Samsung just recently gave a big boost to the Android tablet space by launching three devices in its new Galaxy Tab S8 series. The Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra are targeted at different price points to cater to a wider audience. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is one of the most powerful Android tablets out there, as it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. It is one of the biggest Android tablets with a massive 14.6-inch display. Is the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra the best Android tablet money can buy, or has Samsung gone a little overboard? let’s find out.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra price in India
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Available in a single configuration with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. You can choose between a Wi-Fi only and 5G-enabled version, and these are priced at Rs. 1,08,999 and Rs. 1,22,999 respectively. The tablet is available in only one graphite color.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Design
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the biggest tablet ever. It has a massive 14.6-inch display with a small notch at the top (when held in landscape orientation). The notch houses the dual camera setup and is barely visible when using the tablet in landscape mode. However, you will notice this while holding the tablet in portrait orientation. samsung The bezel has been kept thin, which is nice to see, but it makes it difficult to hold the tablet without touching the screen. The 726 grams of weight is noticeable, and I often found myself using the tablet or resting the tablet on my lap.
The S Pen stylus is magnetically attached to the back of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Samsung has managed to keep the tablet surprisingly thin at just 5.5mm. In landscape orientation, you will find the power and volume buttons in the top-left corner and the SIM tray in the top-right. In the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, you get four speakers, with two speakers on either side. Furthermore, there is a microphone on the left side while there is a USB Type-C port on the right. There’s an in-display fingerprint scanner that’s easy to reach with your right thumb while holding the tablet. The bottom has a proprietary three-pin connector with notches on either side, which can be latched onto compatible accessories such as the Book Cover keyboard, which Samsung also sent in for this review.
The back panel is made of metal which gives a premium look and feel to this tablet. There is a camera module at the top with dual camera sensors, and a bright black stripe protruding below it. This is the wireless charging mechanism for the S Pen, which can be applied magnetically here. Samsung bundles the S Pen with a long USB Type-C to Type-C cable, but you don’t get a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Specifications and Software
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra flaunts a Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 pixels. It has a 120Hz peak refresh rate and is set by default. Four AKG-tuned speakers complement the massive display. Powering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC which is the most powerful SoC you can find on an Android tablet at the moment. In India, it only comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, although the storage can be expanded thanks to a microSD card slot.
You get support for Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6e and five satellite navigation systems. It also supports the WiDi (Wireless Display) standard so you can use the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as a secondary screen with compatible Windows machines, the cellular model works with 5G as well as existing 4G networks. Is. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra packs in a massive 11,200mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging, but you’ll have to buy a charger separately.
Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra runs Android 12 out of the box
In terms of software, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra runs Android 12 With OneUI 4.1 on top. It was running the February 2022 Android security patch which is a bit out of date. The UI is polished and very easy to use. Samsung offers the traditional three button navigation layout and you can switch to swipe-based navigation. Multitasking is very easy; You can split the screen with two separate apps or have multiple apps open in their own window. You can take full advantage of the big screen by opening multiple apps at once.
The S Pen allows you to do a lot more on Samsung’s Galaxy Note phones, such as taking notes, selecting part of the screen to capture in a screenshot, and even launching your favorite apps. Air Actions allow you to perform certain actions by pressing a button on the S Pen and moving it around. You can also sketch or color using the S Pen in compatible apps. Color felt therapeutic, and the S Pen surprised me with its low latency. It almost felt like coloring on paper.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra lets you call and text if you have recently samsung smartphone, just like you can with Apple’s ecosystem. This requires you to be signed in with the same Samsung account on all devices. Another notable feature is the ability to use the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as a second screen with a Windows laptop or as an input surface for drawing using the S Pen. It should be easy for the cast.
