The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will challenge the iPad Pro — if you can stomach the notch.
What you need to know
- WinFuture has leaked specs for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, and S8 Ultra.
- All three tablets will have Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoCs, Android 12, quad speakers, QHD 120Hz displays, 8GB of base RAM, expandable storage slots, and S Pen support.
- The S8+ will upgrade from the S8’s 11-inch LCD to 12.4-inch AMOLED, matching the S7 series.
- The 14.6 S8 Ultra will be the only model with a 16GB RAM option.
We’ve known for some time that Samsung would announce the Galaxy S22 at an Unpacked event in early February. Now, rumors suggest that it will simultaneously announce the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup at the same event.
WinFuture has laid bare all of the Galaxy Tab S8 specs you need to know. And based solely on the hardware, they’ll immediately supplant the S7 series as the best Android tablets available.
The Galaxy Tab S8 series will use the top-class Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and 8GB of RAM, whereas the 2020 S7s used the slightly-downgraded 865+ and had 6GB unless you upgraded the memory.
Like the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+, you’ll have to upgrade to the 12.4-inch S8+ to get an AMOLED screen, while the 11-inch S8 uses LCD. But all three S8s have WQXGA resolution and 120Hz refresh rates, which should make streaming and gaming buttery smooth.
In terms of Galaxy Tab S8 pricing, WinFuture claims they’ll cost between €680–900 for the S8, €880–1,110 euros for the Plus, and €1,040-1,220 for the Ultra. These ranges are similar to another Galaxy pricing leak from @chunvn8888, which suggested the S8 would cost less than $850, the S8+ between $900 and $1,000, and the Ultra at $1,100.
Whatever the final pricing, it’s fair to guess that the S8 series will cost much more than the S7 series at launch, in exchange for the upgraded specs.
We recently got a real-world look at the Galaxy Tab S8, and they match the renders released by WinFuture. Essentially, the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ will look very similar to their predecessors.
The new model is the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which will allegedly have tiny bezels for a huge screen-to-body ratio, making it best-suited for sitting on a desk with a keyboard attachment. At 5.5mm thick, it’s the thinnest of the lineup; though at 728g/1.6 pounds, it’ll still be far harder to hold for long periods compared to the 6.3mm, 507g/1.1 pound Galaxy Tab S8.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will also have an iPhone-esque notch that houses dual 12MP sensors. Reportedly, the S8 and S8+ will only have one sensor for video calling; it’s possible the second Ultra sensor will improve Face ID recognition, or just take better selfies.
All three tablets will start at an 8GB/128GB Wi-Fi configuration, with an option to upgrade to a cellular 5G model. While the S8 and S8+ will offer 256GB upgrades, the RAM will stay the same, and you can always use the microSD expandable storage instead. With the Tab S8 Ultra, the 512GB upgrade also doubles the RAM to 16GB, which’ll make it incredibly powerful for productivity in DeX mode.
In terms of battery life, the S8/S8+ match the S7 series with 8,000mAh and 10,090mAh, respectively. The S8 Ultra, meanwhile, will barely beat the S8+ at 11,200mAh; given its much-larger display, we can’t help but wonder if its battery life will be lower than the Plus’s.
Otherwise, all three tablets will have the latest software and standards to make it last for years. It’ll run Android 12, or One UI 4, out of the box, and should have three years of OS updates in store. It supports USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.2, and Dolby Atmos audio, and it works with the included S Pen. And it uses Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.
The latest rumors suggest that the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event will take place on February 8, and that the Galaxy S22 smartphone will launch that day and ship on February 24. Given that Samsung will also announce the S8 series that day, we can also hope to see the new tablets in late February. But we don’t have a leaked release date as of yet.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
$500 at Amazon
$510 at Best Buy
$650 at Samsung
The Galaxy Tab S7 is still among the best Android tablets you can buy. It features a brilliant 120Hz display with S Pen support, a premium design, and an 8,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging.