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Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Tablet Review - Doubtlessly the best 11-inch Android tablet

Even better than the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus! When compared directly to its larger sibling Galaxy Tab S7+, the Galaxy Tab S7 looks like a second-rate tablet. However, in reality, the Galaxy Tab S7 is actually a very impressive tablet and is better than its larger sibling. Read our review to find out why.
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Samsung is now releasing 7th generation devices in the Galaxy Tab S series. The smaller of the two tablets has an 11-inch LTPS screen, whereas the Plus model features an AMOLED display. The Tab S7 also does not look as good as the Tab S7+ when it comes to connectivity (it has only a 4G modem). It also offers less RAM (only 6 GB).

The premium tablet is not powered by a proprietary Exynos SoC from Samsung. Instead, it relies on a Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm. The slate comes with 128 GB of fast UFS memory. Like with the predecessor, the S Pen is included in the box. 

Samsung’s premium tablet has an MSRP of 681 Euros (~$797). The 4G model retails for 779 Euros (~$912).

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Galaxy Tab S9 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) 8 x 2.4 - 3.1 GHz, Cortex-A77 / A55 (Kryo 585)
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
Display
11.00 inch 16:10, 2560 x 1600 pixel 274 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, native pen support, LTPS, glossy: yes, 120 Hz
Storage
128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash, 128 GB 
, 103 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: USB Type-C , Card Reader: microSD up to 1 TB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: motion sensor, e-compass, gyroscope, hall effect sensor,, OTG, Miracast
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM: 850, 900, 1.800, 1.900 MHz; UMTS: B1 (2.100), B2 (1.900), B4, B5 (850), B8 (900), LTE: B1 (2.100), B2 (1.900), B3 (1.800), B4, B5 (850), B7 (2.600), B8 (900), B12 (700), B13 (700), B20 (800), B25 (1.900), B26 (850), B28 (700), B66, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 6.3 x 253.8 x 165.3 ( = 0.25 x 9.99 x 6.51 in)
Battery
8000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 10
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix + 5 MPix (Ultra wide-angle), Camera2API: Level 3
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: quad-speaker setup tuned by AKG, Dolby Atmos, Keyboard: onscreen, optional Keyboard, modular charger, USB cable, S Pen, OneUI 2.5, 24 Months Warranty, SAR body : 1.381 W/Kg, Widevine L1, fanless
Weight
500 g ( = 17.64 oz / 1.1 pounds), Power Supply: 51 g ( = 1.8 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
681 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
90.1 %
10/2020
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
SD 865+ (Plus), Adreno 650
500 g6.3 mm11.00"2560x1600
90.4 %
04/2020
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
A12Z Bionic, A12Z Bionic GPU
471 g5.9 mm11.00"2388x1668
88.4 %
08/2020
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
Kirin 990, Mali-G76 MP16
460 g7.2 mm10.80"2560x1600
88.1 %
10/2020
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
SD 865+ (Plus), Adreno 650
575 g5.7 mm12.40"2800x1752

Case - Galaxy Tab feels premium

Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Galaxy Tab S7 in the colour schemes Mystic Bronze and Mystic Silver
Galaxy Tab S7 in the colour schemes Mystic Bronze and Mystic Silver

The 500-gram and 6.3-mm thin Galaxy Tab S7 is available in the following colour schemes: Black, Silver and Bronze. The Samsung slate looks very good and the build quality is also on a very good level. The antenna lines in the frame are not perceptible by touch. The physical buttons offer a clear actuation point and sit very firmly in their cutouts. They do not wobble at all. However, the power button is set very deep into the frame, to the point where it is hard to locate by touch.

The Galaxy Tab S7 feels very premium. However, the design is not exceptionally ergonomic, because of the sharp angles at the points where the metal sides and the metal back meet. Thanks to the matte finish, the surfaces are quite resistant to fingerprints. Howbeit, these matte surfaces provide slightly less grip when you hold the slate with dry hands.  

The included S Pen attaches magnetically to a specifically designated place on the back, which is highlighted by a glossy finish. The S Pen clings to the back with a considerable amount of force and charges via induction.

Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Size Comparison

285 mm / 11.2 inch 185 mm / 7.28 inch 5.7 mm / 0.2244 inch 575 g1.268 lbs253.8 mm / 9.99 inch 165.3 mm / 6.51 inch 6.3 mm / 0.248 inch 500 g1.102 lbs247.6 mm / 9.75 inch 178.5 mm / 7.03 inch 5.9 mm / 0.2323 inch 471 g1.038 lbs246 mm / 9.69 inch 159 mm / 6.26 inch 7.2 mm / 0.2835 inch 460 g1.014 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - Galaxy Tab S7 with Miracast

The Galaxy Tab S7 supports Miracast and USB OTG. The USB Type-C port operates at USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds. There are three pins on the bottom for the Book Cover Keyboard, which attaches magnetically to the device. The slate features a fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the power button.

