At the Unpacked conference held in February this year, Samsung launched the new Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The flagship tablet has a 14.6-inch OLED screen in an attempt to surpass Apple’s iPad Pro. In the latest video, MacRumors put the Android flagship tablet to the test to see if the company really created something better than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Compared to the $1,099 128GB 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which also has 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, costs $899.99, and the latter offers a larger 14.6-inch AM OLED screen. Apple iPad Pro uses Mini LED technology, and both have a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.
Samsung designed the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with slim bezels, but it’s worth noting that the front-facing camera has a notch, although Samsung has previously teased Apple for including one on some of its devices. Apple’s iPad doesn’t currently have a notch, so Samsung has a breakthrough in the tablet’s notch.
Despite the notch, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s display is its biggest selling point, and the OLED panel has an advantage over the iPad Pro’s Mini LED panel because blooming or light leakage can cause some on-screen elements to appear when viewing high-contrast content Unwanted glow effect.
Samsung placed the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s front-facing camera in landscape orientation, which makes sense on a tablet of this size because it’s more of a desktop-like experience. The iPad Pro’s camera is positioned for portrait use, which is awkward on a larger display.
There’s a built-in facial recognition system, but Android device makers haven’t mastered the equivalent of Face ID, so it’s limited in scope and can’t be used for purchases or password verification. Instead, there’s a fingerprint reader built into the power button, similar to Apple’s iPad Air.
The iPad Pro has the Apple Pencil as an input device, while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has the S-Pen, which is actually included in the tablet’s box, so no extra purchase is required. The S-Pen is more feature-rich than the Apple Pencil, supporting over-the-air commands in addition to the standard stylus. Apple Pencil and S-Pen have similar performance, minimal lag, and the same palm rejection.
You can buy an extra keyboard with a trackpad for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for $350. The keyboard is fine, but the trackpad lags far behind Apple’s Magic Keyboard in usability. Battery life is similar, but Samsung offers 45W fast charging so it can be charged faster.
Speaking of hardware, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is similar to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and both are excellent tablets, but the system is the difference between the two. The iPadOS operating system can provide a better desktop experience, but it still outperforms Samsung’s Android-based tablet system. The app doesn’t always work, it’s out of proportion, and there are several other issues.
Samsung did develop DeX for a better desktop multitasking experience, and it’s similar to Chrome OS with a dedicated dock, but it’s still not a complete computer replacement, much like the iPad Pro. As for performance, the M1 chip is noticeably faster, and there’s no real competition.