Samsung remains faithful to present a flagship tablet for the Indonesian market. Through its newest product, the Galaxy Tab S8 Series, this South Korean manufacturer offers three types of tablets at once, including the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+, and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The Galaxy Tab S8 itself has two options, namely the WiFi Only version and the 5G version.
Well , what we will discuss in this review article is the cheapest variant, namely the Galaxy Tab S8 (WiFi only) which is sold at a price of $695.90. Curious how it performs? Come on, just take a look at the short review!
Slim and premium design
Not only the cheapest, the Galaxy Tab S8 is also the smallest compared to its two brothers. The screen size is 11 inches with bezels that can still be considered thin for the size of a tablet. The body is made of a flat square with quite ergonomic corners.
As far as our experience goes, the Galaxy Tab S8 is still comfortable to travel with. The slim body makes this tablet easy to fit into a bag, even when the keyboard cover is attached. Yes, Samsung again provides a keyboard cover that can be purchased separately.
Let’s leave this keyboard aside and return to the discussion of the tablet. Galaxy Tab S8 adopts premium metal material. There are no certain accents that make it look different. The design is not too different from its predecessor generation. On the back, you will again find a magnetic area to stick the S Pen.
Back to the keyboard cover, besides being easy to install and not making the tablet size too thick, the layout looks more minimalist without a touchpad. Not the most comfortable keyboard for typing, but very practical for just completing tasks while on the move.
Bright and sharp big screen
The tablet with an 11-inch LTPS TFT screen carries a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. There is an adaptive function that will adjust the refresh rate automatically according to the content being displayed. Although the panel is not yet Super AMOLED, the brightness level and color presentation are commendable.
In our opinion, the Galaxy Tab S8 screen is very adequate to facilitate various needs. Browsing, social media, typing documents, editing photos and videos, watching movies, and playing games were all fun while we tested it.
Another plus comes from the audio sector, which sounds pleasing to the ear, thanks to the Quad Stereo Speakers developed by AKG. Not to forget, Samsung also provides Dolby Atmos support. This combination makes the Galaxy Tab S8 a solid device for entertainment.
Super agile performance
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is armed with the fastest chipset from Qualcomm today, namely the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 4nm. No wonder the performance is super agile. Opening and switching between applications feels so fast. Business productivity, multitasking, and entertainment can be run smoothly without any problems.
We also had time to try playing Genshin Impact to simply test the capabilities of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Although the frame rate obtained was quite stable at the Medium 60fps graphics setting, there is a possibility that the power from this chipset is somewhat restrained so that the temperature rise is not excessive. In fact, relatively cool as far as our testing goes.
On the one hand, you don’t have to worry about hot temperatures when running heavy applications such as games for a long time. But on the other hand, the true potential of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 has not been fully unleashed. Well, we get back to you. Need a tablet for productivity or gaming?
Battery? 8,000 mAh. Battery life is pretty good. Not too extravagant for a tablet with this fast hardware. Used for work that is more like browsing and typing documents for about 1 hour, the battery is not much reduced. Watching videos from YouTube for 1 hour is only reduced by about 10 to 15 percent (depending on the resolution).
The Galaxy Tab S8 is also supported by 45W Fast Charging technology. Unfortunately, Samsung again does not provide a default charger in this tablet box. Yes, if you don’t have one, you have to buy it separately.
S Pen, DeX and other interesting features
The interesting feature that is the mainstay of the Galaxy Tab S8 Series is none other than the latest generation S Pen which has lower latency, with a reportedly quite significant upgrade from the previous S Pen. His writing experience is even more similar to scribbling pen on paper.
For the record, this S Pen requires power from the battery embedded in it. When you stick it on the magnetic area of the tablet, the S Pen will automatically charge. Not just for writing, the Galaxy Tab S8’s S Pen can be used for selfies, controlling presentations, and playing music/movies.
DeX? Not much has changed, the point is that it still provides an experience like using a laptop. Not only the appearance, some standard functions that you usually find on a PC are also available, such as copying or moving files by drag and drop.
This Android 12-based tablet is equipped with a 13 MP main camera accompanied by a 6 MP ultra-wide camera. On the front, Samsung embeds a 12 MP ultra-wide camera. For those who often use video conferencing applications such as Zoom, Samsung has embedded an Auto Framing feature that can ensure your position is always in the center of the screen.
Conclusion
The cheapest does not mean unsatisfactory. The Galaxy Tab S8 is still able to provide the maximum experience as a flagship-class tablet. The performance is fast, the features are advanced, and it looks premium. As a supporter of productivity and or, the Galaxy Tab S8 is one of the best options that you can buy in Indonesia today.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 WiFi is available in Graphite color options. For those who are interested, the price is $695.90 . While the 5G version is priced at $904.69 .
Pros of Galaxy Tab S8:
- Slim and premium
- Relief screen, 120Hz
- Great audio
- S Pen latency is getting lower
- Smooth performance for a variety of needs
- There is a microSD slot
- The camera is designed to support video conferencing applications
- Samsung DeX
Disadvantages of Galaxy Tab S8
- Can’t charge
- It would be more interesting if there is still a 3.5mm audio jack port, or provide a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 performance can be even faster
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is perfect for: Professionals who are always on the move. Users looking for a premium tablet for work and play. Creative workers who need tools to express ideas.
