Can the Tab S8 Ultra be compared with the M1 iPad Pro?
I don’t think you can.
Let’s put them side by side and I will explain.
After a few weeks I realised that these are very different devices.
From an experience point of view, one is a tablet.
The other is closer to a computer.
I’ve used iPads for many years and I love the M1 iPad Pro for many reasons.
But it really disappointed me in the promise that it could be used as a main computer.
I mean..
Apple put the M1 chip on the iPad, and I know that technically they didn’t “promise”
anything in terms of Pro apps or iPadOS features.
But their marketing was pretty suggestive and at best misleading.
But that rant… is for another story.
Maybe I want too much from a tablet?
Well.. this is where the Tab S8 Ultra comes in.
It doesn’t have as many “tablet-native” apps as the iPad and some Android apps are
not as embellished as the ones on iPadOS.
But being perfectly honest, the apps that I actually care about work on Android the
same way they work on iPadOS.
Adobe Lightroom, Canva, Microsoft Office apps, Notion all work the exact same way as they
do on my iPad.
So whilst I agree that Android apps in general fall behind iPadOS, for the majority of people
who want to use a tablet for their work this is becoming a bit of moot point.
It’s only been few weeks with it, and I know I am really late reviewing this but I
actually used the tablet so I can properly share my experience with you.
By the way, I am not covering specs and absolutely no benchmarks in this video!!
But I will be putting this thing through it’s paces and trying out accessories so you know…
like a proper user would!
So stay tuned for that.
And cutting to the chase.
As much as it pains me to say it.
The Tab S8 Ultra offers a much better value.
Sorry Apple.
I still love you!
I know when buying any mobile device these days an important consideration is the ecosystem.
How will something like this work with your smartphone or your laptop.
And this alone is the deciding factor for many people.
But putting that to one side for now and looking at this device for what it offers.
The TabS8 Ultra does almost everything the iPad does with some differences of course,
but…
It does have a few extra tricks up its sleeve that overall makes it a really good “value
for money” choice.
In some instances it may save you a few hundred dollars depending on the config you go for.
So it’s hard to ignore that.
**Design and connectivity** For instance, it comes with the pen.
The pen is excellent by the way!
Really responsive and feels quite soft and… it’s hard to explain but it’s less slippery
on the glass.
The Tab S8 Ultra also allows you to use Samsung Dex when you connect to an external monitor
which is really handy.
This is a very underrated feature.
For people who want to use this like a laptop replacement, this feature alone is a game
changer.
It does still struggle with ultra wide monitors just like the iPad but at least it changes
the experience to suit a mouse and keyboard much better than what the iPad does.
Connecting the iPad to an external monitors is like putting sand in your eyelids.
I never done that before but I think that’s what it would feel like.
**Size** Addressing the elephant in the room.
The Tab S8 Ultra is MASSIVE!
But it’s also very very thin.
But if you’re gonna take anything away from this video, is this…
This is not a handheld device.
Lots of people are showing this being used like a small tablet.
Unless you’re like Shaq and you have massive hands.
For me, this has to be propped up somewhere.
And I wouldn’t bother with Samsung’s keyboard cover.
It looks really overpriced for what it is and it doesn’t actually allow you to use
this device like a tablet.
I think you’re better off using a bluetooth keyboard and mouse and getting a nice protective
case for it.
I will be reviewing loads of those too so stay tuned for that.
**Display** The display is superb.
Yes, it’s huge for a tablet but like I said, this is more of a computer really.
I was really curious to see what it would be like to use something like this and it
hasn’t disappointed.
I think it’s a great device for watching content and doing creative work.
The quality is out of this world, for media consumption I don’t think there’s any
other tablet that can beat this in terms of this immersive experience.
This is an OLED screen which means pixels are lit up individually, so we are getting
a very crisp and contrasty picture.
Brightness could be an issue.
But it’s totally workable even if I am sat near a window during the day, it’s bright
enough for me to work there.
Outdoors in direct sunlight..
I think it might be a stretch.
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Not as bright as the iPad basically.
But is it workable?
**Biometrics** In terms of biometrics, it has facial recognition,
a fingerprint sensor and usual PIN and password options.
Strangely the facial recognition has an option to allow you to unlock it with a picture of
your face which is a bit dodgy…
But the optical fingerprint sensor is great.
It feels just like the one on the S21 and S22 Ultra which are excellent.
Samsung just seem to really nailed this feature every time.
The iPad Pro doesn’t have TouchID which I still think is BONKERS from Apple.
Ironically coming from Samsung there is a notch and.. it’s non-issue for me.
I did hate it at first, the same way I hate the one on Apple devices.
But after about 5 seconds you kinda get on with it and let’s face it, there’s more
important things to worry about in life!
The cameras are really good quality for Zoom calls and things like that.
I am not a fan of the camera following you around, mainly because when I am at work there’s
usually one angle that doesn’t look messy so I’d rather the camera stays put.
But the quality is great!
It’s very on par with the iPad Pro really, not much in between them.
And the microphone quality on the S8 Ultra is surprisingly good too.
Oh and you know what really surprised me?
The speakers!
Boy these are incredible!!
Music, Netflix and Gaming sound awesome on this, very immersive, very clear sound.
If you’ve seen my iPad Pro reviews you know how much I enjoy the speakers on it.
So I didn’t expect the Tab S8 Ultra to be better than that to be honest
But they come very close!
Initially I didn’t think much of it and thought, gosh the iPad is much better.
But then I discovered that Dolby Atmos was not on by default.
When you turn that on, then you really notice a difference.
You can configure it for Movie, Music or dialogue.
The iPad Pro to me, sounds a little bit more refined.
And it’s louder too.
I actually measure that.
But this varies depending on the app you are using, and the content quality itself.
The bottom line is, they both sound amazing.
From a battery perspective, the Tab S8 Ultra will last an entire day if you’re really
busy but when I was testing games and really pushing it , I had to charge it in the afternoon.
But I don’t consider that my normal usage.
On standby though…
it seems to do a great job at not draining the battery.
And long may that last!
I love the fact it has a Micro SD slot so you
can add more storage if you need to.
Don’t think you can use that storage for apps though, it’s mainly for content.
The writing and drawing experience is fantastic on this huge display!
The pen connecting at the back for charging is neat and because I am not seeing this device
as a tablet, it doesn’t bother me.
But I can see this annoying some people, especially if you are using this to move around a lot
between locations.
Now gaming…It’s not even close.
The experience on the Tab S8 is just better because of the size of the display.
I was really pushing the settings to the max here and it was able to cope with it, like
a champ.
Ultimately these are very different devices.
If you are not wedded to the Apple ecosystem and like me, the apps you use the most are
sort of agnostic… the Tab S8 Ultra is a fantastic device which offers great value
for money.
I recommend you check out this playlist here, and I will be doing lots more on the Tab S8
Ultra so if you like this sort of stuff it would be awesome if you subscribed to my channel
And I will see you and your smiling faces on the next one.