With a sleek design, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) delivers outstanding performance

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) has been in the market from late last year. And I’ve had the review unit for almost a month now, from March 24, 2023 to be exact. During this time, I’ve had the opportunity to try out the device (which can be ordered from Brandcart), trying out its various functionalities and features.

Design and Feel

On holding the device on my palm, my first reaction was my amazement at how slim the Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) was – the device has a thickness of only 6.3 mm. With a height of 165.30mm and width of 253.80m, it weighs 503.00 grams. Even though the review unit I have is graphite in colour, the tablet is also available in silver and pink gold variants.

On the right side of the device (when the tablet is held in an upright position) is the Fingerprint scanner at the top, the High and Low volume buttons below (which also doubles as the Power on and off button when pressed together with the Fingerprint scanner), with the SIM card slot situated towards the bottom of device. At the bottom of the device is the Charging port (which can also be used for transferring files to and from the device). On the flipside of the device is the main camera (13 MP wide angle and 6 MP ultrawide) which takes photos and records videos of reasonable quality considering the specs of the camera.

Like most tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) normally comes with a standard case (or keyboard case depending on the user’s preference) as well as an S Pen, all at an extra cost to the buyer. However, it’s advisable to acquire the case for the device as it’s very slim and having it fitted within the case when in use ensures safety, durability and also ensures that the user gets a better and firmer grip of the device. Again

Screen and Display:

Due to its screen size of 11.0 inches (which translates to about 83.6% screen-to-body ratio), the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) definitely offers the user an excellent visual experience in all situations – whether one is in the office working and polishing their documents and urgent reports before submitting to the line manager; winding down during their free time or weekend while watching their favourite documentaries on YouTube; or playing their video games. Let’s just say that the screen gives the viewer very crisp and clear images and videos.

Audio and Video:

We earlier at the beginning of the post briefly touched on the size of the Galaxy Tab S8 (5G), and mentioned how slim the device is. And we have already highlighted the excellent video quality and viewing experience one gets while watching clips on the tab’s 11-inch TFT screen with a resolution of 1600×2560 pixels.

When it comes to audio, the Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) comes fitted with 4 speakers, all tuned by AKG (the acoustics specialist firm from Vienna, Austria) and supported by Dolby Atmos. You can listen to your music tracks (directly as the tab is not fitted with a Jack pin slot) from the device and enjoy the incredible audio quality that it sends out. When connected to external speakers or earphones via Bluetooth, the audio quality is even better.

Performance:

Running on Android 12 at launch in late 2022 and upgradable to Android 13, the Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) is a device for all occasions – whether professional or social (entertainment). With its Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 8GB of RAM, the tab enables the user to perform multiple tasks faster – be it opening various apps, checking the latest updates and developments via the popular social media platforms, viewing the saved video files as well as gaming.

With its Li-Po 8000 mAh battery, the user of the tab can be assured of at least a full day of charge, enabling them to have peace of mind to use the device for his work-related activities and personal chores throughout the day without the need for a recharge. But just in case the charge runs out in the course of the day, remember that it can achieve up to 50% of its total charge capacity in under an hour, or just 40 minutes.

Specifications

In conclusion, we can say that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) ticks all the right boxes – that is in terms of design, screen and display size, followed by videography, battery life, and overall performance. It’s only stills photos where (as we have mentioned earlier at the beginning of the post), the device returns an average ranking, which however doesn’t mean that the photos are of poor quality. The photos are reasonable considering the specs of both the main and selfie camera.

Although it made its debut in the local market in November last year, at a retail price of about Kshs 100,000, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (5G) is good value for money considering the specs and its performance capabilities. And if you can afford it, it is still not too late to walk into the various Samsung dealer shops in town or go to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 highlights page on Brandcart and order the device.