Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
After a well-made 2020 vintage, Samsung updates its high-end tablets with three Galaxy Tab S8. The eponymous model, the smallest of the trio, passed through our labs and convinced us.
Presentation
Aware of its place in the Android tablet market, Samsung does not fail to renew its models regularly. This was recently the case for the entry-level Galaxy Tab A8, and now it's the turn of the Tab S8, S8+ and S8 Ultra to make their debut. It is the first model that interests us today.
Ergonomics
Samsung has not changed any element of its Tab S7. The Galaxy Tab S8 has the same dimensions and design as the previous one. However, we must admit that it was successful and had excellent finishes. We therefore refer you to the test of the Galaxy Tab S7 to discover it from all angles.
We appreciate the presence of the S-Pen directly in the box. This was not the case in all markets for the previous generation. It is always possible to place it on a magnetic area on the back or on the top edge. But it will only recharge if it is "stored" in the back.
Screen
The Galaxy Tab S8 is equipped with an 11-inch LCD panel, which displays in 1600 x 2560 pixels and occupies about 84% of the front panel. It is possible to choose between a dynamic refresh mode oscillating from 60 Hz to 120 Hz or to remain locked at 60 Hz to save battery.
As on the previous model, Samsung decided to reserve the Oled for its Tab stamped "+". However, this choice gives it a good autonomy (see below) and the LCD screen is very well made. The light peak reaches 537 cd/m², which makes it easy to consult, even in bright places. This value goes down to 6.3 cd/m² at minimum, which is higher than average, but does not hurt the eyes in the dark either. The reflectance is 47.9%, which is still a bit too high. A constant on tablets, despite some rare exceptions at Apple. The contrast ratio is 1364:1, the touch delay is 62 ms and the afterglow is about 17 ms.
Out of the box, the panel shows a delta E of 3 and a color temperature of 7135 Kelvin. The whole looks a little too cold. A passage by the "Natural" mode allows to find a delta E to 2,1 and a temperature to 6900 K, values closer to the video standard (6500 K). We observe small drifts on the blue and green - which reach a delta E of 5.5 and 4.7 respectively. The other colors are contained under a value of 3, the limit of drift perceptible by the human eye. The Galaxy Tab S8 nevertheless gets the fifth star on the line and is very pleasant to use in everyday life.
Performance
The Galaxy Tab S8 has opted for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 coupled with 8 GB of RAM and 128 / 256 GB of storage (expandable via microSD). If the SoC has not yet really impressed us on smartphone, it delivers excellent results on tablets. Here it gets a very good overall rating of 111. We did not notice any significant jump in the application part, as the performance is similar to the previous model. However, there is no need to worry about this, the whole thing remains constantly fluid and allows you to juggle between different tabs or surf the web and social networks.
However, it is in video games that the Adreno 730 stands out. On our Viser test protocol, it managed to maintain an average of 70 frames per second. However, we notice that the framerate is very high during the first few minutes and then stabilizes. In any case, it will be possible to play the Play Store games in very good conditions. It is also possible to install services such as Xbox Game Pass and stream the catalog, provided you have a good Internet connection. As you can see, the Galaxy Tab S8 does not disappoint in this respect.
Photo
The tablet is equipped with the same configuration as its big sister, the Galaxy Tab S8+. We therefore enjoy a wide-angle of 13 MP (f/2) and an ultra wide-angle of 6 MP (f/2.2).
If the result is still far from the best photophones, the high-end slates offer better rendering for about two years. We therefore refer you to the Tab S8+ test for more details.
Autonomy
The tablet has an 8,000 mAh battery compatible with fast charging at 45 W. It may be more compact than that of the S8+ (10,900 mAh), but it still offers excellent autonomy. On our test protocol, it managed to last 24 h 50 min with the screen configured in 120 Hz dynamic mode. An impressive result, whatever the intensity of your use. It is moreover the best in the exercise.
With a 45W block (unfortunately not included), it took 1 h 37 min to refuel, which is pretty good, even if you'll probably have to be patient with a less powerful block. Given the endurance offered here, we can't really hold it against it.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is an excellent Android tablet. Well finished, light, powerful, durable... It has no real defects. We can certainly regret the absence of Oled, but the LCD panel selected is of very good quality and contributes to give it a consistent autonomy. The Tab S8 also manages to take good advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and proves to be a very good ally for video games. Productivity is not left out with an interesting DeX mode and an efficient S Pen for note taking. A very good vintage, despite a lack of aesthetic risk-taking.
