The recent Samsung Unpacked event showcased the company’s upcoming Galaxy phones and tablets. Though the smartphone line, particularly the Galaxy S22 Ultra, received the most attention from both press and potential buyers, my eyes were set on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
I’m a fan of Samsung’s Galaxy tablets and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is arguably the most impressive in the line. Sure, most people will probably opt to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 due to its lower price and smaller profile. But it’s the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s huge 14.6-inch OLED display that has me clamoring to get my hands on the new slate, among other things.
Even outside of reviewing the new Samsung tablet (which we’ll have for you soon), the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a tablet I want to own for my own purposes. Below, I’ll go over the main reasons why.
Enormous 14.6-inch OLED display
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra's ginormous screen might be seen as overkill for a tablet. Even most laptops don’t have screens that huge. But in this instance, bigger is most definitely better.
I currently use the Galaxy Tab S7 FE to watch YouTube videos while eating dinner and also to read comic books. The 12.8-inch screen lets me enjoy those activities more than I did on my iPad (2020) with its 10.2-inch screen. This is why I salivate over the prospect of consuming that same content on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s 14.6-inch.
Though I’ve yet to watch a full movie or TV show on a tablet, I can see myself settling down to binge Disney+ or Amazon Prime content on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Now that things are opening up, I’m sure I’ll be traveling more in the coming months. Being able to watch the latest episode of The Mandalorian or checking out movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra on a plane or in a hotel will make trips more pleasurable.
Using the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for work
Speaking of work trips, I’ve always lugged both a tablet and laptop around; the former for watching videos and reading comics, the latter to work on. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra would help me get the usability of both devices.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU and 16GB of RAM make the slate more performative than previous models. Up to 512GB of storage also means I won’t have to worry too much about running out of space. Combine those features with the massive screen, and I’ll have a laptop in everything but name.
The only caveat is that I’ll need the Book Cover Keyboard to truly turn the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra into a pseudo-laptop. Presently, the accessory costs $350. However, I can get it for free if I pre-order the tablet. Samsung recently halted all pre-orders due to high demand but, at least for the moment, pre-orders are live once more. I’ll have to act soon because I don’t relish having to spend so much money on an accessory, even if it is crucial to making the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra function like a tablet.
Android tablets have never been as popular as Apple’s slates. But considering how Samsung temporarily stopped pre-orders for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tells me that things may be changing. As I said up top, I’ve been a fan of Galaxy’s slates for many years so it’s exciting to see others (finally) acknowledging them. I doubt the Tab S8 line will suddenly become as mainstream as Apple’s iPads, but it’s good enough to see the slates get more recognition than normal.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra launches on February 25 so I still have some time to pre-order it. But even if I don’t get the tablet now, I will sometime in the future. It isn’t a cheap device, but considering how I’ll no doubt use it for years to come, it’ll end up paying for itself eventually.
