Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ (Plus): 5G Tablet with Large OLED Display and 5 Years of Updates

At the front of the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus we find Gorilla Glass Victus+, and the case is available in three different colors. Thanks to its matte coating it is mostly fingerprint-resistant, and it leaves an excellent visual and haptic impression. The physical buttons offer a very nice accentuation point and sit firmly inside their respective cavities. Ergonomics, on the other hand, are less than ideal due to the tablet’s squared and edgy design as well as the noticeable transition between the metal frame and rear.

The included S Pen can be attached magnetically at the top of the case as well as the rear. The magnetic stripe at the rear is covered in high-gloss Gorilla Glass Victus+ and charges the S Pen wirelessly while attached. Unfortunately, the S8 Plus is not IP certified against ingress of dust and water.

Regardless of the fact that a 12.4-inch tablet may not be the ideal satnav device we tested its GPS capabilities by taking it out, recording the track, and comparing it to that of a professional Garmin Venu 2. The results were very good, and the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus’s recorded track showed almost no deviations from the Venu 2’s. If you really and truly want a ginormous tablet in your car for navigation the 5G-equipped S8+ is your device.

Supported positioning services include GPS (L1), Galileo (E1), BeiDou, GLONASS, and SBAS. Indoor satellite lock is obtained very quickly at an accuracy of around 4 m.

At the rear, Samsung’s premium tablet features the same dual-camera array found on its predecessor, a 13 MP f/2.0 main camera accompanied by a secondary 5 MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The main camera’s colors, details, and dynamic range are very good and more than usable for social media posts. When analyzed under normalized and defined conditions we found no major color deviations of Delta E > 15.

The question of whether or not a tablet needs a rear-facing camera is highly contested but let it be said that taking photo of large documents using the S8 Plus’s wide-angle lens worked flawlessly. Apart from that the 5 MP lens produces a large number of artefacts and a low overall level of sharpness, particularly towards the edges where details tend to blur and disappear entirely.

Both the main and front-facing camera record videos in UHD quality with up to 30 FPS. The ultra-wide-angle lens does not support 4K video recording at all. The tablet supports switching between the cameras while recording although that feature is limited to the main 13 MP camera and the front-facing camera.

European models of Samsung’s premium tablet come with a full 24 months of limited warranty while devices sold in the US are once again limited to just 12 months. Warranty extensions are available in select markets, and prices as well as conditions differ. For example, Samsung Care+ in Europe costs 99 Euros and includes accidental damage including display or water damage for up to two repairs or replacements during the covered period with a deductible of 59 Euros per incident.

A power supply is no longer included in the box. Instead, we find a USB cable, the S Pen, and the usual paperwork. The 45 W fast charger will have to be purchased separately, and prices and availability vary. Other optional accessories include the Book Cover Keyboard or the Book Cover Keyboard Slim.

When looking at the panel in detail we found that it is most likely identical to the Tab S7 Plus's. Peak brightness on a pure white background was very similar to and just as mediocre as last year’s S7 Plus’s, and the new display is only ever so slightly brighter than the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus’s.

As is common for OLED panels Samsung uses PWM for display brightness regulation. At brightness levels of 33 % and below we found it to fluctuate at a frequency of 120 to 245 Hz and a much more even amplitude around 120 Hz at higher levels of brightness. Due to this low frequency sensitive users might suffer, as is the case with pretty much every OLED panel. Even the Mini LED display on the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 flickers at a very high frequency.

The case remains comparatively cool even under sustained load. Running GFXBench we evaluated how well the Qualcomm SoC performed under high GPU load. And while the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus successfully completed the OpenGL 3.1 battery test the results were not recorded.

The Galaxy Tab S8 Plus’s only real competitor is the slightly cheaper Lenovo Tab P12 Pro. If you find the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus’s display too dim to be used outdoors or its battery life to be a deal breaker the Lenovo tablet can be a great alternative. Having said that you need to keep in mind that Lenovo’s Precision Pen 3 cannot hold a candle to the excellent stylus experience offered by Samsung’s S Pen.

When it comes to sustainability, Samsung is the only Android tablet OEM with a five year long update cycle, something we are hitherto only accustomed to from Apple.

Despite its unnecessary shortcomings the Tab S8+ as a whole is hard to beat.

Unfortunately, Samsung missed the opportunity to fix the Tab S7 Plus's flaws, such as the dim panel or the relatively short battery life courtesy of an identically sized battery combined with a comparatively inefficient generation of Qualcomm SoCs. At least Samsung opted for Qualcomm's most powerful high-end SoC available instead of last year’s model.

In some markets outside the US, the MatePad 12.6 Pro can be a much more affordable alternative to the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus. However, its lack of support for Google services and apps renders it useless for most users. If you don’t mind this downside you may want to take a closer look at our review of the Huawei tablet.