances. Samsung is constantly producing state-of-the-art pieces, and this year it has proven that it wants to thank the widest possible range of users. Therefore, there are three slightly different models in the Galaxy Tab S8 series, which you will primarily recognize by their size. Today we take a closer look at the basic, or if you want the smallest model called simply the Galaxy Tab S8. Even in its bowels, a powerful processor beats, it does not lack four speakers, a successful environment and also an S Pen. Will it be enough to defend the price of almost 20 thousand crowns?

Package contents: charger missing

Unfortunately, the sales package has looked to today’s environmental efforts and lacks a charging adapter, which means that you either have to buy it or use the one you already have at home. In the package, in addition to the tablet, you will find only a data / charging cable and a nice bonus is the S Pen.

Design: it cuts him

The tablet does not hide its ambition to fall into the cream and proves its elegant appearance, which is due not only to the aluminum body, but also to an incredibly small thickness of only 6.3 mm. Even so, it is comfortable to hold, fits comfortably in both hands and is easy to operate. We can also thank the reasonable weight, which only a few grams exceeds the limit of half a kilogram, which is very good for a metal body.

Overall, the design looks pleasing and successful, however, some may mind the necessary plastic lines stretching along the back, which ensure the permeability of various antennas. The back is further enhanced by a black glossy and magnetic stripe, in place of which the S Pen touch pen can be attached. It is also charged in this area (and nowhere else).

As with extremely thin phones, the thickness takes its toll in the form of a slightly raised module with rear cameras. Although the protrusion is not large, it is enough for the tablet to sway when placed on the table. Everything is solved, for example, by a case with a stand and the like, but Samsung could have made the profile slightly thicker, a few tenths of a millimeter would be enough and the cameras would not protrude above the surrounding surface.

The processing itself is durable, the thin body does not bend in any way. However, it is necessary to accept the absence of increased resistance.

Display: 11 inches without AMOLED

The smaller tablet from the Galaxy Tab S8 family has an 11-inch display. Unfortunately, much more fundamental than the smaller diagonal is that Samsung saved and abandoned AMOLED technology. You only have to take the thank you with an ordinary IPS panel. It’s a pity, because even the Galaxy Tab S8 is not particularly cheap, so the manufacturer has to resort to this step. On the other hand, you can still enjoy a 120Hz refresh rate and a high maximum brightness of 500 nits. In practice, this means that the tablet display is easy to read even in the sun. You don’t have to worry about quality display. Gorilla Glass 5 takes care of protection.

Closely related to the display is the supplied S Pen touch pen, which is pleasantly light and fits beautifully in the hand. Writing or drawing with it is intuitive and accurate. Here, the high refresh rate of the display seems to be fully reflected. Of course, the pen offers several intensities of pressure, and the perfection lacks only that it can be hidden in the body of the tablet. This way you have to rely on the magnetic surface on the back.

Sound: will not disappoint you

The sound experience is provided by four loud speakers, which conjure up a perfect stereo effect, can be really loud and they do not lack solid hints of bass. Theoretically, the Galaxy Tab S8 can be replaced by a smaller portable speaker, and the set tuned with the help of AKG will certainly be used to watch movies. It’s a pity that there was no place for a 3.5 mm jack, but with today’s availability of wireless headphones, this should not be a major problem.

Hardware performance: ready for anything

In the case of tablets, Samsung did not prefer its own Exynos processors, so you can enjoy the performance of Snapdragon 8 Gen1. You can easily play even the most demanding games on the tablet and you can use the DeX mode just as well (and smoothly). The company of the processor makes 8 GB of RAM, which might seem like a small amount of RAM these days, but it is quite enough and according to the system you will basically never use 8 GB to the full. In the tested configuration, there is also 128GB of storage, from which approximately 100 GB will remain available after switching on. For those who would be small, a microSD memory card slot with a maximum capacity of 1 TB will serve.

Battery life: it will please you

Inside the tablet is a battery with a capacity of 8,000 mAh, which is a solid value. However, a lot depends on how you use your tablet. When used actively, the battery actually discharges very quickly. For example, the goal of 12 hours is usually distant, on the contrary, one working day at 8 hours with your tablet will last. For some, however, a more typical style will be occasional use at home, for watching videos and connecting via Wi-Fi. At a given moment, the tablet can last for several days on a single charge.

Charging is only possible by wire, with a power of up to 45 W. If you get such a charger, you will charge the whole tablet for only 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is a very pleasant value. Wireless charging is not supported.

Connectivity: 5G and Wi-Fi 6e available

In the area of ​​connectivity, the Galaxy Tabu S8 cannot be blamed at all. There is a 5G variant on the market, but the “basic” version also supports Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2 and navigation systems GLONASS, GPS or Galileo. Perhaps only NFC for quick pairing with headphones or other accessories would be pleasing, but this is definitely not a major shortcoming.

Camera: surprisingly high quality

For tablets, the cameras are not looked at much, but we will still see a dual camera on our backs on the Galaxy Tabu S8. The standard 13-megapixel sensor accompanies the 6-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens. Both do a relatively good job, as expected, especially during the day or in really good light.

It is worth mentioning the quality front camera with 12 megapixels and a wide 120 ° shot. It is suitable not only for mass selfies, but it is also suitable for video calls.

Software: One UI 4.1 on board

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 offers the latest Android 12 and, of course, the popular One UI 4.1 extension with the May security patches. The system works quickly, for example, it has various practical applications directly from the Samsung workshop and, accompanied by a smart pen, it brings a lot of possibilities how to use it for work and entertainment. For example, working with multiple windows is a matter of course. There is also a DeX mode, the launch of which conjures up an environment very similar to a classic desktop. For example, it is now possible to adjust the transparency of windows.

Evaluation

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 bears all the hallmarks of honest work. Thanks to the 11-inch display, it is not overgrown in any way, it attracts with its very thin body or low weight. The workmanship of the aluminum body is exemplary and will please the emphasis on good endurance or maximum performance. The excellent S Pen, which you will find directly in the sales package, raises it above some competition. The novelty also collects plus points for a quality front camera. On the contrary, it freezes the omission of the AMOLED panel and the unnecessary removal of the charger from the sales package. For less than 20 thousand crowns in the case of the Wi-Fi variant, Samsung will not have much competition, especially if you are interested in the Android system. On the contrary, it will have more work to do with Apple competitors who benefit from an even more sophisticated iPadOS environment.

Competition

If you are looking for a quality tablet with Android and dimensions do not matter, you may be interested in Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab 13, which will please with a built-in stand or 13-inch display. On the other hand, it has a significantly weaker processor and cameras.

A direct competitor with the better iPadOS environment is the Apple iPad Air 10.9, which for a similar price offers a 10.9-inch display and even larger internal memory, specifically 256 GB. It also has an even more powerful processor.

Photo: Michal Pavlíček, mobilenet.cz