If you’re in the market for a high-end Android tablet, there’s really only one company making them: Samsung. The Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ were released in 2020 to high praise, with many users seeing the device as the perfect iPad Pro alternative. While the Galaxy Tab S7 FE wasn’t quite as nice, the Tab S8 has been thoroughly leaked throughout much of 2021, hinting that a true successor might not be too far off. Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung’s next flagship tablet.
Three tablets, three sizes
Samsung released the Galaxy Tab S7 in two different sizes: a standard 11″ model, along with a 12.9″ “Plus” variant. The display was the most significant differentiator between the two — and not just in size. While the smaller Tab S7 used an LCD panel, its big brother had a gorgeous 120Hz OLED panel, still one of the best you can find today.
For its successor, Samsung is tripling down. Much like its flagship phones series, the company is introducing the Tab S8 in three sizes: an 11″ S8, a 12.9″ S8+, and a laptop-worthy 14.6″ S8 Ultra. It’s hard to imagine how large the audience is for a slate that big, but it seems like Samsung sees it as an untapped market full of potential.
Like last year, the Tab S8 will keep its 11″ 120Hz LCD panel, while the larger two models both earn upgrades to 120Hz AMOLED displays. It’s slightly disappointing that Samsung continues to hold back its best screen tech for its larger models — not everyone needs or wants a 15″ slate, after all. It’s something we hope changes with the Tab S9 — though we don’t expect that model to arrive until sometime in 2023.
While the exact screen resolution has yet to leak for either the Tab S8 or S8+, we expect those models to match the resolutions of their respective predecessors. The Tab S8 Ultra gets a nice bump to match its larger display, coming in at 2960 x 1848. Regardless, pixel density should be around the same for all three models.
There’s one more aspect that sets the Ultra’s massive screen apart from the others: a notch-shaped cutout for its front-facing camera. It’ll likely be a controversial switch for Samsung — and indeed, it’s already drawn comparisons to Apple’s latest MacBook Pro — but leaked renders seem to indicate a fairly minor indent that shouldn’t make too much of an impact on daily use. There’s no doubt some potential buyers will be turned off by it, but at least it’s only on the largest of models.
Aside from the Ultra’s notch, the design of all three devices is nearly identical to that of the Tab S7, down to the same flat back with matching antenna lines and an S Pen magnet. Outside of the notch, the only major difference between models is the size of the power button. The Tab S8+ and Ultra feature in-display fingerprint sensors, but the smallest S8 does not. Instead, it has an elongated power button for unlocking the tablet. It’s a small change and shouldn’t really take away from the entry-level model, should you be drawn to the 11″ display.
Performance and cameras
As you should expect from Samsung’s top-tier tablets, all three should be plenty fast. Recent rumors point to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip powering the Tab S8 series, which — depending on when these actually ship — might make these slates one of the first ways to experience Qualcomm’s latest processor.
The smaller two models haven’t faced nearly as many leaks as the Ultra, but considering Samsung usually doesn’t change up the specs all too much between its different-sized gadgets, we can largely assume the following will apply to all three slates. The Tab S8 Ultra will include 8, 12, or 16GB of RAM, each respectively paired with 128, 256, or 512GB of storage. The 16GB/512GB SKU seems destined to be an Ultra-exclusive, but expect the other two combinations to appear on the S8 and S8+. Samsung’s biggest model will come in both Wi-Fi and 5G variants, in case you want to take that behemoth on the go.
Leaked spec sheets indicate massive batteries in all three models, ranging from 8,000mAh in the Tab S8 to 11,200mAh in the S8 Ultra. That’s on par with the Tab S7 models, so battery life should be fairly comparable between generations. Although it’s unclear how fast the Tab S8 and S8+ will charge, the Ultra will match its massive battery capacity with 45W charging.
Most people usually don’t buy a tablet because of its cameras, but that doesn’t mean Samsung is skimping out on its image capabilities. While we don’t know the exact specs for the two smaller models, the Ultra will use a standard 12MP wide lens and a 6MP ultra-wide for its rear-facing cameras, along with dual 12MP cameras in its notch for video calls. Capable of shooting in 4K at 60FPS, it could make the Tab S8 Ultra a must-have for anyone routinely stuck in meetings all day.
Software
Don’t expect Samsung to rock the boat with its software experience on the Tab S8 series. All three models should run Android 12 with One UI 4.1, marking some of the first slates to arrive on the market with this latest OS version and following up on a similar update for the Tab S7. Recent rumors point to some nice quality-of-life improvements on the way, including window transparency levels, customization settings — likely matching what we’ve seen from Android 12 on the Galaxy S21 series — and dimming modes for late-night usage. Portrait orientation support is coming to DeX Mode, which should make the desktop PC-esque workflow a whole lot more usable on the go.
Pricing and availability
Unfortunately, it remains unclear when Samsung intends to announce and release the Tab S8 series. When the lineup first surfaced last May, it seemed all but inevitable that a late 2021 launch was in the cards. Obviously, that date has come and gone, with the company revealing its mid-range Tab S7 FE instead. A Q1 2022 reveal is possible, but without any leaks or hints as to when Samsung might drop the series, your guess is as good as ours.
As for pricing, our only trifle of information comes from that initial leak. If the listed numbers remain accurate, prices start around $740 for the 11″ model, with the 12.4″ slate marked at $1,120. Unsurprisingly, the 14.6″ model has a price tag that matches its gigantic display, starting at $1,320 for its entry-level specs. Even if these numbers prove to be overinflated, it’s clear you should start saving your pennies now for the company’s eventual reveal.
Samsung proved itself the last real competition left for Apple with the Galaxy Tab S7, and with its successor, it’s looking to refine what a flagship tablet can do in 2022. While the Tab S8 series isn’t a dramatic reinvention compared to its last-gen model, a big, bold display might be enough to convince buyers to drop Windows laptops altogether in exchange for a near-15″ slate. We’ll have to wait and see just how powerful — and how expensive — the Tab S8 really is.
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