Samsung finally launched its newest trio of Galaxy Tab S8 tablets during its Samsung Unpacked February event, and all of them turned out to be mostly in line with what we were expecting.
While many buyers will be happy with the Galaxy Tab S8 or S8 Plus, the S8 Ultra is the company’s most premium option and is certain to turn the heads of power users. Its noticeably larger size is an attractive feature all by itself, but Samsung hasn’t stopped the upgrades there. The S8 Ultra is also packed with a variety of internal improvements over its smaller siblings and is clearly geared toward productivity and people who work from home. These improvements will come at a higher asking price, of course.
Better, faster, stronger
The first thing anyone is likely to notice about the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is its gigantic 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display that sports a resolution of 2960 x 1848, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a screen-to-body ratio of 90%. The device supports fast charging with USC Type-C 3.2 for its whopping 11,200mAh battery. Despite all of this, it’s only 0.22 inches thick, making the S8 Ultra the thinnest of Samsung’s new tablets.
The Tab S8 Ultra contains the same 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 octa-core processor as the S8 and S8 Plus, but unlike those devices, this higher-end model comes in three configurations. Buyers can opt for 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage, or 16GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. It also supports expanded microSD storage up to 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6GHz), and Bluetooth 5.2.
The Tab S8 Ultra has the same 13MP main shooter and 6MP ultrawide sensor as its siblings, as well as the same 12MP front-facing ultrawide sensor. However, it also includes a second 12MP full-frame sensor on the front. Automatic framing for up to 10 subjects is available, but using the feature steps the resolution down to merely Full HD at 30fps. It’s clear that Samsung wants this to be useful to workers using Zoom, Google Meets, and other videoconferencing apps while working remotely.
Rounding things out is an included S Pen, which answers the long-asked question of whether the peripheral would be usable on the new line of Galaxy devices. The S Pen charges easily by docking on the back of the slate, and it allows you to write, draw, take notes, and everything else you could do on previous generations. Also on the productivity side is the keyboard cover, which isn’t included unless you pre-order. It lets you do everything you can do in a 2-in-1, including word processing, spreadsheets, and browsing, and you can also boot into Samsung DeX for a full laptop experience.
Software and authentication
It comes as no surprise that the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra ships with Android 12. Authentication options include using a pin/pattern, face recognition, or the built-in fingerprint scanner on the display. Samsung is also making a lot of noise about its new multitasking and productivity features that let you work across the slate, other Samsung devices, and your desktop in a more seamless way.
Pricing and availability
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra starts at $1,100 for the 128GB model. Pre-orders start today, and Samsung is including a free keyboard cover with every order.