The Tab S7 comes with 128 GB of internal UFS 3.1 memory. However, after you get through the initial set-up, there will be only 103 GB of internal storage left. The storage capacity of the Samsung slate can be expanded by up to 1 TB with the help of a microSD card. The tablet supports both exFAT and FAT32.

Right side: three pins
Right side: three pins
Bottom: USB-C port, speaker grills
Bottom: USB-C port, speaker grills
Left side: buttons, microphone hole, card slot
Left side: buttons, microphone hole, card slot
Top: speaker grills, microphone hole
Top: speaker grills, microphone hole

Software - Samsung tablet with Android 10

The Galaxy Tab S7 features an Android 10-based custom launcher. The slate ships with security patches from September 2020. Samsung has promised years of software support for its premium tablet. 

The tablet comes with Samsung’s proprietary One UI launcher (version 2.5). Samsung’s virtual assistant Bixby is integrated into the launcher. Samsung DeX is also included and can be used not only on the tablet itself but also on an external display either wirelessly or through a wired connection. The Multi Window feature allows up to three applications to be run on the desktop at the same time.

The stylus and the preinstalled note-taking application make the Tab 7 a better productivity device, just like the Apple Pencil makes the iPad Pro a better productivity device. With the new version of Samsung Notes, users can write and draw on PDF files or add quick notes to Word documents or Power Point presentations. Audio bookmarks are another noteworthy feature of Samsung Notes 2020. When Tab S7 users tap a word in a written note they automatically get to that portion in the audio note.

Just like the MatePad Pro, the Tab S7 can be synchronised with a smartphone and used to monitor calls and texts.

Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Communication & Geolocation - Samsung tablet with Wi-Fi 6

The premium tablet from Samsung supports 14 LTE bands in total. All frequency bands relevant for Germany - including Band 28 - are supported. The smaller tablet in the Tab S7 series does not feature a 5G modem or an NFS chip. However, the slate supports Bluetooth 5.0. 

The Galaxy Tab S7 supports Wi-Fi 6 and has a Multi-user MIMO antenna array. This is why it should be able to establish a stable and fast connection with the home router. With our reference-grade router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, Samsung’s tablet achieves download speeds of over 800 Mb/s.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
Mali-G76 MP16, Kirin 990, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
873 (750min - 946max) MBit/s +29%
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
A12Z Bionic GPU, A12Z Bionic, 128 GB NVMe
828 (752min - 864max) MBit/s +22%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Adreno 650, SD 865+ (Plus), 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
679 (653min - 709max) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
Adreno 650, SD 865+ (Plus), 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
612 (243min - 690max) MBit/s -10%
iperf3 receive AX12
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
Mali-G76 MP16, Kirin 990, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
1065 (1022min - 1104max) MBit/s +27%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Adreno 650, SD 865+ (Plus), 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
836 (624min - 890max) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
Adreno 650, SD 865+ (Plus), 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
629 (284min - 753max) MBit/s -25%
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
A12Z Bionic GPU, A12Z Bionic, 128 GB NVMe
609 (572min - 622max) MBit/s -27%
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810855Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø835 (624-890)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø679 (653-709)
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors

Even though an 11-inch tablet is not likely to be used for navigation, we still take it with us on our bike ride. During this ride, we are also accompanied by the professional navigator Garmin Edge 500. Here we use both the tablet and the navigator to map the same route in parallel to determine how accurate our review device is when it comes to geolocation. There is a 160-metre difference between the Tab S7 and the Garmin Edge 500 at the end of our 12-km ride. The Samsung slate did a good job mapping the route we took.

For geolocation, our review device relies on the following global navigation satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. Indoors, the Samsung tablet manages to establish a connection with the satellites quickly and has a margin of error of about five metres. 

Navigation: Garmin Edge 500
Navigation: Garmin Edge 500
Navigation: Garmin Edge 500
Navigation: Garmin Edge 500
Navigation: Garmin Edge 500
Navigation: Garmin Edge 500
Navigation: Galaxy Tab S7
Navigation: Galaxy Tab S7
Navigation: Galaxy Tab S7
Navigation: Galaxy Tab S7
Navigation: Galaxy Tab S7
Navigation: Galaxy Tab S7

Telephony & Call Quality - Users can make calls with the Tab S7

Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

We can make phone calls with our LTE model of the Tab S7 via the default phone application in loudspeaker mode. We also make a Skype call to assess the quality of the built-in microphone.

The speakers of the Samsung slate reproduce voices very well. Our call partner describes the quality of the microphone as very good. If you want a tablet that you can use to make phone calls, then you cannot go wrong with the Tab S7.

