Samsung has remained a reference in the tablet market over the years, even when the sector was in contraction. And now that with the thrust of the pandemic is on the rise, the Korean giant is no less and has demonstrated it with the new Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and with the unprecedented and enormous Galaxy S8 Ultra (which also sports a curious notch).
We have already talked about the three tablets in our preview, but if you are curious to see what is underneath, then the PBKreviews video teardown is the one for you.
LOTS OF SCREWS BUT REMOVING THE BATTERY IS NOT A WALK
To be “torn to pieces” is the smallest of the three, or Galaxy Tab S8 in the version with only Wi-Fi connectivity. And the first curiosity is right here: internally the slot used to host the network card is the same also present in the 5G versions, although the device is not configured to connect to new generation networks.
By removing the screen you immediately have to deal with a metal reinforcement structure, which gives stability and makes the device more rigid, whose profile is particularly slender with a thickness of just 6.3mm. To hold the various components of the tablet together, Samsung has made extensive use of screws, which makes the repair process easier, allowing you to separate many elements of the body without “getting” your hands.
The adhesive is there, mind you, but a little heat and isopropyl alcohol are still enough to get the best of it. Just like on Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung seems to have exaggerated a bit with the glue at the battery: a tab would have made the removal much easier.
EASY TO REPAIR, BUT NOT TOO MUCH
The system in charge of cooling Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC is particularly simple, with the presence of thermal paste on the chip and RAM, and the use of several layers of copper and graphite film (also used on the back of the display ). Compared to smartphones, tablets offer a significantly larger surface area for passive cooling, and therefore heat dissipation solutions are less demanding.
Overall, PKB Reviews ‘ teardown ends with a rating of 5.5 / 10 on the repairability scale: the product is well built and designed, and the numerous screws allow for a clean if somewhat complex approach, but some things They could have been simpler, above all the removal of the battery – one of the elements most frequently replaced by users – which due to the glue and the absence of tabs is a bit inconvenient.