Book Cover keyboard case makes the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra more versatile
Samsung’s DeX feature gives you an almost PC-like experience on a tablet. Samsung is selling the Book Cover keyboard case for Rs. 22,999 in India. While the price is high, this accessory lets the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra pass as a 2-in-1 convertible laptop. This Book Cover keyboard case comes in two parts. The back of the tablet attaches magnetically as a stand and there’s a neat pocket for the S Pen stylus. The other is the keyboard that connects with connectors on the bottom of the tablet to work. I typed part of this review on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and found the keyboard to have good key travel and responsiveness. The trackpad on the Book Cover keyboard case was nice too but it wasn’t quite as comfortable as using a standard laptop.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Performance, Camera and Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra packs in a seriously powerful SoC, and so can run anything you throw at it. You can play any game or app from play store on this device without any problem. Apps load quickly and the tablet can multitask with ease thanks to the 12GB of RAM. The large Super AMOLED display with its slim bezels delivers an immersive experience and I enjoyed watching videos. The high refresh rate made scrolling fluid. Samsung’s AKG-tuned quad speaker setup was loud enough to fill a small room with sound.
Samsung’s in-display fingerprint scanner was quick to unlock the tablet, never requiring more than one attempt. This tablet also allows face recognition which is super convenient when using it with the Book Cover Keyboard Case.
Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is just 5.5mm thick
I ran synthetic benchmarks and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra returned some impressive scores. In AnTuTu benchmark, it scored 8,62,739 which is even higher Galaxy S22 Ultra Key ,Analysis) numbers. It scored 11,972 points in the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, maxing out 3DMark’s Sling Shot and Sling Shot Extreme tests.
I personally found the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra to be too big for playing first-person shooter games like Call of Duty: Mobile On. In addition, it was able to run the game on the ‘Very High’ graphics setting with the frame rate set to ‘Max’. I didn’t notice any lag or stutter during gameplay, and the tablet showed no signs of heating up even after playing for 20 minutes. I noticed a five percent drop in battery level after my gaming session.
After using the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for more than two weeks, I can say that it offers decent battery life. There is less idle power drain, which helps save power when the tablet is not in use. However, pushing it to its limits resulted in more battery drain than I anticipated. With my casual use, which sometimes included being idle, the battery lasted between two and three days before the tablet needed to be plugged in.
The notch at the top of the display houses a 12-megapixel dual camera setup
Heavy users should still be able to get a full day out of this tablet. In our HD video loop test, it only managed 10 hours and 9 minutes, but given the size of the display, I’d loose some of it. Samsung doesn’t bundle a charger in the box, which is unacceptable to me for a tablet that costs more than a lakh bucks. Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra supports 45W fast charging. I used a 68W USB-PD charger which managed to charge it to 29 percent in 30 minutes and 57 percent in an hour. It gets fully charged in less than two hours.
Coming to the cameras, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra sports a dual camera setup at the front and back. You get two 12-megapixel cameras on the front, one with a wide-angle lens and the other with an ultra-wide-angle lens. At the back, it houses a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 6-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. Given this tablet’s size, it’s best to avoid taking pictures with it, but it manages to have decent shots indoors. The selfie cameras are quite capable and the resolution of video recording goes up to 4K. These cameras have an auto-framing feature that automatically pans and zooms in on the subject, just like the center stage feature on some apple ipad model. I could use this auto-framing feature to record videos as well as during video calls, and it was quite handy.
Decision
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the biggest and most powerful Android tablet you can buy right now. The Book Cover keyboard case (which has to be purchased separately) makes it even more versatile. If you own a Samsung smartphone, you will get some ecosystem benefits. This tablet will appeal to digital artists and graphics designers who may benefit from the S Pen stylus, and it can justify its high cost.
For users who want a tablet for media consumption and don’t mind splurge, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may also be worth considering. However, I’m of the opinion that it will be overkill for such use cases, both in terms of size and cost. It’s a perfect example of how cool Android tablets can be, but it has a very specific appeal. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ Offers the same hardware in a more manageable size, and that would be my recommendation for most people. People open to alternatives can consider 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro rather than.