Cameras - Galaxy Tab S7 with a dual camera system

Shot taken with the front-facing camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Shot taken with the front-facing camera of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Even though tablets are rarely used to take photographs, the Samsung slate comes with a dual-camera system. The camera set-up has not changed much when compared to the predecessor. The Tab S7 features a 13-megapixel main shooter, an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The selfie camera produces blurry and washed-out images. However, the image quality is good enough for video calls.

The wide-angle camera has an f/2.0 aperture. Under normal lighting conditions, it produces well-detailed photographs. However, the colours look somewhat unnatural and there is a yellowish tinge to the images. The dynamic range is also not very good, which is why the contrast between the dark and light areas of an image is not particularly stark. Photographs taken under low-light conditions appear grainy, blurry and dim.

The ultra wide-angle camera also has some weaknesses, which become apparent even in daylight. The 8-megapixel sensor produces images that are marred by processing errors and the sharpness is quite poor, especially in the corners. 

Image taken with the ultra wide-angle camera
Image taken with the ultra wide-angle camera
Image taken with the wide-angle camera
Image taken with the wide-angle camera
8x zoom (max)
8x zoom (max)
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Wide-angle lensWide-angle lens5X zoomLow-light photographyUltra wide-angle lens
ColorChecker
13.2 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
12.2 ∆E
17.5 ∆E
8.8 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
9.1 ∆E
10.4 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
8.8 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
10.5 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
5.5 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
3.4 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
0 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy Tab S7: 8.16 ∆E min: 0 - max: 17.55 ∆E
ColorChecker
29.6 ∆E
55.1 ∆E
39.8 ∆E
34.8 ∆E
45.6 ∆E
62.4 ∆E
53.7 ∆E
36.1 ∆E
44.2 ∆E
29 ∆E
65.1 ∆E
64.1 ∆E
31.5 ∆E
47.7 ∆E
37.8 ∆E
76.8 ∆E
44.6 ∆E
42 ∆E
93.7 ∆E
71.4 ∆E
52.5 ∆E
36.9 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy Tab S7: 47.14 ∆E min: 13.35 - max: 93.69 ∆E

Accessories & Warranty - Samsung tablet with an optional Book Cover

Book Cover
Book Cover
Book Cover Keyboard
Book Cover Keyboard

The box contains the Galaxy Tab S7, the Samsung S Pen, a modular 15-W charger, a USB cable and a SIM card removal tool.

Samsung offers an optional keyboard. The 230-Euro (~$269) Book Cover Keyboard turns the Tab S7 into a 2-in-1 device and also serves as a protective cover. There is an optional 80-Euro (~$93) Book Cover, which does not feature a keyboard.

The Tab S7 comes with a 24-month warranty. You can also buy a Samsung Care+ subscription, which will allow you to swap your device for a new one if you accidentally damage it.

Input Devices & Handling - Samsung tablet with a fingerprint scanner

The touchscreen of the 11-inch slate recognises inputs quickly and accurately. Thanks to the 120-Hz liquid-crystal display, the tablet feels very snappy.

The high frame rate of the screen and the low latency of the new S Pen, which can recognise 4096 pressure levels, make writing on the tablet feel natural. The stylus can also be used for gesture control. However, this is not something that works well in everyday life.

The fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the power button on the side, takes some getting used to. The fingerprint scanner works quickly and reliably. However, it is not easy to locate by touch.

In addition to the fingerprint reader, the Tab S7 supports facial recognition. The 2D face unlock works quickly and reliably. However, it does not work very well in the dark.

Test Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Tablet
Test Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Tablet
Test Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Tablet

Display - Galaxy Tab S7 with a 120-Hz panel

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Backlight bleeding
Backlight bleeding

The LTPS panel in the Galaxy Tab S7 has a native resolution of 2560x1600 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Just like the Apple iPad Pro 11, it also offers a 120-Hz refresh rate.

The maximum brightness on a pure white screen amounts to 569 cd/m². It is a bit disappointing that the liquid-crystal display relies on pulse width modulation for brightness control. Moreover, in poorly lit environments, the screen bleeding becomes noticeable, especially when viewing dark content.  

In our APL50 test, in which the screen displays a pattern of alternating black and white squares of equal size, we measured a maximum brightness of 557 cd/m².   

