Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra First Impression

Tablets have been seeing some serious demands and surges among consumers for their portability and versatility. Along with the S22 series flagship phone launch, Samsung had also launched its Tab S8 series which specially caters to different user needs.

After reviewing their previous Galaxy Tab S7 FE, we were wondering how Samsung’s highest specification table would look and perform. Last week, we had a chance to get a hold of one of its Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablets, and here are our first impressions of this tab.

The Design. The 14.6″ Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is one of the largest that we have ever reviewed so far. However, despite its gigantic size, it’s surprisingly light at 1.04 pounds. Though it’s difficult holding it in one hand, it’s comfortable holding it with two hands.

The Tab S8 Ultra shares the same light and slim chassis that Samsung’s flagship slates are known for. The tablet retains its overall svelte look even when connected to the Book Cover Keyboard. It’s easy to carry around, whether it’s in your backpack or in your hands.

You’ll find the power and volume buttons along the right side of the slate. There’s also a microSD card slot near the bottom right side, though you’ll need to use the included tool to open the compartment housing the slot. The back of the Tab S8 Ultra has rear-facing cameras and a magnetic strip to hold the S pen. A USB-C port and two speakers rest at the bottom edge. There’s no headphone jack to speak of, meaning you’ll need to connect headphones via the USB-C port or wirelessly through Bluetooth.

The Display. The ginormous 14.6-inch (2960×1848) 120Hz AMOLED display is the Tab S8 Ultra’s defining feature. Its screen is bright and vibrant and makes whatever you’re looking at – from YouTube videos, streaming content and games – look absolutely stunning. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures that web pages scroll smoothly and that apps open quickly, though you can lock it to 60Hz to conserve battery.

The Camera. The Tab S8 Ultra has two front-facing 12MP cameras capable of shooting regular and ultrawide shots. On the back, you’ll find 13MP and 6MP cameras. The cheaper Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8+ have the same rear cameras, but the Ultra is the only one with two cameras on the front. All cameras can record video at up to 4K resolution and at 60 frames per second. Auto-framing technology pans the camera to keep you in the frame and worked very well when I used the Tab S8 Ultra to participate in a work meeting.

The Performance. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, 12GB of RAM and 256B of storage space in my unit certainly gives the slate enough power to run and navigate through apps seamlessly. We’ve used Android tablets for years and found the Tab S8 Ultra with its Android 12 operating system as snappy and responsive as it used to.

The Sound. The Tab S8 Ultra’s speakers get reasonably loud when you crank the volume up to max. The sound quality is clear and crisp, no matter if you’re watching your favorite content creator or listening to music. There’s also Dolby Atmos support, which you can enable in the Settings menu.

The Battery. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is powered by a sizable 11200mAh battery (which lasts more than 10 hours of working time) and 45W of fast charging.

The SPen. The S Pen is a handy tool that (thankfully) comes bundled with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Digital pens have never felt as precise as old-school pencils to me, but the S Pen works very well with the Tab S8 Ultra. Thanks to the pen’s thickness, it felt like holding a proper pen and not a fragile stylus.

The Keyboard. Our unit came with the Book Cover Keyboard. This accessory is the key to making the Tab S8 Ultra function like a laptop as Samsung had highly promoted it to be. The large keyboard feels good to type on and gave my big hands enough space to move. I also liked how the back cover has a compartment for the S Pen. The Book Cover Keyboard looks great on the Tab S8 and keeps it protected against accidental drops.

What’s In The Box. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is equipped with a Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card, and Ejection Pin, S Pen, Data Cable, Ejection Pin, and one Book Cover Keyboard in the box.

Overall, the Tab S8 Ultra is a totally over-the-top, but very exciting tablet. Running with the idea that bigger is better, it maxes out specs, supports S Pen input, and features a dual-front camera for high-quality ultra-wide video calls and selfies. With support for apps like Lightroom and that gorgeous 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display, on paper, it should be a fantastic photography tool on first impression.

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is priced at RM 5899 for 12GB + 256GB variant. You may choose any color you like as long as it’s graphite 😛 For more information check out at Samsung website at https://www.samsung.com/my/tablets/galaxy-tab-s/galaxy-tab-s8-ultra-wifi-graphite-256gb-sm-x900nzajxme/

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