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Review summary Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+: One of the best Android tablets available leaves room for improvement

Samsung's latest Apple iPad Pro 12.9 competitor is the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus.
Samsung's latest Apple iPad Pro 12.9 competitor is the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus is a solid evolution of last year's Tab S7 Plus, and it comes with some of its predecessor's shortcomings. Samsung will have to address these with the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, after all Samsung is no longer the only player offering a premium tablet.

Our review of the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus showed that the tablet is a minor evolution of last year’s premium tablet rather than a true revolution that would have eliminated its predecessor’s shortcomings. Instead, we find the same comparatively dim display panel we already criticized in the Tab S7 Plus as well as the same battery life, courtesy of the identically sized battery combined with Qualcomm’s comparatively inefficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen. 1 SoC.

We are also having serious doubts about Samsung’s RAM policy and cannot fathom why one would equip a multitasking powerhouse with just 8 GB of RAM while Samsung’s smartphones already offer a 12 GB option. We find this particularly distressing in light of Samsung DeX, which enables multi-window use running several applications simultaneously. Consider running several demanding apps at the same time, particularly considering Samsung’s LumaFusion cooperation, and you will see why 8 GB of RAM might turn out to be a major hindrance in the near future.

In other aspects Samsung imitates their own highend smartphones, for example by reducing the size of the Tab S8 Plus's packaging material by reducing the number of included accessories. For example, the fast charger is no longer included in the box and needs to be purchased separately. Considering the tablet’s high price of $900 or more we find this, too, difficult to understand.

Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ offers powerful hardware with great stylus input packed in a high-quality case. If you are looking for a powerful Android tablet the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ might be well worth a closer look. Find out more in our extensive review.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Review summary Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+: One of the best Android tablets available leaves room for improvement
Marcus Herbrich, 2022-05- 1 (Update: 2024-05-11)