548
cd/m²
519
cd/m²
515
cd/m²
569
cd/m²
554
cd/m²
521
cd/m²
535
cd/m²
525
cd/m²
526
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 569 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 534.7 cd/m² Minimum: 4.44 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 554 cd/m²
Contrast: 1679:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.32
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
LTPS, 2560x1600, 11.00
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
IPS, 2388x1668, 11.00
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
Super AMOLED, 2800x1752, 12.40
Screen
18%
-20%
-14%
Brightness middle
554
617
11%
606
9%
441
-20%
Brightness
535
585
9%
579
8%
447
-16%
Brightness Distribution
91
84
-8%
89
-2%
98
8%
Black Level *
0.33
0.36
-9%
0.32
3%
Contrast
1679
1714
2%
1894
13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.1
0.94
55%
2.9
-38%
2.4
-14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.1
1.87
74%
6
15%
4.1
42%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.6
1.4
12%
4.3
-169%
2.9
-81%
Gamma
2.32 95%
2.156 102%
2.22 99%
2.01 109%
CCT
6623 98%
6733 97%
7272 89%
6469 100%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 59520 Hz ≤ 21 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 59520 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 21 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 59520 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Unlike the Tab S7 Plus, which comes with an OLED panel, the Tab S7 features a liquid-crystal display, which offers a much lower contrast ratio. Nevertheless, a contrast ratio of about 1700:1 is very good for this type of display. In the APL50 test, the contrast ratio amounted to 1689:1 and the black value to 0.33 cd/m². 

The Samsung slate offers good grayscale performance. The Delta E colour deviations are relatively small and the panel is able to cover most of the DCI-P3 colour space. However, the iPad Pro 11 offers slightly better performance here. The fact that the Tab S7 does not offer a colour temperature slider is quite puzzling. The selection of colour profiles is also quite limited.   

CalMAN: Colour accuracy (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Colour accuracy (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Colour-space coverage (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Colour-space coverage (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Grayscale performance (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Grayscale performance (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps (Mode: Vivid, colour space: DCI-P3)
CalMAN: Colour accuracy (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Colour accuracy (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Colour-space coverage (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Colour-space coverage (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Grayscale performance (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Grayscale performance (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps (Mode: Natural, colour space: sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
20.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 40 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 23.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Thanks to the high contrast ratio, the display of the Samsung tablet is legible outside. However, in direct sunlight, the screen content is difficult to read, because the panel does not offer enough brightness to overcome reflections. Users should also keep in mind that the brightness drops to 463 cd/m² when the ambient light sensor is disabled.

Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

The panel of the Galaxy Tab S7 offers very stable viewing angles, which is why the colours do not become distorted even when the screen is viewed from extreme angles. There is a drop in brightness at acute viewing angles. However, this should not be a problem in day-to-day use.

Review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Performance - Samsung slate with a Snapdragon 865 Plus

The Snapdragon 865 Plus is made using the 7-nm manufacturing process. It features one Prime Core clocked at up to 3.1 GHz, three high-performance Cortex-A77 cores clocked at up to 2.42 GHz and four high-efficiency Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 1.8 GHz. The Adreno 650 in the Snapdragon 865 Plus is supposed to be clocked 10% higher than in the conventional Snapdragon 865.

In our suite of benchmarks, the Galaxy Tab S7 takes a spot near the top. However, it is not that much faster than other devices with the Snapdragon 865. When compared to the HiSilicon Kirin 990 in the MatePad Pro, the Snapdragon SoC offers a significantly higher level of GPU performance. Because of a lower screen resolution, the Tab S7 does slightly better than the Tab S7+ in the GPU benchmarks. 

Thanks to a high-end SoC, fast UFS 3.1 internal memory and a 120-Hz display, the Samsung slate feels very snappy in day-to-day use. The loading times are very fast and the animations are very smooth. However, 6 GB of RAM can become a bottleneck when using multiple demanding applications at the same time. 

In the benchmarks with our reference-grade microSD card (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501), the Tab S7 achieved similar results to the MatePad Pro.

Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
1127 Points +17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (950 - 1006, n=6)
979 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
963 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
950 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
906 Points -6%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
759 Points -21%
Average of class Tablet (140 - 1892, n=66, last 2 years)
680 Points -29%
Multi-Core
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
4707 Points +47%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
3338 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (3012 - 3458, n=6)
3243 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
3201 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
3063 Points -4%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
2893 Points -10%
Average of class Tablet (312 - 8524, n=66, last 2 years)
2439 Points -24%
OpenCL Score 5.1
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
3756 Points
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
2932 Points
Average of class Tablet (452 - 10879, n=14, last 2 years)
2853 Points
OpenCL Score
Average of class Tablet (1102 - 10902, n=9, last 2 years)
4980 Points +39%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
3591 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (3466 - 3671, n=6)
3556 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
3466 Points -3%
Vulkan Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
3732 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (3119 - 4105, n=6)
3655 Points -2%
Average of class Tablet (521 - 11502, n=14, last 2 years)
3537 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
3473 Points -7%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
4493 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus)
4493 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
4261 Points -5%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
3865 Points -14%
Average of class Tablet (745 - 5713, n=15, last 2 years)
2711 Points -40%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
13186 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
13066 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus)
13066 Points 0%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
11885 Points -9%
Average of class Tablet (1418 - 15310, n=15, last 2 years)
7880 Points -40%
Compute RenderScript Score
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
9443 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
9279 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus)
9279 Points 0%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
8892 Points -4%
Average of class Tablet (2128 - 9945, n=10, last 2 years)
6573 Points -29%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (13629 - 19824, n=5)
15404 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
14982 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
13629 Points -9%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
13142 Points -12%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
10918 Points -27%
Work 2.0 performance score
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (12355 - 14979, n=6)
13143 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
12603 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
12466 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
10952 Points -13%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
8636 Points -31%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
110846 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
109154 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (91762 - 117606, n=5)
102336 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
101385 Points
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
82937 Points -18%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
42861 Points -58%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
221941 Points +35%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
164853 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
160665 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (128372 - 169103, n=5)
158068 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
150281 Points -9%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
64715 Points -61%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
51436 Points +20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (35563 - 56928, n=5)
46532 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
42810 Points
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
40279 Points -6%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
32384 Points -24%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
19565 Points -54%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
9238 Points
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
9123 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (8272 - 10046, n=6)
8977 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
8675 Points -6%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4215 Points -54%
Average of class Tablet (507 - 8472, n=19, last 2 years)
2878 Points -69%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
14283 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
12725 Points -11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (11107 - 14283, n=6)
12559 Points -12%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
12394 Points -13%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4256 Points -70%
Average of class Tablet (454 - 10759, n=19, last 2 years)
3021 Points -79%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
4729 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (4104 - 5301, n=6)
4589 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
4482 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
4104 Points -8%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4056 Points -10%
Average of class Tablet (863 - 4858, n=19, last 2 years)
2901 Points -35%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (8709 - 10467, n=6)
9355 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
9283 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
8902 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
8823 Points -5%
Average of class Tablet (539 - 17675, n=28, last 2 years)
5681 Points -39%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4472 Points -52%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
13779 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
13149 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (11617 - 13779, n=6)
12893 Points -6%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
12694 Points -8%
Average of class Tablet (485 - 35165, n=28, last 2 years)
8154 Points -41%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4405 Points -68%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (4178 - 5686, n=6)
4805 Points +11%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4702 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
4319 Points
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
4283 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
4178 Points -3%
Average of class Tablet (463 - 6449, n=28, last 2 years)
3683 Points -15%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1)
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (6850 - 7881, n=5)
7346 Points +3%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
7157 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
7098 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
6850 Points -3%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4334 Points -39%
Average of class Tablet (361 - 14235, n=49, last 2 years)
2029 Points -71%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (8548 - 9140, n=5)
8924 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
8894 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
8548 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
8299 Points -7%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4425 Points -50%
Average of class Tablet (290 - 24605, n=49, last 2 years)
2147 Points -76%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
4895 Points +17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (4041 - 5318, n=5)
4572 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
4201 Points
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4096 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
4041 Points -4%
Average of class Tablet (858 - 5751, n=49, last 2 years)
2781 Points -34%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (7369 - 8780, n=6)
8154 Points +6%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
7986 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
7701 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
7369 Points -4%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4467 Points -42%
Average of class Tablet (267 - 14235, n=57, last 2 years)
3157 Points -59%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (9453 - 10442, n=6)
10019 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
9893 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
