Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series: 14.6-inch display, dual cameras and… is that a notch?

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Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event has finally happened and on top of the Galaxy S22, S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra, there’s also a new lineup of tablets from the Korean giants. With three models to pick from, at the top of the product stack is the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which beats Apple to the distinction of being the first to put a notch on a tablet’s display.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra specs

Seeing as this is the best one of the lot, let’s first take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Right off the bat you can probably notice the huge 14.6-inch, WQXGA+ Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 240ppi. That display is also able to push a refresh rate up to 120Hz. However, it’s still not technically the largest ever tablet they’ve ever made, as their Galaxy View tablet from 2016 had a staggering 18.4-inch display.

Of course, you can’t really mention the display without also pointing out that notch, which houses both a 12MP wide camera and another 12MP ultra-wide camera. Sure, the bezels are impressively thin, but the jury’s still out on whether it’s worth the indentation into the display. It should be noted though that Samsung has added in an auto-framing function, like Apple’s Center Stage, to keep you always in frame during video calls. On the rear of the device meanwhile is a dual camera setup with a 13MP main camera and a 6MP ultra wide camera.

Under the hood, it’s packing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 system-on-chip, with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. You’ll also get the option to add in expandable storage too via a microSD card up to 1TB. All of that is in an aluminum body that’s just 5.5mm thin and weighs approximately 726g. It comes with Android 12 out of the box, which means that Samsung may also introduce the Android 12L special feature drop for even more optimisations for large displays. You’ll also be able to use the Galaxy S22 Ultra as a secondary display together with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

Elsewhere, you’ll find an 11,200mAh battery keeping the lights on with 45W fast charging. However, the charging brick doesn’t come in the box so you’ll want to ensure you have one on hand. What will come in the box though is the S Pen, which we’ll be covering in more detail so you’ll want to stay tuned. Other features of note include an under-display fingerprint sensor for biometric security, a quad stereo speaker setup by AKG with Dolby Atmos and a triple microphone array. As for connectivity, there’s WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, while 5G-enabled models also exist though don’t seem to be available in Malaysia.

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will start at USD1,099.99 in the United States, and comes in just one colourway, Graphite. As for local pricing and model availability, so far it appears as though only the WiFi-only model with 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage is available for RM5,899. Other accessories for the tablet will also be made available, such as a book cover keyboard, a book cover and a protective standing cover. For more information about the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, you can check out its product page here.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ specs

As for the other two entries in the Galaxy Tab S8 series, we have the base model Galaxy Tab S8 and the slightly larger Galaxy Tab S8+. Starting with the Galaxy Tab S8, it has an 11-inch, WQXGA LTPS TFT display with a 276ppi pixel density, while the Galaxy Tab S8 has a larger 12.4-inch, WQXGA+ Super AMOLED display with a 266ppi pixel density. Both tablets are able to push up to a 120Hz refresh rate. They also don’t have the same notch on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, but do have thicker bezels surrounding the screen.

Another key difference between the two is the battery size. The Galaxy Tab S8 has a decent 8,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy Tab S8+ bumps it up to 10,090mAh battery capacity. Both come with 45W fast charging though, and both sadly also won’t come with the charging brick in the box. Meanwhile, the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy Tab S8 is on the side, but the Galaxy Tab S8+ has an under-display fingerprint sensor. The larger tablet is also heavier at 567g, while the base model is a mere 503g in weight.

Under the hood, you’re looking at the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip powering the device, with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, as well as a microSD card slot for up to 1TB of expandable storage. They only have one front facing camera though compared to the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, with a single 12MP ultra-wide camera. The rear of the tablets also keep the 13MP main camera and 6MP ultra-wide camera setup.

Other features of note are mostly the same as that found on the higher spec Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. These include the quad stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, the triple microphone array and support for WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 as well as 5G-capable models that again don’t appear to be available in Malaysia just yet. They also come with Android 12 out of the box, along with an S Pen too.

As for pricing, the base model Galaxy Tab S8 starts at USD699.99, while the Galaxy Tab S8+ starts at USD899.99. So far, only the WiFi-only models seem available in Malaysia, with the 128GB Galaxy Tab S8 priced at RM3,299 while the 256GB Galaxy Tab S8+ priced at RM4,599. Other accessories for the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ include options for a book cover keyboard, a slim book cover keyboard, a book cover, a protective standing cover, a strap cover and a note view cover. The two tablets will come in either Silver, Pink Gold or Graphite colourways. You can check out more about the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ on their website.