9453 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
9356 Points -5%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4356 Points -56%
Average of class Tablet (240 - 24605, n=57, last 2 years)
3746 Points -62%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
5277 Points +23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (4159 - 5751, n=6)
4965 Points +16%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4756 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
4298 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
4159 Points -3%
Average of class Tablet (441 - 5751, n=57, last 2 years)
3209 Points -25%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
6578 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
6292 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
6226 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (4846 - 6977, n=5)
6060 Points -4%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4036 Points -36%
Average of class Tablet (615 - 4741, n=48, last 2 years)
1750 Points -72%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
8768 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
8745 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (7613 - 9054, n=5)
8645 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
8173 Points -7%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4156 Points -53%
Average of class Tablet (521 - 5731, n=48, last 2 years)
1736 Points -80%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
3830 Points +17%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
3658 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
3285 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
3100 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (1845 - 3875, n=5)
3098 Points -6%
Average of class Tablet (1671 - 3199, n=48, last 2 years)
2476 Points -25%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
119 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
116 fps -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (60 - 142, n=5)
110.2 fps -7%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
90 fps -24%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
60 fps -50%
Average of class Tablet (14 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
58.3 fps -51%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
225 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
215 fps -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (171 - 225, n=5)
211 fps -6%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
203 fps -10%
Average of class Tablet (15 - 873, n=57, last 2 years)
144.2 fps -36%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
135 fps -40%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
88 fps +7%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
82 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (60 - 117, n=5)
80.2 fps -2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
67 fps -18%
Average of class Tablet (8.1 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
45 fps -45%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
44 fps -46%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
134 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (110 - 134, n=5)
126.4 fps -6%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
125 fps -7%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
122 fps -9%
Average of class Tablet (7.3 - 494, n=57, last 2 years)
87.3 fps -35%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
64 fps -52%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
77 fps +51%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (41 - 82, n=5)
56 fps +10%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
51 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
41 fps -20%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
34 fps -33%
Average of class Tablet (4.8 - 118.3, n=57, last 2 years)
33.5 fps -34%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
93 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (75 - 93, n=5)
88.2 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
88 fps -5%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
86 fps -8%
Average of class Tablet (5 - 340, n=57, last 2 years)
59.9 fps -36%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
41 fps -56%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
45 fps +41%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (24 - 52, n=5)
36.8 fps +15%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
32 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
24 fps -25%
Average of class Tablet (3.1 - 94.5, n=57, last 2 years)
21.2 fps -34%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
21 fps -34%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
57 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (46 - 57, n=5)
53.2 fps -7%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
53 fps -7%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
50 fps -12%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
38 fps -33%
Average of class Tablet (2.2 - 214, n=57, last 2 years)
35.8 fps -37%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
30 fps +43%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (18 - 35, n=6)
27.2 fps +30%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
21 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
18 fps -14%
Average of class Tablet (1.9 - 97.3, n=68, last 2 years)
14.8 fps -30%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
13 fps -38%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
22 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
22 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (22 - 22, n=6)
22 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
20 fps -9%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
17 fps -23%
Average of class Tablet (0.9 - 90, n=68, last 2 years)
14 fps -36%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
47 fps +42%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (27 - 54, n=6)
41.5 fps +26%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
33 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
27 fps -18%
Average of class Tablet (3 - 111, n=68, last 2 years)
21.3 fps -35%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
17 fps -48%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
58 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
57 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (46 - 59, n=6)
56 fps -3%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
54 (20min) fps -7%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
41 fps -29%
Average of class Tablet (2.5 - 279, n=68, last 2 years)
37.3 fps -36%
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
712218 Points +22%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
595466 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
584052 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (490260 - 622888, n=4)
571612 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
490260 Points -16%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
409039 Points -30%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
6072 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (5305 - 6247, n=4)
5656 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
5592 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
5305 Points -5%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
4738 Points -15%
Average of class Tablet (444 - 8886, n=51, last 2 years)
3569 Points -36%
System
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
10002 Points +11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (8965 - 9901, n=4)
9264 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
8994 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
8965 Points 0%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
8215 Points -9%
Average of class Tablet (1103 - 14097, n=51, last 2 years)
6449 Points -28%
Memory
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
7945 Points +22%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
6751 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (5918 - 8056, n=4)
6654 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
6501 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
5918 Points -9%
Average of class Tablet (916 - 8890, n=51, last 2 years)
4229 Points -35%
Graphics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
12048 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (11773 - 12048, n=4)
11899 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
11773 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
11567 Points -4%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
8775 Points -27%
Average of class Tablet (580 - 31738, n=51, last 2 years)
6458 Points -46%
Web
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
1514 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
1409 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (1268 - 1621, n=4)
1407 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
1268 Points -10%
Average of class Tablet (10 - 1907, n=51, last 2 years)
1196 Points -15%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
1032 Points -27%

Legend

 
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus), Qualcomm Adreno 650, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
 
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 Apple A12Z Bionic, Apple A12Z Bionic GPU, 128 GB NVMe
 
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 HiSilicon Kirin 990, ARM Mali-G76 MP16, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus), Qualcomm Adreno 650, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
 
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm Adreno 650, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Safari 14.1)
127.4 Points +77%
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Chrome 80)
124.5 Points +73%
Average of class Tablet (19.9 - 236, n=59, last 2 years)
85.4 Points +19%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (Samsung Browser 12.1)
72.5 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (69.8 - 75.5, n=4)
72.4 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Chrome86)
71.8 Points
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (Huawei Browser V10.1.2)
55.1 Points -23%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Chrome 80)
274.4 Points +116%
Average of class Tablet (57.3 - 436, n=6, last 2 years)
143.8 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (Samsung Browser 12.1)
127.6 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Chrome86)
127 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (121.7 - 131.5, n=4)
127 Points 0%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (Huawei Browser V10.1.2)
101.2 Points -20%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Safari 14.1)
194 Points +67%
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Chrome 80)
141 Points +22%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (Samsung Browser 12.1)
126 Points +9%
Average of class Tablet (34 - 342, n=41, last 2 years)
121.7 Points +5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (114 - 126, n=4)
119.8 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Chrome86)
116 Points
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (Huawei Browser V10.1.2)
97 Points -16%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Safari 14.1)
154 runs/min +117%
Average of class Tablet (14.7 - 376, n=52, last 2 years)
78.6 runs/min +11%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (Samsung Browser 12.1)
71.3 runs/min +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Chrome86)
70.9 runs/min
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (41.2 - 73.3, n=4)
64.2 runs/min -9%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (Huawei Browser V10.1.2)
63.9 runs/min -10%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Safari 14.1)
42425 Points +60%
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Chrome 80)
42372 Points +60%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (Samsung Browser 12.1)
27360 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (25953 - 27360, n=4)
26679 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Chrome86)
26495 Points
Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=70, last 2 years)
23400 Points -12%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (Huawei Browser V10.1.2)
19885 Points -25%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years)
3204 ms * -69%
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (Huawei Browser V10.1.2)
2345 ms * -23%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (Samsung Browser 12.1)
1947 ms * -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) (1854 - 1947, n=4)
1908 ms * -0%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (Chrome86)
1900 ms *
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 (Chrome 80)
646 ms * +66%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 PlusAverage 128 GB UFS 3.1 FlashAverage of class Tablet
AndroBench 3-5
1%
4%
8%
-30%
Sequential Read 256KB
1512
1789
18%
1675
11%
1602 ?(1030 - 3134, n=55)
6%
848 ?(163 - 3414, n=65, last 2 years)
-44%
Sequential Write 256KB
680
399
-41%
732
8%
778 ?(233 - 1332, n=55)
14%
537 ?(78.2 - 2528, n=65, last 2 years)
-21%
Random Read 4KB
219
224.6
3%
230.1
5%
244 ?(126.2 - 428, n=55)
11%
166.7 ?(18.4 - 451, n=65, last 2 years)
-24%
Random Write 4KB
211.5
262.4
24%
205
-3%
245 ?(121.4 - 503, n=55)
16%
149.4 ?(8.23 - 503, n=65, last 2 years)
-29%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
86 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
82.4 ?(NM Card)
-4%
85.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
85.9 ?(85.8 - 86, n=2)
0%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
69 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
71.7 ?(NM Card)
4%
69.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
68.8 ?(68.6 - 69, n=2)
0%

Gaming - Galaxy tablet is suitable for gaming

Both the touchscreen and the motion sensor worked well during our gaming sessions. The very capable Adreno 650 graphics unit can run all current games in the Google Play Store smoothly.

We use Gamebench to record frame rates. The Android tablet manages to achieve 60 FPS in Asphalt 9 some of the time. The Tab S7 achieves around 40 FPS in PUBG Mobile on the currently highest settings. 60 FPS is possible with reduced graphics settings. In certain titles, which support high refresh rates (Armajet), the Tab S7 can hit up to 120 FPS, just like its bigger brother Tab S7+.  

PUBG mobile
PUBG mobile
Asphalt 9 Legends
Asphalt 9 Legends
PUBG
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7; Balanced: Ø59.9 (58-60)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7; HD: Ø59.7 (52-61)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7; Ultra HD: Ø40 (39-41)
Asphalt 9 Legends
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7: Ø57.3 (44-60)

Emissions - Galaxy Tab S7 never gets hot

Temperature

The housing of the Android slate does not get hot. However, there appear to be some problems under the hood, because we observed throttling when conducting our stress test with GFXBench. In the Manhattan 3.1 benchmark, the performance drops significantly after the 18th pass. This is why users may experience drops in GPU performance under sustained load.

Max. Load
 28.1 °C
83 F
27.4 °C
81 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
 28.8 °C
84 F
26.5 °C
80 F
33.5 °C
92 F
 
 27.8 °C
82 F
25.4 °C
78 F
32.2 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 33.5 °C = 92 F
Average: 29.2 °C = 85 F
25.6 °C
78 F
27.1 °C
81 F
28.5 °C
83 F
25.3 °C
78 F
27.3 °C
81 F
29.8 °C
86 F
25 °C
77 F
26.3 °C
79 F
28.1 °C
83 F
Maximum: 29.8 °C = 86 F
Average: 27 °C = 81 F
Power Supply (max.)  24.8 °C = 77 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.2 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.5 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Frequency response
Frequency response

There are two speakers on either side of the Tab S7. Our main point of criticism is that the speakers produce very little bass. Nevertheless, the Tab S7 provides a good sound quality, for a tablet. The Samsung slate does a good job reproducing the mid and the high frequencies. Moreover, the Tab S7 is sufficiently loud (88 dB(A)).

The Tab S7 does not feature a 3.5-mm audio jack, which is why users will have to use a USB-C to 3.5-mm headphone jack adapter to connect standard wired headphones. However, there is no adapter in the box, which is quite puzzling given the high MSRP of the device.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.523.22521.326.73118.426.44022.5275020.333.56315.828.48015.735.710016.746.912515.153.51601561.920010.662.125014.167.331510.872.140010.973.650010.577.46308.877.28001075.7100010.179125011.177160011.97720001174.6250012.171.6315012.574.4400012.778.5500013.476630013.879.180001576100001475.61250014.1651600014.157.3SPL24.488.4N0.584median 12.5median 75.6Delta25.242.340.440.741.131.138.634.34334.751.928.946.423.840.926.249.42253.720.757.32157.218.657.117.762.517.268.31970.51771.515.27217.369.715.468.618.564.615.958.715.165.614.464.314.860.115.161.215.363.815.664.915.961.416.161.216.65760.869.667.428.378.515.224.219.31.145.8median 16.6median 62.5median 43.3median 14.7median 62.13.13.92413.616.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSamsung Galaxy Tab S7Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Samsung slate with an 8000-mAh battery

Energy Consumption

The 8000-mAh battery of the Galaxy Tab S7 can be charged relatively quickly - according to Internet reports it takes about 80 minutes for the battery to fully charge. However, the 45-W power adapter is not included in the box, which is why it will have to be purchased separately. The slate takes more than 2.5 hours to fully charge with the included 15-W charger. 

The power consumption of the 11-inch tablet is on a good level. When compared directly to the larger OLED sibling, the relative inefficiency of the liquid-crystal panel becomes apparent.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.11 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.16 / 4.42 / 4.43 Watt
Load midlight 8.86 / 11.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
8000 mAh
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
7538 mAh
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
7250 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
10090 mAh
Power Consumption
-25%
-13%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
1.16
1.3
-12%
1.98
-71%
2.41
-108%
Idle Average *
4.42
3.5
21%
5.66
-28%
3.4
23%
Idle Maximum *
4.43
5.6
-26%
5.69
-28%
3.43
23%
Load Average *
8.86
12.5
-41%
6.96
21%
6.63
25%
Load Maximum *
11.6
19.2
-66%
6.98
40%
10.29
11%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our realistically oriented Wi-Fi test, in which we set the screen brightness to 150 cd/m² and enabled the 120-Hz mode, the Tab S7 achieved a battery runtime of 13.5 hours. In our video test, the Samsung tablet lasted for almost 15 hours. Here, it performed much better than its bigger sibling and was on the same level as the MatePad Pro.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
32h 43min
WiFi Websurfing
13h 31min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
14h 45min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 41min
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
8000 mAh
Apple iPad Pro 11 2020
7538 mAh
Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8
7250 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
10090 mAh
Battery Runtime
2%
4%
-18%
Reader / Idle
1963
2001
2%
1877
-4%
898
-54%
H.264
885
936
6%
909
3%
620
-30%
WiFi v1.3
811
902
11%
891
10%
425
-48%
Load
221
197
-11%
233
5%
355
61%

Pros

+ contrast-rich 120-Hz screen
+ high level of performance
+ fast storage
+ build quality
+ great speakers
+ S Pen

Cons

- power button is set too deep into the frame
- "only" 6 GB of RAM
- no 5G modem
- PWM
- no IP rating
- 45-W fast charger not included in the box

Verdict of the Galaxy Tab S7: Samsung got a lot right, but not everything

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 review. Device provided courtesy of: notebooksbilliger.de
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 review. Device provided courtesy of: notebooksbilliger.de

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is an attractive Android tablet that is able to give the rest of the high-end, but still somewhat economic, competition a run for its money. In fact, the only real competitor in the Android space is Huawei’s MatePad Pro, which has some weaknesses that the Tab S7 does not. The Samsung slate has a fingerprint sensor, a 120-Hz panel and no camera hole, which darkens the portion of the screen surrounding it. Moreover, the Tab S7 supports Google Play Services and the Huawei slate does not. 

Besides the great speakers, fast UFS storage and the powerful Qualcomm SoC, we also liked the included S Pen and the functionality it provides. The build quality is on a very good level. However, the matte surfaces do not provide a lot of grip. 

The Galaxy Tab S7 is a superb Android tablet, which has not been treated as well as it deserves. 

All in all, the premium tablet opens itself up to more criticism than the Galaxy S20 smartphones. For instance, it does not have such premium features as an IP certification, an NFC chip or wireless charging. The fact that the box does not include the 45-W fast charger is hard to wrap your head around, because of the high MSRP of the device. It is also hard to understand why the Tab S7 has only 6 GB of RAM when there was an 8 GB version of the Tab S6 and the Note 20 Ultra actually ships with up to 16 GB of RAM. The fact that the cellular version of the Tab S7 only comes with a 4G modem is quite puzzling as well.        

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 - 10/15/2020 v7
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
88 / 98 → 89%
Keyboard
72 / 80 → 89%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
66 / 70 → 94%
Weight
83 / 40-88 → 90%
Battery
90%
Display
88%
Games Performance
63 / 78 → 80%
Application Performance
83 / 92 → 90%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
89 / 91 → 98%
Camera
57 / 85 → 68%
Average
82%
90%
Tablet - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Tablet Review - Doubtlessly the best 11-inch Android tablet
Marcus Herbrich, 2020-10-16 (Update: 2020-10-18)